It's been 42 years since the original "Star Wars" debuted in theaters and became an indelible part of popular culture. From quotable moments to theme park rides to "Baby Yoda" memes, Star Wars is a media juggernaut, which is why bringing the main story to a conclusion was going to be a challenge, no matter who took on the task.

When the newest trilogy kicked off in 2015 with "Star Wars:The Force Awakens," one of the missteps was playing it too safe. Sure, it introduced us to new characters, but the overall plot and pacing felt oddly familiar to fans of the original films. It felt like a movie that was afraid to take any risks.

In 2017, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" focused on character development, but it didn't really advance the greater conflict between the First Order and the Resistance.

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" avoids both of those pitfalls. Yes, the film has plenty of references to the original trilogy, but they're done in service of the plot. The callbacks happen naturally and don't feel forced or rehashed, like they did in "The Force Awakens." As for the overall story, "The Rise of Skywalker" moves at a brisk pace from the moment it begins. When it does slow down to take a breath, it's usually for an emotional moment. No, it's not subtle, and yes, director J.J. Abrams is doing a bit of audience manipulation, but it works.

Speaking of the story, I won't get deep into details in order to avoid spoilers, but "The Rise of Skywalker" is chock-full of story goodness. There's enough going on here to fill out a trilogy in its own right, so it's impressive that Abrams manages to balance it all out, without individual parts feeling like they got the short end of the stick.

There are two main reasons this works. For one, both Finn (John Boyega) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) are treated more seriously than they were before. More importantly, it's clear that this is an ensemble film through and through. Rey (Daisy Ridley) may be the main character, but the film isn't focused on her. Rather, it's focused on her quest to become a Jedi. It may seem like a minor point, but it makes all the difference.

One element of Rey's adventure that is clearly in focus in "The Rise of Skywalker" is her internal battle with the Dark Side of the force. In some ways, it parallels Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) story, even if the details are different. Ridley conveys much of this through her facial expressions, given that it is an internal struggle.

With all the plot points and characters that we run across in "The Rise of Skywalker," a few of them were destined to be little more than background dressing. Unfortunately for fans, the Knights of Ren fall into that camp here. Yes, they make an appearance in the movie, but they're not anything special. We don't get to see them excel at their craft or even really get a sense of why they are elite fighters (aside from the suitably black outfits). I was more intrigued with Captain Phasma's brief screen time in the two prior films.

Two other story elements that felt out of place were the reveal of a mole and an unearned kiss between two characters. For a movie that runs nearly two-and-a-half hours, a handful of nitpicks are to be expected. None of them hampered my enjoyment of the film.

Music has always been a core element of Star Wars, and it continues to be so here. "The Rise of Skywalker" carefully rides the line between new music and reusing classic cues. It was difficult to keep track of everything that was used during the review screening. Suffice it to say, the music did its job, and I look forward to seeing some of the deep dives that others will take into the topic.

Finally, there is the question of audience. For those who grew up on Star Wars, "The Rise of Skywalker" is made for you. For those who have never seen a Star Wars film, don't make this your first. The sheer amount of stuff going on means the movie assumes audiences already know who all the players are. At a minimum, you need to have seen the original "Star Wars" and "The Force Awakens" before seeing "The Rise of Skywalker."

As a Star Wars fan, I feel that "The Rise of Skywalker" is a solid capstone for the Skywalker saga. No, it's not perfect, but it does a fantastic job of bringing a number of different storylines to a satisfying conclusion while clearing the slate for whatever may come next.

Score: 9.0/10

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 2 hours and 21 minutes. It is showing in 2-D, 3-D, IMAX and IMAX 3-D.