Brandon B

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker at times, may bite off more than it can chew in its direct and faced-paced storytelling. Yet, J.J. Abrams (this time collaborating with screenwriter Chris Terrio) manages to deliver an exciting, genuinely heart-felt, and delightful return to a galaxy "far far away..." that so many (including myself) have grown up watching since they were kids (I'm only 27 though). While this is by no means the final Star Wars film Disney will make, as Episode IX in the 42 year story, Skywalker’ does an admiral and respectful job of closing out the ‘Skywalker Saga’ in a poignant and emotional way. The Rise of Skywalker is packed with fan-service, but the kind of things I believe true Star Wars fans will appreciate. While not everyone will be pleased (some will even be infuriated), Episode IX is perhaps the most ‘Star Wars-y' out of them all. Much like The Force Awakens (Abrams' first venture in this large galaxy Lucas created), this film does a great job of capturing the spirit of the original Star Wars films, while also being riveting and action packed film with the welcome return of delightful characters. The chemistry between the "main three ": Rey, Poe, Finn (Daisy Ridley, Oscar Issac, and John Boyega respectively) is earnest and a joy to watch. It is clearly evident that the actors’ (particularly Ridley and Boyega, and of course with Boyega and Issac) off screen friendships bleeds over into the actors’ performance. There are moments between those three in the film (starting very early on) that just made we smile and laugh with joy). It just felt like old Star Wars. Daisy and Oscar of course steal their scenes with some of their best moments, and most developed, of their characters But the most complex, and likely best character in this whole new trilogy is Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. Driver brings another great performance of the fierce and yet vulnerable character who continues in the struggle between the light and darkness within. While Abrams (director and co-writer) and Terrio (co-writer) manage to capture the spirit of adventure of Star Wars once more, they also brink back some of its most creepy and shocking elements, including a few twists and turns. For that I applaud their guts to tell a story that is for the fans, but also one they want to tell as bonafide fans themselves. The Rise of Skywalker will likely leave every audience member feeling something different. For me I genuinely enjoyed my time. While it's far from perfect - some will complain how it refutes Rian Johnson's storytelling in The Last Jedi (which is a point I respectfully disagree on) while others will load ‘Skywalker' with praise as a necessary course-correction from the perceived "mistakes" of the The Last Jedi. One can admit that Lucasfilm did not really seem to have an overall story mapped out for this new trilogy, which is a shame. However, I am just glad to be alive in a time where I got to see them. For that I'm grateful. 4/5