An Epic Finish and Love Letter to the Fans

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2019)

After viewing this fine film by J.J. Abrams I am nonplussed by all the negative reviews. The critics apparently live in a parallel universe where stories are told from their perspective. Critics especially zeroed in on the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine. I thought it clever for Rey, whose backstory is not revealed in the previous two movies, to discover her lineage from Palpatine. Those who complain that Palpatine was killed in "Return of the Jedi" so now cannot possibly appear in this movie apparently don't believe in the immortal character of the spirit, which continues to exist after the death of the body. If the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker can live on after death, why can't Palpatine? In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Abrams was inspired by the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In "The Fellowship of the Ring," the Dark Lord Sauron was killed, but his spirit lived on and kept looking for a way to become corporeal again.
"The Rise of Skywalker" was a love letter to the fans. It was wonderful that there was left-over footage of Carrie Fisher (Leia) to use in this film. Including Billy Dee Williams (Lando) was like the cherry on top of a sundae. The movie is also full of musical and visual references to the original trilogy, a very appropriate way for Abrams to demonstrate the narrative connection between all the Star Wars films. I especially appreciated the redemption story for the Kylo Ren character (Ben Skywalker). Of course, after murdering his father, Ben had to die, but not before saving Rey's life and reconciling with her. Moreover, Palpatine gained a revelation that Rey and Ben were a dyad, that is, sharing a close bond and relationship, not unlike marriage. That is why Rey can close the film by introducing herself as Rey Skywalker.