We’ve reached the end of the Skywalker saga. The “Star Wars” ninth episode and finale of the third trilogy in the galaxy far, far away comes with a message from a past enemy our trio of heroes have not faced. Rey, Finn and Poe must rise to the task of powering the Resistance over the Empire and appease the audiences that grew up with generations of galaxy fighters in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”
The evil Sith laugh of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) attracts First Order Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) with hopes of dismounting the Resistance once and for all. By offering the Final Order, Palpatine gives Kylo the chance to wipe out his enemies and have the Empire rule the entire galaxy. Thanks to a spy within the Empire, General Leia (Carrie Fisher) knows that Palpatine, who was killed in “Episode 6: Return of the Jedi,” is alive and what his plans are. Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) must stop Palpatine and Kylo before the Final Order attacks and destroys the Resistance and its planets.
Following the mixed reviews of director Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi” in 2017, “The Rise of Skywalker” tries to make up for the “misses” toxic fans called out on the internet. Abrams, who previously directed “The Force Awakens,” returns to close out the third trilogy. He undoes some of the work that Johnson added to the canon and adds his own spin. That includes placing newer character in the backseat. Rose (Kelly Marie Tran), who joined the leading trio in “The Last Jedi,” is sent on home planet duty to stay with the rest of the background players tending to equipment and fleet work. Abrams continues the storyline from “The Last Jedi” between Rey and Kylo as they perform mental fights using the Force, awakening parts of Rey she didn’t know existed, but also changes her backstory as a nameless scavenger. Kylo has other plans that conflict with Palpatine’s, with his motivation recalling his intentions set in “The Force Awakens.” The changes make it as though “The Last Jedi” didn’t need to happen.
And in true Abrams’ style, he brought along several of his past collaborators into the mix. His former “Felicity” lead Keri Russell is Zorii Bliss, a friend from Poe’s past who helps the crew. Dominic Monaghan of “Lost” joins Tran in the background as Resistance trooper Beaumont, and Greg Grunberg is back as Snap Wexley. Abrams, however, introduces a new character Past heroes make a return as well as Billy Dee Williams returns as Lando Calrissian, the Millennium Falcon’s first pilot, offering his wisdom to the newest set. Other cameos add to the plot, changing some characters for the better. But at least there is one new face in this one, with Jannah (Naomi Ackie) as a former Stormtrooper with a similar backstory to Finn’s. They have an instant connection that quickly allows them to fight on the same side. (And cheers to the makeup and costume teams for keeping Ackie’s and Boyega’s hair in natural styles.)
But the original star that is given a hero’s farewell is Fisher. Abrams uses previously unseen clips of the late actress from “The Force Awakens” to give her the sendoff she deserves, both as the iconic character of Leia and as a performer. Unfortunately, due to changes in technology over four years, her image does not blend well with the rest of the movie. There’s a halo effect that outlines Fisher whenever she is on screen and not in a good way. The overall editing is choppy, too. It sometimes feels like a link or a plot line is dropped somewhere and never picked back up.
What saves “The Rise of Skywalker” is that it is the return to an entertaining feature. You don’t have to be a fanboy who has devoured all things Star Wars, including the TV shows, comic books and web series to enjoy it. The ninth episode is heavy on emotion with Leia and the heroic trio getting used to their roles in the galaxy, but it’s also a lot of fun thanks to the usual favorites like C-3PO (Anthony Daniels in his ninth episode), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), new droid D-O (voiced by Robin Guiver, Lynn Robertson Bruce and Abrams) and little fixer Babu Frik (Shirley Henderson). There are some points that are cringe-worthy and head scratchers, but overall “The Rise of Skywalker” is a good send-off to the latest form of the Star Wars cinematic universe.