A Convoluted Mess

Rating: 3/10 (20 December 2019)

If you're there for the action, the visuals, and OT trilogy nostalgia, then you will probably like this film. If you're there for anything else, expect to be disappointed.
I have never disliked a film in the Star Wars saga. I'm not one to say if this plotline doesn't happen then I hate it. That's not how I approach movies. I'm also not here for the the merch, the new planets or ships, or any kind of fan service. My love of Star Wars derives from the metaphorical and mythological messages it sends. I love Star Wars for its symbolism, narrative parallels, deeper themes, and character and thematic arcs. The thoughtfulness and nuance behind the action and dialogue.
The Rise of Skywalker is not only a badly constructed film, with ridiculous dialogue, horrible pacing, and convoluted plot devices; it's a thematic mess where the more you think about it, the more it unravels. And yes, it does impact how I feel about the rest of the sequel trilogy because it's all meant to be one story. If it doesn't serve the greater scale story, then it's not functioning in the mythological format Star Wars has always used both within the trilogy and within the saga.
I have championed the sequel trilogy, both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, up to this point because of how thoughtfully it was expanding the mythos and fully expected a profound, meaningful conclusion to the Skywalker story. Now I just feel like a schmuck.