The end of an era is almost upon us. We’re only days away from the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which is now only concluding the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, but also serving as the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga. So naturally there’s a lot riding on this movie, and expectations are running high. Well, following the world premiere of The Rise of Skywalker, the first reactions to this momentous tale are rolling in, and it’s looking like we’re in for another polarizing Star Wars movie.
Starting off, CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell laid out that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker feels different from both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, and that there’s equal parts fan service to action.
CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg was let down by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and was not pleased with a number of the creative decisions that were made.
On the positive end of the spectrum, Comicbook.com’s Brandon Davis highlighted how Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is just as big an event as we’ve envisioned, if not bigger, and it’ll certainly have fans talking.
Erik Davis from Fandango was even more enamored with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, felling that it served its purpose as as a great finale to the Skywalker Saga.
Conversely, Uproxx’s Mike Ryan believed that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker had way too much material packed into just one runtime.
Germain Lussier from io9 fell into mixed territory on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, liking certain elements, but not enjoying other parts.
Mashable’s Angie Han echoed the sentiment that there’s a lot that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker showed off, and also named some of the characters who shined.
Finally, Peter Sciretta from Slashfilm was pleased with how Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker wrapped up this era of the franchise set in a galaxy far, far away.
These are just some of the reactions that are rolling in, so feel free to look in other areas of Twitter for more opinions. Working off this collection though, Star Wars fans should prepare themselves for The Rise of Skywalker not being a critical slam dunk. You may love it, you may walk away less than impressed, but be prepared to argue and debate your friends and fellow enthusiasts about its quality… which is actually par for the course when it comes to this franchise.
Taking place one year after the events of The Last Jedi, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will see both the war between The Resistance and The First Order finally finishing and the millennia-long conflict between the Jedi and Sith ending. Along with most of the main cast from the Sequel Trilogy reprising their respective roles (including Carrie Fisher appearing as Leia Organa through unused footage of her from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi), The Rise of Skywalker also introduces new characters like Naomi Ackie’s Jannah, Richard E. Grant’s Allegiant General Pryde and Keri Russell’s Zorii Bliss, as well brings back old favorites like Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian and Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palpatine.
You can judge Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker for yourself starting this Thursday evening in preview screenings, followed by the wide rollout on Friday, December 20. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend’s full review of the movie, and start planning your trips to the theater next year with our 2020 release schedule.
