Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Movie Review

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Movie Review

I can’t really remember a time when Star Wars hasn’t been present in my life, in some way or another. At a very young age I was exposed to the movie series; I watched all the movies, I had the toys, a Return of the Jedi t-shirt, and in general was always very aware of the series. Even though Star Wars does have a certain place in my heart because of how much I loved it as a kid, I’ve never been one of those people who are obsessed with it. That doesn’t stop me from staying up to date with what’s going on with the films. I’ve always been excited whenever they announce a new Star Wars movie, but this time around I wasn’t anticipating it as highly as usual. When The Force Awakens came out in late 2015, I was very impressed with the movie overall; in fact, it’s one of the few movies I went and saw twice in theaters. Rogue One came out about a year later, which everybody else seemed to absolutely love but I found a little too soulless. Then Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi came out in 2017, which I thought was fine but somewhat disappointing. Solo: A Star Wars Story dropped last year, and it seemed like I was the only one who actually enjoyed it. The Star Wars movies of the 2010’s had been a mixed bag of sorts, so I was a little worried about how this one would turn out. With J.J. Abrams back as the director, things were looking up until the downright bad reviews were released. So on the way to the theater I was kinda thinking, is this even gonna be good? But this just proves that Henry’s Movie Guide is the only reliable source when it comes to films. Because Rise of Skywalker is a great movie that wraps up what is arguably the single most impactful movie series of all time. 

I’m gonna keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, so my usual plot summary will be a little abridged to maintain safety for all to read. The Rise of Skywalker picks up a little later than where The Last Jedi left off: Rey (Daisy Ridley) is training with Leia (Carrie Fisher) to channel the force, Poe (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) are doing their best to fight the Resistance war against the evil New Order, led by Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who is having his own identity crisis. Once Rey and the others are re-united, they receive news that a certain someone is still out there (in spirit of staying spoiler-free, I won’t say who), and much of the rest of the movie sees them seeking that person out so that they can put an end to the war. 

Again, I really can’t explain why this movie has gotten such rotten responses. The main criticism that I’ve read is that it has no “imagination,” but I feel like it has plenty of that. It’s a nostalgia-inducing crowd-pleaser that isn’t afraid to surprise the audience in a time where movies usually stick to being one or the other. There are twists and turns, guest appearances you won’t see coming, and no matter how long you’ve been a fan of Star Wars, you should enjoy what this movie has to offer. Questions that you thought were answered are unanswered then answered again, with more satisfying and definite results. Even though you’ll most likely be surprised by some of what happens in this movie, The Rise of Sky Walker is still somewhat predictable, not even in a bad way. Sorry if this seems like a big spoiler, but the good guys do win, just like you knew they would from the beginning. It’s like a big reunion of most of the classic Star Wars characters, with small moments that should make longtime fans happy. If you’re just looking for a nice, greatest-hits style Star Wars film, you’ll get that. While it’s not as all-over-the-place and adventurous as The Last Jedi, if you’re looking for a bold and fearless Star Wars film, you’ll get that, too. Trust me, this is a good movie, it has great special effects and is pretty well-written and directed. Making a film to essentially summarize the entire legacy that Star Wars has created over the years must have been tremendously challenging, and the people who made this should really pat themselves on the back. Getting J.J. Abrams back onboard was crucial and I feel like without him, The Rise of Skywalker wouldn’t be as satisfying. There are some decently powerful moments in this movie that don’t come across as tryhard or fake; instead I found most of the emotional moments very likable and believable. The characters of Rey and Kylo Ren especially have very well-done character arcs and progressions. Some people don’t like Rey because of how they think she’s just too good at everything, and even though I personally never really felt that way, it was good to see her character struggle in this movie for developmental purposes. 

I don’t have much criticism for this movie really. It’s over two and a half hours but to me it never felt boring, drawn-out, or overdone. If movies with long runtimes are a problem for you, maybe that could be an issue? But if not, you should have nothing to worry about. I will say that there are a few characters in this movie that are introduced but nothing really happens with them. Zorii Bliss (Keri Russell) is introduced as Poe’s old friend, but her story ends almost as soon as it begins even though she seems like she has more depth than just a side character. Same goes for Jannah (Naomi Ackie), a scavenger who Finn befriends because of their similar backgrounds. Introducing characters like these felt unnecessary: why bring all-new characters into a movie all about bringing existing characters’ stories to an end? Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this film. 

Safety chart:

Violence: 6/10 - Not noticeably violent, shootings and death occur, but none of it is presented in a very violent way. 

Language: 2/10 - Mild language. 

Drinking/smoking: 0/10 - Nothing that stood out or was worth remembering. 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a great wrap-up to the legendary movie series that has meant so much to multiple generations. No matter how big of a Star Wars fan you are, chances are you’ll enjoy at least some of this film’s offerings. I can’t force you to see this movie (Get it? Go ahead, laugh, we’re all friends here), but I will say that it’s definitely worth watching if you like the series. Is it perfect? Not really. But I’m giving it an A+ because I’d feel bad giving it any other grade, and plus I gave Endgame and Toy Story 4 the same grade so it makes sense. Anyways, I had a great time at the movies watching Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker; and if Star Wars means anything to you, I think you will, too.