An Assessment of The Rise of Skywalker: What Went Wrong?

I love Star Wars. That doesn’t mean I love everything about Star Wars, but it means I keep coming back, even when an installment disappoints me. And to get to the point of this assessment of The Rise of Skywalker, it disappointed me.

I’ve loved shows like Ahsoka, The Mandalorian, and Andor.

I enjoyed The Force Awakens, but I have mixed feelings about The Last Jedi. I think Rogue One and Solo were excellent in their own ways. As for Attack of the Clones, I love half of it and dislike the other half.

But there’s one Star Wars film I have no desire to revisit anytime soon.

My assessment of The Rise of Skywalker boils down to this—it’s a film that plays it safe, lacks ambition, and ultimately feels like a missed opportunity.

“Somehow, Palpatine Returned” – The Most Iconic Line of the Sequel Trilogy

Of all the lines in the Sequel Trilogy, the one that sticks with me the most is this: “Somehow, Palpatine returned.”

I know what you’re thinking. That line has been mocked endlessly by fans, often called lazy or ridiculous. But I see it differently. To me, it perfectly encapsulates the chaotic, immediate threat the characters faced in the story.

It reminds me of a personal experience. Years ago, while working at a telecommunications company in Louisiana, I encountered a bizarre situation: an alligator was standing outside the building. No one asked why it was there. We just knew it was dangerous and called for help.

The same logic applies here. The characters didn’t have time to ponder how or why Palpatine returned—they just knew he was an imminent threat.

Yes, we’d all like more context, but in a galaxy where wars have been fought over clones, his sudden reappearance isn’t entirely unbelievable. Ironically, this line, which serves the plot well, has become one of the most ridiculed elements of the film.

That said, it’s hard to deny that the execution of Palpatine’s return feels rushed nor all that threatenting, which is a recurring issue throughout the movie.

My Mixed Feelings About The Rise of Skywalker

I haven’t rewatched The Rise of Skywalker since I first saw it in theaters. It’s not that I hated it—there are moments I genuinely enjoyed.

The desert scenes were visually stunning, and the emotional interaction between Harrison Ford and Adam Driver was incredible. Rey’s completion of the hero’s journey, culminating in her adopting the Skywalker name, felt satisfying, even if I think it would’ve been braver for her to keep her family name.

However, as time has passed, my fondness for the film has waned. The more I reflect on it, the more I see it as a messy, overcautious attempt to please everyone.

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The Dangers of Playing It Safe

The biggest flaw in The Rise of Skywalker is that it plays it way too safe. The film was made as a reaction to the backlash against The Last Jedi. Love it or hate it, The Last Jedi was ambitious—it took risks, some of which paid off and some of which didn’t.

But ambition is often what makes a flawed movie memorable, as seen in films like Michael Mann’s Ferrari or Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.

In contrast, The Rise of Skywalker feels like it was written by a committee, with a focus on fan service rather than storytelling. The plot is a chaotic jumble of ideas that never fully come together. It constantly tries to tie up loose ends while introducing new elements, leaving little room for the story to breathe.

I never really felt the existential threat to the main characters that I did in earlier films.

Adam Driver gives a brilliant performance as Kylo Ren (as always), but his talent is squandered by a script that doesn’t know what to do with him. That brief smile he gives Rey at the end tells more of a story than the rest of the film combined.

Visually, the movie is also inconsistent. While The Force Awakens delivered some of the most stunning cinematography in the franchise, The Rise of Skywalker has several dark, poorly lit scenes that look cheap and unpolished.

For a JJ Abrams film, this was shocking. Even when he gives you a mess, he usually does it with some style.

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Missed Opportunities and Star Wars Fatigue

One of the most frustrating aspects of The Rise of Skywalker is how it mishandles its characters. Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) is sidelined, despite being a major character in The Last Jedi. Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) also feel underutilized, their arcs left underdeveloped.

Instead, new characters are introduced who add little to the story. I love Dominic Monaghan, but I’m not sure of his role here when other established characters could have done what he does. It seems Abrams did as favor, but didn’t really do him a favor.

Even Chewbacca’s fake death—a moment that could have had emotional weight—feels like a cheap trick, as the film quickly backtracks on it.

And while I appreciate Rey’s journey, the decision to make her a Palpatine felt unnecessary and overly convoluted. Also, if she is a Palpatine, wouldn’t the final defeat of him be to keep his name as a force of good and light?

By the end of the Sequel Trilogy, I felt a sense of Star Wars fatigue. Fortunately, the franchise’s TV shows, like The Mandalorian and Andor, have done a great job of reinvigorating my love for the galaxy far, far away.

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Final Thoughts

The Rise of Skywalker isn’t a terrible movie, but it’s not a great one either. It has its moments—gorgeous visuals, strong performances (the sequel trilogy has the most consistently good across-the-board performances), and a handful of memorable lines. But ultimately, it’s a film that feels constrained by its need to play it safe and appease the loudest voices in the fandom.

My assessment of The Rise of Skywalker is that it’s a missed opportunity—a film that could have been bold and ambitious but instead chose to recycle ideas and avoid taking risks. It is my least favorite Star Wars film to watch on a rainy day.

And because I dislike it so much, I’d like to send you to a site that has a positive outlook on the movie. As a Star Wars fan, I love that people love it! If everyone thought like me, life would be boring and way more difficult for people!

While I may not revisit it anytime soon, I’ll always smile when I think about “Somehow, Palpatine returned.”

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