By Colton Carrier
9. Attack of the Clones
The prequel trilogy holds a very contentious place in the Star Wars fandom, with the first two films receiving near-universal lambastment, and a single viewing of either will explain why. However, while “The Phantom Menace” holds its fair share of problems, “Attack of the Clones” is the weakest in the Force. For what it’s worth, there are plotlines aplenty to follow, so it’s not as if there was a dearth of content. It’s just that every plotline was rudimentary at best. From storyline to setpieces, just about every aspect of the film is a bore. The only saving grace is its dire dialogue, which provides the only entertainment, in a “so bad it’s good” way. “Attack of the Clones” is the worst Star Wars film and a garbage film in general. Skip it.
8. The Phantom Menace
Deciding between “Attack of the Clones” and “The Phantom Menace” as the worst film on this list was a challenge. The only reason the latter is ranked one notch higher is that, while there’s only one source of potential enjoyment in “Attack,” there’s a handful of enjoyable elements in “The Phantom Menace.” Some of the fight choreography, especially during the last major duel of the film, is top-notch, giving us some of the strongest action scenes of the series. On top of that, the pod racing scene is fun, which is more than I can say for anything coming out of the sequel. The score, composed by John Williams, still holds up decently well. Unfortunately, all these great aspects collide in a film rife with boring storylines, worthless characters, and bad acting. It’s just not worth it.
7. The Rise of Skywalker
“The Rise of Skywalker” was better than “The Phantom Menace” or “Attack of the Clones,” but it’s disappointing. While I didn’t love “The Last Jedi” in any respect, there are aspects of that film that are creative, divisive and, in a sense, brave. Here, we see J.J. Abrams take all that creativity and course-correct, turning the film from a thrilling conclusion to a colossal storyline, and instead treated the film like a checklist of plotlines to tie off. There’s no soul to this movie, no emotional weight or interesting thought to be had. “The Rise of the Skywalker” ends the Skywalker Saga with a whimper, not a bang.
6. The Last Jedi
As I said, I don’t love “The Last Jedi;” in many ways. But whereas “The Rise of Skywalker” was boring and by-the-numbers, “The Last Jedi” at least respected the audience by trying something new. I find the character development of Luke into a jaded, cynical hermit an interesting take from where we last saw him, even if it seems a bit extreme. The film focuses, to a degree, on a subversion of the heroics of Star Wars, and attempts to speak on the idea of fallen heroes, something touched on momentarily in “Revenge of the Sith.” While this is always an interesting topic to me, and an entertaining element to see in a Star Wars film, I still can’t say I liked “The Last Jedi.” It’s above its successor only due to trying new things, something “The Rise of Skywalker” wouldn’t dream of attempting.
5. Revenge of the Sith
The entire prequel trilogy gets a bad rap from most Star Wars fans, and for the most part it’s well deserved, but “Revenge of the Sith” is an outlier in many senses. Sure, a lot of the trappings of its predecessors are present – namely some dodgy writing and some inconsistent character motivations, compared to the original trilogy – but “Revenge of the Sith” steps above the failings of the prior prequels. Plus, the final fight between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker still holds up as one of the best scenes in the series. “Revenge of the Sith” isn’t amazing by any regard, but it’s the first good movie on this list.
4. Return of the Jedi
“A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” all hold their place as golden children in the Star Wars franchise. Despite this, a fresh rewatch of the climactic entry of the original trilogy lets the cracks rise to the surface. As far as pros go, the entire Jabba’s Palace sequence is masterful, and the final encounter between Luke, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine still rest as one of the strongest moments in the franchise, but these both act as bookends to a film that, for lack of better words, drags needlessly. There’s a perfection to the original trilogy that seems lost with this final entry. The film still holds up as a great film, but compared to its direct predecessors, it simply doesn’t stand the test of time to the same degree.
3. The Force Awakens
This film acted, in many ways, as a reboot to the Star Wars franchise. Following in the footsteps of “The Phantom Menace” before it, “The Force Awakens” was designed to resuscitate the series after a long hiatus, and in the process, make a Star Wars film for the new generation. In just about every way, “The Force Awakens” is a perfect entry to the Star Wars universe. It basically acts as a point-by-point reimagining of A New Hope that, unfortunately, is let down by the rest of the sequel trilogy.
2. A New Hope
“A New Hope” is a wonderful, if somewhat simple, film. Don’t get me wrong; there’s a reason the film placed so highly on this list, and it’s not just empty nostalgia. As a start to a franchise that’s run strong for upwards of 40 years, “A New Hope” is a great film, as well as a perfect entry point to a cultural monolith. Plain and simple, “A New Hope” is as fun as the series gets. It may not be as deep, or as thought out as future entries, but it’s the high point of the series in pure enjoyment.
1. The Empire Strikes Back
Following in the footsteps of “A New Hope” is, by far, the best film in this illustrious franchise. “The Empire Strikes Back” has its own reputation as a masterpiece, with many scenes and lines going down in history as some of the most iconic in all of cinema, and for good reason. While many of the sequences lose a bit of their luster due to how they’ve ingrained themselves into pop culture as a whole, it’s impossible to downplay the importance, impact and the worth of this film. It’s the best Star Wars film, and one of the best films ever made, bar none.
