It's a fan-service machine that respects Star Wars' legacy.

Rating: 7/10 (19 December 2019)

There is going to be a fiercely fought debate over whether or not this film is good or bad, but The Rise of Skywalker is how The Skywalker Saga ends (officially); though fans don't have to accept that, because The Original Trilogy was already conclusive enough. This film, I think, is a 're-conclusion' of the saga. Did we really NEED this movie? No. We did not. Though The Force Awakens was a great re-introduction to the Star Wars universe, The Last Jedi tried too hard to disrupt the strands of the previous film, and The Rise of Skywalker wraps it all up by being a fan-service love-letter instead of being a closing chapter to a cinematic saga. I consider these movies to be 'extensions' of the Original Trilogy that can either be accepted or not accepted by the audience.
So what was good about the movie? It has gorgeous imagery that's got some great action set-pieces, but the story's jump-from-point-A-to-point-B video-game side-quest-completing structure muddles the pacing and emotional investment you have in the film. It didn't need to be a 'collectathon' video game to satisfy the fans who hated The Last Jedi: they just needed to deliver what the fans wanted and that was clear-cut closure on The Force Awakens' arcs (though Return of the Jedi already ended the Star Wars Saga). The music's still goosebumps-inducing stuff and the world is still as deep and immersive as ever; it's just a shame we couldn't end this trilogy with Carrie Fisher still being with us. And that's what hurt about The Rise of Skywalker the most: we were left poorer because of what happened in real life affecting not only the franchise but leaving fans and her family sadder when one of our childhood icons passed away far too soon. I'll miss Carrie: she was a legend and will be inseparable from Star Wars' legacy. And for the most part I reckon The Rise of Skywalker honours her legacy rather well, even if it's very wanting for Carrie to still be here with us.
This movie's fine stuff: it's good but not great, entertaining but not life-changing, sweeping if somewhat unfocused in terms of its story. It is Star Wars and it's abundantly clear to everyone and their dog that the franchise is going to continue WELL and truly past Episode IX. It's now become a franchise as endless as James Bond and the MARVEL Movies whether audiences like that or not. Here's hoping that the next movies re-orient themselves around philosophical ideologIes of wisdom as opposed to contemporary politics getting in the way of a clear-cut story.
Star Wars has become a beast of a franchise and it's grown significantly from its humble beginnings as a mid-budgeted movie from 1977; it's become a never ending colossus of pop-culture that's got one of the most passionate fan-bases on the planet. And just like any fandom we should respect differences in opinion and sentiment that comes along the way.