Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
FILM 8.30PM, C4
The latest Star Wars trilogy comes to a close with an instalment that leans towards the ‘whimper’ end of the spectrum, as JJ Abrams wraps things up with determined protagonist Rey (Daisy Ridley) and her frenemy Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). There’s an awful lot of fan service here, nailed on regardless of coherence, giving the whole exercise the feeling of a love letter to the original trilogy without an understanding of what made it so loved in the first place. That said, there is real spectacle on show, as Rey and her comrades Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) face the First Order for the last time, culminating in a space battle to end them all. ★★★ NP