The saga is ending, but will the story live on forever?
On December 16, the ninth Star Wars film and the final installment of the Skywalker saga
The Rise of Skywalker had its world premiere in Los Angeles.
Critics took to social media following the event to share their thoughts about the film.
We hesitate to say that there's a general consensus about The Rise of Skywalker at this
point, since full reviews have yet to be posted online and because critics are barred from
revealing too much in their early reactions.
What we can say, however, is that there have been more positive reactions to the film than
negative ones, with a common thread in critics' tweets being that The Rise of Skywalker is
a larger-than-life, better-than-expected conclusion to the 40-plus-year-long Skywalker saga.
Fandango's Erik Davis held nothing back.
He tweeted:
"Epic.
All of it.
[The film] is a terrific finale that is just stuffed with so much of everything.
Action, adventure — answers!! — humor, heart, love, and grit.
I spent the entire second half with tears in my eyes – a wonderful way to end the
Skywalker story."
Entertainment journalist Jenna Busch was moved to tears during the premiere of The Rise of
Skywalker, as it checked every box and delivered on every promise.
She tweeted:
"OH MY GOD!
I am absolutely blown away!
I've never been so satisfied by a film.
This is the end of an era and a franchise that has defined my life and this did it justice
in a way I didn't imagine it could.
You WILL cry."
Shortly after seeing The Rise of Skywalker on Monday evening, Slashfilm founder Peter
Sciretta tweeted:
"JJ Abrams nailed it.
He was able to bring a cohesive arc to this trilogy that feels like a fitting end to the
saga as a whole.
I'm so emotionally drained.
Star Wars fans will be very happy."
It appears that one way The Rise of Skywalker accomplishes the lofty goal of ending the
Skywalker saga with a bold bang is through fan service, which critics have conflicting
emotions about.
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
The official Twitter account for CinemaBlend tweeted that The Rise of Skywalker is, quote,
"jammed with fan service" — but the kind that will probably divide fans and spark heated
discussions about the Star Wars universe.
Film and television critic Yolanda Machado shared that she wasn't entirely surprised
by the events of The Rise of Skywalker, and felt that, quote, "too much fan service was
given."
However, those downsides didn't detract from the overall greatness of what The Rise of
Skywalker does and accomplishes in her eyes.
Machado tweeted that the film is, quote, "everything and nothing that you're expecting."
She went on to say:
"God I love this franchise and I'll miss the Skywalker saga."
Award-winning journalist and film critic Scott Mantz had similar feelings about the fan service
in The Rise of Skywalker: there's a lot of it, but he really enjoyed the film as a whole.
He made no mention of what the result of packing so much fan service into the film might be,
though, instead keeping his reaction contained to his own excited thoughts.
He tweeted:
"Really awesome!
The best of the new trilogy!
Really fun, lots of humor, a big heart!
So many surprises!
It's everything #StarWars fans are hoping for, and more!
A very satisfying conclusion!
A lot of fan service, but I loved it!"
You know the old saying: too much of a good thing is a bad thing.
For some critics, this adage applies to The Rise of Skywalker.
Mashable's Chris Taylor kept his feelings about The Rise of Skywalker short and simple,
unlike what he felt the movie was.
He wrote:
"#TheRiseofSkywalker is a lot.
It's like 9 movies of plot in one.
Going to take me about 9 days to process."
Angie J. Han, also of Mashable, echoed Taylor's sentiments in tweeting that The Rise of Skywalker
is "a lot."
She expanded, quote, "Tons to love here, no shortage of crowd pleasing moments and twists
and cameos, but also quite a bit to [think about]."
Han also hinted at an emotionally fulfilling send-off for Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa,
and some heart-warming moments with new characters Jannah and D-0, a little droid pal who looks
like he has a megaphone for a head.
Collider editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub was particularly cryptic in his reaction to
The Rise of Skywalker, but what he did offer following the premiere of the film suggests
that he may not have enjoyed it.
On Monday night, he tweeted:
"I might be in the minority on #TheRiseofSkywalker.
I have a lot to say but will wait till after it has opened."
"I have a bad feeling about this."
OK, OK, you guys… we get it!
It goes without saying that these are but a selection of the many first reactions to
The Rise of Skywalker that critics were able to put out on social media without getting
into hot water with the legal departments at Disney and Lucasfilm.
Far more in-depth reviews of the film will be available to read once the companies lift
the review embargo for The Rise of Skywalker on Wednesday, December 18 at 12:01am ET — a
full day before Thursday-night previews begin on December 19.
As the world witnessed in 2017 with The Last Jedi, everyone is going to have their own
unique opinion about The Rise of Skywalker, and there could be a big divide between critics
and fans once the flick officially launches in theaters.
While absorbing other people's reactions to a movie is generally a harmless, hype-boosting
activity in the lead-up to the premiere, it's important to remember that just because millions
of people love the same property you do, it doesn't mean you'll see eye to eye with them.
That said, it's best to head into your Rise of Skywalker screenings this week with an
open mind that's prepared for anything and everything to happen.
You may love it, or you may hate it, but the only way to find out is to see The Rise of
Skywalker yourself on Thursday, December 19.
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