There are a lot of wow moments in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker which, if we believe the top brass at Disney, will be the last movie appearance of the characters who have been with us -- in some cases, since 1977 -- in the nine movies to date.

Star Wars fans have, of course, been lining up to share their outrage over the film, much as they have since the prequel series began. And, while the series has earned its share of complaints and disdain over the years, the criticism of Rise is largely undeserved.

It's true, things might not have turned out the way some people hoped. Sure, the movie sacrifices plot for action, and the pace is sometimes more frenetic than some would have preferred. Character development throughout is negligible -- which is, to me, its greatest weakness.

On the other hand, director J.J. Abrams has brought the series to a satisfying end, given us some unexpected twists and appearances, and resolved some unanswered questions along the way, all served up in a visually stunning display of Star Wars imagery and some of the best performances we've seen in the final trilogy.

The movie is fun. And that is all the Star Wars films were ever meant to be.

Daisy Ridley, as Rey, the last Jedi, is one of the strongest of the actors who joined the franchise in The Force Awakens. She doesn't disappoint here as she faces her greatest challenge and finally discovers her hidden past. Adam Driver, as Darth Vader-wannabe Kylo Ren, finally hits the stride I've been looking for -- and discovers where his alter-ego, Ben Solo, fits into the greater scheme.

Oscar Isaac as hotshot pilot Poe, John Boyega as lapsed stormtrooper Finn and Joonas Suotamo as the mighty Chewbacca (filling the hairy shoes of the late Peter Mayhew) have more of a supporting role this time around; along with others who survived the decimation of the Resistance forces in The Last Jedi, they are struggling to keep the dream of freedom alive while striking blows against both the First Order, led by Ren, and the mysteriously returned Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) is pretty much sidelined out of the movie.

Anthony Daniels gives us a surprisingly emotional coda performance as the droid C-3PO, the most humanoid of the droid brigade that includes R2-D2, BB-8 and the new toy-marketing strategy, D-O, and Mark Hamill makes a too-brief reappearance as Luke Skywalker.

On the dark side, besides Ren, we have General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), whose character arc for the first time shows promise but is cut short before it can pay off, and General Pryde (Richard E. Grant), an old-school Imperial who is properly sinister in a way we've not seen since the death of Peter Cushing. There are several other characters who join the cast -- among them Naomi Ackie as former stormtrooper Jannah and Keri Russell as the renegade Zorii Bliss -- who don't get enough screen time for proper development.

There is, considering the filmmakers' use of archived footage of Carrie Fisher before her death, far more of General Leia in the movie than I expected. Her scenes are slightly awkward at times -- you can tell her dialogue wasn't written with this film in mind, and her appearance in some scenes isn't entirely seamless -- but it's better than I expected it to be. I am glad they gave her iconic character the sendoff she deserved.

Unfortunately, this movie isn't really about characters, and the characters suffer to leave room for the spectacle given to the series finale. But as spectacles go, it's a pretty good one.

Let's face it, some fans of the franchise will never be happy until they, personally, get the opportunity to write and direct a film. Until then, if even one thing isn't done the way they wanted it done, they will scream and cry and tear their hair, and swear it's the worst thing that has ever happened in movie history.

Stuff and nonsense. The movie is an enjoyable cap to a decades-long series, giving beloved characters old and new a final bow. The time I spent watching The Rise of Skywalker was, in my view, time well spent.