Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker REVIEW: Film struggles to take flight but works thanks to lead cast

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (12A)

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With a nine-film epic franchise to conclude, it was never going to be easy for J. J. Abrams to bring Star Wars‘ Skywalker saga to a satisfying end. 

Determined to tie up every loose-end left in the galaxy, from the originals all the way to Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker packs so much in to its two-hour-plus run-time that its hard to take it all in.

While the plot has to mostly be kept under wraps, it can be said that the film sees Emperor Palpatine return, with Rey (Daisy Ridley) and The Resistance trying to find him, while Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is also on the trail.

Heavy with exposition in its first half, the film struggles to keep up with its lead cast as they quickly jump from one planet to the next, meeting a slew of new characters along the way who are barely given a chance to make a mark.

Keri Russell’s Zorri Bliss is severely underappreciated, for example, as she is mostly used as a way to develop Poe’s story, while Naomie Ackie’s Jannah is put through a similar fate, rather than the pair becoming strong characters in their own right.

Resistance mainstays Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) do provide plenty of laughs with their entertaining double act, though, and it’s nice to see the latter come into his own amongst the rebel forces in the course of his character’s arc.

But it is Rey and Kylo Ren who are given the most satisfying storyline, with the two battling it out throughout the galaxy while also coming to terms with the mental strains of their seemingly pre-destined paths. 

Driver is a force to be reckoned with as the tormented Kylo, as his incredible, and surprisingly moving, performance easily makes his character one of the best to ever be seen in the franchise.

Ridley’s Rey is given the most unexpected storyline, though, and, while the details of this cannot be divulged, the star takes to the arc with finesse, and gives a subtle, emotional performance in the lead role.

Meanwhile, Carrie Fisher’s posthumous appearance through unused footage from The Force Awakens works remarkably well, as J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio’s script builds scenes around her final scenes with such skill that it really feels like she was on set. 

Regardless of what fans thought of The Last Jedi, the film did bring a lot of new ideas to the table, creating a space for exciting new opportunities and paths for the story to take, in contrast to The Force Awakens’ nostalgia-filled plot. 

However, rather than take this idea and run with it, The Rise Of Skywalker opts to backtrack into familiar territory, even going so far as to reference to -and undermine- what took place in its controversial predecessor.

With Abrams at the helm this shouldn’t come as a surprise, he is the safe pair of hands who was brought in to make the film following director Colin Trevorrow’s firing in 2017, after all.

That being said, there is enough to be enjoyed in The Rise Of Skywalker, at least when fans are given enough time to process what is happening on screen. 

There’s plenty of fan-service to be had that is sure to delight and amaze, while the stunning visuals and action-packed fights, both with lightsabers and in the sky, are incredible to behold. 

The Rise of Skywalker may rush to its end without giving viewers enough time to enjoy what they’re seeing, but Driver and Ridley’s performances are sensational and make this film an interesting end to George Lucas’ beloved space opera.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker is set to be released on December 19 in the UK, and on December 20 in the US.