With the aftermath of The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story, or as the fandom refers to it as Solo, I had no idea what was going to happen in the Rise of Skywalker. Was it going to be as disappointing as the previous or was it going to be a genuine Star Wars film to its divided fans? Before seeing the Rise of Skywalker I hoped this movie would help satisfy both hardcore and new fans. The movie ended up answering important questions, but it also felt cramped for the majority of the film. 

 There was constant action on screen and it made the intimate moments less impactful because soon after an intimate moment would end more action packed scenes would happen. The imagery throughout the entire movie was breathtaking. It was captivated by how detailed and alive each setting was. Rise of Skywalker was definitely a lot better than the Last Jedi. Due to the Last Jedi doing so poorly, the Rise of Skywalker felt like two movies in one. Director J.J Abrams had an enormous and difficult task considering he joined the production late and I give him props for his hard work. Ending a major trilogy is not an easy task.

The majority of the film was about Rey and Kylo Ren. Rey and Kylo Ren’s scenes were a delight to watch. Actors Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren/Ben Solo) really shined in their scenes together. Throughout the Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker Rey tries to convince Kylo Ren to join his mother in the rebellion and become ‘Ben Solo’, his true self. Rey is successful but what really hit home for Ben was a memory of his Dad (Han Solo) visits him after Rey leaves. When did memory ghosting becoming a thing? I understand why they went with Ben’s father, but rather preferred his Mother, Princess Leia. 

When Rey was told she’s Emperor Palpatine’s granddaughter, it made complete sense. It just felt a bit rushed. Rey has always been highly sensitive to the force, so it made sense she would be related to a powerful Sith. The lightning that came from Rey when she was trying to rescue Chewbacca was an obvious clue that Rey was going to be related to Palpatine.

Characters Finn, Poe Dameron, Zorii Bliss, Rose Tico, and Jannah were almost completely forgotten about when it came to their character arcs. Especially Jannah and Zorii Bliss because they are new characters. Finn and Poe Dameron were still major characters, but their arch fell short. I don’t feel like their stories are completely done or had any real defining character building moments. Also, Rose and Finn’s relationship from The Last Jedi completely disappeared. Speaking about romance, that kiss at the end of the movie with Ben and Rey came out of nowhere! 

The overall theme I got from Rise of Skywalker was anyone can change. Kylo Ren became Ben Solo again, Finn was a stormtrooper who ran away and joined the rebellion, Rey is a Palpatine, but chose to be a Skywalker. Overall Rise of Skywalker was a good Star Wars movie. I enjoyed watching it and will eventually buy it on Blu-Ray and add it to my collection. Hopefully Disney takes a break from producing Star Wars films, so everybody doesn’t get burned out.