Ranking All Star Wars Films (Worst to Best)
I have always had a soft spot for Star Wars. My mom rented the original (un tampered) trilogy for me once and It was fun. My grandmother took me to see the versions re released in the theatres, so I have some fond family members surrounding the original three movies.
While I don't have the encyclopedic knowledge of Ben nor do I have the desire to read more than that one novel I read in grade 5 because Han Solo was on the cover. I look forward to most of the live action movies when they're announced and feel like I can properly rank all Star Wars movies that don't include that cartoon one I haven't seen because I don't watch the shows. Let's get into it!
Film/Rank:
#10- Attack of the Clones (2002)
Why, Though:
SHOCKER! I don't like the prequels. But unlike some people, I think Episode 2 is the worst because it doubled down on being bad instead of pulling out of the nose dive that was started in Episode 1. Plus, I'm not one for piling on, but Hayden Christensen was real bad in this movie. Like a real charisma vacuum.
Film/Rank:
#9- The Phantom Menace (1999)
Why, Though:
I wasn't alive when the first movies came out in theatres. But, as I stated earlier, I had become a fan of the movies and was looking forward to Episode 1 being the first Star Wars movie of my generation. That might explain why I didn't hate it when I saw it in theatres. I was with a crowd that was really excited and outside of Jar Jar Binks, there were cool characters and cool scenes with Darth Maul and pod racing. It wasn't till I got it on VHS and realized I didn't like sitting through most of the movie. Turns out it's not a great film.
Film/Rank:
#8- Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Why, Though:
Honestly, Episode 3 is barely the best movie of the prequels. A lot of the points earned throughout the movie were lost when Darth Vader finally let out his "NOOOOOO!" All that work to build up to the dope villain from episodes 4-6 and they made him look game goofy in his last shot.
Film/Rank:
#7- Solo (2018)
Why, Though:
This movie is still fresh. I had my issues with how they settled on a final director, but I tried to not let that play into how I watched the movie I got instead of pining for the movie I didn't get. You can listen to Spoiled Rotten 68 to see if I was able to get over my initial qualms and rate the movie fairly. What you should know is I think the movie is fine but it's nothing special. I don't imagine it will age well with me, though.
Film/Rank:
#6- Rogue One (2016)
Why, Though:
Most of my problems with this movie come from the fact that I felt like every character felt flat since they all die and someone decided they didn't need to be particularly likeable or have in depth character arcs. That seems pretty damning but I still feel like it's a nice movie to look at and it has flashes of fun and style that make it an OK movie. Listen to my better thought out take on the movie on Spoiled Rotten episode 38!
Film/Rank:
#5- Return of the Jedi (1983)
Why, Though:
As a kid Episode 6 was definitely my favourite. The whole gang got back together and there was a happy ending. I don't think I cared about the Ewoks. I'm pretty sure I thought they interfered with the flow of the movie but who knows. I was a kid, I probably found them delightful. I didn't hate them, and I don't hate them now. But my tastes have changed and this is no longer my favourite Star Wars movie... obviously.
Film/Rank:
#4- The Last Jedi (2017)
Why, Though:
The one that broke Star Wars! Episode 8 gets a lot of hate. Some of it is warranted but a lot of it make sme scratch my head. On Spoiled Rotten episode 60 we talk about the movie and our feelings but really want to know what people want from Star Wars if not something new? because with some of the other movies on this list, the accusation was that they were just copying what worked before. So if they're not allowed to do new things or riff on worked before, what's the play? Also, miss me with that "I can't believe Snoke blah blah" and "But Phasma blah blah" The world is better now that they're gone and we can focus on a layered villain instead of an absolute.
Film/Rank:
#3- Star Wars (1977)
Why, Though:
I understand the argument that this is the best movie because it's the first and we wouldn't have anything else without this first idea that, without a doubt, expanded everyone's imagination and got us invested. I'm just not that guy. I love when things are expanded on. So I do think this movie is great but you'll have to excuse me as I place other movies above it.
Film/Rank:
#2- The Force Awakens (2015)
Why, Though:
Rey, Finn, and Poe are amazing in this movie. They are fresh characters in a tried tested and true story. Yes I get that Episode 7 is a re-imagining of A New Hope. But guess what, I like the new characters and they feel different enough for me to enjoy it on its own merits. Spoiled Rotten episode 17 gets into more depth. But it should be made clear that, yes, the fact that Finn is a character who demonstrates the most amount of agency in the movie is a big deal for me. I've been rooting for John Boyega since Attack the Block. Watching him make decisions for himself and act on them was great. Poe was funny and cool, and I'm not here for any Rey is a Mary-Sue talk. She was capable and easy to root for!
Film/Rank:
#1- The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Why, Though:
There's something to be said about how dark things get for our heroes in Episode 5. I'm not a dark guy by nature, but I can't deny how affected I was by all of our heroes losing. It really put some hair on my chest, so to speak, as the franchise seemed to grow up. It also made going into Return of the Jedi that much more fun. especially since my mom could just put in the next VHS and I didn't have to wait 3 years like you older suckers! This was the movie I liked watching the most when they were re released in theatres and it's definitely the movie I've gone back to the most, so it must be my favourite.
-YG