Douglas Lauder

I REALLY wanted to like it. Instead, I'm left with an excellent new trilogy where the final film is nearly unwatchable. It felt like it was made by an indulgent 7th grader who watched a lot of Star Wars and didn't understand how to use a soundtrack. This was like a Transformers movie that attempted [and failed] to have emotional depth. Was "The Rise of Skywalker" the worst movie ever? No. But it was one of the most disappointing, considering the talent, resources, and opportunity involved. It set out to surprise the audience with twists, but instead created an outrageously convoluted narrative that relied on deus ex machina repeatedly to resolve the plot.

My wife and I really enjoyed this movie. It's fun, clever, and delivers the writer's and director's vision instead of being gutted and reworked by some committee to appeal to 7th graders. It reminds me a lot of "Ready or Not" and a little of "A Simple Favor".