Non-Spoiler Thoughts

Maybe it was spending nine hours in the cinema for the sequel trilogy triple bill, or the fact that it was 3am. Regardless, when the credits rolled after the midnight screening of The Rise of Skywalker, I knew I liked it but the question was to what extent.

After all, this was a wild movie. The most action packed Star Wars film ever made, somehow wrestling the accolade away from Revenge of the Sith, and the sheer density of the film meant that the showpiece moments did not have the weight they perhaps warranted during the first viewing.

In full Palpatine croak, “roll it again” was my very first reaction to the film. I needed to see those moments again. Yes, it was the early hours of the morning, but I just had to dissect the movie now that the first viewing was in the books.

Unsurprisingly, with a 3am screening off the table, I squeezed in that second viewing in this afternoon and after being able to process the story beats, I can confirm that The Rise of Skywalker is a fun Star Wars adventure – oozing with intrigue, littered with moments that will be considered classics in my eyes and scenes that will make you cheer, cry and everything in-between.

There are two catalysts for most of the emotional moments – J.J. Abrams really hits you in the nostalgia muscle with the film. It’s a true culmination of the saga. This is the Skywalker’s Endgame. Factor number two is the quality of Daisy Ridley’s performance, as she hits a career high as Rey. On occasion, it’s a combination of these two elements and I will go into more in my spoiler filled review in the coming days.

Rey and Kylo Ren’s character arcs are well served here and the two feel authentic in relation to how they were written and developed in The Last Jedi. I’ve seen plenty of reviewers so far claim that J.J. Abrams has essentially ignored Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII and simply made a sequel to The Force Awakens – frankly, I think I must have watched a different movie.

Sure, J.J. brings back the Knights of Ren and answers some of the questions that he pitched with The Force Awakens, but this is a movie that does build upon the ideas and tone of the The Last Jedi.

Would it have been better to have seen one director take the reigns for all three films? Of course it would have created a stronger narrative and one argument that has potentially led to a low critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a handful of critics labelling the movie “a mess,” is that Rian’s clearing of the board in The Last Jedi left J.J. with a lot to do in The Rise of Skywalker. The pace of this film was relentless as a result and I can see why that would lead some people to argue that the movie was technically inferior.

But I’m not a movie critic writing for a paycheck. I’m a movie fan and first and foremost, a Star Wars fan. I was able to keep up with the breakneck speed, swashbuckling action and lore-rich storytelling where those not as invested in a galaxy far, far away might have struggled.

Granted, I do think the film would have been better served with a longer run time to allow some of the sequences to breathe. The Force Awakens remains the most well paced Star Wars movie ever made, closely followed by A New Hope. But I’d sooner take a host of memorable and entertaining sequences over a film that is devoid of any excitement.

This is a love letter to the fans. I’d say it takes a second viewing to appreciate the story fully – this is a stacked deck of a movie and takes some time to process. But it’s a satisfying end to the Skywalker saga and indeed the sequel trilogy.