Star Wars Episode IX - The Rise Of Skywalker is a broad, bright and loud rallying cry for all Star Wars fans. But during this crescendo, that---according to the marketing---ends the Skywalker saga, there are passages which feel more intimate, played in a lower volume.

And that is the problem of this movie: it's a cacophony.


From the moment the opening crawl brings us up to speed with what might have happened in a comic/book/tv-show/toiletpaper/the manual of the flamethrower it's a frantic ride that tickles the kid in the viewer, but might frustrates the shell around it. "And then that happens, and then they need this, but have to facilitate that, which causes this, which we can retcon then, and then we meet this figure, and then this happens, and they need this, but have to facilitate that...." is repeated until the movie grinds to a halt.
The movie is never disorienting though---a feat to applaud given it's messy nature.
The shortcuts taken throughout the narrative are time tested, and while they worked in The Force Awakens to jumpstart this trilogy, it feels like a "We have an appointment at five." situation now.

Complaints about the tabula rasa nature of The Last Jedi can safely be uttered again---at least by fans of Episode VIII---; tables get wiped from the aforementioned crawl here too, mostly in nonchalant ways. And sometimes the movie decides, that it should make a mess again after it had just cleared up space.


The cast and effect department had time enough to deliver a good job; which was seldom a problem in this new trilogy[1].
If the characters got a proper sendoff is for the viewer to decide, still it seems like this movie had just started them on their journey through a galaxy far, far away---perhaps Keri Russell get's a chance to take her helmet off in the Lando and Wedge spin-off that gets teases near the end.


To my shame i must admit: the soundtrack left me cold, except one time when a theme from Empire gets played.
But that is a problem i also had with the two movies before, and i bought the soundtrack in digital form two times---compressed and pressed---as an apology to John Williams and the orchestra and technicians involved.


Despite all the criticism i admit that my guess about a certain thing was way off---which did not make it any better---, and the choices made led to a beautiful moment, that at least acknowledges the reformative nature that The Last Jedi tried to bring to the franchise.
And it also strengthens the core message the end of the Skywalker saga sends out into the world: You are not alone. The force will be with you, always.

[1]What i perceived as unfair, is the treatment of Carrie Fisher. Surely involving her in this manner was not done with spite, although using cut footage that had to be arranged to fit the movie is not a nod to a performers mastery of the craft, but another step towards computer generated actors.


txti