Ranking All Star Wars Films (Including Solo: A Star Wars Story)

Ranking All Star Wars Films (Including Solo: A Star Wars Story) 

With the recent release of Solo: A Star Wars Story, now is a good time as any to rerank all the Star Wars films in the franchise. 

10. Attack of the Clones: Oh, Hayden Christensen. His chemistry with Natalie Portman was something else. And unfortunately for us, it was not good. In this movie's defense (?), I had a hard time deciding between this and the number 9 film, but simply because of the awful chemistry/romance between Anakin and Padme, I had no choice but to put this at the bottom. Also, the nonstop insistence on politics, Yoda flips, and a CGI arena match makes for a thoroughly confusing film (as well as the completely obvious CGI Clone army). 

9. The Phantom Menace: This film wasn't last, but it was close. Tailing closely behind the horrific romantic storyline between a grown-up Anakin and Padme was the child Anakin, played by Jake Lloyd. As annoying as Hayden Christiansen was, Jake Lloyd embodied every aspect of child acting that makes it so hard to cast competent child actors. Additionally, the inclusion of Jar Jar Binks was one of the SINGLE worst idea that anyone has ever had, and the only reason that this doesn't drop this film to number 10 is simply because he is unintentionally hilarious. Enough said. 

8. Revenge of the Sith: Rounding out the list is the third and final film in the prequel trilogy, and contrary to popular opinion, I personally don't mind this film. I believe that it is leaps and bounds ahead of the other films, and while Hayden Christiansen's acting still isn't "good" per se, it is noticeably improved from the previous film. Additionally, the love aspects between him and Padme are not as drawn out and cheesy, and actually makes for a compelling story arc. That being said, the story is still as clunky as the other films, as Lucas makes a mad dash towards wrapping up the trilogy and ending with Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine in their respectful places before the start of the original trilogy. 

7. Solo: While I didn't quite enjoy this film as much as any other in the new "era" of Star Wars films, this film was good, and that is far more than I can say for the prequels (Revenge of the Sith was close). Alden Ehrenreich gave a commendable performance given the high pressure that was placed on his shoulders, and the story, for what its worth, is serviceable enough. While the movie itself wasn't "interesting", or didn't have any noteworthy moments, it was a fun enough time at the theater. 

6. The Last Jedi: For me, The Last Jedi would be so much higher on the list, perhaps even at number 3, were it not for one thing: DJ, Finn, and Rose. I LOVED everything else about the movie, but on the flip side, I HATED the storyline between DJ, Finn, and Rose, and wished that it was COMPLETELY taken out. That being said, the parts of the film that focused on Snoke, Rey, Luke, and Kylo Ren were absolutely brilliant, and this gives me hope for Episode 9 as it can build off these character arcs and perhaps ignore the other ones. 

5. Rogue One: For a movie that no one expected much out of, I immensely enjoyed Rogue One. Many people had serious pacing issues with the film, but I found myself thoroughly invested in the movie, caring about most of the characters. Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor were compelling leads, and the inclusion of Darth Vader was a welcome sight. The story did jump around a little much, and there were many characters that weren't used to their full potential, as was to be expected in an ensemble film such as this, but other than that, I very much enjoy Rogue One. 

4. The Force Awakens: Kicking off the new wave of Star Wars was The Force Awakens, which reintroduced us to many of our fan-favorite characters, such as Han, Leia, and C3PO, as well as introducing us to new leads Rey, Finn, and Poe. There are certain points in the film that don't quite make sense, but overall, I feel that out of the four new films, this one is the most consistent. When I rewatch the film, I feel that from start to finish, this is the most enjoyable of the four without any of the rough patches of Solo or The Last Jedi. 

3. Return of the Jedi: While the Ewoks weren't quite the most welcome additions to the Star Wars universe, and did pad the runtime of this film considerably, what sold this for me as being higher than The Force Awakens is the definite closure that this film brings the original trilogy to. While it may lack the emotional depth and power of the first two, it brings the trilogy to a satisfying end, tying up loose ends in a way that brings finality to a beloved series. 

2. A New Hope: This was so close to being number one, but on its own, the original Star Wars was such a revelation. Yes, perhaps the visuals don't hold up as well as the newer films, but that's to be expected as this film was from 1977. That being said, the sense of adventure, youthfulness, and hope that the film conveys to the audience make it such a joy to watch as we are introduced to characters like Luke, Han, and Leia. Indeed there is a level of "cheese" that was characteristic of these kinds of films in that era, but it still stands the test of time 41 years later, and will for many more to come.

1. The Empire Strikes Back: What sets this film apart is the complexity of the story and the depth it takes each character to. Each and every character is put in a position where they have to struggle, where they have to discover what they're made of, especially Luke. Yoda is such a delight to watch in the movie, bringing a level of charm and wisdom, and the scenes between Vader and Luke are perfect. This is the darkest, deepest, heart-filled Star Wars film, and it will be difficult to ever top this one.