We are huge Star Wars fans at FartHub so we thought we’d go a little off topic and rank the Star Wars movies now that the Skywalker saga is complete. There have been 12 theatrically released Star Wars films since the first movie was released all the way back in 1977. On this list we are ranking 11.
If you want to include the dreadful animated Clone Wars movie on this list just know that it would be #12. I actually fell asleep during the movie and I was so excited to see it that I went opening night.
So without further delay here is our ranking of the Star Wars films. Agree or disagree? Feel free to comment below.
11.) Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
The Last Jedi is hands down the worst Star Wars film in existence. It’s inexplicable treatment of Luke Skywalker is almost criminal. After waiting 34 years to finally find out what happened to Luke and what he’s been up to, the audience is presented with a disillusioned grumpy old man that is nothing like the character we’ve seen in the previous films.
Director Rian Johnson was out to “subvert expectations” which is exactly what he did. Bad humor, nonsensical plot holes, and a boring story, the list goes on and on. As a result we have a movie that completely derailed the sequel trilogy and the franchise has yet to recover. Such a wasted opportunity.
This movie is the main reason that the sequel trilogy should be removed from Star Wars canon. We can only hope the rumors are true! I for one refuse to accept the sequel trilogy in my own “head canon”.
10.) Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Oh boy…let’s just put it out there and most would agree, The Phantom Menace is a terrible movie. When it first came out in 1999 it took me 3 viewings to finally come to terms with how bad it is. Once Jar Jar Binks makes his appearance you can fold up shop. And the podrace is a real snoozefest. Way to long and anticlimactic.
This move is essentially unwatchable. Tried to watch it again recently with my son and ended up just taking a 2 hour nap. The only redeemable quality of this film is that it introduced Darth Maul who is one of my favorite characters in the franchise. While he was wasted in this movie The Clone Wars animated series and Rebels evolved and greatly deepened and fleshed out his character.
9.) Episode II – Attack of the Clones
The prequels were uneven and the love story between Anakin and Padme is painful to watch. Stiff acting and wooden dialogue and zero chemistry between them is uncomfortable to watch and completely unbelievable. It’s better than Phantom Menace but that’s not saying much.
On the plus side it has a solid soundtrack by John Williams and Count Dooku is a cool Sith and has my favorite lightsaber in the entire series.
8: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Solo is the Star Wars movie that no one was asking for. Of all the back stories to flesh out, Han Solo’s would be near the bottom of the list. Not every single thing in the Star Wars universe needs to be explained. All that being said this is a fun movie but doesn’t add anything to the franchise. Emilia Clarke delivers a phenomonal performance as Qi’ra and Alden Ehrenreich is a decent Han Solo that was convincing in the role.
Overall a decent movie just completely forgettable. And since Solo failed at the box office it’s a shame that we won’t likely see the conclusion on some of the interesting possibilities and story lines it introduced.
7.) Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
J.J. Abrams had an impossible task when he took the reigns of Episode 9. With the need to course correct so many of the issues and problems from The Last Jedi there simply wasn’t enough surface area to fix all of the issues and make a coherent, well paced film. As a result The Rise of Skywalker feels frantic and rushed. To make it work Disney really should have split Episode 9 into 2 movies.
There are definitely some great moments in the film but bringing Palpatine back was ill advised and ultimately takes away from Anakin’s sacrifice from Return of the Jedi. This movie also has the least memorable soundtrack of all of the films which is a shame. It also feels cartoony and over the top at times with force powers that seem overwhelmingly powerful and out of place. Palpatine shooting force lightning into the sky to take down ships was way too over the top!
All that being said this was an exciting and enjoyable film that had several emotional moments for those of us who have been fans of the franchise for over 40 years!
6.) Episode VII – The Force Awakens
The Force Awakens is the Star Wars film that we never thought we would get. Once the curtain closed on Revenge of the Sith in 2005 most of us thought we had seen the final Star Wars film that would hit theaters. This movie introduced us to the new protagonist Rey and set the stage for a thrilling trilogy. It paid a bit too much homage to the original trilogy but that can easily be forgiven. The chemistry with the main cast of Poe, Finn and Rey was fantastic and Kylo Ren was the most complex, conflicted character we have ever seen in a Star Wars film.
This makes the failure of The Last Jedi all the more painful since it had such a great lead up and it was a let down on almost every level. But on it’s own The Force Awakens is a very satisfying start to the sequel trilogy.
5.) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One is one of those movies that just gets better each time you watch it. It shows the moral ambiguity of the Rebellion and the Darth Vader scene is absolutely amazing. The tone of this film is spot on and it just feels like a Star Wars movie even more so than the sequel trilogy.
The score by Michael Giacchino is great and works much better than it should seeing that it wasn’t composed by the great John Williams. The magic of seeing Grand Moff Tarkin on screen again alone is worth the price of admission!
4.) Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
ROTJ is the weakest of the original trilogy but it is still a great movie and has one of the best last acts in cinematic history! The final battle over the moon of Endor and the climatic fight between Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Emperor Palpatine is a satisfying end for the original trilogy. And as much as I love Star Wars part of me wishes they had just ended it here given what we got with some of the prequels and the sequel trilogy.
The Ewoks are silly and the first act drags on a bit but all in all this is one of our favorite Star Wars films.
3.) Episode IV – A New Hope
Star Wars A New Hope from 1977 is the movie that started it all and is still one of the best in the franchise! This movie is a timeless classic and while the special effects may have aged this film sells this used and lived in universe like no other sci-fi movie. This is truly a landmark in film making.
The music is iconic and “The Force” and quotes from this movie have permeated deep into our culture and lexicon. The influence of this film is still being felt and will continue to have an impact for generations to come.
2.) Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
Revenge of the Sith is the darkest of all the Star Wars films and also one of the best. It is far and away the best prequel film and essentially renders the previous 2 films as unnecessary. This film has the second best soundtrack of any Star Wars film and the fall of Anakin to the dark side is hard to watch. By the end of the film you actually feel sorry for Darth Vader which is an impressive achievement given all the pain and suffering he has inflicted on others.
This is a complex and dark tragic film that adds depth to the Star Wars universe like no other. It has evolved into a cult classic since it’s launch in 2005 and has become a popular source for memes on reddit.
Here is probably my favorite scene from the entire Star Wars franchise!
1.) Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back is hands down the best Star Wars film in the franchise. Period. End of discussion. The story, the music, the acting, the pacing. It all comes together perfectly. The cinematography is striking making this the visually impactful Star Wars film and the plot twist with Darth Vader is earth shattering!
Yoda explaining the Force on Dagobah is an example of what makes this movie so great.
So many scenes and images from this film have become iconic. From the battle on Hoth to the lightsaber duel between Vader and Luke, to Han being frozen in carbonite. Also you have to love a movie where the bad guys win for a change!
Agree or disagree with our ranking? Comment below!
I absolutely love ESB! My favorite movie of all time!