Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker – a parent’s review

Friends, I don’t know how to do this without spoilers, so I am going to make this brief. I promise to give away no plot points of Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker. This is our no spoiler review for our friends who are thinking of taking young children to see Rise of Skywalker, which opens in theaters everywhere on December 20th. Thank you to Disney for inviting my husband and I to attend an early screening so we could bring you this review. If you are wondering what age The Rise of Skywalker is appropriate for, we hope to help you with that here. We will discuss our three big deciders; sex, violence, and naughty language. We always suggest you read lots of reviews to make your final decision for your family.

I like to first off share if we will be bringing our kids to see the movie we are sharing about. Our oldest two kids are 13 and we can’t wait to bring them to see this episode. Our 8 year old will probably sit this one out. While it passes every other test for us, it is darker and more intense than other Star Wars films. While I do not think anything was inappropriate, or unnecessary for the storyline, it was simply a little too intense for our 8 year old. I really like to share our personal thoughts from the beginning. While all kids are different, and there is no shortage of reviews to check out, I would personally consider this film for our kids at about 1o and up.

Naomi Ackie is Jannah in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER.

Naughty Language

Our main concerns with movies are sex and gory violence. That’s it. Our kids hear bad words, so I don’t really care about that much. Those who do care, there are a few low-key bad words. I remember ‘dammit’ for sure, maybe a couple others. There were no Fbombs. I know this is a big deal to some, and I respect that. I’m pretty sure you will hear more colorful language taking your kids to literally any store for half an hour than you will in the entire 2 1/2ish hour film. It is not completely curse free, but pretty close.

Violence

Rise of Skywalker was definitely darker and more violent than other Star Wars films we have enjoyed in the past. Gah, I don’t know how to get into detail with spoiling stuff. Everything is darker and scarier. There are a few spots that are a bit gory. There is death and violence. I would not say it is gratuitous violence, but this film is simply more than past films. The violence in this film is the reason we are holding off for our eight year old even though she has seen other Star Wars films in the past. It is decidedly darker and more gory than previous films.

Sex

One thing I have always loved about Star Wars is that sexual content just really isn’t an issue. With the exception of Leia in that sexy gold bikini, there just really isn’t anything to discuss in the entire franchise in my opinion. Rise of Skywalker is no different. Everyone keeps there clothes on. There is no sexual discussions on innuendo. There are relationships. There is a little kissing, that’s it; and not a lot of it. Again, I’m trying to not spoil here. The relationships are deep, beautiful, and complicated. Some seem to hint at potential new movies in the future; back stories or newer characters or stories going forward. My favorite relationship I cannot discuss and it is giving me a twitch, so I won’t, but ugh, it is SO GOOD. People have already asked about Finn and Po. Are they? Aren’t they?  My opinion? Finn and Po for sure like each other you guys…. deal. I hope those crazy kids make it official someday, life is short. That said, nothing happens in this film with the exception of conversation and hugs. Rise of Skywalker does feature the first same sex kiss in the entire Star Wars francise history during a celebratory scene. No, it isn’t Po and Finn. Yes, it is brief. Yes, it is on the lips. Two women. I don’t know their character names; I don’t think they were significant characters to the plot it was just representation. Was it possibly just a friendly peck? I mean, I don’t know what your boundaries are, but if any of my friends kissed me like that I’d feel like we’d have to discuss where ours are. It didn’t seem platonic if that is what you were asking. It takes up about 1 second of a 2 and a half hour movie. Is it enough to piss off the “One Million Moms” people? Yes it is. If you are those people, prolly need to add this to your giant list of things you refuse to enjoy. Are we done here? Seriously though, we are more prudent than most in what kind of content we let our kids view. The amount of sexual content in movies now with a PG rating is disheartening to me. Even with a PG13 rating, this movie was extremely clean. I believe the rating is for sci-fi violence and not sexual content.

BB-8 and D-O in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX

I might make some enemies here, but Star Wars has never really been my jam. I have done my best to enjoy it because my husband and kids are super fans, but epic battles aren’t my thing. Anxiety or being too sensitive or something. That said, I loved this film. I loved the message on so many levels. I cannot figure out how to say why without giving away plot points. I love justice, I love redemption, I love representation, I love people rising up against oppression against all odds, I love bittersweet moments, I love the new sidekick that looks like BB-8 and the Pixar lamp had a baby. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

If you are going to see Rise of Skywalker, it is already selling out in theaters nationwide. When you buy your tickets through this Fandango link, you reserve your tickets and Fandango gives us a tiny commission as a thank you for leading you to them. We truly appreciate purchases through our Fandango link and it does not cost you one penny more. Buy your tickets to Rise of Skywalker here!