An OK End to a Messy Trilogy

Rating: 6/10 (22 December 2019)

'Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker' is the film fans have been anticipating since the announcement of a sequel trilogy. For nearly half a decade we had no idea what was to come of a sequel trilogy. 'The Force Awakens' introduced us to many new characters and hardships, and of course continued the stories of the original trilogy. There was hope for the continuation of the Star Wars franchise until 'The Last Jedi', which practically had nothing to offer to the story as a whole. Director Rian Johnson scrapped many of the ideas from the previous movie, and tried to go in a different direction. Now we have JJ Abrams back in the directors chair for episode 9 trying to wrap everything up. The full story is a mess due to two directors trying to go two different directions with the characters. These films are tied between paying homage to the original trilogy and bringing something entirely new to the table. They can't please everyone. 'The Rise of Skywalker' is a very visually pleasing movie. Many of shots are beautifully done, and the action sequences are exciting. John Williams' score is wonderfully done. The music, along with the visuals, are really breathtaking at times. The film falls flat with the character development in the end. It's no secret that Palpatine is back. This is a bold move for director JJ Abrams. Fans loved the idea of Anakin saving his son and bringing balance to the force in the end of episode 6 by killing The Emperor. What does that all mean now that we know Palpatine was alive the whole time? Either way, the film isn't absolutely awful. It's fine and worth watching if you've followed the sequel trilogy so far. Nothing will ever be like the original trilogy and fans need to accept that.