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Here’s my ranking (not including the Clone Wars movie, which always felt more like an extended TV pilot than a film).
First I’m going to start with what I consider the bad ones.
11: The Phantom Menace-It has a few redeeming qualities, like some spectacular action scenes, one of the best Star Wars scores, and interesting world-building; but wooden, performances, terrible dialogue, unlikable characters, a ridiculous story with some super dumb plot points, overuse of outdated CGI that makes it look like a PS1 game sometimes, racial stereotypes, and of course Jar Jar Binks make this a hard film to get through.
10: Attack of the Clones-Everything is slightly more bearable than The Phantom Menace, and there’s no racial stereotypes or Jar Jar this time, but there is still the video-gamey CGI, stiff acting, and laughable dialogue. Padme and Anakin’s relationship is widely criticized, and rightfully so, thanks to an awkward age gap and zero chemistry between Portman and Christensen. At least Ewan McGreggor is a lot of fun, and the action scenes are some of Star Wars’ best.
9: Solo-This film, more than any of the others, feels like a corporate product and completely uninspired. It’s packed with some of the least committed performances in the franchise (most of these actors are sleepwalking through their lines) and the absolute worst fan service. The score, like Rogue One, feels like it’s trying too hard to copy John William’s and the entire film looks gray and muddy. It’s well written enough, but the story never takes the risks it needs to feel like a story worthy of Han Solo. The good news is that the legacy characters (Han, Chewie, and Lando) are all well acted, the special effects are still strong, and the action scenes are pretty spectacular at times.
8: The Rise of Skywalker-Very rarely is a film so ruined by it’s story, but The Rise of Skywalker is certainly one of those films. It has the worst script in the franchise: a terrible mess that tries to retcon The Last Jedi, add unnecessary elements like TWO MACGUFFINS, and completely change the arcs (or in some cases, remove them entirely) of it’s characters to disastrous effect. There’s never any sense of danger because everyone’s being brought back to life or fake-killed constantly, giving this film the least satisfying payoff and worst action sequences of the franchise. It’s also paced way too fast, probably because JJ thought if audiences were constantly looking at a new thing they wouldn’t stop to think how dumb the last thing they saw was. The sad thing is there’s a good movie somewhere in this terrible script. I can tell because all of the performances are super committed, the technical values are still spectacular, and there are elements of this film that I love (like the bond our protagonists have, the touching ending minus Rey Skywalker, and anything related to Kylo Ren’s arc).
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1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Star Wars
3. Return of the Jedi
4. The Last Jedi
5. The Force Awakens
6. Rogue One
7. Revenge of the Sith
8. The Rise of Skywalker
9 The Phantom Menace
10. Solo
11. Attack of the ClonesReplyCopy URLBig fan of Better Call Saul, Sex Education, Barry, BoJack Horseman, and, especially, Survivor
Here’s my ranking (not including the Clone Wars movie, which always felt more elike an extended TV pilot than a film).
First I’m going to start with what I consider the bad ones.
11: The Phantom Menace- It has a few redeeming qualities, like some spectacular action scenes, one of the best Star Wars scores, and interesting world-building; but wooden, performances, terrible dialogue, unlikable characters, a ridiculous story with some super dumb plot points, overuse of outdated CGI that makes it look like a PS1 game sometimes, racial stereotypes, and of course Jar Jar Binks make this a hard film to get through.
10: Attack of the Clones-Everything is slightly more bearable than The Phantom Menace, and there’s no racial stereotypes or Jar Jar this time, but there is still the video-gamey CGI, stiff acting, and laughable dialogue. Padme and Anakin’s relationship is widely criticized, and rightfully so, thanks to an awkward age gap and zero chemistry between Portman and Christensen. At least Ewan McGreggor is a lot of fun, and the action scenes are some of Star Wars’ best.
9: Solo-This film, more than any of the others, feels like a corporate product and completely uninspired. It’s packed with some of the least committed performances in the franchise (most of these actors are sleepwalking through their lines) and the absolute worst fan service. The score, like Rogue One, feels like it’s trying too hard to copy John William’s and the entire film looks gray and muddy. It’s well written enough, but the story never takes the risks it needs to feel like a story worthy of Han Solo. The good news is that the legacy characters (Han, Chewie, and Lando) are all well acted, the special effects are still strong, and the action scenes are pretty spectacular at times.
8: The Rise of Skywalker-Very rarely is a film so ruined by it’s story, but The Rise of Skywalker is certainly one of those films. It has the worst script in the franchise: a terrible mess that tries to retcon The Last Jedi, add unnecessary elements like TWO MACGUFFINS, and completely change the arcs (or in some cases, remove them entirely) of it’s characters to disastrous effect. There’s never any sense of danger because everyone’s being brought back to life or fake-killed constantly, giving this film the least satisfying payoff and worst action sequences of the franchise. It’s also way too fast, probably because JJ thought if audiences were constantly looking at a new thing they wouldn’t stop to think how dumb the last thing they saw was. The sad thing is there’s a good movie somewhere in this terrible script. I can tell because all of the performances are super committed, the technical values are still spectacular, and there are elements of this film that I love (like the bond our protagonists have, the touching ending minus Rey Skywalker, and anything related to Kylo Ren’s arc).
Agree in everything said here My worst two characters in this are Ray and Kylo
ReplyCopy URLAgree in everything said here My worst two characters in this are Ray and Kylo
LOL, worse than Poe the non character? Worse than that ridiculous Reeeey-yelling Jar jar knock off? Worse than “why the heck are they in the movie?” Power Ranger cosplayer and that big haired repalcement for Rose (another Top 5 Worst Characters ever but in another movie)? Worse than reanimated corpses of Leia and palaptine?
Get out.
ReplyCopy URLLOL, worse than Poe the non character? Worse than that ridiculous Reeeey-yelling Jar jar knock off? Worse than “why the heck are they in the movie?” Power Ranger cosplayer and that big haired repalcement for Rose (another Top 5 Worst Characters ever but in another movie)? Worse than reanimated corpses of Leia and palaptine?
Get out.
Well….thats My opinión and yes they’re worst than all of them You have just mentioned They’re The leading characters The orhers You berely see them
ReplyCopy URLNow here’s my ranking of the okay/good ones.
7: Revenge of the Sith-Almost everyone considers this to be the best Prequel film, and for good reason. It’s the film where the score of Lucas’ CGI landscapes could finally be realized and his characters could reach their satisfying (albeit poorly built-up) end points. This film has some absolutely spectacular action sequences, and some of the biggest dramatic payoff of the franchise. Ewan McGreggor is still great as Obi-Wan, and Ian McDirmand as Palpatine brings the sinister element these films have been missing in spades. The dialogue is also significantly better in this film, though Anakin’s lines (specifically after he turns evil) are still pretty bad. Ultimately this film is bogged down the most by an overabundance of Lightsaber battles, Anakin and Padme’s relationship, and a middle section that drags the film to a screeching halt, with nothing but talking and politics for a whole 30 minutes. Thankfully the last hour of this film is just jam packed with action and excitement, leading us into the most heartbreaking finale of the franchise. Overall Revenge of the Sith is uneven and messy, but worth watching for any hardcore Star Wars fan, especially if you’ve seen the 2008 Clone Wars TV show (which is my favorite piece of Star Wars material): it takes almost everything from Revenge of the Sith and makes it significantly better.
6: The Force Awakens-This film continues to slide furthur down my list the more I watch it, and that comes down mostly to two elements: the fact that the plot is a copy-and-paste of Episode 4 and the fact that Rey is such a Mary Sue in this. The former flaw pervades almost every element of this film, from the designs of the ships and vehicles (which could have been so much more creative) to specific plot beats and even character arcs, and the latter added the political element of discourse into Star Wars that has become absolutely infuriating. Besides two two flaws, however, Force Awakens is overall a strong film, with some very fun action scenes, phenomenal special effects, a great sense of mystery, and a spectacular lightsaber fight at the end. The performances are all strong, especially Daisy Ridley (who transcends Rey’s poorly written frame to deliver a likeable and compelling new protagonist) and Adam Driver (who’s performance as Kylo Ren is my far the most magnetic element of the film), and the new characters are the biggest factor that makes this film stand out: they all feel fresh and new, not just like carbon copies of our old heroes. Ultimately this is still a film I enjoy watching, but one I enjoy less the more I see it, which is a real shame.
5: Return of the Jedi-This film is either beloved or just well-liked depending on whether or not you grew up on it, but it’s certainly not bad. It revolutionized Star Wars action with it’s three quadrant finale, which would inspire many Star Wars battles from the prequel and sequel trilogy. All of the characters from the Original trilogy get string payoff, but especially Luke, Vader, and the Emperor, who have some of their most compelling character development and iconic scenes in this film. But while the film ended Star Wars on a high note, with Vader redeemed and the evil Empire defeated, it lacks the satisfying payoff Episode 3 had, mostly because the Rebel’s victory feels too easy (the fact that the Ewoks could defeat Papatine’s elite army bothers me to this day). And while the Jabba’s palace sequence at the beginning is fun and resolved the plot point of saving Han, it feels like it could have been cut down significantly after multiple rewatches to make more time with the big bad.
4: Rogue One: Many criticize this film for it’s performances, but I don’t really think any of them are that bad except for Felicity Jones. Where Rogue One really falters is in its character development. Despite packing the film within strong cast, few of it’s characters get meaningful arcs, and only K-2SO and Chiirut end up being memorable. But that’s okay, because this film is not focused on character as much as it is on plot. And the plot is one of Star Wars’ best, fixing up one of it’s biggest plot holes (why did the Death Star have such a massive weakness?) and tying in so nicely with the very beginning of Episode 4, making it a great companion piece. It also has the best special effects in the franchise: the CGI feels brand new and also in line with the Original Trilogy Effects at the same time, and it’s fully animated model of Tarkin is so close the looking perfect that I honestly thought he was real on first viewing. The film does drag a little in its first two acts, with all of the planet hopping and flat drama, but fully redeems itself in the final act: a massive 45 minute set piece that delivers grisly, non stop action, great dramatic payoff, constant heartbreaking deaths, and the BEST VADER SCENE EVER! This film is a much watch for any Original Trilogy fan or Star Wars fan in general: the rare spinoff that truly feels necessary.
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And here are the great ones.
3: The Last Jedi-This is the Star Wars with by far the most discourse and controversy surrounding it. Most hardcore fans tend to have passionate opinions about this film one way or the other, and mine is overwhelmingly positive. Don’t get me wrong, The Last Jedi does have some dumb shit: Leia’s Mary Poppins scene, the forced awkward humor, Finn and Rose’s arcs, most of Canto Bight, etc. But the great moments by far outweigh the bad ones (Snoke’s death, Rey and Kylo vs the Praetorian guards, Holdo’s lightspeed ram, Luke’s sacrifice) and a lot of the “plot holes” are just made up or really nitpicky. The writing, in my opinion, is great. Rian Johnson manages to subvert your expectations in some of the simplest ways possible, and still delivers satisfying payoff at the same, something few films do. Poe and Rey both get significantly better arcs in this film, and I’ve never understand way some fans hated Luke’s arc: his depressing turn makes perfect sense when you consider the events he caused, and his sacrifice perfectly embodies the Jedi way (I think some people just wanted to see him OP and perfect like in the EU). But it’s Kylo Ren who steals the show thanks to a great arc and Adam Driver’s commanding performance: which I think is the best performance in any Star Wars film ever. Regardless of if you love it or hate it, this is the film that will define the modern era of Star Wars, and Rian Johnson certainly succeeded at what he was trying to accomplish.
2: A New Hope (Star Wars)- The original, the one that started it all. It may be dated, and Geroge Lucas may have butchered it with the special edition, but I have nothing but respect for this fantastic film. Characters like Darht Vader and Han Solo revolutionized the way characters were written, it’s special effects were absolutely groundbreaking, and it’s world changed the way we looked at Sci-Fi. Before Star Wars, these films tended to be jokes, now they are a dominant force in the film industry. And it’s all thanks to one man who pushed ahead when everyone thought his dream was doomed to fail.
1: The Empire Strikes Back- If A New Hooe revolutionized the way we looked at Sci-Fi, this film revolutionized the way we looked at sequels as a whole. Before this film almost every sequel was worse than the original or barely a step up. This proved that not only could a sequel build on the original and be even better rather than being a pale imitation, but that it could go places the original never dared to go. This film is capital D dark, and it’s still one of the saddest entries in the franchise even after ROTS and TLJ. It revolutionized the way we thought of Star Wars, sequels, and the happy Hollywood ending, all in one tight 90 minute package. There’s a reason almost everyone considers this film the best in the franchise: cinema wouldn’t be the same without it.
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LOL, worse than Poe the non character? Worse than that ridiculous Reeeey-yelling Jar jar knock off? Worse than “why the heck are they in the movie?” Power Ranger cosplayer and that big haired repalcement for Rose (another Top 5 Worst Characters ever but in another movie)? Worse than reanimated corpses of Leia and palaptine? Get out.
In my opinion, the worst character in the series is Anakin Skywalker in the prequels. I know Jar Jar Binks is often pointed out as the worst character, but I consider Anakin the worst because not only is he a terrible character, but he retroactively made one of the all time greatest villains a worse character.
ReplyCopy URLAnd here are the great ones. 3: The Last Jedi-This is the Star Wars with by far the most discourse and controversy surrounding it. Most hardcore fans tend to have passionate opinions about this film one way or the other, and mine is overwhelmingly positive. Don’t get me wrong, The Last Jedi does have some dumb shit: Leia’s Mary Poppins scene, the forced awkward humor, Finn and Rose’s arcs, most of Canto Bight, etc. But the great moments by far outweigh the bad ones (Snoke’s death, Rey and Kylo vs the Praetorian guards, Holdo’s lightspeed ram, Luke’s sacrifice) and a lot of the “plot holes” are just made up or really nitpicky. The writing, in my opinion, is great. Rian Johnson manages to subvert your expectations in some of the simplest ways possible, and still delivers satisfying payoff at the same, something few films do. Poe and Rey both get significantly better arcs in this film, and I’ve never understand way some fans hated Luke’s arc: his depressing turn makes perfect sense when you consider the events he caused, and his sacrifice perfectly embodies the Jedi way (I think some people just wanted to see him OP and perfect like in the EU). But it’s Kylo Ren who steals the show thanks to a great arc and Adam Driver’s commanding performance: which I think is the best performance in any Star Wars film ever. Regardless of if you love it or hate it, this is the film that will define the modern era of Star Wars, and Rian Johnson certainly succeeded at what he was trying to accomplish. 2: A New Hope (Star Wars)- The original, the one that started it all. It may be dated, and Geroge Lucas may have butchered it with the special edition, but I have nothing but respect for this fantastic film. Characters like Darht Vader and Han Solo revolutionized the way characters were written, it’s special effects were absolutely groundbreaking, and it’s world changed the way we looked at Sci-Fi. Before Star Wars, these films tended to be jokes, now they are a dominant force in the film industry. And it’s all thanks to one man who pushed ahead when everyone thought his dream was doomed to fail. 1: The Empire Strikes Back- If A New Hooe revolutionized the way we looked at Sci-Fi, this film revolutionized the way we looked at sequels as a whole. Before this film almost every sequel was worse than the original or barely a step up. This proved that not only could a sequel build on the original and be even better rather than being a pale imitation, but that it could go places the original never dared to go. This film is capital D dark, and it’s still one of the saddest entries in the franchise even after ROTS and TLJ. It revolutionized the way we thought of Star Wars, sequels, and the happy Hollywood ending, all in one tight 90 minute package. There’s a reason almost everyone considers this film the best in the franchise: cinema wouldn’t be the same without it.
I understand you’re reasoning behind Last Jedi and I think it’s pretty great.
In my opinion what saves the film is the cinematography but the script ambitious as it is not made for the trilogy that J.J Abrams had in mind or fans were expecting and there it’s where it falls from grace.
The writing is great and has some good qualities and there are good scenes that could’ve translated to the next movie have it not been for the creative licenses that Johnson took which prompted 1 Rise of Skywalker to became a fan service movie trying to save the trilogy which ultimately didn’t, 2 Get rid of the previous team behind the last movie and 3 Kill whatever respect there was for the new trilogy.
Johnson was ambitious but failed to woo the fans and instead impressed only the critics. In a saga like Star Wars impressing fans is what matters most also critical acclaim isn’t bad if you see the first three movies.
I’m not gonna take away much from the film but stunning visually as it is, the story Johnson created wasn’t meant to be a follow up in a trilogy let alone a saga. It stands better as a stand alone rather than a penultimate film to the saga.
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