Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Thrills await. Resistance is futile.

This film, the final in the nine-episode Skywalker saga, will divide Star Wars fans.

There's a group that has bought into J.J. Abram's nostalgic recreation of the 70s and 80s magic (The Fierce Awakens, The Rise of Skywalker), and there is a group that wants a more inventive, fresher forward take on the series. This second group loved director Rian Johnsons Rise of Skywalker (2017).

There is no third group that wants anything connected to the grim, digital 1999-2005 series.

I understand both, but put me in the wink-and-nod former category for the Skywalker saga and in the latter, evolving category for future Star Wars films and television. To me, any film since 1981is a thrill-ride event with low expectations for inventive cinema. They are popcorn films that arrive during the holidays when I can coordinate with the friends I used to have Hasbro toy playtime with.

If you think I'm in another galaxy on this, some perspective is needed. The films in the new millennium lost fans faster than Jar Jar Binks could say "ooh moey moey," which is actually something he did say. If Abram's stellar Force Awakens (2015) had not captured the old magic, I doubt as many people would have jumped back on the ship. Abrams did it with familiar story arcs, throwback sequences, clever use of cameos, and a love for the 80s films that you feel in each scene. He does all of this again with The Rise of Skywalker.

Star Wars should be done with the cameos and flashbacks from here on, but I loved it here. This one is for the casual fans. For the old fans that want to enjoy a night out and the young fans that need to understand the magic.

In a nutshell: Thrilling, it is.

Award potential: Nominated for Best Visual Effects, Score, and Sound Editing.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.