Star Wars Rise of Skywalker movie review: Safe, unadulterated fan service - NEWS.com.au

Safety is the watchword.

The nine-episode Star Wars Skywalker Saga is over and with it, any hope that it was going to end on a courageous note.

If you want fan service, you got it. Two hours and 15 minutes of safe, unadulterated fan service.

If you’re one of the fans that felt spurned by the bold choices made by Rian Johnson in The Last Jedi, don’t worry, J.J. Abrams is here to deliver all those comforting hugs you want in The Rise of Skywalker.

You want nostalgia? You got it. You want a black-and-white world view? You got it. Let there be no moral ambiguity in the universe. Or in any galaxy far, far away.

Scared of the legion of vocal, angry fans that reared their heads last time, safe choices are the order of the day. But with that safety is a movie that gives up any shot at being a memorable conclusion, instead, settling for a tick-the-boxes episode that won’t upset too many people.

If that’s what you want, The Rise of Skywalker will be enough, and you won’t even think too hard about its many, many flaws.

If you wanted something a little more nuanced, a little more visually spectacular, or even something that didn’t rely on so many deus ex machina moments you’ll lose count, then you’re sure to be at least a little disappointed.

Without going too much into the story – we promised it would be spoiler-free so we’ll only refer to what the cast and trailers have already revealed – The Rise of Skywalker reunites the three new generation leads, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac).

Rey has stepped up her training with Leia (Carrie Fisher, who gets top billing in the credits), and knows the ultimate battle is near.

“The dead speak!” the first words of the scrawl tells us, and that exclamation mark is very fitting given everything in The Rise of Skywalker shouts at you. It’s jam-packed with big set pieces, broad story strokes and kinetic action sequences, and it never lets up.

Everything happens very quickly in this war against the no-longer-dead Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and his vision for a fascistic Final Order. Yes, even the name Final Order about the same level of subtlety you’ll find elsewhere in this movie – and in case you don’t make the link, later on you’ll see Storm Troopers literally round people up.

The first two-thirds of the film feels like it’s flying by as it writes the characters out of each increasingly complicated plot point with an even more improbable contrivance it didn’t earn. But then that final act seems to drag on – Abrams really could’ve picked up the pacing here, but slowed it down elsewhere.

For some, the decision to essentially walk back some of Johnson’s choices in The Last Jedi will be welcomed, but it also plays cowardly. Or, again, maybe it’s just the safe choice.

Controversial character Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) has also been sidelined, appearing in only a smattering of scenes.

Whatever you may think of Johnson’s narrative choices, few could argue that he set up some properly spectacular shots. When that red dust flew up from beneath the white salt on Crait, there was a wow moment.

There are no real wow moments here, save for some unexpected cameos Lucasfilm managed to keep under wraps.

The performances though are better than the movie they’re in, especially from Ridley and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. They’re physically and emotionally demanding roles and both actors pulled it off. Just watch them twirl those lightsabers around, it’s mighty impressive.

And anytime you can get Richard E. Grant on screen is an opportunity you should take.

Abrams said you couldn’t make a movie just for the fans, but that’s exactly what he’s done. Which does mean, at least, you get the good with the questionable, and that is this notion of hope.

Star Wars argues for a world in which the downtrodden rise up and take on evil forces, and that there’s always hope for a better world.

Maybe that’s enough for some. But for those who didn't want their Star Wars movie to come with the safety catch on, they'll be left wanting more.

Rating: 2.5/5

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in cinemas from Thursday, December 19

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