As Rey (Daisy Ridley) faces Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in battle, she's in danger of joining the dark side.  Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) pursuades Kylo Ren to try to kill Rey, the Last Jedi. Meanwhile, Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), and three droids join her in her battles against Kylo Ren and to help her to locate Emperor Palpatine.

      Writer/director J.J. Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio do a great job of keep the plot coherent, for the most part, and of introducing the characters with just the right amount of exposition. Key plot points get repeated at least twice so that there's no confusion. If you're the kind of audience member who doesn't like their hand held tightly, so-to-speak, by a film without much room for nuance or interpretation, this isn't the kind of film for you. There are a few moments of comic relief, but they're far and few between. The dialogue occasionally sounds stilted and unintentionally funny, and the film feels like it's merely going through the motions more often than not. You can feel the wheels of the screenplay turning at every frame.

      To be fair, though, who watches Star Wars expecting lots of realistic dialogue and lengthy conversations? This isn't meant to be a slice of life; it's a slice of cake. Fans enjoy seeing their favorite characters in action along with a compelling plot all of which can be found here. Of course, just like in any blockbuster, there's a MacGuffin, in this case the Sith Wayfinder which Rey needs to tracks down Palpatine. What she really wants, though, is to learn about her origins and who she really is. When someone asks her what's her full name, she just says Rey, so it's that subplot that adds a modicum of substance to all the spectacle. The major surprises here come in the form of cameos, so none of them will be spoiled here.  

      Fortunately, what elevates Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker  are the performances which are very committed. Daisy Ridley is a natural talent and rises above the material to add some much-needed emotion. Oscar Isaac and John Boyega, who's still reminiscent of a young Denzel Washington, are also superb. The real stars of the film are the CGI effects and the score by John Williams which provide plenty of eye and ear candy along the way even during the less engaging scenes. The filmmakers don't really take any risks when it comes to filmmaking techniques or anything else for that matter, so by playing it safe, the film never rises above mediocrity. At a running time of 2 hours and 35 minutes,  Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker  isn't among the best of the Star Wars franchise, but it has just enough exhilarating thrills, strong performances and impressive visual effects to be a mildly entertaining, harmless Spectacle.