I haven’t seen all these films yet, so I am basing some of them on my friends’ opinions (and Rotten Tomatoes.) Of course, what Star Wars movie I think is best and which I think is worst is my own opinion. And it isn’t all that fair since I haven’t seen some of them. I had to take Solo out because I know next to nothing about that film, but I hope to see it soon. Without further ado, here is the list of Star Wars movies from worst to best. (Spoiler Alert ahead!)
10. The Phantom Menace
What Star Wars movie could be worse than this? I don’t think any of them can. The storyline was all over the place, and many of the actors weren’t up to par with Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Cathy Fisher. Not to mention the weirdness of how much older Padme is compared to Anakin and that one scene about the virgin birth. To me, it seemed as if they were trying too hard to make it brilliant and fresh.
With that being said, there are still a few things going for this film. To begin with, Ewan McGregor being chosen for Obi-Wan Kenobi was one of the best decisions George Lucas could have ever made. Then, there was Darth Maul with his lightsaber. It was brand-new and creative, to say the least. Next, we have a few impressive scenes like the pod race and the fight between Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Maul, and Obi-Wan. This brings me to the final point: “Duel of Fates” has to be one of the most outstanding musical pieces on the entire Star Wars music soundtrack.
9. The Rise of Skywalker
To be fair, I have not yet seen this film, but I have heard enough from my friends to know that it would probably make #10 on this list. From what I’ve heard, the plot tried to be everywhere at once. To support this claim from friends is the 51% score this film received from Rotten Tomatoes. As if this weren’t enough, they decided to bring back the Sith. My only reply to this is, “WHAT THE ACTUAL HOW?” The emperor literally fell to the middle of the Death Star, which helped cause the explosion that blew it up. At this point, the man deserves to rest in peace after being killed that way. And there’s one more thing… Did Disney really have to put that one scene in? Really? It seemed as if it were purely political, and I think it was a new low for the directors to throw in something like that into a movie directed at teens and kids. I think Disney should keep everything debated by the Left and the Right, the Democrats and the Republicans, out of their movies.
Is there anything going for this movie? Maybe one thing – the romance between Kylo Ren and Rey. Let me just first off say that I cannot stand Kylo Ren. He killed his dad, Han Solo, and I can never forgive him for that. But I loved how in the end, he was softened by Rey, and he crossed the line from the Dark Side to the Light Side.
8. The Last Jedi
Once more, I have not seen this one, and I know less about it than The Rise of Skywalker. One of my friends described it as Rey just following Luke around on his island and nagging him to train her, but that isn’t why this movie is in the #9 slot. It’s simply here because it can’t match up to the original trilogy. None of the new films (except for one, but more on that later) can match the old movies. And that’s the main reason why this is here. Not to mention, it also crossed the line with more language than any of the other movies.
I don’t know much about this film to give you anything going for it, but I want to state that I know that some of what I’m saying is unfair since I have not even seen some of these films. Just know that I’m not trying to be superior in my opinion at all. I’m just saying what I think is good and bad in each film, either based on hearsay or from what I’ve actually seen. I had to look this one up on PluggedIn to answer what good there is in this movie. According to Paul Assay, it’s the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy, so that might be something.
7. Attack of the Clones
This is not the best Star Wars movie by any means. The whole romance between Anakin and Padme felt pushed. Anakin was so opposite the boy we left in ThePhantom Menace (you would think there would still be little pieces of him left). Anakin’s anger issues should have been recognized and dealt with in the Jedi Council. Think about it – this one line: “I killed them. I killed them all. They’re dead - every single one of them, and not just the men but the women and the children too. They’re like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals. I hate them.” Don’t mistake me; this makes for a convincing scene, but I think the Jedi Council should have seen this and handled it appropriately.
But there a lot of things going for this movie. We see how Anakin slowly begins to turn into Darth Vader, and Hayden Christensen doesn’t do too bad. I mean, he’s not the best actor they could have chosen, but he did alright in depicting Anakin. The other thing we can’t forget about this film is Count Dooku and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Christopher Lee and Ewan McGregor do a brilliant job in playing out their roles. Finally, there’s that one song, “Across the Stars,” that makes my heart soar to new heights.
6. The Force Awakens
This film is more like “A New Hope Awakens.” If you follow both A New Hope and The Force Awakens, you’ll find that they’re almost exactly alike. Maybe that’s the only reason I can’t respect this movie as much as the others, but there’s also the fact that Han Solo dies! Every time I watch this scene in this movie, my heart stops, and I have to cry. I know Harrison Ford wanted to be rid of Han Solo once and for all, but I didn’t want him to be killed, especially by his own son.
There are some excellent aspects to this movie. First, there’s Finn. Never before has there been a Clone who turns good, and that felt refreshing. Then, there was Captain Phasma, the first female Clone in history. The cast was great and put together well. Finn and Rey complemented each other, and Poe is one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen in the Rebellion. Finally, this movie brought back the Force and the conflict back in a way that still pleased us and kept us staring at the screen.
5. Revenge of the Sith
I’ve only seen this movie once, and that was when I was twelve or thirteen. At the time, I was squeamish and did not appreciate watching Anakin burn in lava. To this day, I still have nightmares. Putting that aside, this movie seemed darker – eerily dark – but that is to be expected when one is turning from the Light Side to the Dark. My one complaint is too many good characters died, but if there’s one thing Star Wars has always taught us is this: Don’t get too attached to anybody because they might end up dying.
There are many, many wonderful things about this movie. The way Anakin becomes Darth Vader is brilliantly done, and the whole love thing going on between Padme and Anakin isn’t half so bad anymore. We see the galaxy change to something we can recognize better – something that looks a whole lot more like the galaxy in A New Hope.
4. A New Hope
We’re finally here: the original trilogy. I can’t really say anything wrong about these next four movies except complaining about a few deaths here and there. The one death in this movie that I have to whine about is Ben Kenobi. After getting to know him in the prequels, I was sorry and disappointed to see him go so soon.
But then there was an array of new characters that had me at the edge of my seat. Han Solo. Princess Leia. Luke Skywalker. Chewbacca. Even the robots had their own personalities. Then, there’s the fact that this film series introduced us to lightsabers and blasters. Finally, we cannot forget some of the best cinematic music in the history of cinema.
3. Rogue One
My one complaint has to be that everyone dies in the end! Everyone! All the characters that you’ve grown to love throughout the whole film just up and die. Sure, their death was admirable since they perished to save the galaxy, but I still choke up whenever the end comes.
The best thing about this film was that it was significantly different than any other Star Wars movie. Most of the new movies fell short of my expectations, but this one exceeded them so much that I think it’s even better than A New Hope. The plot is fresh out of the pot, and every single character is someone we can look up to for bravery and resilience.
2. Return of the Jedi
First off, the whole Leia in Jabba’s palace thing is weird. There, had to get that off my chest. Besides that, once more, my complaint has to do with death. This time, it is the best villain in the history of filmography: Darth Vader. For some reason, his going always strikes a chord in me and brings me to tears, and his son’s emotions don’t help me quench those feelings.
I have so much praise for this film that it would probably take up another blog post to tell you all about it. I think the most significant thing here is Darth Vader’s redemption. From the beginning of this series, we are told that he is the one who will bring balance to the Force; he is the chosen one. We lost hope when he lost his way, but when he saw his son being tortured, it was too much for him to handle. He did the right thing and finally restored the balance we had all been waiting for.
1. The Empire Strikes Back
No matter how hard I think, I cannot complain about this movie (except that siblings kiss, but I won’t get into that). It is the best of the best in the series and is probably one of my favorite films of all time. Here, we have Han Solo and Leia build a lasting romance. We see Luke Skywalker learn more about the Force, which opens our eyes to what it is. We also have some of the greatest quotes of all time, like “I am your father,” “Never tell me the odds,” and “You stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking, nerf herder.”
This month, we are celebrating one of the most remarkable film series of all time. A film series that has taught us to “never underestimate the power of the dark side.” A film series that brought us one of the greatest romances in cinematography. A film series that introduced one of the greatest weapons of sci-fi.
This is the month that we celebrate Star Wars.
May the Force be with you.