The most beloved film series in cinematic history, and I have the unmitigated audacity to rank the episodes. But "the dark side of the force is a pathway to many things which some consider to be... unnatural." So, with the unlimited power of the force, I have only one thing further to say before presenting my list: this IS the blog post you're looking for.
11. Solo. What even? Cool to see Darth Maul, I guess. 10. The Last Jedi. Lots of problems. The Last Jedi was two hours of aha moments followed immediately by just kidding moments. 9. The Rise of Skywalker. The most fun to watch of the new films. The story arcs of Rey and Kylo Ren wrap up well, and it’s always nice to see the baddest villain that ever was bad. 8. Rogue One. Perhaps the most lauded of the new films. It’s a good story, it doesn’t rely on fan servicy returns of old characters, and it explains important historical events that make A New Hope possible. 7. The Force Awakens. So if Attack of the Clones is so terrible, why rank it ahead of the sequel trilogy? Basically, because George Lucas had creative control of the prequels and were therefore the work of the creator’s hand so to speak. Anything not made by Lucas is automatically docked for it’s indirect lineage. The Force Awakens is ultimately the best new film because it more or less remakes the original. 6. Attack of the Clones. I hope we can all agree that this is the worst prequel? Terrible terrible dialogue. Sure, Jar Jar’s role is cut back substantially, but other characters more than make up with minutes worth of cringy screen time. All I really have to say about Attack of the Clones and it’s effect on the Star Wars universe is that it’s like sand. 5. Revenge of the Sith. This is the prequel that most consider the best. And indeed, it is the most watchable. But only because of it’s action sequences. Without them, it’s a film whose climax (the turning of Anakin to the Dark Side) is barely two thirds of the way in and the rest is all fall out. 4. The Phantom Menace. You’re probably thinking “This movie stinks! It’s the worst of the prequels! How could he pick it?!” Here me out… If you can look past Jar Jar Binks (a difficult task, I’ll admit) what you’ve got is a fascinating, multi-layered mystery as to the existence of an evil imposter and his influence in the galaxy. 3. The Return of the Jedi. The most controversial installment of the original trilogy. Do we like Ewoks, do we not? The cuddly yet fierce teddy bears are notoriously divisive. Setting them aside though, Return completes wraps up the original trilogy without any loose ends or unanswered questions. And the redemption at the end of the film is the most powerful moment in the entire Star Wars universe. 2. The Empire Strikes Back. From my experience, this is the most universally liked episode. It’s the original Star Wars, but with a more complex story, more resources and the biggest reveal in cinematic history. Nearly everyone has Empire among their top three favorite Star Wars movies. 1. Star Wars. More than simply being “The one that started it all,” Star Wars (A New Hope) is the perfect film. There are enough established actors to give the film credibility, enough new faces to make the cast unique. There were enough funds to do everything well, but few enough that creativity and ingenuity were not suffocated. The story is new enough that it was the first of its kind, yet timeless enough that the characters seem like our close friends from the very first moment. There’s a suspense this film somehow builds without ever making you despair for Luke and the Rebels. There’s mystery and intrigue without potholes or cliffhangers. It stands alone perfectly, and yet leaves room for subsequent installments to tie themselves in. That's my list! If you'd like more, check out the podcast I recorded about The Rise of Skywalker.
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Nick MartinMy name is Nick Martin. I write sometimes. These are my thoughts. Archives
July 2021
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