A SAGA ENDS

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 2020)

It was 1977 and I was scheduling films at college and the company that handled Fox asked if I would be willing to tag a teaser trailer on our film that week. I said no problem. When it ran on the screen I was immediately hooked. Who would have thought that 43 years later I'd still be enjoying the adventures of the STAR WARS films?
Yes it's been 43 years since the first film was released and the subsequent prequels and adventures have continued. Some have been great, some mediocre and some on the verge of being bad. But they've never been boring and what has been put forth on the screen has kept the tradition of science fiction/fantasy alive. It's taken us to other worlds, shown us aliens we never dreamed of and placed us in a galaxy far, far away.
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is supposed to be the last film involving the original storyline. Let me say up front that if you haven't been watching up till this point go watch before reading this review, there are spoilers aplenty here. Many of those are things that take place early on making it near impossible not to. And unfortunately the plot here is complicated enough that it's difficult to sum up.
The resistance is still fighting as they have all along. Hinted at in the last film is confirmation that the dark Emperor Palpatine is still alive. Not only that but he's been planning on making a big return since his "demise" years ago. He's assembled a vast number of followers and created the Final Order, a fleet of spaceships each with the ability to destroy a planet.
Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) bows to Palpatine but in reality still believes he can become the ruler of the empire. His struggle with the dark and light sides of the force are one of the main ingredients of the film. The same is true of his connection to Rey (Daisy Ridley). It's so strong that in this film they even battle with one another while planets apart.
A spy among Kylo's troops gets word to the resistance via a message delivered by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega). It tells the resistance that Emperor Palpatine is alive and well and located in Exegol. The only way that they can find the location of Exegol is by using a wayfinder. Only two exist and Kylo has one. Ren, Finn and Poe set out to find the other with R2-D2, C-3PO, and Chewbacca forming the team established by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher).
The team travel to a planet where they are nearly caught. It is the help of Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) that saves them and helps them find the clue that they need. The clue is a knife inscribed with markings of the Sith that no one can read except C-3PO. But he is programmed not to translate Sith. Off to another planet to remedy that situation.
All of this and we're probably only halfway into the film. Suffice to say that the bond between Rey and Kylo will be tested, that the bad guy will meet opposition to his diabolical plan and that not everyone will walk away from this battle untouched or alive.
All along the stories have tread the waters of heroism, shown us individuals who would stand up for what is right no matter what the cost. And while the Skywalker name has been the one most singled out, the rest show that you don't have to be a Jedi Knight to display heroics or to sacrifice for the greater good. This culmination of 9 films has given us a message along with a ton of entertainment.
The films have also been responsible for bringing along the special effects industry as well. Producer/director George Lucas took the money he made and created Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects company that's done not just these films but many others as well. It's made those trips to other worlds possible and believable.
With plenty of action and tons of effects this final saga of the series is entertaining but a bit long for kids at almost 2 and a half hours. And it feels more than the rest that you have to remember the past two films to keep up with what is happening. So it might be time to binge watch at least these last three together.
There will always be STAR WARS out there in one form or another, like THE MANDALORIAN on the Disney channel and the animated series that exist. But as for the core of the franchise this is the end. And a fitting end it is.