Last updated on August 18, 2020
Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.
Happy Star Wars Day! Here is how I rank the Star Wars movies. This will include the three trilogies and the two Star Wars Stories. Somehow, I feel this will be more controversial than my political articles.
11) Star Wars: The Last Jedi
It is a fact this is the worst Star Wars movie. The plot was just horribly unorganized. The casino scene was unnecessary because nothing was really accomplished. They destroyed Luke’s character development by turning him into a misanthropic nihilist. Also, Rose is a poorly written and developed character. In the throne scene, Kylo used the force to push the lightsaber two inches and then ignited it. Snoke then fell on the ground and was presumed dead. This was drastically anticlimactic and a waste of potential for Snoke’s development.
The one thing I actually liked was the CGI. One of the best scenes was when they used lightspeed to attack star destroyer. Overall, the movie was wasted potential for the trilogy and J.J. Abrams should have directed this movie.
10) Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
The expectations for this movie were so high but it fell so short. Like most of the bad Star Wars films, it had a horrible plot and introduced the infamous midichlorians.
Also, it was pretty disturbing that Anakin was significantly younger then Padmé. However, the duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Maul at the end was really well directed and choreographed.
9) Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
“I don’t like sand. It’s all coarse and rough, and irritating. And it gets everywhere.” One of the worst lines in the entire Star Wars franchise. The romance between Padmé and Anakin was extremely awkward and cheesy.
The plot was okay and it did introduce one of the best aspects of the film: the clones. The Clone Wars TV series ended today and I thought it was one of the best series growing up as a child. For this movie, I did like how it had decent character devolvement and scenes.
8) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
It’s not a terrible or great film. I am honestly indifferent to this movie. The plot is a carbon copy of the fourth movie which means it was very predictable. Kylo Ren was introduced as a character who looked like a Walmart Darth Vader and lacked any clear skills. As for introducing Rey, I thought she was a mediocre character. The same goes for Finn.
One of the biggest problems I had with this movie was it completely destroyed Han Solo’s character. He was a famous war hero at the end of the sixth movie. Then they did a complete 180 and made him an out of touch loser roaming the galaxy drunk. It received a low ranking due to its lack of originality.
7) Solo: A Star Wars Story
This may be an unpopular opinion, but this is a wildly underrated film. It is true that nobody can play Han Solo like Harrison Ford, but I thought Aiden Ehrenreich did a pretty good job.
The film itself did not seem relevant to the continuity of the franchise and I believed there should have done movies on better characters like Darth Vader or Obi-Wan. I also hated the fact the Empire gave the name, “Han Solo” to him.
6) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The best sequel movie hands down. I thought J. J. Abrams did a mediocre job with the seventh movie but did a really good job with ending this trilogy. In episode eight, Rian Johnson destroyed any plans Abrams had for the trilogy. Revealing Ray as Palpatentine’s grandaughter was a smart move because it explained why she could best Kylo Ren without prior training. Also, I am so glad they left Rose out of this film.
I did not like the ending and I thought it could have been improved. It would have been so appealing if the force ghosts of all the Jedi appeared instead of just inserting voices. The kiss between Kylo and Ray was undeniably forced and did not seem developed at all. They had zero chemistry and I had no idea they were building a romantic relationship. In the end, they depict the force ghost of Luke and Leia. I thought it would have been better if they put Anakin and Kylo as well to show the entire Skywalker family. The closing scene with the binary sunset was really iconic as well.
5) Return of the Jedi
While this was the worst original trilogy film, it was a really good movie. The opening scene seemed complicated and unnecessary. I do not even know why they put Jabba in the movie poster when he was killed off in like the first twenty minutes. Another thing I did not like was the Ewoks. People say they’re cute but I find them to be unnecessary. Other than that, it was a beautiful ending to an iconic series.
The final duel between Vader and Luke was simply masterful. When the Emperor is torturing Luke with force lightning, Vader picks up the Emperor to kill him in order to restore balance to the force. It was a well-directed movie all around and had a satisfying ending.
4) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
Easily the best prequel movie. The reason I rank it so high is that the movie brilliantly shows why Anakin turned to the dark side. Palpatine was able to use Padmé to control Anakin. I thought the plot was well executed and the shots were well directed.
One of the most heart-wrenching parts of the movie is when order 66 takes place. Jedis are slaughtered, younglings are killed, and the transformation of Darth Vader begins. The best scene of the entire film is the battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin on Mustafar. This scene had extreme attention to detail because the entire trilogy leads up to the moment. It is always amazing to hear the echo of “You were the chosen one” as Anakin burns in the lava. In the end, the Vader scene is very cinematically appealing. Overall, while it did have its flaws, it was entertaining to watch.
3) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
I know it is an unpopular opinion to favor this over the third or sixth movie, but I really liked this movie. It was interesting because it was very realistic. For once, there is not a massive lightsaber duel or full-scale battles. It is a handful of rogues who are apart of the resistance. The second best scene in the entire movie is when that blind Asian monk beat the snot of the imperial troopers with a stick while repeating, “I am one with the force, the force is with me.”
The plot was original and it felt like you are watching a war film. In the end, everyone dies in efforts to save the rebellion. The meaning of self-sacrifice for a greater cause is perfectly exemplified as the entire planet basically blew up. The best scene is when Darth Vade ignites his lightsaber at the end of the hall and cuts through the line of rebels. Overall, this movie acted as if it was independent of the rest of the franchise and it was very original.
2) Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
Obviously, this movie ranks extremely high. It sets the entire franchise up and introduces the best characters in all eleven movies. Han Solo is introduced as a sly smuggler who falls in love with the princess. Luke is a typical farm boy with wild aspirations of saving the galaxy. Chewbacca is the last character of the original trilogy to survive all nine movies except for Lando.
The best scene is the explosion of the first Death Star. The suspense of Luke Skywalker flying towards the exhaust ports as Vader is hot on his trail. Right before Vader fires his ship’s missiles, he is saved by Han Solo. It is a truly amazing film and has so many iconic scenes.
1) The Empire Strikes Back
Anyone that says this is a horrible film is lying. It is a fact that the fifth Star Wars movie is the best original trilogy and Star Wars movie. The beginning scene on Hoth is captivating with giant Robots storming the Rebel base. The training scene with Yoda and introducing force ghosts were captivating. The developing romance of Han and Leila did not seem forced.
But the greatest scene is the entire franchise is this exchange. “Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father” “He told me enough, he told me you killed him!” “No, I am your father!” “NO, no, that’s not true, that’s impossible!” Incredibly iconic and unexpected. People said that when that was first shown in the movies, nobody could believe it because it was such a plot twist. The incredible writing, development, and plot of the movie are why this movie is a cinematic masterpiece.
Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.
Only one I’d switch around is solo. Overall nice list.