Controversially, I enjoyed The Rise of Skywalker.

I know this is an unpopular thing to say but I loved The Rise of Skywalker. I think there is a strange divide between film critics and fans when it comes to stuff like this. With the Last Jedi, critics loved it but fans hated it. I know Rian Johnson is a good director and that he was trying to ‘subvert expectations’ but why? He could just written his own scifi movie and subvert the genre if he wants but with a Star Wars film, I just want a Star Wars film, not a powerful genre-defying whatever.

The reason I became a Star Wars fan was because, back in the 70s, there was nothing like it. It was an amazing spectacle and created imaginative worlds and a lived-in galaxy, held together by a mysterious force with good guys versus bad. And people had fights with laser swords. I fell in love with Star Wars because is was fun adventure with space ships. The Rise of Skywalker totally delivered on what I want from the series. It was exciting and fun.

I read a review in Forbes that essentially said the main problem with the film was that it was pandering to fans – especially those who grew up loving the original trilogy. Which it did, but surely that is the point? Apparently I, as someone in my late 40s, wanted something similar to what I really enjoyed from the Star Wars movies of my youth. And that is what I got. It’s a bit like criticising a Disney movie for having a load of cartoons singing all the time when they should be more character based and genre-upsetting.

I think people should ignore the critics a bit more. I think a Star Wars film should please Star Wars fans. How is that not an obvious thing? It is the fans who actually buy the tickets and they are obviously going to be the target audience. What critics disliked about the Force Awakens was that it was too similar to A New Hope. What critics liked about The Last Jedi was that it was trying to do something radical with the formula. I think it was a dumb thing to do given that it was episode 8 of a 9 movie series. Most fans of my generation enjoyed The Rise of Skywalker. It ended on an optimistic and hopeful tone.

Apologies for what has turned into a rant. If anything, the critics massively added to my enjoyment of the Rise of Skywalker as my hopes had been hugely lowered and I was surprised how fun, exciting and Star Wars-like it was. Pretty much the opposite of what happened with the Last Jedi. As I recently wrote about with the latest game, there is a certain vibe and world that I expect with Star Wars so just give me that and I’ll be happy. I guess what I am essentially saying is that with the 9th film, I wanted something that was a good Star Wars film that wrapped everything up nicely. And that is totally what I got.