Added by MaxL on 14 Dec 2019 01:32

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Star Wars Movies: My Ranking, Best to Worst

Sort by: Showing 12 items

Decade: Rating: List Type:

5.6

2.1

The Star Wars Holiday Special

Often considered the worst title under the Star Wars brand, to the point where even George Lucas disowns it, and it's easy to see why. The whole narrative is a series of overlong tangents, ranging from entirely pointless to horrifying in their mere existence, making for an agonisingly boring experience.

MaxL's rating:

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

5978

6.1

6.5

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

I have all the same complaints you've heard before: the constant CGI is unappealing, the acting is awful, and the plot is all about boring politics. But on top of that, it adds nothing to the series' overall story. You could skip this one altogether and not miss a thing.

MaxL's rating:

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

5386

6.1

6.5

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

This one has many of the same problems as The Phantom Menace, including the dreadful acting and writing (which renders the romance dead on arrival) and the abundance of unconvincing CGI, but it's mostly just dull instead of all-around unbearable. At least it contributes more to the series, however badly.

MaxL's rating:

527

6.5

6.9

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

The escapades of one of my favourite characters sounds ideal, but the result is a frustrating sit because it jumps from one action scene to another with barely a second to breathe, and the action itself is so dimly lit and frantically shot that I could barely see it anyway.

MaxL's rating:

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

5591

6.9

7.5

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

By far the most tolerable of the prequel trilogy. :-) It's still rife with atrocious acting and subpar writing, but I can see what George Lucas was going for: a tragic tale of betrayal and cataclysm. It fails in practice, but I at least respect what it was trying to do.

MaxL's rating:

532

5.7

6.6

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

It kept me interested in Rey and Kylo's story, which is by far my favourite aspect of the sequel trilogy, but it's plagued by frustratingly rushed pacing and prioritising action over emotion. The climax had potential, but makes some seriously stupid decisions. Overall, not bad, but definitely an underwhelming conclusion.

MaxL's rating:

1076

7.3

7.8

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

It gets off to a very shaky start, with perplexing storytelling and almost nonexistent character development, but the last act makes all the difference. Not only is it an impactful climax, but this is probably the one that feels most like a war; you feel like you're in the battle.

MaxL's rating:

1634

7.8

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

While I do think it's a little too derivative of the original, it's still a captivating and exciting new dawn. It's an affectionate transitionary movie from the previous generation to the next: as well as old favourites, it introduces a new cast of characters, all of whom are extremely likable.

MaxL's rating:

980

6.3

6.9

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Easily the most controversial film in the series. I've heard all the complaints, and I do agree with some of them, but overall I still find the story engaging: it constantly blurs the line between good and evil, and lays the foundation for an intriguing new direction for the saga.

MaxL's rating:

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

5577

7.8

8.3

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

It may be my least favourite of the original trilogy, but it makes up in sheer enjoyment factor for anything it lacks in subtlety. I love its exhilarating action and how effectively it puts a cap on the series. Great movie, but it's a big step below the first two.

MaxL's rating:

6463

8.6

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

The film that started it all is basically a classic adventure story in a sci-fi environment. It boasts lovable characters, memorable settings and marvellous special effects, all for the sake of telling a timeless story and in a big way. Every time I see it, it gets better and better.

MaxL's rating:

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

6043

8.1

8.7

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back...

I know, I'm sorry to be so predictable, but how could it be anything else? :-) It takes visual spectacle and character development to its pinnacle, and makes for an all-around tense and enthralling ride. It's not just the best Star Wars film, it's one of my favourite movies full stop.

MaxL's rating:

Voters of this movie list - View all

What can you say about Star Wars? It's probably the most beloved franchise of all time. It's more of a phenomenon than I can even begin to describe. What can I say about it that hasn't already been talked into the ground? Well, I suppose I could briefly describe my own relationship with the franchise as a whole. :-) I consider myself a very casual fan of Star Wars. I didn't grow up with the movies; I didn't even see them until I was in college. It was James Rolfe's 2009 video review of the original trilogy that really got me interested. Even though I wasn't introduced to them at as young an age as most people, the original trilogy still very much impressed me regardless. The prequels… not so much.
With that said, this is my list of how I personally rank all the movies thus far. Of course, this is just a ranking of all the Star Wars movies I've actually seen. The only one I haven't seen yet (aside from the two made-for-TV Ewok movies, which hardly anyone talks about anyway) is The Clone Wars. I'll watch it when I get around to the TV series of the same name, because apparently it's basically the first episode. But by all accounts, it's a terrible movie.
Now, don't expect to be surprised by what's at the top of my list. :-) I think most would agree that the original trilogy just can't be topped.