Director J.J. Abrams leans in hard on our nostalgia for the previous Star Wars trilogies with the ninth entry in the saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. If a creature was cute, they make an appearance. If a Jedi Master was wise, their voice will most assuredly emanate from the Dolby Atmos speaker above you.
The Rise of Skywalker is certainly fun and moves at an especially zippy pace in its first half. Heroes Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac) are together through much of the story, and Abrams and Chris Terrio’s script extols the themes of friendship and camaraderie that were so pivotal to the original trilogy. Particularly engaging this time is the increasingly complex relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the evil First Order’s supreme leader. Their psychic bond was one of the most interesting aspects of The Last Jedi, and Abrams uses it to great effect here.
Directed by J.J. Abrams. PG-13, 141 min. Now in wide release.
