Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Early Reactions Tease Action-Packed Epic

By The Credits  |  December 17, 2019

We have reached the end of the line. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is hitting theaters in just three days, and many critics have already seen the film. Thus, the first reactions to co-writer and director J.J. Abrams Skywalker Saga capping film have hit the internet. Abrams and his team had a lot to do here, crafting not just a satisfying conclusion to the new trilogy Abrams began with 2015’s The Force Awakens, but to wrap up the entire 9-film saga that began with George Lucas’s 1977 game-changer A New Hope. 

There are a ton of reactions available online. We’ve got just a snapshot here below. The general consensus (if there can ever be such a thing with a Star Wars film) is that The Rise of Skywalker is absolutely action-packed. A true epic. Another through-line seems to be that Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio diverged somewhat from the story that Rian Johnson laid out in The Last Jedi. If you think about it, the only Star Wars film that ever achieved anything close to actual critical consensus was The Empire Strikes Back. Because this franchise has been so seminal and such a part of peoples’ childhoods, you tend to get a lot of argument within both the fan community and among critics.

Anyway, you’re here for The Rise of Skywalker reactions, and you’re going to get them. Our guess is reading these will only make you more excited to see this film. Even if we all know Star Wars will live on, The Rise of Skywalker does represent the end of this particular storyline around the Skywalker family and the part they’ve played in the galaxy’s perpetual turmoil. These reactions are spoiler-free, of course:

For more on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, well, we’ve got a lot. Check out these three new behind-the-scene images. If you don’t mind potential spoilers, check out this new clip featuring Kylo Ren and a certain legendary character of yore. Behold some epic lightsaber action. These 8 new photos include the mysterious Knights of Ren. Check out Rey rocking the double-edged lightsaber, glimpse these four new photos (including the flying Stormtrooper), watch this clip of Leia holding a lightsaber (and more), or this clip of flying Stormtroopers, read about Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and writer/director J.J. Abrams meeting with George Lucas, watch the Knights of Ren and a Sith Trooper in action, behold the new character posters, read this helpful Star Wars timeline, watch the latest TV spot, read our breakdown of the final trailer, watch the final trailer itself, read our break down of a bunch of new images, and a have look at Rey and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)’s complicated relationship.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20, 2019.

Featured image: Daisy Ridley is Rey in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. Courtesy Lucasfilm/Walt Disney Studios

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The Credits

The Credits is the Motion Picture Association's online platform that profiles below-the-line filmmakers and TV creators. Through in-depth interviews and coverage, we shine a spotlight on all the individuals who are indispensable to the entertainment industry and create the films and series we love.