HOLLYWOOD─Well at last the end has come, at least for now. The ninth chapter, in the newest “Star Wars” trilogy, ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ promises that this is the end and the way that the movie ends I can totally see that. However, if we flashback to the 80s, we also thought “The Return of the Jedi” was the final chapter in the series, and then we were birthed with a new trilogy of films, so anything is possible America. With that said, this final chapter sees an epic battle between the forces in the galaxy.

Leading the charge is Rey (Daisy Ridley), who is still harnessing her powers after being trained by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). As we all know, Luke perished in 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” while not a bad movie, was underwhelming when you compare it to the sensational “The Force Awakens.”

Rey is still mounting her powers to help the Force awaken to do battle against the Resistance. That is the one difficult thing about critically discussing any “Star Wars” flick: you have to be careful of what information you give because you don’t want to spoil the audience. What I can say is Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) returns hoping to reclaim his glory, but standing in his way is Rey. However, Rey is still doing battle with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

Without spoiling too much, the audience learns plenty about Rey and Kylo’s past that puts things into perspective that makes perfect sense. This really is a flick of finality for Rey and Kylo, everyone else who appears in the film are secondary elements in my opinion. Some critics have argued that John Boyega and Oscar Isaacs’ characters are almost non-existent in the movie and I have to agree. They are not doing much beyond screaming at one another. They have no integral part of the narrative at all, which almost forces you to ask, why they’re in the movie to begin with.

It’s great to see Chewbecca and C-3PO, but all those other classic characters or the ones introduced in this latest trilogy don’t contribute as much to the storytelling. As with any “Star Wars” flick, ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ delivers on special effects. Simply put they are amazing and allow the viewer to immerse themselves in this fantasy world that is unlike any other. The epic battle between Kylo and Rey is worth the wait, but I would be lying if I didn’t argue I wanted just a bit more.

I thought the battle they had in “The Force Awakens” was slightly better. Lightsabers galore are a treat in this installment, but if you compare “The Rise of Skywalker” and “The Last Jedi” to “The Force Awakens” or “The Empire Strikes Back” it does not triumph. Fans of “Star Wars” will delight in the movie, but for those who have NOT seen previous installments it’s highly recommended you see to fully understand and follow what happens here, as the end has arrived.