Holly on Hollywood
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
by Holly McClure
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” is the final film in the trilogy behind 2015’s “The Force Awakens” and 2017’s “The Last Jedi”, and the ninth and last of the Skywalker saga that spans 42 years. Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) join forces to combat the evil adversary Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). But Ren’s psychic connection with Rey is stronger than ever and forces a series of confrontations with an ultimate battle.
The PG-13 is for non-stop action and sci-fi fight scenes. From the opening credits to the last, the story hops rapidly from one planet and conflict to the next with a frantic, breathless intensity that rarely lets up till the end. The fast pace (one chase scene has our heroes “light-skipping” into death-defying settings), creepy aliens, an evil looking emperor, space battles and cool lightsaber fights (one of the most dramatic between Rey and Ren takes place in the middle of a raging sea with giant waves crashing all around), make it more for mature older kids to adults. A true fan favorite, Billy Dee Williams, reprises his role as Lando, which brings a smile to many who remember his first appearance and makes Chewie extremely happy. There are familiar characters including ewoks, CP30, Harrison Ford makes a cameo appearance in a scene that brings closure and the late Carrie Fisher is Leia in as many scenes as previously shot footage allows, getting a moving and climactic send-off fitting for the iconic Princess. I watched with melancholy as I remembered the thrill of seeing “Star Wars: A New Hope” in 1977, literally went into labor during the “Return of the Jedi” in 1981 and can chart the course of life events throughout the release of the other films. Although nothing can fully recapture the thrill of the unique first “Star Wars” 42 years ago, Director J.J. Abrams makes a concerted effort to service the decades of fans with a final plot that wraps up a feel-good ending with characters that made you fall in love with ‘Star Wars’ in the first place.
~Holly On Hollywood~
Holly McClure is a multimedia personality with a career that spans over 20 years in the entertainment industry. Her background as a film critic, film and television producer, creative writer, filmographer, radio and television host, author, and pundit for family values, has established her media expertise and made her a recognized advocate for family-friendly entertainment. Holly was the first ‘family film critic’ syndicated in over 365 newspapers by The Orange County Register. Her “Holly on Hollywood” movie reviews have been featured on various media outlets and can now be seen on Uplift TV, Parables movie channel, and thelaundrymoms.com.
In 2002, Holly was asked by Mel Gibson to film the behind-the-scenes interviews for “The Passion of the Christ”. She produced a one hour special, “The Making of The Passion of the Christ”, that aired on TBN and ION. She has since produced numerous press features for various films (The Passion Of The Christ, Do You Believe, Dancer and the Dame, God’s Not Dead, The Frontier Boys, etc.) and is listed on IMDB .
Holly is a charter member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and serves on the advisory boards of The Dove Foundation and The Parents Television Council. She is a proud mother, grandmother and mentor, passionate about supporting and creating life-changing entertainment!
For more information visit Hollymcclure.com or IMDB.com
