Star Wars: Episode IX: Rise of the Skywalker

The moment that epitomized the first third of “Skywalker” to me was when I realized I couldn’t name the planet the main cast had just traveled to—if the name “Pasaana” was uttered on screen, it was crammed in between so much other expository dialogue that I couldn’t catch it. Loading so much crucial information onto the audience without giving them much of a chance to digest it threatens to sink the film early, though it calms down substantially by the halfway point and builds to a strong finish. Weaker than “Return”, but I’m more positive than negative towards it.

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