The Star Wars Movies Ranked
I’m going to try to ignore and avoid the hot takes with this. These are honest opinions about STAR WARS, a children’s fantasy/sci-fi film series that has morphed into a metafictional battle with stories, created by human beings, that could never live up to fan expectations and demands. I love STAR WARS. I grew up with it. And I understand it has grown beyond me. Or, in fact, I’ve mostly grown past it. So I’ll be over here enjoying the space wizards and goofy robots and fun aliens and making fun of them all in equal measure. I’m going to rank the 11 STAR WARS movies!
#11 — STAR WARS: EPISODE II — ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002)
D: George Lucas
Look, I was six years old when ATTACK OF THE CLONES came out. I probably loved it when I watched it. But the first film shot entirely digitally feels like the product of a child playing with toys, an appropriate element for satisfying children. But as much as STAR WARS has always tried to communicate some facet of childlike wonder and goofiness, ATTACK OF THE CLONES was just too inane in its depiction of Anakin’s path to the dark side and his relationship with Padme. The actors, including greats Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman, utter some of the worst lines of their career amid CG effects that have not aged terribly well over the past 18 years. I saw a great sentiment that I wish I could cite/link to: the Star Wars prequels were made up of good ideas executed poorly. I really do think there is a lot of promise in the pre-Empire STAR WARS storylines, evident by the well-made CLONE WARS (2008-present) series and some of the video games and “Legacy” Expanded Universe material. My issue with ATTACK OF THE CLONES can be summed up by the transition of Yoda from puppet to CG being.
#10 — STAR WARS: EPISODE III — REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005)
D: George Lucas
REVENGE OF THE SITH is often cited as the best of the prequels. I guess it’s technically close, but I quickly grow tired of Anakin’s ultimate angst as he comes ever closer to becoming Darth Vader. The process and ultimate Greek tragedy George Lucas was trying to create is not entirely unaffecting for this big ol’ nerd. As memeable as the final showdown between Obi-Wan and Anakin is, it is a culmination of a not-entirely-devoid-of-chemistry relationship between McGregor and Hayden Christensen. And the opening space battle is thrilling. Mostly, the movie is more effective at selling the big action sequences and emotional moments than ATTACK OF THE CLONES, including the execution of the majority of the Jedi. I do love the Yoda bits, including his silly battle with Palpatine and his flight from Kashyyyk.
#9 — STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (2019)
D: J.J. Abrams
Hm. Watching THE RISE OF SKYWALKER I couldn’t help but contemplate the massive 40-year-plus legacy of STAR WARS. That’s not necessarily a great thing, though, as I witnessed a hodgepodge of homages and creative threads that had started with THE FORCE AWAKENS, twisted in interesting ways with THE LAST JEDI, and recentered back into something wholly…predictable? Even something lukewarm, never outrageous in the ways STAR WARS has always been, good and bad. But THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is never inherently a failed sci-fi action blockbuster; it contains the elements you need for a good one. And the STAR WARS legacy of great C-3PO lines and adorable and bizarre animatronic and costumed creatures still lies in the movie, the conclusion (for now) of the entire “Skywalker Saga.” When I walked away from it, though, I couldn’t help but feel I watched something even less interesting than the prequels. As a follow up to that aforementioned sentiment about the prequels: if they executed good ideas poorly, then the sequel trilogy executed bad ideas well. Also: no Yoda.
#8 — STAR WARS: EPISODE I — THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)
D: George Lucas
I’m biased here. I don’t care, it’s my dang list. I have a feeling THE PHANTOM MENACE was the first movie I ever watched, and I know for a fact I watched the VHS over and over at home. I think PHANTOM MENACE is actually the STAR WARS movie I’ve seen the most, which is pretty weird. Nevertheless, I can’t help but love the camp and the expansion of the original trilogy’s universe that THE PHANTOM MENACE brought to the screen. Showing off things known only by name in the original films was a tremendous disappointment to many, but for this kid, it stimulated my imagination. I legitimately think Qui-Gon Jinn is a likeable character, and I don’t give a shit about midi-chlorians. They’re about as stupid as anything else in the Star Wars universe, I guess. I appreciate the blend of CG and practical effects in THE PHANTOM MENACE, but ultimately, yeah, the fixation on trade blockades and the Senate was an overreaching choice. And the dialogue and some of the inconsistencies of plotting are indeed laughable. Yoda, though: still a puppet. But visually and grammatically, the film is not a whole lot different from the original films, and the same could be said for most any Star Wars film to come after the first.
#7 — STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (2017)
D: Rian Johnson
But THE LAST JEDI does feel different. The ultimate divisive Star Wars film may have been overtaken by THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, but the scrappy sensibilities of Rian Johnson did indeed turn some fan expectations on their head. And bravo to him. Besides that, Johnson also created some of the more memorable images and concepts from Star Wars cinematic history. Granted, the movie came out just barely two years ago, but I love the Canto Bight sequences (yes, I do) and I think the conclusion of Luke’s tale was as satisfying as it could have been. Plus: Yoda! Ultimately, though, some individual moments rang hollow, an effect that a lot of original trilogy fans probably felt watching the prequels: not everything “feels” like Star Wars. I’ll give it time, and acknowledge that I’m just not creating memories like I did when I watched the original films and THE PHANTOM MENACE for the first time.
#6 — ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016)
D: Gareth Edwards
ROGUE ONE, with its cast of newcomer characters and known, tragic ending, may actually be the most unconventional Star Wars movie. And even though I have it pretty much squarely in the middle, from here on in, these are the great Star Wars movies. ROGUE ONE is a great thriller and “war” movie; there are more tips of the hat to the genre in this STAR WARS movie than the other STAR WARS movies would otherwise lead you to believe. The core crew are super likeable and have an easy chemistry that I really love. It’s not part of the film at all, but one of my favorite Star Wars things ever was Diego Luna’s dream of touching Jabba, which he explained numerous times during the press tour for ROGUE ONE. A knock against the movie: no Yoda.
#5 — STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015)
D: J.J. Abrams
Although I feel its ties to nostalgia dragged THE RISE OF SKYWALKER down, I somehow found those same ties revived STAR WARS with THE FORCE AWAKENS. Its structure could appear slavish to the first film/trilogy, but hey, it worked for me. Abrams injected just enough new concepts, twists, planets, and aliens, as well as chemistry for the core cast for the trilogy (at their most likable and in sync here), to make a new, exciting experience that still satisfied my STAR WARS cravings. It’s a spectacular, smooth sci-fi ride after the bumpiness of the prequel trilogy, and capitalized on the STAR WARS legacy (but no Yoda) most effectively of the Disney-era films. Well, except for…
#4 — SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (2018)
D: Ron Howard
…SOLO. Clearly, I think it’s the best Disney Star Wars film. And I really didn’t expect that to happen. I didn’t necessarily think Alden Ehrenreich (who was great in HAIL, CAESAR! [2016] and RULES DON’T APPLY [2016]) looked or could play the part of a young Han Solo, even as I relished the idea of seeing Lando Calrissian played by Donald Glover. After the un-tethering from major franchise characters that was ROGUE ONE, I was somewhat disappointed to see that the next stand-alone movie would just be another prequel. And I was concerned when Phil Lord and Chris Miller were taken off the project to be replaced by Ron Howard, a competent director I guess, sure, but one whose sensibility is quite different from Lord and Miller’s. And yet, SOLO rules. The “so-and-so film is a western” critical trope is tired, but sometimes I understand the sentiment behind it, as I do with SOLO. Somehow, the film does in fact distance itself from Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams, and the events of the “Skywalker Saga.” This is a fun, slick action-heist sci-fi movie during which I cared not a lick about the STAR WARS legacy. That’s a rare feeling. It’s funny and heartfelt and energetic. Against all odds, SOLO is one of the best STAR WARS movies, even if Yoda’s not in it.
#3 — RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)
D: Richard Marquand
But there’s no way to shake the original trilogy. In fact, each of the three films could almost be swapped out for the #1 spot in equal measure. But I suppose RETURN OF THE JEDI slips down to #3 simply because of its return to the Death Star. I adore the Tatooine/Jabba the Hutt introduction, a truly killer evolution of Luke as a character and another exploration of a wretched hive of scum and villainy. And yes, I don’t mind the Ewoks, and in fact really enjoy the Endor sequences, a creative acknowledgement of primitive cultures within the advanced Star Wars universe. But there’s just a feeling of missed opportunities or…something. It’s hard for me to articulate why any one of the first three Star Wars movies are where they are, except for the feeling that, given a choice, RETURN OF THE JEDI wouldn’t be the first one I picked. Maybe it’s because Lucas killed off Yoda, the coward.
#2 — THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)
D: Irvin Kershner
The generally accepted best STAR WARS movie wouldn’t be the first I picked either. Obviously, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is incredible, a total belly of the whale moment for the “three acts” of the original series (plot-wise, obviously not in terms of quality). Its diverse planets and iconic Darth Vader twist make it a totally memorable experience, the arc of which is burned into my brain. Lando, one of the best STAR WARS characters, enters the picture, and the entire STAR WARS universe is essentially doubled after the relatively streamlined progression of the first film. And EMPIRE introduced Yoda, and for that I’ll always be grateful; I love the weird little frog man who wants to eat those snakes and speak all weird. The movie almost perfectly struck a balance between lighthearted adventure and “darker” themes and plot events.
#1 — STAR WARS (1977)
D: George Lucas
But STAR WARS is the easiest movie for me to return to over and over again. As with the other two movies of the original trilogy, its every plot point and iconic line reside in my consciousness. The “lived-in” universe that Lucas tried so hard to create is successful; with STAR WARS, he accomplished an elevation and modernization of the pulp sci-fi serials, westerns, and B adventure pictures of his childhood. STAR WARS is as much an ode to that as AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973) was to his teen years, in a weird way, and that evolved into something different with EMPIRE. What else can be said about one of the most successful films of all time, and the origin point of a massive franchise and revolution (for good and bad) of the entire film industry? Well, except for this: I really can’t join in on the George Lucas hate. Sure, the special editions are misguided and the prequels baffling, but at the end of the day, I still think he’s one of the great cinematic minds in history. People who love or hate Star Wars won’t necessarily agree with that. But I owe him a lot for sparking my imagination and interest in exploring film and storytelling.
