"The Rise of Skywalker" is by no means the worst film in the saga, but the least memorable and most forgettable of it - this may be your only unforgivable sin.

Rating: 8/10 (20 May 2020)

After the resumption of the "Star Wars" saga bringing new protagonists, but at the same time continuing with the legacy of the first two trilogies, the time has come to give an end to the Skywalker saga, so that we can move forward in future productions without any mandatory binding, so that new concepts can finally be explored. After directing "The Force Awakens" and leaving it to Rian Jonhson to lead "The Last Jedi", who incidentally had already written an outline for the script for this last part of the story, JJ Abrams is back after Kathleen Kennedy, responsible from Disney throughout the Star Wars franchise. Abrams, while the film strives to do something very different and break some fan expectations in the first two thirds of the film, there is also a huge effort to make a remake of "Return of the Jedi" at the end of it. Anyone who values the boldness of Rian Johnson, who angered many fans with his comment about breaking expectations in a franchise based on serving them, can easily reverse his speech to The Rise of Skywalker, which at no time is concerned with surprising, yet that many twists and turns make up its plot.
"The Rise of Skywalker" not only represents the communion of eight films released over 42 years, but also proposes to finalize the story of the main pillar of its cinematic universe: the Skywalker family. At the same time that it goes against certain steps taken by Johnson in "The Last Jedi", some of which are indisputable, Abrams gives space to precise choices that make history go without erasing the past - especially the connection between Rey and Kylo Ren. With the return of Emperor Palpatine, everyone is once again afraid of his power and, with that, the Resistance takes the lead in the battle that will dictate the direction of the galaxy. Training to be a complete Jedi, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is still in conflict with his past and future, but fears for the answers he can get from his complex connection with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who is also in conflict by the Force.
But the creative clash under the same plot doesn't seem to be as striking as Carrie Fisher's physical absence in this chapter. The archived footage reused in The Rise of Skywalker is somewhat out of place and, unfortunately, does not deliver as many lines or interaction between Leia with the rest of the cast. However, the essence of the character is manifested very clearly, including in the brief Jedi training he performs with Rey. His actions, though brief, influence key passages in the story and, in a way, do not need words.
Even more so when the script by Chris Terrio and J.J.Abrams depends on both the nostalgia of the first trilogy and the often questionable logic established over the years by the franchise. Star Wars is, after all, a space novel and "The Rise of Skywalker" does not deny this essence. In this last part of the new trilogy, the producers try all the time to fulfill the requests of these fans (basically, undo all the news that Johnson had tried to introduce in The Last Jedi), as well as try to do that by turning into canon some of the worst theories of possible fans, which makes much of the film look less like a Star Wars feature made by movie professionals and more like a work done by fans. If the viewer seeks here a space adventure full of aesthetic whims, which runs at a constantly accelerated pace and provides some possibilities for emotional bonding, his will will most likely be satisfied, that is, as long as he does not have a great appreciation for cathartic outcomes to his children. favorite franchises. As the end point to the Skywalker saga, however, "The Rise of Skywalker" does not seem to recognize the full weight of the legacy that precedes it, while supporting itself in insurance, without much boldness. The script by Chris Terrio (Argo) and Abrams needs to end a saga and answer questions from the previous feature. Then, simplistic solutions and an interesting but poorly developed plost twist are evident.
The change in direction affects the development of the plot by the fact that Abrams decided to ignore / change many elements of his predecessor such as: the connection between Rey and Kylo Ren, which becomes more explicit and less intimate. Another big problem is the relationship between Poe and Finn: while the first two films give evidence that the relationship between them may have something more than simple friendship, this third part ends it all, ending the nuances of flirtation that have always existed between both. Not content to permanently end any possibility of this relationship, there is still the introduction of two new characters (played by Keri Russell and Naomi Ackie) who are literally Poe and Finn "in a skirt", being quickly transformed into possible love interests of the heroes with less than five minutes of the scene. There is also the treatment given to the character Rose Tico, played by Kelly Marie Tran, the character - who in the previous film won as much screen time as Finn and Poe (including Finn giving evidence that they could be involved in this film) - appeared for a minute throughout the film it was a lot, speaking only half a dozen words and all of them were something like "yes sir!".
But Abrams' direction contemplates an interesting and genuinely genuine result of involving Rey and Kylo, the key pieces and high point of the new trilogy, and ends its arcs by taking advantage of the dynamics between Ridley and Driver, as well as the emotions and conflicts experienced for both of you here. Dividing the protagonism with praise, it is interesting to see how both are so different and yet complementary in internal ideas and fears. Both are enemies for the circumstances, but not necessarily because they hate each other. Even more than the Force itself, doubts, fears and bravery in unison prove that the true essence of what George Lucas idealized has yet to be harnessed. The end of Rey's arc, especially, is very interesting. Although the film contradicts itself in trying to solve the character's story (while defending the idea that there are things stronger than blood and that it is not your family that will decide who you are, it also puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of the character choosing a surname, a family to which she belongs), the idea of her in the end representing all the Jedi who came before her is very powerful.
The ninth episode is more like a two-hour, twenty-minute video game, where even the most banal conversations between characters need to take place under an action backdrop, be it a lightsaber duel, a stormtrooper chase or just running back and forth as they prepare troops for a new battle. At every moment there is a new action scene, a new character appearance, a new explosion that puts the characters in danger. There is no room for breathing, for reflection or even to develop the characters more intimately, which had been one of the pillars of "The Last Jedi". But there are very positive points and some incredible scenes in the search for the map of Exegol, the hidden world of the Sith, where Emperor Palpatine has been preparing for years the Final Order, the largest fleet the Galaxy has ever known to attack all free worlds. There is the Acky Ackys planet where we have excellent chase scenes, underground quicksand scenes and an epic confrontation involving Force control between Kylo Ren and Rey; the scenes in Kijimi in which we learn a little more about Poe's past as a spice smuggler; Chewie's rescue from the First Order ship; the confrontation of Rey and Kylo over the turbulent waters of the ocean; Rey's final encounter with Luke Skywalker on the island; and obviously the entire epic final battle in Exegol between the Sith fleet and the Resistance, in addition to the clashes between Palpatine, Rey and Kylo Ren that reach their decisive climax. Although the final battle is a remake of the one shown in "Return of the Jedi", with the few Resistance warriors fighting an impossible battle until they receive an unlikely help to save the day from yet another planet-destroying threat, at least the film did judges what it means to be a "rebel" in Star Wars: the Empire (or the First Order) who are the military, disciplined and trained to fight; the Resistance (or the Rebel Alliance) are just normal people who want to live their lives in freedom, even if they need to put their lives at stake so that the next generations can enjoy it.
Despite abandoning the boldness and prefer to make a film for the fans and bet on insurance, we cannot fail to highlight the technical part of this saga ending. J.J.Abrams and the director of photography by Dan Mindel and the soundtrack by John Williams manage to create something great. The gigantic spaceships in their smallest details, the battle in the middle of a rough sea, the duel with the Force and the chase in the desert and the whole final act in a breathtaking battle and on a much larger scale than previously seen in "Return of the Jedi" are just a few examples of the scale and beauty of this film. Visually, it is a show rarely seen in cinema.
Abrams seeks a compromise between pleasing the most conservative fans and opening paths to new possibilities for stories, managing to serve the fans of the saga well but completely closing new possibilities, which on the one hand is good and will give total freedom to new filmmakers who will follow with the saga in the future. "The Rise of Skywalker" is by no means the worst film in the saga, but the least memorable and most forgettable of it - and, for a work that should end decades of stories, this may be your only unforgivable sin.