9 Things Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Did Right
7. Palpatine Is Brilliant
Amidst all the controversy about Palpatine's return, just how awesome he is Rise has been overlooked, even if his death was rushed.
It's arguable that the Sequel Trilogy should've always been building up to Palpatine's return. As aforementioned, Palpatine being there keeps the Sequel Trilogy firmly linked to the other two Star Wars trilogies and also, who doesn't love Palpatine?
Ian McDiarmid's superb, deliciously evil and over-the-top (in the best possible way) performance as The Emperor, coupled with the great writing the character always had, makes him arguably the best Star Wars villain of all and he's once again great here. McDiarmid is wonderful and every scene with Palpatine is loaded with fear, suspense and emotional heft, since the material surrounding him showcases some of the film's best writing.
He's a truly frightening villain and thanks to his powerful nature the film's stakes are incredibly high. In particular, Rey's confrontation with him is extremely tense since he reveals that if she kills him, his spirit will transfer into her. This, coupled with the sheer power of Palpatine's new fleet of star destroyers, makes this one of the most suspenseful 'All is Lost' moments in any recent blockbuster movie.