This IS going to go the way you think

Rating: 7/10 (19 December 2019)

Given the polarising nature of Rian Johnson's 'The Last Jedi', coupled with the underwhelming performance of 'Solo', it seems as though Disney felt the need to play things safe for the third and final instalment in the sequel trilogy. And so, given the overwhelming commercial success of 'The Force Awakens', they opted to invite J.J. Abrams back to end the trilogy with a home-run. They partly succeeded, and I'm sure that many of the fans who rejected the subversive nature of 'The Last Jedi' will enjoy this film and its efforts to appease them. And yet, while this fan-servicing approach is arguably the film's greatest strength, so too is it its greatest weakness.
Those who have seen 'The Force Awakens' will be well aware that, while introducing new characters and settings, it is a fairly by-the-books reboot of 'A New Hope'. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as basing a movie on a pre-established structure or premise can still make for brilliant filmmaking and I recall leaving the theatre after 'The Force Awakens' with a giddy smile on my face. However, a film like this offers little that is new or particularly unexpected, unless you happen to belong to the new generation of Star Wars fans who have not seen the Original Trilogy. If 'The Force Awakens' was a soft reboot of 'A New Hope', then 'The Rise of Skywalker' is very much a reboot of 'Return of the Jedi'. Whole scenes felt as though they were virtually lifted from the Original Trilogy and it ended almost identically. Sometimes, this worked. The visuals were epic, the fights were impressive and grouping characters together after a whole movie of separation allowed for new and interesting interactions. On the other hand, the pacing was rather uneven and the film felt rushed in parts, leaving us with no time to take a breath or to appreciate some of the film's more important moments. Despite this, I found myself pleasantly surprised by certain moments that genuinely shocked me and left me speechless; without delving into spoiler territory, a few specific scenes made me turn to my friend with my mouth agape, in complete disbelief and awe at what I was seeing. However, these wonderful moments, moments that define the Star Wars experience for me, were few and far between given the predictability and familiarity of the overarching plot. I found myself realising that I did not watch Star Wars for the nostalgia or for the fan service, but for narrative upheaval that felt new and unexpected, akin to the famous reveal in 'The Empire Strikes Back' or the tragic end to 'Revenge of the Sith'.
The overwhelming issue with this film seems to be a fear of failure- the writers needed to appease the disenfranchised fanbase and could not risk creating a movie that was bold or controversial. They tried to subvert expectations with 'The Last Jedi', only to receive overwhelming uproar. And so, 'The Rise of Skywalker' serves as a course correction, bypassing 'The Last Jedi' to create a film full of fan-service and predictability, moulded from the template of 'Return of the Jedi'. If this trilogy had been marketed as a soft reboot, or an updated and modernised revamp of the Original Trilogy, then many of these problems would be lessened or absent. However, this film was marketed instead as the epic conclusion to three trilogies, so by disregarding and then rehashing the end of the Original Trilogy, it undermines the overall story and leaves us with a somewhat satisfying but overly familiar conclusion. If it is a choice between subversive films such as 'The Last Jedi' that risk failure, or predictable fan-service such as 'The Rise of Skywalker', I truly hope Disney leans towards the former, even if they fail from time to time. I have no doubt that many people, myself included, will enjoy this film but I still find myself wanting something original or unexpected that leaves me with that unique feeling of awe and excitement.