In my opinion, a satisfying end to the Skywalker Saga

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2019)

The final chapter in this sequel trilogy and a conclusion to the 'Skywalker Saga', Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has been seen as a let down. However, I actually really enjoyed this installment in the franchise, as someone who was never the biggest fan of Star Wars, I never had that sense of nostalgia from seeing any of the sequel trilogy and I felt as a result was able to enjoy the film as they were. There is certainly an argument to be made that as the ending to a saga it should definitely pay off on and make congruent and logical storytelling flow from that of its predecessors. But because I never felt such a strong attachment to the franchise I thought as it is, Rise of Skywalker was a really good movie, with exciting action and sci-fi elements and a narrative that ultimately centers around the fight between good and evil.
It was an effective film that while may be seen as style over substance at times, does have its fair share of substantial moments that make the argument of what it means to be a Jedi or Sith and what it means to bring balance to the force. I think it wonderfully comes full circle in that it brings us back to our internal struggles between blind rage and tranquil control, the essence of the two factions. At the end of the day, regardless of how convoluted of a plot it was getting here, the story devices and convenient character traits and decisions it was an entertaining film.
I really enjoyed this movie and felt that there were a lot of brilliant moments in this film, while I understand the criticisms, I can't help but like what I saw.