Banking on nostalgia

Could any film billed as a conclusion to George Lucas’ legendary Star Wars saga live up to its own grandiose expectations? JJ Abrams’ The Rise of Skywalker certainly tries, and while the result is uneven, it at least triumphs as blockbuster entertainment.

Episode IX is most successful as an escapist fantasy for casual fans. Much like its predecessors in Disney’s sequel trilogy, Episode IX boasts of incredible cinematography. For 140 minutes, audience imaginations are untethered, free to probe set pieces that look sharper than ever before, thanks to astounding visual effects and art direction. These escapist elements are magnified by JJ’s dedication to practical effects. For instance, the puppetry behind a new character, Babu Frik, helps elevate him into a crowd-pleasing scene-stealer.

Much like The Force Awakens, The Rise of Skywalker is an unabashed homage to our collective memory of Star Wars. There are resonant cameos, and John Williams’ score, possibly the celebrated composer’s cinematic farewell, relies heavily on previous musical motifs to incite Pavlovian responses. While banking on nostalgia may not be conducive to original storytelling, JJ knows how to manufacture emotional beats from it.

The MacGuffin-heavy plot is most balanced when it focuses on Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Adam plays an empathetically conflicted soul, and his dynamic with Rey (Daisy Ridley) gives Episode IX direction where it needs it most. Their intertwining arc is the most cohesive story element of a trilogy that looks narratively fractured in hindsight.

When watching Star Wars, it’s inevitable that audiences are expected to suspend disbelief; after all, this is a galaxy far, far away where planet-killing space stations are an accepted reality. However, The Rise of Skywalker requires leaps in logic so extreme that it detracts from the fantastical viewing experience. Many of these leaps aren’t even explained, which create plot holes so large it would take the Millennium Falcon 12 parsecs to fly across any one of them.

Ultimately, Episode IX encapsulates the lost opportunities of the sequel trilogy — specifically, the lack of a clear unifying direction. JJ spends so much time course correcting Rian Johnson’s subversive The Last Jedi, that The Rise of Skywalker is left burdened by rushed pacing and clumsy exposition.

Episode IX is definitely the messiest film in Disney’s sequel trilogy, but it also offers a lot of fun.

Star Wars opens in cinemas one last time on Jan. 8. Don’t miss it.