Walt Disney Co's highly anticipated "Star Wars" movie "The Rise of Skywalker" divided film critics on Wednesday, earning more detractors than any film in the nine-episode saga since 1999 movie "The Phantom Menace."
"Rise of Skywalker," which debuts in theaters around the globe on Thursday, is the final installment in a story begun in 1977, when George Lucas introduced a young hero named Luke Skywalker alongside an enchanting collection of droids and otherworldly characters.
On the Rotten Tomatoes website, 57 percent of 157 reviews for "Rise of Skywalker" were positive as of Tuesday morning. That ranked as the second-lowest score among the nine films, ahead of only the 53 percent for "The Phantom Menace."
Reviewers who praised "Rise of Skywalker" called it a satisfying conclusion to a beloved story, while critics said the movie directed by J.J. Abrams seemed to play it safe to please longtime fans.
People dressed as Storm Troopers attend the premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in London, Britain, December 18, 2019. /Reuters Photo
Jack Coyle of the Associated Press called the movie a "scattershot, impatiently paced, fan-servicing finale that repurposes so much of what came before."
Justin Chang of The Los Angeles Times described it as "an epic failure of nerve."
"This 'Rise' feels more like a retreat, a return to a zone of emotional and thematic safety," Chang wrote.
Abrams said at the movie's London premiere on Wednesday that he expected the movie would be divisive given the strong and diverse views held by "Star Wars" fans.
"You have to just do what you believe at every step," he said in an interview. "And I could not be more proud of what this cast was done, and this extraordinary crew."
"We just wanted to tell a story that feels like it was the end of these nine chapters and we just told that story," Abrams added.
The reviewers who praised "Rise of Skywalker" said it offered a fitting and thrilling conclusion.
"Epic it indeed is, full of magnificent set pieces – sprawling space battles and incandescent lightsaber duels – gripping performances and a number of truly stunning surprises," said Soren Andersen of The Seattle Times.
Brian Lowry of CNN.com said the movie "proves highly satisfying as an end not just to this trilogy, but a saga 42 years in the making.
"Abrams has made a 'Star Wars' movie aimed at the people who love it best," he said.
Cover image: People dressed as Star Wars' characters attend the premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in London, Britain, December 18, 2019. /Reuters Photo