in honour of Star Wars Day- the Star Wars films, ranked.
11. Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Obviously. Everyone's go-to when asked about the worst Star Wars film, and with good reason. Horrible dialogue, racist stereotypes and the presence of Jar Jar Binks just help cement this film's place at the foot of this list. Why George Lucas thought the exciting next step for his kid-friendly sci-fi series was trade deals and empty diplomacy, no-one will ever know.
10. Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Again, it suffers from much the same problems as Phantom: cringe-inducing dialogue and action sequences that feel weightless and stake-less. Lucas makes the curious decision to write Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker as a whiny little bitch and his constipated rant about sand will last forever in infamy. The romance between him and Natalie Portman's Padme is about as romantic as a date at an STD clinic. Comes in above Phantom thanks to a mercifully reduced role for Jar Jar and slightly less racism.
9. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Incredibly frustrating, especially considering the promise shown in the first two instalments of the sequel trilogy. It feels like it actively seeks to aggressively undermine not just the major plot points, but also the key themes and ideas of its predecessor. The script seems far more interested in making characters do things rather than wonder why they're doing them: the extent of the character development is a couple of long stares in the distance. Also, it doesn't help that what does happen is incredibly stupid and often downright lazy. None of the emotional beats land and, in an attempt to please everybody, delivers an incoherent and muddled film. Massively disappointing. The performances, especially Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, are the best things about this, by far.
8. Solo: A Star Wars Story
No-one asked for it, no-one wanted it, no-one saw it. The film itself is passably entertaining but blandly ordinary and instantly forgettable, almost certainly as a result of the studio interference which saw original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller fired halfway through filming and Ron Howard brought on as a safe pair of hands. The cast is quite good, with highlights being Donald Glover's Lando and Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37, as is the evocation of the grimy underbelly of the galaxy.
7. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Again, the film was subject to extensive re-shoots and feels factory-made and personality-less. The chemistry between the characters feels forced and there is little attempt made to form any meaningful character development, though Felicity Jones is always a fine screen presence. The action sequences are stunning, however, with a brilliant extended battle in its final act, and Darth Vader's brief appearance is well-earned.
6. Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Yes, this is essentially a re-hash of A New Hope, but it's a pretty good re-hash. Its biggest strengths are definitely the new characters and their interaction with old favourites, and the casting of Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver as their respective characters is the best thing about the sequel trilogy.
5. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The final film in the prequel trilogy suffers from a lot of the same problems as the first two, again with hilariously bad dialogue. It's also incredibly difficult to watch objectively, with every other scene being a meme. However it is redeemed for being one of the darkest Star Wars films as one of the most thematically interesting ones. All the Star Wars films are rooted in politics: the original rebels were inspired by the Viet Cong fighters, and the design of Emperor's throne room in Return drew inspiration from Nixon's Oval Office. This film draws clear comparisons between Palpatine's rise and the rise of other dictators, such as Hitler and Napoleon and is predominantly about the ease with which a stagnant society slips into fascism, a theme which, considering the alarming rise in nationalism around the world in recent years, seems more relevant than ever. It's also one of the best looking Star Wars films, with George Lucas finally perfecting the blend of CGI and practical effects, and features one of John Williams' best scores.
4. Episode XI: Return of the Jedi
The whole opening act with Jabba gets the film off to a slow and peculiar opening, and there's certainly a lot that can be and has been said about the Ewoks (I think they're cute enough), but overall it's a fun and satisfying conclusion to the original trilogy. The Darth Vader and Luke dynamic is the best thing about the film.
3. Episode IV: A New Hope
The one that started it all. It's a wonderfully charming and imaginative introduction to this strange, fantastical universe and features the first appearances of some of *the great iconic movie characters. Sure, the script is a little ropy and not all of the effects have aged gracefully but from the opening it sets out very clearly what Star Wars is all about in such decisive fashion it's impossible not to be swept along.
2. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
The most divisive film on the list. From its release, it began to polarise fans, between those who, like me, saw it as a bold, beautiful vision of George Lucas' universe and one of the great modern blockbusters, and those who saw it as an embarrassingly terrible offence to their childhoods. For what its worth, I think Rian Johnson's film is a true masterpiece and a stunning ode to Star Wars, as well as a moving portrayal of what it means to fail- as Yoda says, "The greatest teacher, failure is." The Last Jedi also gave us Rey and Kylo's sexy fingertips-touch and shirtless Adam Driver, so, to completely honest, I have no idea why anyone complains about this film at all.
1. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Obviously. Widely acknowledged to be the best Star Wars film, it actually drew a mixed response from both fans and critics at the time, before its slow re-assessment as one of the greatest films of all time. From its opening ice-capped battle to its devastating conclusion, featuring one of the biggest and most widely misquoted twists in cinematic history, it fully deserves its reputation.