Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker

Rating: 8/10 (30 December 2019)

Disney acquiring Lucasfilm was a great decision, the first of the new space saga sequel movies The Force Awakens was brilliant, and the second film The Last Jedi was also fantastic, and after 42 years since the release of the original Star Wars, this was the final film of the franchise, directed by J.J. Abrams (Lost, Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, Super 8). Basically, a threat of revenge has been received from Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), assumed to be dead years ago. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), having obtained a Sith wayfinder device on the planet Mustafar, finds the Emperor on the uncharted planet Exegol. The Emperor reveals that he created Snoke as a puppet to control the First Order and lure Kylo to the Dark Side. Palpatine then releases a secret fleet of Star Destroyers and tells Kylo to find and kill Rey (Daisy Ridley), who is continuing her Jedi training, with the help of Resistance leader General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). A spy within the First Order has delivered information, which Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) say reveals Palpatine's location on Exegol. Rey meanwhile learns from notes left by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) about a Sith wayfinder can lead them there. Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), BB-8, and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) depart in the Millennium Falcon for the planet Pasana to find an ally as recommended by Leia. There, they find Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), who points them in the direction of the wayfinder's last suspected location. Kylo learns where Rey is through their Force bond and travels there with his warrior subordinates, the Knights of Ren. Rey and the others discover the remains of the assassin Ochi of Bestoon (Liam Cook), his ship and droid, and a dagger inscribed with Sith text, which C-3PO's programming forbids him from translating. The First Order captures the Falcon, Chewbacca, and the dagger. Rey tries to save Chewbacca, but accidentally destroys a First Order transport with Force lightning. The group escape in Ochi's ship, assuming that Chewbacca is dead. Poe suggests traveling to Kijimi to have the Sith text extracted from C-3PO's memory. C-3Po's memory is wiped in the process, but coordinates reveal that a wayfinder is on Kef Bir. Rey senses that Chewbacca is alive, and the group mounts a rescue mission. While Kylo searches for Rey, the group infiltrates his Star Destroyer with the help of Zorii Bliss (Keri Russell), an old acquaintance of Poe's. Rey recovers the dagger and has visions of her mother (Jodie Comer) and father (Billy Howle) being killed with it. Kylo informs her that she is Palpatine's granddaughter; he reveals that Ochi was ordered by the Sith lord to recover Rey as a child, but she was hidden by her parents for her protection on Jakku. General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) saves Poe, Finn, and Chewbacca from execution, revealing himself to be the spy. He lets them escape on the Falcon but is executed by General Pryde (Richard E. Grant) for treason. The group arrives on Kef Bir. Resistance sympathiser Jannah (Naomi Ackie) leads them to the remains of the second Death Star, where the wayfinder is located. Finn is surprised to find out that, like himself, Jannah is also a former stormtrooper, and was one of many deserters. Kylo tracks them down, destroys Rey's wayfinder and asks her to join him to go against Palpatine. Leia is dying, before passing away she calls to Kylo through the Force, distracting him as he duels with Rey, who impales him. Sensing Leia's death, Rey heals Kylo using the Force and takes his ship. She returns to Ahch-To, where the Force spirit of Luke encourages Rey to face Palpatine and gives her Leia's lightsaber. Rey uses the wayfinder in Kylo's ship to make her way to Exegol. After healing, Kylo talks to the spirit of his father, Han Solo (Harrison Ford), after which he throws away his lightsaber and reclaims his identity as Ben Solo. The Resistance then see the planet Kijimi obliterated by a Star Destroyer equipped with a super laser. At the Resistance base, R2-D2 (Hassan Taj and Lee Towersey) restores C-3PO's memory upon the group's return. The Resistance follows Rey's coordinates to Exegol, where she confronts Palpatine. The Emperor wants her to kill him, being his relative he wants to transfer his spirit into her body. Lando brings reinforcements from across the galaxy to join the battle against Palapatine's army, the Last Order. Ben overpowers the Knights of Ren and joins Rey. Palpatine drains the pair's power to rejuvenate himself. He attacks the Resistance fleet with Force lightning and incapacitates Ben. Rey is weakened, she hears the voices of past Jedi, who lend her their strength. Ben revives Rey by transferring his life force into her; they kiss and Ben dies, becoming one with the Force, along with the body of his mother Leia. The remainder of Palpatine's armada are successful destroyed by the Resistance. As the Resistance celebrates, Rey visits the abandoned home of Luke Skywalker on Tatooine. She buries the Skywalker lightsabers, having built her own. A passerby asks her name; she replies, "Rey Skywalker". Also starring Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, composer John Williams as Oma Tres and Mary Poppins Returns' Lin-Manuel Miranda as a Soldier, with the voices of James Earl Jones as Darth Vader, Andy Serkis as Snoke, Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Ewan McGregor as the younger Obi Wan Kenobi, Sir Alec Guinness as the older Obi Wan Kenobi, Frank Oz as Yoda, Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kannan Jarus and Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn. The appearances of Hamill, Ford and Fisher (through unused footage from The Force Awakens) are good, Boyega and Isaac are great as the heroes, and McDiarmid returning as the sinister Emperor is welcome, but I agree with critics that this film pretty much belongs to Ridley and Driver, delivering the key moments that will bring the show to a close. I will be honest and say that this finale to the saga is almost the same quality as Return of the Jedi, very enjoyable, but just that tiny something missing, perhaps it is lacking a little emotionally. However, you cannot ignore the spectacular battle sequences, the brilliant special effects and the well-paced action, all together it is a terrific worthwhile science-fiction fantasy action adventure. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Music (Original Score) for John Williams, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound Editing, and it was nominated the BAFTA for Original Music, Best Sound, and Best Special Visual Effects. Star Wars was number 24 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons. Very good!