While the critics haven't been too kind to The Rise of Skywalker, audience response has
been largely positive.
So how did the cast of the film react to the trilogy-ender?
Here's how the stars of Skywalker felt about the final product.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Daisy Ridley shared that it's unpleasant to read unfavorable
reviews, but a comment in one review stuck with her: The Rise of Skywalker is a movie
for the fans.
She told the magazine,
"The reason we collectively have made nine [Star Wars films] is because people have loved
this for 42 years.
That has to have been the driving force.
A lot of people are hopefully going to see it and a lot of people are hopefully going
to love it."
"Hey, I'm fun and I'm cool, come along on this ride with me."
Ridley watched The Rise of Skywalker for the first time with the rest of the cast early
in December, and admitted that she was so overwhelmed she held her sister's hand throughout
the entire thing.
At one point, Ridley wanted to leave the theater to compose herself, preferring not to start
crying in front of people.
She also shared that her other seat-mate was pumped throughout the entire screening.
Who might that have been?
None other than John Boyega, the actor behind ex-stormtrooper-turned-Resistance-fighter
Finn.
According to Ridley, Boyega did plenty of whooping and cheering, with even a little
sideline commentary, for the duration of the film.
Oscar Isaac said that the first time he watched the full theatrical cut of The Rise of Skywalker,
he, quote, "snot-cried," and was hoping to shed only "manly tears" during the premiere.
Isaac was also left with a lump in his throat over the realization that with The Rise of
Skywalker, the Star Wars sequel trilogy is complete, and that he'd be saying goodbye
to actors he's spent so many years working with.
The first online reaction to The Rise of Skywalker from one of its cast members came from Richard
E. Grant, who plays General Pryde in the film.
He took to Twitter after the cast first watched the theatrical cut on December 4, posting
an emotional video about the completed project.
Grant says he cheered, shouted, and even "fist-pumped the air."
"It's absolutely everything that you hoped it was going to be.
I'm so proud to be in it."
Joonas Suotamo, who plays Chewbacca in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, also took to his
Twitter account to react to The Rise of Skywalker, thanking director J.J. Abrams for allowing
the cast an early screening of the film.
He also praised his fellow cast mates and the crew behind the film, writing,
"Saw The Rise of Skywalker last night with the cast.
It was everything I'd hoped for and more!"
Other stars have been quieter about their reactions to The Rise of Skywalker, perhaps
in an attempt to avoid letting any spoilers slip before every Star Wars fan around the
world has had an opportunity to see the movie.
Aside from sharing that he held hands with Naomi Ackie during parts of the Rise of Skywalker
screening, John Boyega opted to close the lid on further opinions to let the fans absorb
the film for themselves first.
Ackie, who plays Jannah, said the vibe in the theater during her Rise of Skywalker showing
was that of a celebration, with plenty of cheering going on, particularly for the new
characters.
Still, it took Ackie a while to process the film for herself.
She told Digital Spy,
"I didn't feel anything the first time I watched it and I had to sleep on it.
I just had to absorb it and figure out how I felt slowly.
The second time I watched it, it was like a ride I loved it even more than the first
time.
So the third time, who knows what will happen?
I've seen myself in the movie twice and it still hasn't sunk in.
It feels like I'm watching a completely different person."
Anthony Daniels, who has been in each and every one of the nine Skywalker saga installments,
is potentially saying goodbye to his character with the new movie.
He's played the beloved droid C-3PO for 42 years, since the very first Star Wars movie
from 1977, but recently admitted he would probably be retiring from the character after
The Rise of Skywalker.
It's a particularly emotional time for Daniels, who admitted he needed a drink in his hand
when watching the film.
"Sometimes I just don't understand human behavior."
For Adam Driver, there's a certain ambiguity in The Rise of Skywalker that he really enjoys.
With it being the final film not only of the current trilogy but also of the whole nine-film
Skywalker saga, there's plenty of expectations hanging over the movie.
While this final chapter doesn't directly answer all the burning questions fans may
have, Driver feels that The Rise of Skywalker leaves audiences with a chance to fill in
the blanks for themselves.
The actor told Cinema Blend,
"It's for an audience to project their own meaning towards.
And luckily we had a script that honors ambiguity.
[Chris Terrio) and J.J. Abrams] wrote something that is not always spelled out in the dialogue,
which I love.
It's not characters saying exactly what they're feeling.
it's a testament to, or keeps in the tradition of the original movies.
They're filled with so much ambiguity and moments that I guess literally don't make
sense, but there's an emotional truth about them that makes an audience project meaning."
Unlike what his character Kylo Ren is prone to do, Driver kept his emotions at bay when
discussing the final installment of his Star Wars career.
And that's probably a wise choice, as it leaves fans guessing his character's personal trajectory
and ultimate fate.
Mark Hamill, who first had fans falling in love with Star Wars back in the '70s when
he stepped onto the screen as wide-eyed hero Luke Skywalker, took to Instagram to thank
George Lucas for creating the galaxy far, far away in the first place and for changing
his life in the process.
"As #TheRiseOfSykwalker arrives in theaters, let's not forget that it all started in the
imagination of just 1 man: GEORGE LUCAS.
He alone created that galaxy far, far away that has inspired generations.
Then, he let me be a part of it & changed my life forever."
In true Hamill fashion, the actor also reminded fans that spoilers are just plain uncool,
using the hashtag "MayTheShushBeWithYou" in a separate post.
Fans can form their own opinions on the flick whenever they can get their butts in a theater
seat, as The Rise of Skywalker is finally in theaters now.
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