Movie review
December 18, 2019 · 142 min · PG-13 · Sci-Fi · Action · Adventure
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.
Community feedback
Was our 56% Woke rating accurate?
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.
50%
Woke political dialogue
Standard light-versus-dark and resistance-against-tyranny themes with no modern activist language or identity lectures.
10%
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.
22%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Classic anti-authoritarian stance against the Empire/First Order; no reframing into modern critiques of patriarchy, capitalism, or Western institutions.
8%
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.
25%
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.
35%
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.
55%
Production
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