The final episode of the nine-part Star Wars film series has completed, and part of me is sad. Episode IX, The Rise of Skywalker is showing now and Star Wars fans will flock in droves to witness what happens to the Skywalker family, the new characters, and the old characters we grew up with. Many parents that grew up with the films, like me, will parade their children into the theater to share a piece of their childhood. And many kids will bring their parents to the theater to share their childhood with them. If you are one of those parents, here are my thoughts on if Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker is appropriate for kids.
If you grew up with the films, you already know what to expect. There are no cinematic surprises. The Rise of Skywalker has a few curse words, no sex, some kissing (both straight and gay), and a lot of action. The violence is the same as the other films in that many people get shot, stabbed, and sliced, but it shows little blood or gore. Thinking back over past Star Wars’ films, there is more action in this one and the violence is amped up a bit.
The only area where I have a concern about bringing kids is there are some frightening moments.
SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING BELOW…………………………………………………………………………………….
Emperor Palpatine is back and scarier than ever. His major scene is at the end of the movie and there is an intense moment with him during the finale and some kids might find it scary. I can already predict my 7-year-old son will have his eyes covered during that scene.
Other than that frightening scene with the Emperor and the many casualties, the film should be fine for most kids. If they were okay with the Rancor in Return of the Jedi, Han Solo’s death in The Last Jedi, and Anakin’s turn in Revenge of the Sith, then they should be okay with limited censoring.
As with my other reviews on Star Wars films and Marvel films, parents know their kids the best. A movie like The Rise of the Skywalker is a build-up movie and kids will probably have seen the other movies and are prepared.
As a long-time fan, the final movie of the saga was satisfying. There are some things I wanted to see that I didn’t get to, but overall, I am happy with how the story ends. Enjoy the movie and may the Force be with you.