If Death is trivial, then so is Life

Rating: 4/10 (20 December 2019)

Every death that we thought was meaningful either didn't happen or doesn't matter. Be a Jedi or Sith, significant characters continue their influence in the afterlife - with no explanation given. Rey and Kylo's relationship is first stilted, then forced. Ancillary characters are not advanced from Episode 8. Even the landscapes - which have reliably added allure - are underutilized. The Rise of Skywalker doesn't mesh with The Last Jedi, as most fans had anticipated. But beyond that, the ending of Episode 9 caps off a jumbled, conflicted story where triviality is all that is left.