Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
{4/5} “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, released in 2019
Rey is training with Leia. Finn and Poe get a message from a mole inside the First Order. When Kylo Ren finds out Palpatine is still alive he pays him a visit. Palpatine says he can have everything if he does what he says — kill Rey. Palpatine has a fleet of ships he’s constructed over decades. When Rey and Kylo Ren meet on his ship he asks her to join him.
This is the sequel to The Last Jedi.
There’s lots to like here. There’s a beautiful scene between Ben and Han’s ghost. It was nice to see Lando again, and he fit in to what was going on. Rey’s jump over Kylo Ren’s ship was astonishing. C-3PO’s sacrifice was one of his finest moments.
The inconsistencies in the series do stand out in this one. One of the biggest questions we’re left with is: when they called for help why did no one help them in The Last Jedi and everyone helped them this time? How does Rey know how to drive a skimmer? Why did Rose get demoted to a lesser role? There are explanations for all of these but if you got them from the movies you were paying closer attention than me. Hux being the mole? That’s a bit crazy.
There were a couple of things that made more sense to me this time in the context of all the movies I watched in a row. Palpatine returning made more sense, and naming herself Rey Skywalker also made more sense.
Stars Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, and Greg Grunberg. Directed by J. J. Abrams (Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens). Scoring a Star Wars movie for the last time is John Williams.
This is the 2nd time I’ve seen it. My previous review is here.