Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

For over 40 years, it has captivated the world, cinema, and pop culture. Two trilogies and now a third one has concluded. In 2015, the “Star Wars” phenomenon returned with the third trio of films. 4 years later the third trilogy has concluded. This new trilogy was the continuation of the Skywalker story and now ends the iconic story. It may not be the best that the series has to offer, but it sure is better than 2017’s “The Last Jedi”.

Episode VIII was utterly horrendous, but this film is a much more satisfying entry into the franchise. It is a wonderful end to this third trilogy and is an exciting finale to the original story which has spanned for four decades. Episode VIII lacked severely in being a fun and entertaining film. This film was able to make up for the previous installment’s errors, in an extraordinary fashion.

Legendary director J.J Abrams returns to the series. He previously directed the first installment in this trilogy, 2015’s “The Force Awakens”. That film was a nostalgic treasure for all fans and brought us to love our favorite characters all over again. Abrams concludes this trilogy in such a way that satisfies fans and honors the late Carrie Fisher, with this being her last appearance. Through stunning visuals and your typical action sequences thrust into the film, this is another job well done for Abrams.

Returning once more are Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac. All of them give some of the best performances in this set of films. Despite the lack of narrative quality, they are still able to make the film as entertaining as it should be. This film also sees the return of iconic character Emperor Palpatine, played once again by Ian McDiarmid. He is one of the most exciting parts of the film because it brings fans to be more nostalgic than ever.

Giving his last hurrah at the iconic franchise is composer John Williams. Williams has scored every single film in the franchise minus the spin-off films and the Disney+ series. He’s been creating iconic scores for this franchise since the beginning. He returns in an epic and glorious fashion once more. He does yet another great job at creating enchanting sounds that I have no doubt will remain iconic just like the rest of his work throughout the franchise.

The time has come, and now it is here. The end of one of the cinemas' most beloved stories. This franchise phenomenon has created a mega fanbase and cult following. It will remain an iconic staple in cinema and pop culture for years to come. This film shows that this franchise will continue to remain entertaining for fans of all kinds.

Photo courtesy of Bad Robot, LucasFilm and Disney

Rate: B+ 

Director: J.J Abrams

Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sci-fi violence and action)

Runtime: 2 Hours & 22 Minutes