The eighth film of the Star Wars Skywalker saga, “The Last Jedi,” was celebrated by critics but widely panned by fans, earning an impressive 91% on the Tomatometer but a miserable 43% from the audience. Two years since the franchise killed off Luke, the highly anticipated final installment of the series has finally hit theaters — and early responses show something close to an inverse of the reception of the previous film.
With over 300 critics’ reviews in, including over 50 from “top critics,” review aggregating site Rotten Tomatoes gives the J.J. Abrams-directed “The Rise of Skywalker” a disappointing 58% on the Tomatometer, which means the film is officially “rotten.”
The “critics consensus” offered by Rotten Tomatoes provides a concise summary of the overall response, which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement: “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker suffers from a frustrating lack of imagination, but concludes this beloved saga with fan-focused devotion.”
A few sample responses from some of the “top critics” featured on the site:
- “The hermetic logic of the plot is as impeccable as it is ridiculous. It’s a drama crafted with robotic insularity for the consumption of viewers being rendered robotic at each moment of the soullessly uniform spectacle,” writes The New Yorker’s Richard Brody.
- “Despite the vast deepness and immense possibilities of George Lucas’s long-ago galaxy located far, far away, Disney’s Star Wars is more an exercise in exhumation than storytelling,” says Globe and Mail’s Barry Herz, who gives the film a 2 out of 4 rating.
- “When we meet up with brash pilot Poe, he’s lightspeed-skipping his way out of trouble, and Abrams is in much the same mode, whisking you from one thing to the next before you have much time to think or feel anything in response,” writes San Diego Reader’s Matthew Likona, who gives Abrams’ presumably final Star Wars flick a terrible 1 out of 5.
- Even the more positive responses from the top critics make clear that they left the theater dissatisfied. “If you disliked ‘The Last Jedi’ (like I did), you’ll like – but probably not love – ‘The Rise of Skywalker.’ If you liked ‘The Last Jedi,’ this review might not be for you,” warns Salon’s Matthew Rozsa who gives the film a 3.5 out of 4.
Most of the other critical reviews echo similar complaints about the “robotic” and overly “rushed” final Skywalker film.
But what about fans?
Unlike with the Rian Johnson-directed “The Last Jedi,” fans appear to be mostly happy with Abrams’ finale. With over 770 audience members weighing in, Rotten Tomatoes gives episode 9 an 85% audience score. Some examples of responses from “verified” reviewers (those who proved that they saw the film):
- “JJ Abrams solidified himself as a fantastic choice for Star Wars with Force Awakens. With The Rise of Skywalker he completely knocks it out of the park. Spectacular, jaw dropping, pulse pounding, and tear jerking; Rise of Skywalker is everything about Star Wars I love,” says “super reviewer” Nick, who gives it a 5 out of 5 stars.
- “Episode 9 has so many great moments that are reminiscent to past Star Wars films we all know and love,” writes reviewer Chris, who also gives it five stars. “JJ Abrams provides answers to the questions that were left with us in The Last Jedi and ends the Skywalker Saga in the most fitting way possible. A must see for the avid Star Wars fan!”
- “Don’t trust the reviews this was a great film,” writes James, who gives it five stars.
- “The film really attempts and largely succeeds in fixing the issue from The Last Jedi,” says Zach, who also gives it a 5 out of 5.
- “The movie leaves intact the lessons of The Last Jedi while still evolving them and rhyming with Return of the Jedi in its own unique ways,” says Danny, who gave it a 4.5.
- “JJ did the best he could, given what The Last Jedi left him with. I left the movie with excitement and beyond satisfied,” says Brian, who gives it five stars.
Others weren’t so enthused, including Andrew, who gives “Rise of Skywalker” a 2 out of 5 and describes it as an “unbalanced, Frankenstein of a film that spit in the face of The Last Jedi.”
Verified reviewer Chrissy, who gives it a 3.5 out of 5, sums up a lot of the hundreds of ultimately more positive than negative responses: “There’s a lot of great things and a lot of silly things with this movie. Did not really connect with episode seven and eight and the writing was a little sloppy. The pacing felt rushed and this movie could have honestly been split up into two to better explain everything. You will leave the theater with lots of questions which is a little annoying considering this is the last episode in the franchise. Visually it is probably one of the most beautiful Star Wars movies ever made however. Definitely go see it if you are a Star Wars fan so you can finish up the story.”
Related: TOTO: I Saw The New ‘Star Wars.’ Its Lesbian Kiss Scene Won’t Satisfy Anyone.