Review Roundup: What Did Critics Think of STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER?

Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.

The film stars Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, with Ian McDiarmid and Billy Dee Williams.

Find out what critics thought of the film ahead of its opening in theaters this Friday, December 20!

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Owen Gleiberman, Variety:

No 'Star Wars' film can fully recapture the thrill of 40 years ago, but as directed by J.J. Abrams, the ninth and final chapter in the saga that George Lucas created may come closer than any "Star Wars" movie since.

Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter:

There are directors who are content with such ambitions, just as there are large audiences for same. Abrams has a foot in one camp and the other foot in another, hoping to have it both ways, which he manages for the reason that The Rise of Skywalker has a good sense of forward movement that keeps the film, and the viewer, keyed up for well over two hours. It might not be easy to confidently say what's actually going on at any given moment and why, but the filmmakers' practiced hands, along with the deep investment on the part of fans, will likely keep the majority of viewers happily on board despite the checkered nature of the storytelling.

A.O. Scott, New York Times:

At least since "The Return of the Jedi" (1983), the point of each chapter has been consolidation rather than distinction. For a single film to risk being too interesting would be to imperil the long-term strategy of cultivating a multigenerational, multinational fandom. "The Rise of Skywalker" - Episode IX, in case you've lost count - is one of the best. (It opens Friday.) Also one of the worst. Perfectly middling. It all amounts to the same thing."

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times:

"I suspect that more than a few fans who were incensed by 'The Last Jedi' and its refusal to pander to their every expectation will be grateful to see Abrams re-ensconced in the director's chair. Even if you simply watch the movie and ignore some of the controversy-stirring pre-release chatter, 'The Rise of Skywalker' nakedly offers itself up in the spirit of a 'Last Jedi' corrective, a return to storytelling basics, a nearly 2½-hour compendium of everything that made you fall in love with 'Star Wars' in the first place."

Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair:

"The final film in this trilogy, 'The Rise of Skywalker' (out December 20), feels like such a desperate scramble to win back fans' affection, to re-create that probably uncapturable sense of awe conjured up by the original series. The movie never rests, relentlessly ardent in its grasping for mythos."

Glen Weldon, NPR:

"He nails that 42-year-old recipe dutifully - effortfully, it must be said - but the flavoring's off. The story doesn't require him to toss in as many ingredients from earlier films in the saga as he does here, but he dumps them all (callbacks, references, echoes, events, characters) into the mix anyway. The result leaves you feeling not so much bloated - the film moves too quickly, and is too much fun for that - but certainly overstuffed."

Alissa Wilkinson, Vox:

'The Rise of Skywalker' falls SOMEWHERE BETWEEN an overstuffed fan-service finale and a yawnfest. If 'The Force Awakens' kicked off a new cycle in the franchise and The Last Jedi set it up to push beyond its familiar patterns, 'The Rise of Skywalker' for the most part runs screaming in the other direction."

A.A. Dowd, A.V. Club:

The movie, the last in a new trilogy of Star Wars sequels produced without George Lucas' involvement (or, it must be said, his acid-trip imagination), is so freighted with obligation that it almost groans under the weight, flashing a weak smile as it vaguely approximates the appearance of a zippy good time. Of course, most concluding chapters of a saga with a capital S carry burdens their predecessors don't: They often end up feeling like the last act of a movie stretched to feature length-all falling action, no remaining mystery. But in the case of this ninth official episode, the batting-cleanup responsibilities are compounded by the expectations of a fanbase on the cusp of mutiny. 'Skywalker 'wants desperately to please them, a potentially impossible task it tackles with transparently ingratiating caution. This is a space opera animated not by joy but insecurity-the anxiety, evident in almost every moment, that if it's not very careful, someone might feel letdown.

Sam Adams, Slate:

'The Rise of Skywalker' gives people what they go to Star Wars for, but that's all it does-and worse, all it sets out to do. It's frenzied, briefly infuriating, and eventually, grudgingly, satisfying, but it's like being force-fed fandom: Your belly is filled, but there's no pleasure in the meal. The movie feels like it's part of the post-Last Jedi retrenchment, when Disney jerked the leash on Solo and killed plans for future spinoffs by insisting that filmmakers stick to the established playbook. It's of a piece with the pointedly unambitious The Mandalorian, just good enough to get people's attention but fundamentally terrified of rocking the boat. Rather than making a movie some people might love, Abrams tried to make a movie no one would hate, and as a result, you don't feel much of anything at all.

David Sims, The Atlantic:

'The Rise of Skywalker' is, for want of a better word, completely manic: It leaps from plot point to plot point, from location to location, with little regard for logic or mood. The script, credited to Abrams and Chris Terrio, tries to tie up every dangling thread from The Force Awakens, delving into the origins of the villainous First Order, Rey's mysterious background as an orphan on the planet Jakku, and even Poe's occupation before signing up for the noble Resistance. The answer to a lot of these questions involves the ultra-villainous Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), the cackling, robed wizard-fascist behind the nefariousness of the first six films.

I wish I could tell you every answer is satisfying, and that Abrams weaves the competing story interests of nine very different movies into one grand narrative, but he doesn't even come close.

Kara Warner, People:

'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' is a jam-packed tribute to George Lucas' legacy and the millions of dedicated fans who've kept the franchise alive and well for decades. And while it lacks the more cohesive, streamlined storylines of its predecessors 'The Force Awakens' (2015) and 'The Last Jedi' (2017), 'Skywalker' is buoyed by always-dazzling visuals, satisfying emotional beats and solid performances.

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