Review of Rise of Skywalker
I decided to do it now because I am sure that enough people have seen it. If you haven't stop reading right now please because there are spoilers. Also, I do not expect people's opinion to change. This is my personal review based on my point of view. Please be civil about it and don't judge me just as I am not judging you.
I personally think it was a great way to end the saga of Star Wars in general let alone the new trilogy. Everything came full circle, all was resolved, and not only was peace finally achieved, but the characters finally found there own peace as well with their own personal struggles.
Episode 9 really went out of its way to bring everything that had building up to this one final showdown. It really highlighted how tainted the dark side really is. The sith temple looks and feels dark, sad, angry and unnatural with its cubic form and how all the twisted science that was practised there. Things and places that were relevant in the previous instalments still held value now such as 3-CP0's memories, the ship on which Luke faced Darth Vader, the unique way Emperor Palpatine used the force and of course, the long struggle between sith and jedi. The bigger the world became, the more close everything got. And I like that because it showed how connected all these things are and how important they are to the story. And even the ending felt like one last salute to where everything started and where a new beginning may start. I think this is good story telling because the continuity is not only respected, but valued. It is not just a sequel. It is a chapter. It's a work of art to the next level.
As for resolutions, the movie spared no expense at finally giving them and not just for fan theories, but things for the characters that really made their struggles worthwhile. We know Finn who just wanted to do what was right, but he also felt conflicted with where he belonged because he felt like an outcast and as bad as being a storm trooper was, losing that sense of belonging takes a toll. I also suspect this is why Rey was such a special friend to him. He saw himself in her loneliness. Then he found out that there were other ex-storm troopers who turned away from the path of evil. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo who only turned to the dark side because he felt that is where he belonged after realising how everyone including his own teacher feared him. His true motive wasn't that he wanted to be evil. He wanted to be something more than what everyone thought he was and in his defence, people were underestimating him left, right and centre. This is why when his mother Leia finally reached out to him spiritually, it was so touching. He finally got what he wanted and also, realised what he really wanted: to be wanted as he was. Leia wanted her son to come home. She didn't care about what he did or whether he was a jedi or a sith. She just wanted him to come back. And when Kylo got that, he left the dark side for good and redeemed himself as a man.
Finally, there is the mystery of Rey. We all suspected she came from powerful stuff considering how strong the force was in her, but finding out that she was Palpatine's granddaughter was the ultimate reveal because she is, so unlike him and it puts a twist on her desire to be reunited with her blood family. Rey doesn't want to be a Palpatine or to even have power. She just wants to protect the family she found in the rebellion and that is the only reason she wanted to face off with Palpatine. And even when she does resign to killing him in order to take over the throne, it is still for noble intent which only drives home how far Rey will go for those she cares about. In other words, her being a Palpatine by blood didn't change anything. Sure it rattled her, but it didn't break her. And once the fight is all over, she decides to rebuild herself into something positive and finally stops looking behind her. It is also hinted that she intends to build a new jedi order. In other words, life doesn't end after the war. She is making plans and she is living free which is good way to write a character.
Overall, I give the movie a 9/10. It was a great movie that is definitely going to be remembered for generations to come in my opinion.
