Saga In your opinion, which Star Wars movie is the most underrated or most overrated movie? And why?

Because it has a better story, better characterization, better pacing, a thrilling and imo unparalleled last 45 minutes, a beautiful score, beautiful scenery...and so on and so on. I guess you disagree with the story being superior, which is odd, since you seem concerned about it not connecting with the EU, while I would say the more relevant point is that AOTC has a greater connection to the overall saga than TPM, which is more akin to a prologue like The Hobbit.

AOTC is the more substantial film. It's also more experimental and by that token more artistically bold. There are so many reasons why a large contingent of fans rank AOTC over TPM that it baffles me that people find that so surprising. I guess what it comes down to is the fact that -- speculatively -- people who dislike the film typically miss out on little details that enrich the viewing experience for those who appreciate it, because to them the flaws obfuscate the finer qualities of the film that others apparently see. It pretty much renders any argument in favor of them meaningless, because they can't intellectually, or even viscerally come to terms with anything of value being derived from something so completely subpar in their eyes.

While a close-minded response to the film, it's still valid. My problem comes into play when AOTC > TPM is dismissed entirely because one simply can't wrap their mind around something so completely foreign to them. It's just insulting to those who express perfectly valid opinions that run contrary to their own and adds little value to the discussion.

 

The original film is really only "boring" if one is searching for constant, non-stop action with no lull. It's not just because it's the first, and it's not remotely a "cult" following, it's widely recognized as an objectively great piece of filmmaking. I don't think it's fair to accuse the only film in the series to be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay of being as acclaimed as it is predominately because "it's the first." It's not like people watched it when it came out and thought, "Huh, kind of dull, but boy am I excited for the next one! Let's turn it into a cultural phenomenon just for the laughs."

 

You have a right to say its boring, and you have a right to say its overrated as that's your opinion. But to say that The Original Star Wars has a cult following? It is one of the highest grossing movies of all-time, and when it was re-released in 1997, it outgrossed ESB & ROTJ combined. That's not a cult movie, that's a widely popular movie!

Bladerunner is a movie that is a cult movie.

 

Well this is real easy.

TESB is the most over-rated as great as it is and AOTC is the most under-rated as great as it is.

All the movies are widely popular and wildly too. That is why they are still all selling to this day with the BD`s of the saga as a whole and each trilogy usually around or in the top 100 sellers. Quite often like recently all were in the top 40 (even top 20) current sellers.

 

Honestly, that has nothing to do with my answer so again I don't know why you need to incorporate talking about all of the movies in EVERY post you make??? He was claiming The Original SW was a cult movie, and I don't think he honestly understood what a cult movie was, so that is why I talked about the popularity of The Original SW. Bladerunner is a perfect example of a cult movie.

I just want to make sure if you answer me again, I was just talking about the Original SW, and it had nothing to do with the Sequels or Prequels.....

 

The overrated is a simple one. The Empire Strikes Back. The best one of the saga, my butt, just as good as the other five.

 

Shouldn't it be, the other 5 are just as good as ESB?

 

Underrated - Revenge of the Sith. I see a lot of people just group in in the "awful" prequels (something I don't really believe) when I think if they stepped back and looked at the movie as a its own thing, they will see one of the best movies in the Saga.

Overrated - Return of the Jedi. I love this film...as I love all of the Star Wars films, but I think its much weaker than many of the other films.

 

Overrated: Revenge of the Sith. People rate it as the best, or above most 2 or all of the OT and I can't fathom it. It's marginally better than the first two prequels at best.

And I'm not mindless Prequel hater. I have lots of nostalgia for them and see merit in all three. But I can't bring myself to say any of them are GOOD films.

Underrated: Return of the Jedi: I've noticed more and more revisionist hatred for this as years go on and it reeks of insincerity. It's not a perfect film, but neither are A New Hope or *GASP*...The Empire Strikes Back.

 

Overrated: ESB, because everyone seems to consider that one 'the best', and I just don't see it

Underrated: Attack of the Clones, because I think it's Star Wars film, but a lot of people consider it to be... not that.

 

The Phantom Menace=Most Underrated
-Well made movie IMO besides a few parts

And I cant really think of any movie that is overrated. I think Empire is spectacular and all the hype it gets is deserved

 

Underrated - all the PT, especially as far as acting is concerned. The best performances of the entire saga (IMO of course) came from Ewan, Harrison and Ian. Everyone else ranges from OK to very good (major roles of course).

 

episode 2 - attack of the clones.. so underrated and un-deservingly hated on in my opinion. it was the first one i saw so i guess i am really bias to it. some people say it doesnt "feel like a star wars movie" compared to the other five and i dont know why. and in my opinion, there is no overrated star wars movie, we all have a personal favorite that we hold over the other movies!

 

Return of the Jedi is the most underrated, because it's considered the worst of the original trilogy, I consider it the best. Revenge of the Sith is overrated, because even though it is the best of the prequels, it's still awful.

 

Underrated: ANH. Han has a character arc, Luke is an underdog against the technological might of the Empire, Tatooine and Yavin are beautiful, Tarkin is an excellent villain, Vader is seen by the Empire as the wierdo that he is, Vader seems to still follow part of his Jedi honor code.

Overrated: ESB. Vader suddenly has a different personality and position in the Empire, Yoda is dressed like a Tatooine moisture farmer, Han doesn't have a character arc, Cloud City rehashes Hoth, Vader chokes people just for failing him.

 

One of my good friends was talking with me about New Hope the other day and he was saying that if you just consider IV on it's own, Vader isn't really the bad guy in the movie. "He's this guy that they... keep around.... he's a failed experiment so to speak."

 

I was curious, just wondering how does Cloud City rehash Hoth?


Trivially, ESB feels the most real to me of the six films.

 

Rebels hide there, Empire finds them and invades, the Falcon escapes

 

Ah, gotcha.

I can see the similarity, but I find the emotional punch of the main characters betrayal on Cloud City distinguishes it a lot. They have been facing one problem after another for the whole film, then just when you think they are safe their "haven" is actually a delivery directly to Vader. It's depressing, and well done.

 

Overrated,Empire strikes back.

Underrated, Attack of the clones

 

Overrated: Phantom Menace--about 10% of the film is good

Underrated: Revenge of the Sith

 

For me, feeling real is bad in this context. Star Wars isn't supposed to feel real.

 

Disagree with the pacing. I think AOTC has the worst pacing out of the 6.

 

Overrated? - Ask me again in three days

Underrated? - Definitely A New Hope considering what I believe qualifies as a lack of respect of current productions like Rebels towards the "iconography" of ANH.

 

I would say over-rated would describe Episode III, IMO. I guess I suffer the opposite affect of the long-term fans, I only got heavily into SW as an adult. So I'd already absorbed "second-hand smoke" if you will over the years of people saying Sith was the best prequel, or even one of the best over-all. Both in terms of the box office and critical reviews it could be considered among the best of the six, with many critics calling it "the best Lucas directed" (which I fervently disagree with). I guess if high expectations caused people to hate Phantom in '99, high expectations caused me to be disappointed with both III and V, though that's not really fair, it's not the movies' faults, but it is what happened to me.

I just don't like III, for a large number of reasons. Grievous was just like Maul: very cool, could have been awesome, but lacked any presence, no development and then killed as soon as he's introduced. All style, no substance; all sizzle no steak. I could just as easily compare it to VI: an extremely emotional and rewarding second half but overall not that great of a movie.

I always say that ranking the movies is useless since "my least favorite SW movie is still my sixth-favorite movie ever", and I know that's true for a lot of fans, but still, Episode III kind of sucks.

That's not to say there's not good things about it, I love Lars and Beru holding baby Luke, I love Anakin's shaggy hair - compared to his close crop in II it makes him look more evil. I love seeing him shirtless with his robot arm visible, a foreshadowing of what Vader will become. I like R2's antics with the comlink but at the same time hate him "fighting" the battle droids, it's ridiculous, that's not what R2 is "for". I love all the links between IV, simply because IV is my favorite of the saga.

And as much as I like the majority of the final battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan, I found the conclusion incredibly underwhelming. One swipe and all Anakin's limbs are gone, he burns up simply because he's sliding down gravel.... THAT'S IT?!??! THAT'S THE END OF STAR WARS!??! The build up is so intense, from Anakin crying with the volcanos erupting around him, choking Padme then offering her the universe just like he did to Luke in V, and this crazy duel that's the best fight scene ever, swinging around like pirates... then CHOP, BURN, VADER. That's it?!?!? So much wasted potential.

Maybe this is weird, but I've often said one of the reasons I love Episode II so much is because Anakin is so freaking creepy, everything about the way he acts around Padme and looks at her to the bizarre things he says to her that aren't romantic or sexy at all just fits so well, he's an unstable weirdo and that's exactly what I'd expect of a teenager Vader. However in Episode III the creepy stalker factor is way toned down, which I understand since so many people hated it, but I liked it, and I wish that he still acted that way around her in III.

So yes, perhaps it's not fair and if I could do it again I would live in sensory deprivation and have never heard the word "Star Wars" before viewing the movies but ultimately all the hype caused me to be let down. I feel the opposite of the majority, III is my least favorite prequel and my least favorite of the 4 that Lucas directed.