An epic and emotional conclusion to a story told over 42 years, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker refocuses its universe exploring gaze on the core mythological themes of the series, without sacrificing the wold building soap opera spectacle that brought imagination and wonder that awed generations.

Strip away the marketing and spectacle of the Star Wars movies, and what you will find is a theme that is universal: the battle between good vs evil. Amongst the first trilogy of films created by George Lucas that pitted the tyrannical Empire against the heroic Rebellion, also raged a battle of spiritual and religious kind, as forces of light (represented by warrior monks in the Jedi) and darkness (as exemplified in the almost demonic Sith), fight for the soul of the universe’s inhabitants. What would unfold over 42 years is a sci-fi saga that is also Biblical in nature, with the Catholic-tinged tenant of “may the Force be with you” the calling card of the series.

Placing a bow on the Star Wars saga is an impossible task, since every superfan and detractor (sometimes they are one an the same) placing their own expectations on how it should all end. Director and co-writer JJ Abrams (who kickstarted this new trilogy with 2015’s The Force Awakens) wisely did away with expectation, and instead played to the series’ visual and thematic strengths. Some call this “fan service”. What it is instead is service to character, to story, and to the spirit of the series, resulting in a sci-fi action movie that proudly waves its spiritual and religious flag in its approach to a good v evil storyline, as it was in the beginning, and forever shall be.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker continues the journey of scavenger turned Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley), as she continues to find clues to her past. Key to finding the final pieces is the re-emergence of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), the sinister puppet master who pulled the strings in the first two Star Wars trilogies, now resurrected to represent the insidious nature of evil that forever lurks in the shadows: probing, deceiving, and festering.

Temptation, which in Christian theology is an invitation to sin, plays a prominent role in the Star Wars saga, with figures ominous and powerful luring good yet conflicted characters to the “dark side”. Rey’s journey very much is one filled with resistance against crossing over to the side of evil, as themes of legacy and power come into play.

Perhaps more interesting is the journey of Ky Lo-Ren, the masked bad guy presented as Darth Vader 2.0, complete with tragic backstory. Again, core Christian themes of forgiveness and redemption come into play here. There are moments is Kylo’s journey that are incredibly moving, with a terrific cameo bringing to the fore an internal struggle between what is right and wrong, light and dark. Although his past is one of murder and hatred, there is still capacity for good and for redemption. In this time of vitriol and praise for nasty negativity (especially amongst Star Wars fans), this is especially relevant.

Of course, there is also the spectacular action-adventure filmmaking that the Star Wars series is known for, which in Abrams hands takes on a new level of epic laser blasting, lightsabre sizzling gusto. At 220 minutes, Abrams fills every frame with depth and stakes emotional and thrilling. Argument can be made that a scene or two could be cut for a leaner runtime, yet there is no denying that there is much bang for your buck to be found here.

For all the bombast and bluster, it’s the quiet moments that have the greatest effect. One of the best in Rise of Skywalker and indeed the saga as a whole, features a near defeated Rey looking to the heavens for connection, for support, and for a new hope, and finds an answer in a rain of Jedi voices who were martyred in their service to the galaxy. In their place has risen a new generation, who have successfully closed the book on a story from a galaxy, far, far away.

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