Game of Thrones, Avengers: Endgame, and The Rise of Skywalker: Ranking the biggest finales of 2019

The Rise of Skywalker

The Rise of Skywalker only hit theaters a week ago, and it’s already becoming one of the most polarizing Star Wars films of all time (although we’re pretty sure The Last Jedi still takes the cake as the most heatedly debated one).

Don’t get us wrong: The Rise of Skywalker is an enjoyable movie. The comedic beats are well timed, the plot is paced well, and Finn and Poe actually have relevant storylines (that, sadly, do not end in romance). It’s a fun movie to watch, but if you look too closely, you might find yourself questioning certain aspects of the plot — and that’s precisely why it’s the worst of the three big finales this year.

For one, the entire explanation of Palpatine’s survival and Rey’s relationship to him is murky at best. It feels like the filmmakers just rushed through this part so they could make it work, and well, it kind of didn’t. Viewers also have to wonder whether or not this was what Rian Johnson intended when creating The Last Jedi. Many of these major plot points felt like they went back on what the previous film was suggesting, and something like creative differences between directors shouldn’t be noticeable in a movie.

There’s also the fact that the film essentially wrote out Rose Tico, used Zorii Bliss to ensure us that, no, Poe is not gay, and had to have Rey become a damsel after saving the entire galaxy. The female representation was not strong with this one.

Even still, The Rise of Skywalker is a decent Star Wars movie. It’s just not a good finale, especially when it’s following the eight Star Wars films that have come before. We just can’t help but feel that they could have done better. Maybe next trilogy.