You don’t have to venture too far into the outer rim of the internet to see that every Tom, Dick, and Chewie has a ranking of the respective films in the Star Wars franchise that they swear by. Naturally, we here at Epicstream thought it’d only be fitting, given the release of The Last Jedi, that we share with you what we consider to be a definitive ranking of all nine live-action Star Wars films. Do you agree with the order we’ve ranked each installment? Let us know in the comments section!
Attack of the Clones
When it comes to the Star Wars prequels, there are two schools of thought. There are those who think that the prequels were both dull and convoluted, that they created unnecessary plot holes within the original trilogy, and that they ruined both the mystique of the Force and the reputation of one of the greatest fictional villains of all time. On the other end of the spectrum, there are those that genuinely enjoyed Episodes I-III because of how they expanded upon the Star Wars mythos and how they answered many questions that, for better or worse, weren’t touched upon in the original trilogy.
As for Attack of the Clones, this film ranks as the worst in the Star Wars franchise. With a terrible script and lackluster performances from the cast, it’s a regular ‘chicken or the egg’ dilemma trying to figure out what caused this film to crash and burn so badly. With a decent script, could Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman’s dull-as-dishwater personalities and awkward chemistry have been passable? Likewise, could stronger acting chops make up for lines that were seemingly pulled from the pages of a grocery store romance novel? The world may never know just what George Lucas was thinking when he gave the thumbs-up to the middle school play-style performances of the cast, or when he green-lit gems of dialogue such as, “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth.”
While some can look past these significant flaws, it’s quite difficult to ignore the overuse of CGI that literally stares you in the face throughout the entire film. With CGI, less is often more, but Lucas was given an inch and took 12 parsecs (remember, it’s a unit of distance, not time). Believability is key, and most of us would rather see Yoda as a puppet than a Sonic the Hedgehog-esque ball of fury bouncing around a green screen set during lightsaber battles.
The Phantom Menace
While the last entry may have been a bit long-winded, there’s thankfully less to hate about The Phantom Menace. Still, this film manages to single-handedly ruin the magic behind the most enigmatic concept in Star Wars lore – the Force. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – right? Apparently not if you’re George Lucas, who felt it was necessary to give an explanation to the one thing fans didn’t actually want to be explained.
To be fair, we did get an explanation from Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope: “Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.... A Jedi can feel the force flowing through him.”
This simple line of dialogue helped summarize what the Force was, masking it with just enough obscurity to instill an ominous sense of wonder and mystery. However, Lucas, notorious for not leaving well enough alone, used Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn as a vehicle to deliver a new explanation in the form of midi-chlorians: microscopic life forms that reside within all living cells, allowing certain beings to use the Force if they’re sensitive enough to its powers. With the canonical introduction of midi-chlorians, George Lucas ultimately eliminated decades of appropriately ambiguous enchantment from the Star Wars universe.
Outside of this travesty, though, there’s still a handful of redeeming qualities that keep The Phantom Menace sitting atop its sequel in terms of quality. Although the Podrace scene seems to take up a disproportionate amount of time from the film, it did lead to the incredibly fun Star Wars Episode I: Racer game for the Nintendo 64, which still holds up to the test of time. Likewise, The Phantom Menace not only included one of the worst things to come out of the prequels; it also included one of the best, which, of course, is Darth Maul, who still lives on, outside of the big screen.
Revenge of the Sith
In all honesty, Revenge of the Sith is an overall good movie. The problem, though, is that the real payoff comes from the set-up in Episodes I and II, and sadly, Episode III isn’t quite good enough to redeem its predecessors.
Like Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith also suffers from the marionette puppet show that is Anakin and Padme’s relationship. Fortunately, a better script and vastly improved performances by Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman helped alleviate some of the pain points from Episode II.
As far as action goes, Revenge of the Sith definitely holds the throne for best lightsaber battles in the prequel trilogy, particularly the one between Anakin and Obi-Wan that pulls at the heartstrings every time. In fact, this scene actually does a tremendous job establishing the seething hate Darth Vader has for Obi-Wan by the time A New Hope rolls around.
Does the movie create plot holes? Sure (why does Leia say she remembers her mother in Return of the Jedi if Padme dies immediately after childbirth?). Are there cheesy moments? Of course (once you hear Darth Vader scream “NOOOOOO!,” it can never be unheard). Still, on the whole, Revenge of the Sith is a ray of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day.
Return of the Jedi
Much like Jar Jar Binks in Episode I, the Ewoks were a shameless cash grab used to appeal to the younger demographic, and the fact that they were able to take down an Imperial fleet with sticks and stones is utterly ridiculous. However, while this is taking place, we’re also treated to a classic dogfight between the Rebels and the Empire, as well as an epic duel between father and son. Even though the fight choreography leaves much to be desired, the emotional weight of the battle between Luke and Darth Vader still holds up today.
Furthermore, we’re able to see the prophecy introduced in the prequels come full-circle, as the former Anakin Skywalker (the Chosen One) kills Emperor Palpatine. This is one of the few instances in which a concept introduced in the prequels actually adds gravitas to the original trilogy.
Although the events of The Force Awakens have shown us that the Rebel Alliance’s victory doesn’t result in peace for very long, Return of the Jedi still has a pleasing sense of finality that has yet to be replicated in another Star Wars film.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Sometimes, certain questions don’t need to be answered (see: midi-chlorians). Other times, answering those questions presents an intriguing opportunity to explore new grounds with decades-old concepts. That’s exactly what we get from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
While fans weren’t clamoring since 1977 to find out how the Rebel Alliance stole the Death Star plans, Lucasfilm was able to take this concept and run with it, creating a film that’s unlike any of the installments in the core Star Wars saga. It’s a dark, gritty war movie that just so happens to take place in the Star Wars universe. It’s a true standalone film, much like A New Hope would have been if not for the sequels and prequels. However, even though the mission is successful, Rogue One shows us that sometimes, victories can’t be celebrated by the victors.
Despite everything Rogue One does right, it’s not without its flaws. The movie takes the entirety of its 133-minute runtime to get from 0 to 60, but a strong third act makes up for the pacing problems earlier on. In fact, the majority of the problems with this film have nothing to do with the story or the performances by the actors, but rather with the overall production.
Aside from the pacing, the CGI used to recreate Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin and Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia was a bit distracting. Technology has come a long way, and while we’re about 99% of the way there, but there were certainly more practical options that could have been taken rather than resorting to motion capture.
Another thing that’s a bit distracting is the film’s score. Michael Giacchino is an incredible composer, but he’s no John Williams. Hearing the whispers of Williams’ original score in Giacchino’s composition was definitely a nice homage, but at times, it sounded a bit odd. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and heard the waiters and dishwashers sing a song that sounds almost like ‘Happy Birthday’, but they change some of the words for copyright reasons? Yeah, that’s how Giacchino’s score feels at times.
Still, these are minor nitpicks. Ultimately, Rogue One is a solid movie, setting the stage for what will hopefully be a successful run of Star Wars Anthology Series films.
The Force Awakens
When The Force Awakens was released, fans had been waiting between 10 and 32 years for a new Star Wars film, depending on which side of the aforementioned prequel fence they fall on. In any case, longtime fans were appeased, and a whole new generation was introduced to the fandom that keeps on giving.
One of the major complaints people have with The Force Awakens is that it’s essentially a carbon copy of A New Hope. A young, aspiring pilot, living on a desert planet; establishing a core trio of characters, as well as a droid with crucial data; a battle to destroy a massive, world-destroying weapon – it’s the same game board, just with different pieces. However, this was a conscious decision made by director J.J. Abrams, easing fans back into Star Wars by combining elements both old and new.
The Force Awakens also adds an incredibly compelling new villain to the Star Wars universe in the form of Kylo Ren. It was clear that he was being groomed for a complex and intriguing character arc that will take the full trilogy to be fully realized – hopefully, it turns out more successful than Anakin in the prequels.
All things considered, the tasteful nostalgia blended with a cast of dynamic new characters make The Force Awakens one of the greatest Star Wars movies to date.
A New Hope
If we’re going to praise The Force Awakens for its reinterpretation of A New Hope, it’s only fitting that we rank the real deal one spot higher on this list. After all, this is the film that started the fandom!
Part of what makes A New Hope so great is that it works both as a piece of the larger overall Star Wars franchise, but also as a standalone film. Sure, there would be a few loose threads, most notably Darth Vader’s whereabouts, but the film ends with the Rebels (seemingly) successfully defeating the Empire, so it’s not too much of a stretch for moviegoers to simply take this at face value.
There really isn’t much more that needs to be said, quite frankly. There’s a reason A New Hope was originally just titled Star Wars. This is the definitive installment in the unstoppable franchise.
The Empire Strikes Back
Many hardcore Star Wars fans would agree that The Empire Strikes Back is by far the greatest film in the entire franchise. And honestly, it comes pretty close.
While A New Hope was full of optimism and seemed to end in victory for the Rebels, The Empire Strikes Back was full of twists and turns and introduced true darkness and uncertainty to the saga. It also introduces an incredible array of stunning new surroundings unlike anything seen in Episode IV. From Hoth to Cloud City to the Dagobah system, this movie shows just how vast and diverse the galaxy truly is, growing by leaps and bounds from one film to the next.
Keeping with the theme of introductions, Episode V also introduces us to plenty of new faces. Obviously Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia are the big three in terms of Star Wars characters, but The Empire Strikes Back is responsible for introducing some of the most iconic secondary characters to the universe. Where would Star Wars be without names like Yoda, Lando Calrissian, and Boba Fett? Let’s not forget Emperor Palpatine, either. Darth Vader was intimidating in A New Hope, but to learn that he was working under someone even more sinister was bone-chilling, to say the least.
Then, of course, there’s the big reveal. When Darth Vader reveals that he is Luke’s father, fans still get chills. Nothing in any of the Star Wars films can compare to this moment, both in terms of shock and scope, and it’s hard to imagine anything ever will.
The Last Jedi
Divisive as this film may be, you can’t deny The Last Jedi’s countless merits. Rian Johnson completely flips the script on what fans have come to expect from the Star Wars franchise, takings calculated risks rather than playing it safe.
Everyone wants to know who Rey’s parents are? Well, guess what – they’re not important. Fans think Snoke is someone really important from Star Wars lore? Nope, and just for good measure, we’ll kill him off altogether.
These are decisions that represent a major change to the status quo of the franchise. Johnson eliminated the preconceived notion that our heroes are defined by their lineage. Furthermore, he bucked the trend of Star Wars films relying on a mysterious, shadowy figure lurking in the background by instead using Snoke to catapult Kylo Ren into the forefront as the true big bad of the trilogy. And on top of all that, Johnson proved that a Star Wars film can actually be laugh-out-loud funny without being annoying.
At the end of the day, The Last Jedi changes everything we know about the Star Wars franchise, setting the stage for an incredibly promising future.