Movie review
December 18, 2019 · 142 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker wraps up the Skywalker saga as Rey, Finn, and Poe lead the Resistance in a final battle against the First Order and a resurrected Emperor Palpatine. Rey learns she is Palpatine’s granddaughter, rejects the dark side, and claims the Skywalker name after defeating him through legacy, redemption, and light-versus-dark conflict. A brief same-sex kiss appears between two minor female Resistance fighters in the victory celebration, the first visible LGBTQ+ moment in live-action Star Wars. The diverse human cast continues the franchise’s long-standing mix of characters without altering core lore or forcing identity-focused plotlines.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Woke representation / casting
Diverse leads and supporting cast (female hero, Black and Latino male heroes, Asian supporting) plus brief visible lesbian kiss; consistent with franchise norms rather than aggressive new emphasis or swaps.
Woke political dialogue
Standard light-versus-dark and resistance-against-tyranny themes with no modern activist language or identity lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
Rey’s bloodline reveal and choice of Skywalker name explore personal legacy and belonging; incidental queer kiss adds minor note but does not drive plot or messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Classic anti-authoritarian stance against the Empire/First Order; no reframing into modern critiques of patriarchy, capitalism, or Western institutions.
Woke character or canon changes
Palpatine resurrection and Rey’s heritage shift some established lore and drew fan debate, but changes are story-driven rather than identity-motivated.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Scattered right-leaning complaints about diversity, strong female roles, and the token kiss as pandering exist online, but primary backlash targeted story quality and execution; evidence remains moderate and mixed.
Creator track record context
Kathleen Kennedy’s documented push for greater representation across the sequel trilogy sets the main context, tempered by Abrams and other writers’ low-activism profiles and the film’s nostalgic course-correction tone.
Production
