Having relinquished his directorial duties for the middle film to Rian Johnson (Looper, Knives Out), director J.J. Abrams delivers a thrilling third instalment in the latest Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker.
Also returning to the franchise one last time is Carrie Fisher as Resistance leader General Leia Organa, whose tragic death in December 2016 left many fans devastated.
After her appearance was first thought to be created using CG digital effects – in the same way Rogue One brought Peter Cushing back to life – her role in the film was carefully crafted by Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio, with the help of some unused footage from The Force Awakens.
A year after the events of The Last Jedi, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) face the evil forces of the First Order once again. Still reeling from her confrontation with First Order leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Rey vows to carry on fighting as her Jedi powers grow stronger every day.
Meanwhile, the ancient conflict between Jedi and Sith, engendered by Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) in the prequels, reaches its climax when Rey is forced to face her fears in the quest of learning her true nature.
Bringing the Skywalker saga to a close, Abrams delivers an action-packed, emotionally-charged and reservedly fitting denouement to this trilogy. And even if the story itself doesn’t win first prize in the subtlety stakes – with its frequent fan-pleasing nods to the original films – there is no denying that the old magic is still there.
Daisy Ridley gives a robust and beautifully layered performance, while both Boyega and Isaac are hugely likeable as they bounce off one another with brilliant comedic timing throughout.
Elevated by John Williams’s rousing score and impeccably crafted cinematography courtesy of Dan Mindel (John Carter, Pacific Rim: Uprising), The Rise Of Skywalker does a great job in joining up all the dots in this multi-generational saga. It is a robustly acted, thrilling and undeniably emotional end to a much loved story.
