So long, Skywalker!

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2019)

Star Wars, as a franchise, has always been the embodiment of the phrase "a fun time at the cinema with the family". It has affected generations of moviegoers who have built their imagination courtesy this galaxy, far far away. Right from the opening crawl and John Williams' iconic renditions to the countless number of lightsaber duels and cultural impact through toys and collectibles, this space opera has touched countless lives.
The Rise of Skywalker may not be a perfect film, but it has it's heart at the right place. It may seem ridiculous at times, but the damage of the last chapter was maybe a bit too much to paper over. Despite trying to be inventive in storytelling, it genuinely still clings to the past. Although it closes a chapter to this saga (and maybe at the correct juncture), the fact that it left some huge questions unanswered will bother the die-hard fans. This sequel trilogy has a very divisive fan reaction, but we cannot discount it's place in the lore that is truly rich and diverse.
Coming to the film, it has nostalgia and Easter eggs galore. In the first half, a few Harry Potter parallels are worth noting. Callbacks to past films tie into the narrative smoothly and answer some of the pressing questions we had. Non clarification of some others will leave you unsatiated to the point where you don't leave the theatre with a merry skip. Nevertheless, JJ Abrams does deliver on retconning some portions which now finds a more appropriate story in the timeline. Although, some are just absurd and leave a sour taste altogether.
The visuals are historic, it's so good that half of your ticket's worth is already paid there. Seriously, these artists behind the visual effects enhance our viewing experience far too much than they get credit for. The music is legendary and incident-specific throughout. The performances (emoting specifically) by Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver is terrific to the point where it gives actual depth to shallowness in the plot. Despite their character arcs probably not evoking that sense of remembrance with the future generations as Luke and Vader's did to ours, they will still be a fond chapter in this universe's rich history. Same goes for Finn and Poe; they just aren't as iconic as Leia and Han. C3P0 is definitely the funniest in this movie, having the bulk of the humour duties vested in him.
A moment in "The Rise of Skywalker" has the voices of all notable Jedi from the comics, animated series and previous films coming together and asking someone to not lose hope and it is then when you realise, "The Force is always with us."