The first reviews are in for story of the Skywalker Saga to its conclusion, tying up plot threads and character arcs from across all nine movies in the mainline franchise.
Picking up roughly one year after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but also the narrative begun by George Lucas back in 1977. On top of that, Star Wars 9 aims to reunite the fanbase after the backlash to The Last Jedi.
Disney officially lifted the embargo on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker reviews today, just a couple of days before its U.S. release on December 20, 2019. To see what critics are saying about Star Wars 9, check out these spoiler-free excerpts (you can also click on the links to read the reviews in full.
Molly Freeman, Screen Rant
Ultimately, Abrams spends so much of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trying to give audiences what they want out of a Star Wars movie that it seems he forgot to deliver a good movie. There may be aspects of The Rise of Skywalker that surprise audiences, whether in Abrams and Terrio's story or Abrams' directing decisions, but nothing that has teeth, nothing that challenges viewers or subverts expectations. And, to be sure, that will please some fans just as it will irritate others.
Helen O'Hara, Empire
For all the visual panache, pleasing cameos and interesting newcomers here, for all that Ridley and Driver pour into their stand-offs, the Emperor's presence shows a disturbing lack of faith at the heart of Rise Of Skywalker. The fan backlash last time has been taken on-board too well; the storytelling here sputters whenever it approaches any similar chance to turn away from narrative convention and do something truly unexpected. You wish that this galaxy didn't feel so small and scared of stepping away from George Lucas' shadow.
Steve Rose, The Guardian
Given that there is no possible way of pleasing all the people even half the time when it comes to Star Wars, the good news is, The Rise of Skywalker is the send-off the saga deserves. The bad news is, it is largely the send-off we expected. Of course there is epic action to savour and surprises and spoilers to spill, but given the long, long build-up, some of the saga’s big revelations and developments might be a little unsatisfying on reflection.
Alissa Wilkinson, Vox
For everyone else, though, The Rise of Skywalker falls somewhere between an overstuffed fan-service finale and a yawnfest. If The Force Awakens kicked off a new cycle in the franchise and The Last Jedi set it up to push beyond its familiar patterns, The Rise of Skywalker for the most part runs screaming in the other direction.
Alonso Duralde, The Wrap
Rest assured that there’s nothing in this final “Star Wars” that would prompt the eye-rolls or the snickers of Episodes I-III; Abrams is too savvy a studio player for those kinds of shenanigans. But his slick delivery of a sterling, shiny example of what Martin Scorsese would call “not cinema” feels momentarily satisfying but ultimately unfulfilling. It’s a somewhat soulless delivery system of catharsis, but Disney and Abrams are banking on the delivery itself to be enough.
Kirsten Acuna, Insider
Two years ago, I thought fans would love "The Last Jedi," and was surprised that wasn't the case. If you loved "TFA" then you should enjoy "Episode IX," though I don't think you'll love it as much. Conversely, if you enjoyed Rian Johnson's take on "Star Wars," you may not enjoy the final chapter.
Brittany Murphy, Geeks of Color
All-in-all, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker wasn’t my idea of a fitting end to a franchise many of us have grown up with and loved. While I don’t believe it was a perfect film, they still managed to incorporate some near-perfect moments that were certainly a culmination and ode to the Star Wars films (both new and old).
Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
I found it hard to care much either way about Rise of Skywalker, neither betrayed nor sated. The movie is too determinedly on its sweaty course, heedless of actual audience interest in its tunnel-visioned quest to be broadly loved or, at least, Internet approved-of. The action set-pieces—a desert chase during an alien version of Burning Man, a rescue mission in a starship brig (unfavorably reminiscent of the one in the first film), an airborne melee full of radio squawk and explosions—all hurry along with perfunctory plainness. There’s a ion lacking in the movie’s big scenes (and, really, in the little ones too), as if Abrams was woken up in the middle of the night and told to rush down to the studio to put out a fire started by some intern named Rian.
Amanda Keats, HeyUGuys
The Rise of Skywalker may be a touch disted but there’s still a lot to love. There are many surprises and treats for audiences and moments of fan service that are sure to have fans cheering with delight. The droids continue to steal the show and there are some moments of absolute perfection to be found within. Though some plot points might be seen as being too predictable or easy, the overall feel of the film is that of a celebration of this incredible world that was built so long ago and, of course, the iconic people who made it so beloved.
Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” might just brush the bad-faith squabbling away. It’s the ninth and final chapter of the saga that Lucas started, and though it’s likely to be a record-shattering hit, I can’t predict for sure if “the fans” will embrace it. (The very notion that “Star Wars” fans are a definable demographic is, in a way, outmoded.) What I can say is that “The Rise of Skywalker” is, to me, the most elegant, emotionally rounded, and gratifying “Star Wars” adventure since the glory days of “Star Wars” and “The Empire Strikes Back.” (I mean that, but given the last eight films, the bar isn’t that high.)
The initial critical response to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker seems divisive, which is evidenced by its (ittedly still fluctuating) an element of course-correction as Abrams attempted to win back fans lost, but that in turn means losing others who loved what Rian Johnson did.
That comes across in many Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker reviews, which suggest the film is overstuffed with having to pack in so many story elements and try to wrap up a saga spanning over 40 years that means so much to so many different people. It might not be the overwhelmingly positive start many would've hoped for, especially after two yers with such a split in the Star Wars fandom, but the reviews suggest that there's just about enough for a lot of fans to like in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and either way they probably won't stop it performing well at the box office.
Source: Various [see the links above]
