A fitting beginning, not end, for a new era of Galaxy!

Rating: 9/10 (25 December 2019)

"The Rise Of Skywalker", directed by J.J. Abrams, marked the ending to the decades old saga of Star Wars. Having a totally different theme from the tradition, with the core basics being pretty much the same, the film was never expected to satisfy everyone alike. However, as much as the hatred The Last Jedi recieved, I must say The Rise of Skywalker is totally a different case here. But to begin, remember, no sci-fi films are flawless & this one's no exception. With an inconsistent pace at times, the story still manages to act as a great conclusion with lots of unexplained aspects.
The story, in particular, was as predictable as any Star Wars films ever traditionally. Beginning with the shocking return of Palpatine in an attempt to establish Sith Empire once & for all comes Finn, Rey & Poe as the hurdles. Enroute to the unknown with grit & determination of helping The Force rise once again lies the unexpected turn of events with some heavily shocking & unexpected plot twists. With lots of actions packed, starting right after the opening crawl, the film overall stayed true to its tradition with a few tweaks as seen in this trilogy originally. But most importantly, hope never dies. And with hope comes the end to all the evildoers. And for that - Skywalker or not; lone-hero or not - it doesn't really matter & the film only solidifies its point, using the same controversial platform that was set a few years back. Carrie Fischer's unfortunate and sudden demise surely did cost the plot to some extent. But now, satisfaction upon the completion of story will only depend on one point - whether or not did you like "The Last Jedi," because as much as it's back to the traditional Star Wars route, it still is an evident sequel.
But having said that, story has never been the major talking point of Star Wars, has it? And this film is no different. With a top notch cast of Adam, Daisy, Oscar, Boyega & many more, an extravagant experience is guaranteed. Adam, Daisy & Oscar in particular were the stars of the film, giving me a tough time to judge who was actually the best. But for me standout performance definitely was by Anthony Daniels as C3PO (yeah, I'm just kidding)! However, their characters in particular didn't have significant amount of progression as you'd usually expect from a conclusive film. Finn & Ben's characters in particular have totally been wasted as to their potential & throughout the saga, it was evident how badly Ben was written with Finn getting next to no conclusions other than being just another comrade in the Resistance. But again, that's pretty much expected from a typical Sci-Fi film (but not necessarily a Star Wars film). Talking specifically about certain characters, I've to begin with Kylo Ren a.k.a Ben Solo, who didn't really have a definitive development throughout the saga & was rather used as a medium of flexibility to adjust as per the needs. From determination & lust of prowess to regretting and realising all those mistakes, we never really got the badass-ness within the depth of his character. Now, there's Finn too who had a lots of potential as well. But with potentially different love interests & showcasing next to no history, this character too went in vain at the end. But what differed between the two was Rey's evident significance as an entity to keep up the pace of the plot. Whereas, Finn was very ignorable. It was the acting from both, that saved these highly potent characters at the end. But then again, that's all expected from a Sci-Fi film, if not so much for Star Wars traditionally, considering developments in characteristics for the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo & all.
On a technical level, the background scoring, cinematography, CGI, VFX & action choreography were just top-notch & perfect from every single aspect. At times, it felt as if it was a total experience which is beyond just a flick, on a level much higher than the previous Star Wars films. The music, cinematography & action, in particular, were a delightful experience & it seems the makers have put a lot of emphasis on this department. And trust me, the only film that comes closer to this one are Force Awakens & Avatar!
All in all, "Star Wars - Episode 9: Rise Of Skywalker" was an extremely enjoyable movie with a much deserved conclusion to our beloved Star Wars franchise & the Luke Skywalker Saga. Portraying women empowerment as a core of the film, J.J. Abrams has pretty much succeeded in redefining "feminism in film" with a strong characteristics in show with Rey & her "hope"! But satisfaction still only depends upon neutrality while watching. But having said that, trust me, it deserves a shot & I'm certain, you won't be dissatisfied after watching this extravaganza of approximately 2 hours & 30 minutes!
May the force be with you!