Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review *Spoilers*

*This post will be crawling with uncensored spoilers, since there are too many for me to hide. Proceed at your own risk*

I was debating whether or not to even do a review of RoS. I am a fairly new fan of Star Wars, and I've always felt intimidated by the people who have lived and breathed this series for years. I didn't know if my opinions on Star Wars even mattered, because there are greater experts out there. But then I thought, fuck it. I have a lot of opinions on this movie, and I wanted to share them with you. So, here is my review of the last movie in the Skywalker saga.

Let me start off by saying, I do not think that The Last Jedi was that bad. I thought that Rian Johnson did as well as he could with the material he was given, and if JJ Abrams cared so much, he would have directed that movie as well. I liked the dynamics of the characters, and I thought that it further developed the storyline very well. So, I came into RoS with no bitterness whatsoever.

I think what I liked most about RoS was the comic relief. Most of these movies have a lot of overt sarcasm, but this one seemed to be on another level. I laughed out loud during a lot of moments, which is something that I can really appreciate in action/sci-fi movies. I don't want it to always be doom and gloom. I found the dialogue to be witty and hilarious.

The main thing that I had to grapple with in this film, was the character development. Some characters I loved, and others, I didn't. I thought Poe was awesome. I have always loved his character, and I thought that his promotion to general was powerful. I'm proud of where he ended up.

What mainly kicked off my issues with this film, was the treatment of Rose and Finn. Rose was such an interesting, powerful character in The Last Jedi. I was excited to see where she would go next. Instead, she got minus three seconds of screen time and absolutely no arc whatsoever. I was so disappointed with how Abrams treated her character.

Finn also really annoyed me in this film. Again, I love his character, and it was not his fault, but the writer's. Finn was reduced to a moody, useless figure who spent his entire time chasing after Rey. I wanted him to have a big moment, I wanted him to have more scenes with Rose. AND I JUST WANT FINN AND POE TO BE TOGETHER, DAMMIT. Their chemistry is undeniable, but we were cheated out of what could have been an amazing romance, and instead got Poe and his former enemy making flirty quips at each other, with no chemistry in site.

Now, let's get to Rey. Specifically, Rey and Kylo. I love Rey as a hero. I find her kind-hearted and badass. I LOVE Kylo as a villain. I find him morally-grey and unique. What I don't love, is when these two are forced together at the end of the film, after constantly fighting on opposing sides for the first two films. Yes, they have chemistry. But to me, it isn't romantic chemistry. It's chemistry that emphasizes how different the two are. How they will never work. Was I sad when Kylo died? Yes, because I think he is one of the most fascinating villains in the Star Wars universe, and I enjoyed watching his development and redemption. But, I didn't like how the last thing he did was kiss Rey. It just seemed wrong to me.

The main plot twist in this movie AGAIN, SPOILERS!!!, was that Rey is actually Palpatine's granddaughter. Then, Palpatine magically returns and attempts to bring Rey to the dark side. I thought this storyline was bullshit. Karissa and Mary actually brought up a worthy point in their review, which I totally agree with. They said that it almost seemed like Rey was forced to be a Palpatine so it would be justifiable that her and Kylo could kiss. Because if she wasn't a Palpatine, she would most probably have been a Skywalker, and that would obviously be incest. I think that this theory makes sense. Rey as a Palpatine seemed forced and random.

It may seem like I am ripping on this film. The truth is, there were a lot of things I didn't like. However, I did enjoy the humour, and where some of the characters ended up. I thought that this movie had great potential, and the overall idea of it does satisfy most of the things that the previous movies bring up. However, the disregard for some of the main characters, and the forced romantic relationships of others, brought this movie down for me. And I know that a lot of other people agree.

Did you watch The Rise of Skywalker? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess