Ranking the Star Wars Movies from Worst to Best
12. RISE OF SKYWALKER (IX)
I don't think anyone is gonna be mad about this ranking. Hahaha. What a disappointment this one was. The ultimate ending of the sequel trilogy and a 9-EPISODE SAGA spanning 43 years had massive expectations. There's so much wrong with this movie due to the fact that they just threw everything at the wall hoping it stuck. For example, why did the Emperor have to return?? It didn't make any sense and only got worse the more they explained why and how he was there. I blame the disjointed nature of this film on the director swaps. Only one director should have had control over the plan for the trilogy to avoid problems like this but what would I know? Not only this, the new big three in the cast are completely wasted once again, along with controversial figure Rose Tico who didn't deserve this either. Such a damn shame.
11. THE CLONE WARS
A lot of people end up forgetting that The Clone Wars hit the big screen before the hit television show went on the air. It definitely overshadows the movie due to the high quality that is found throughout that is absent in the film. This is kind of the forgotten son in the franchise due to the movie just not having much of an impact on anything. While we are introduced to legends like Ventress and Ashoka here, they're at their worst selves (Ashoka is annoying as balls). Lastly, the animation is at least solid even though there isn't any emotion in this piece to make it worthwhile viewing.
10. ATTACK OF THE CLONES (II)
Alrighty, back to the Skywalker saga. The second prequel movie is a tale of two halves. The first half is a boring, poorly-written romantic slog. The second is an action-packed spectacle that honestly almost makes up for the garbage that went before it. This Colisseum scene is surprisingly long in duration but it never lets up on the intensity. The shot of seeing so many Jedi in one area was something that we've been waiting for since a New Hope. The following duel with Count Dooku is also memorable, as not only is the choreography great, but we get to see Yoda fight for the first time in live-action! These set pieces might be enough to make up for the movie's poor dialogue and slow start, but it's not enough to put it above what came before it.
9. SOLO
Okay now, we've officially entered a different tier in quality. Solo wasn't a movie that anyone needed. No one was really dying to know everything about the young life of Han Solo no matter how interesting he was in the original trilogy. One of the best parts of his character was that we didn't know many details of his past so he would always stay this scruffy, mysterious badass. But Disney can't let us have nice things so they milked the hell out of the Han Solo name. Okay, I'm done venting. In regards to the actual quality of this movie, it's low-key pretty good. The infamous Kessel run is finally shown and that's a worth the hype. We're also given a young Lando Calrissian and Donald Glover knocks it out of the park, almost spawning his own spin-off in the process. There are some small pleasant surprises in this movie and Aldren Ehrerich makes for a solid Han, therefore meaning this isn't a complete bust.
8. THE PHANTOM MENACE (I)
Some people would probably place this above Attack of the Clones but it normally is 50-50. I don't hate this as much as some do so happily it's definitely gotten more love over the years. That's probably due to the hatred over the sequel trilogy but hey that's not the only reason. Phantom Menace isn't all too bad. The pod racing scene is built up quite well in the beginning and it pays off with an intense spring with high stakes. Even though little Anakin isn't entirely convincing here, who cares I mean it's a child actor with lots of pressure it doesn't matter. Following that is the gorgeous display visually and audibly that is "The Duel of the Fates" John Williams does a great job with the score for what might be the best lightsaber battle in the franchise. There's a gut-wrenching death that adds to the emotion of the movie that we sorely needed. What wasn't needed, on the other hand, was Jar Jar Binks. Enough said.
7. THE LAST JEDI (VIII)
So many of these awesome movies are controversial yet I'm pretty sure this is the most. And that is saying something. Having a new director was always gonna change things a little bit but the degree to which Rian johnson did this was too extreme for a lot of people. personally, I don't see the issues the same way the fan did thanks to how fresh it felt for me. All of the new Force material and powers are explored appropriately, contrary to popular belief. The red room scene with Snoke also is cinematically one of the best things Star Wars has done. Once again though, Poe and Finn are wasted in subplots that don't really amount to anything important. This belongs right in the middle.
6. ROGUE ONE
I'm not sure who was very excited about this one when it was announced. As the first "Star Wars Story," this one was treated trepidly. Who would've thought it would've gone on to arguably be the best thing Disney has produced since taking over Lucasfilm? Not me. I was pleasantly surprised when this feature went on to give us everything that makes a good Star Wars movie. Great villain? Check. Characters we care about? Check. Great score? Check. Crazy final battle? Check. Rogue One has all of those things and more. When I say more, I mean Darth Vader going ape**** on the Rebel alliance in a hallway. We've been waiting for that for decades and it didn't disappoint. I'm kind of struggling to find a reason why this movie isn't higher but I guess it doesn't mean too much in the long run for the Saga due to its ending. Still sick though.
5. THE FORCE AWAKENS (VII)
This is the only Disney movie that Rogue One loses out to right now is The Force Awakens. This might change over tie but right now The Force Awaken is just more of a feel-good film and that's how Star Wars should make you feel. It still has the heartbreaking moments we've come to cherish but so many of the scenes are poignant in a way that only one particular scene was in Rogue One. That's what sets it apart on top of the buttloads of nostalgia that is present in this reboot. The new cast consisting of Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley, and John Boyega are actually given a lot of spotlight in this one and have as much charisma as the OG crew. The only downside of this is obviously that it's almost a carbon copy of A New Hope. Whoops.
4. RETURN OF THE JEDI (VI)
Finally, we arrive at the original trilogy. Return of the Jedi is generally referred to as the weakest link of the three. That isn't to say it's a bad film because obviously, it wouldn't be here at #4 if it was. ROTJ is actually quite good despite its minor issues and wraps up one of the best trilogies ever in epic fashion. Those minor issues would be the Ewoks and how prominent they are. I wouldn't mind if they had smaller doses of these guys but they get really silly in a movie with high stakes (a theme for the movie), especially when they're beating up stormtroopers. Positively, everything with Jabba's Palace is exemplary and iconic, and while it drags a little in the middle, what a great finale. The showdown between Luke, Vader, and Palpatine has such great character development coming to a head in a conclusive way (at the time). I'd also like to give bonus points for the emotional celebration at the end with the Force Ghosts. It never ceases to give me chills.
3. A NEW HOPE (IV)
The one that started it all. This movie really shouldn't have worked at all. It was a pretty zany concept at the time to pitch but George Lucas was determined to get his pet project on the big screen. Thank God he did. The story of an orphan, space cowboy, and princess fighting off against a mysterious dark force sounds ridiculous on paper. Somehow though, it just clicked for audiences and here we are to this day cranking out new Star Wars content annually. I'm not really going to go into the details of this one considering the plot has been repeated so much that you all know it at this point and we know how amazing it all is. I will say that I'm sorry that it's not at least a spot higher but opinions are opinions, right? I'll explain.
2. REVENGE OF THE SITH (III)
Time to explain. First of all, the prequel movies get a bad rep and while I sort of understand, this one is leaps and bounds better than the other two combined. Why? Everything they've been building for FINALLY results in something happening and sooo much happens that is awesome. Order 66 is historic and the presentation of it with the gloomy score in the background is haunting. The Battle of Mustafar that results from it rivals the Duel of the Fates and created some of the best memes around (sorry had to mention it, so kidding). Anakin's relationship with Padme is also at its least corny and annoying in the trilogy. Sadly, it doesn't even come close to the masterpiece at #1 due to its inconsistent dialogue and acting, spotty CGI, and the "NOOOOOO."
EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (V)
It was never gonna go to anyone else. Empire Strike Back is probably the best sequel of all time and has inspired the dark turn that many new franchises are mimicking in hope of matching its incredible success. No one really has come that close to recapturing the magic from this work of art. I'm exaggerating a little bit here I know but it really is a defining achievement in cinema. It has debatably been the best movie twist in history to start. The entire Hoth sequence is phenomenal and still referenced in films today with the whole AT-AT battle and more. We're introduced here to everyone's favorite green friend, Yoda, who makes for a fun student-teacher dynamic. We also have the chaos that goes down in Cloud City with Lando and boba Fett!. All of the classic characters get to interact in this one and it's very charming. There's nothing I can really think of to bash the best Science Fiction movie ever made.
