Despite plot holes, The Rise of Skywalker entertains

There seem to be three intense reactions to The Rise Of Skywalker, the final installment in the acclaimed Skywalker saga. Few people have shared measured or calm reactions to the movie.  Viewers loved it, hated it, or felt both extreme emotions at the same time. After thinking about it, I fall into the first category.

Many critics have expressed negative opinions about the movie, but in all honesty, they’ve been overly harsh. The Rise of Skywalker,  released on December 20 and directed by J.J. Abrams, stars Daisy Ridley as Rey, the story’s main protagonist.  Joining her on her quest are her companions Finn, played by John Boyega, and Oscar Issac as Poe Dameron. Adam Driver returns in his role as the conflicted villain Kylo Ren, a.k.a. Ben Solo–or is Adam Driver portraying Ben Solo, a.k.a. Kylo Ren?

The movie opens with the iconic “crawl” that informs the audience that an unexpected threat has risen in the outskirts of the galaxy, and the resistance must stop the evil plot before the First Order gains control of the newly discovered resources. It’s a race against the clock for Rey, Poe, Finn, and the rest of the rebels who start on a journey to find the elusive planet where the dangerous new “Final Order” has been building strength. While all this chaos is occurring, Rey still needs to figure out her relationship with the force, resolve her identity crisis, and clarify her complicated ties to Kylo Ren, who has his own complex arc to navigate.

The Rise of Skywalker features slashing lightsabers, fires, death, a glowing green object, an intense TIE Fighter journey, a mysterious planet, red haze, flashing white lights, new characters, characters not seen for decades, and forgotten references to Star Wars books and comics into a 2 hour 22 minute movie. 

To be honest, the movie was almost too action-packed. Don’t get me wrong, unlike many, I loved watching the movie, but a lot happened for a two and a half hour time span. This movie’s plot could have fueled a trilogy. There simply was no way J.J. Abrams could develop the backstories and character development necessary to sufficiently wrap up a series that has transcended generations. 

Particularly, I would have liked some insight into Palpatine storyline. Palpatine catalyzes the final battle and seems too important to be brought up at this stage in the sequel trilogy’s development. If even a few minutes of this story arc were moved to another place in the trilogy, that rushed feeling would have been less bothersome. I also would have liked more development to Ben Solo’s narrative; as it stands, I was disappointed with how his character wrapped up.  

Even though the movie was a bit rushed at times, it definitely did not drag. Characters from past Star Wars movies were brought back in a variety of ways, and we were introduced to new faces as well. One of my favorite parts of The Rise of Skywalker was the shared screen time of Rey, Finn, and Poe. I love the dynamics that these three share and it’s always fun to watch them interact and bicker over this issue or that plan. 

This movie is under a lot of pressure to deliver and had quite a bit to accomplish in a short amount of time, so naturally, The Rise of Skywalker did have some flaws, but I loved it all the same. The final battle was amazing to watch, the music was as iconic and dramatic as always, the character interactions kept me entertained throughout the movie’s entire duration, the general aesthetics were right up my alley. Many were upset with the execution of this movie, but come on, it’s another Star Wars movie! How can you be mad at that?

You know the feeling when it’s 11 pm and you still need to finish your history presentation that’s due tomorrow, but you also have an important math test, have to read the five chapters of that complicated book for English, there’s a quiz on said book tomorrow in class?  Something has to give, there’s just not enough time to do everything, and it seems like a disaster is about to follow.  But, shockingly, you pull it off and everything works out in the end. Somehow, you manage to finish the project, read the book, and pass both the quiz and the test. That’s the feeling I felt for many parts of this movie: chaotic, yet triumphant.