“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is a flawed but satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga

WSS offers their views on the long awaited ending to the Skywalker saga of Star Wars.

Sam Westergaard, Videographer and Photographer

As far back as I can remember I’ve always been a Star Wars fan. I have a huge collection of Star Wars action figures. I have also seen every film, and every episode of the Clone Wars. Basically, I am a huge Star Wars fan, and I have many fond memories of it. 

If I had to describe ̈Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker¨ in one word it would be crazy. The film is really great, however it has its flaws. The film is far from bad, though, and it’s way better than the prequel trilogy. But it’s not one of my top five favorites. 

I will get the flaws out of the way. The biggest problem with “Rise of Skywalker” is the inconsistent pacing. Some scenes move at hyperspeed, while others feel normally paced. It’s a strange inbetween that feels uneven.

Lando gets ready to fight the first order in ¨The Rise of Skywalker¨~Lucusfilm

The second problem is that some characters get sidelined. Fan favorites like Rose Tico, R2D2, the Knights of Ren, and many others do very little which is rather unfortunate. The final problem is certain scenes feel awkwardly tacked on. I will not go into specifics due to spoilers. The film has some problems but its still very enjoyable to watch on the whole. 

Now onto what makes the film good. The acting is superb. The best performances come from Daisy Ridley as Rey, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, and Ian McDiarmid (who delivers a very creepy performance as Emperor Palpatine). Billy Dee Williams also returns as Lando Calrissian; while he doesn’t have much to do, it is awesome to see him again. The visual effects are probably some of the best in the whole trilogy. Many characters, both old and new are very well written such as Rey, and Kylo. “Rise of Skywalker” is a satisfying conclusion due to its great acting, visual effects, and great characters.

To summarize, I really liked the film. Most people probably have heard critics complain about it. Here’s what I’ll say: if you go into “Rise of Skywalker” with an open mind, and a love of Star Wars, you’ll likely have a great time.