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Saga Rank the Star Wars films, TPM to Rogue One (Locked- Use New Thread)

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by anakinfansince1983 , Dec 20, 2016.

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Which film is your favorite?

  1. Episode I: The Phantom Menace

    12 vote(s)
    4.5%
  2. Episode II: Attack of the Clones

    7 vote(s)
    2.6%
  3. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

    59 vote(s)
    22.1%
  4. Episode IV: A New Hope

    42 vote(s)
    15.7%
  5. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

    94 vote(s)
    35.2%
  6. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

    22 vote(s)
    8.2%
  7. Episode VII: The Force Awakens

    16 vote(s)
    6.0%
  8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    15 vote(s)
    5.6%
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  1. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    What is this thread for?

    As the title said. Rank the Star Wars films in order from your personal favorite to your least personal favorite.

    Alienware has been cool enough in the past to track the widely varying range of taste among this forum's posters.

    How long will this thread remain open and stickied?

    Until the next Star Wars movie is released or I have to break up fights that everyone here is too damn old to be having (meaning, old enough to be posting here). Please let the former come first.

    Rules:

    1. Rank the movies. You may explain your rankings if you would like. Or don't if you would rather not.

    2. Don't be an ***hole. People whose taste is different from yours, still have taste. Or maybe they don't, but that is none of your business nor your prerogative to point it out. Discuss the films, not the fans.

    3. No trilogy wars or basher/gusher wars. See rule #2.

    Happy ranking.
     
  2. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    I only just saw Rogue One last night, and I loved it but not as much as IV-VII. However, the more I think about it the more I like it, so who knows? Future viewings might boost it a bit over RotJ for me, but for now my rankings stand as:

    1. The Empire Strikes Back
    2. A New Hope
    3. The Force Awakens
    4. Return of the Jedi
    5. Rogue One
    6. Revenge of the Sith
    7. Attack of the Clones
    8. The Phantom Menace
     
  3. Jedi Master Scorpio

    Jedi Master Scorpio Star Wars Television star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 24, 2015
    I'll participate.
    1. ESB (Still the benchmark for me anyway)
    2. Rogue One
    3.ANH
    4.ROTJ
    5.TFA
    6.ROTS
    7.TPM
    8.AOTC

    I was very surprised how much I loved Rogue One. I don't know what it is about it, but it just worked for me. Which is why I ranked it where I did.
     
  4. Bee Bee

    Bee Bee Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 23, 2015
    - Rogue One was alright but felt a little off. It was a visual spectacle but lacked a lot of the fun and charm of past movies. I might change my mind when I see it a second time. - - I've come to appreciate ROTS a lot more when I watched it again recently.
    - ROTJ has dropped some lately. The great moments that I remember all seem to be at the very beginning and end of the movie with a weak middle that left me kind of bored.
    - TESB still tops my list but I'm hopeful that Episode 8 will challenge it.

    1. TESB - 10/10
    2. ANH - 9.5/10
    3. TFA - 8.5/10
    4. ROTS - 8/10
    5. R1 - 7.5/10
    6. ROTJ - 7.5/10
    7. AOTC - 6.5/10
    8. TPM - 6/10
     
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  5. Wrenegade

    Wrenegade Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 8, 2015
    At the moment:
    ROTS
    RO
    ESB
    TFA
    ROTJ
    ANH
    TPM
    AOTC

    Also, anakinfansince1983 , is this thread going to have a poll like the George Lucas films and TPM to TFA threads do?
     
  6. Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2015
    Haven't seen it yet but this is my estimated ranking

    ROTS
    ESB
    TPM
    RO
    AOTC
    ANH
    ROTJ
    TFA

    We will see how accurate this is when I see it. :p
     
  7. Empress Shatterpoint

    Empress Shatterpoint Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2013
    1)ROTS


    2)AOTC
    3)ESB

    4)ROTJ

    5)ANH
    6)TPM









    7)R1

    8)TFA

    This is how I'd rank them, with space between rankings illustrating the quality gap I perceive in these movies. I enjoy all 6 Lucas movies, yet ROTS is the only one I'd mark as a Star Wars masterpiece.

    I did not like TFA and found R1 only slightly more tolerable(yet still un-engaging) because of the superior world-building. I was mostly unimpressed with the characterization in TFA and R1, but on a positive note, R1 gave me a newfound respect for Rey and Finn. As much as I cringe at the execution of their arcs so far, at least I like the idea of them enough to be interested in their future journeys. Well, at least I console myself knowing that all R1 heroes died with the pulverized planet so I won't be bored with them in other movies.
     
  8. grd4

    grd4 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 11, 2013
    The Genre Masterpieces

    1. Revenge of the Sith - (Lucas's best offering since THX; one of the most exquisitely operatic works in world cinema.)
    2. The Empire Strikes Back - (Kershner lends SW Greek dimensions, and the result is sublime.)
    3. A New Hope - (Is there a more beautifully-realized celluloid fairy tale?)

    The Rest

    4. The Phantom Menace - (Wherein a few admittedly glaring flaws weaken an otherwise innovative, dazzling intro.)
    5. Rogue One - (The script isn't any more remarkable than that of TFA's, but the disparity between the pedestrian work of Abrams and the elegance of Edwards is stark.)
    6. Attack of the Clones - (Wherein Lucas's worst predilections vie with his most esteemed.)
    7. Return of the Jedi - (The Saga deserved a better wrap-up than this tired paint-by-numbers entry.)
    8. The Force Awakens - (The worst kind of sequel...a lazy one.)
     
  9. jimkenobi

    jimkenobi Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 19, 2014
    1) ROTS
    2) ANH
    3) AOTC
    4) TPM
    5) TESB
    6) ROTJ
    7) TFA
    8) R1

    TFA and R1 may switch pending future rumination, but that's where I'm at right now.
     
  10. Evening Star

    Evening Star Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 18, 2015
    ESB (Everything has already been said about this movie. I got nothing to add. But four of my favorite SW characters are in it, among other things.)

    ROTS (Beautiful in every aspect. I could watch it hundreds of times and never get bored with it. It also has my favorite character becoming, well, my favorite character. :p)

    RO (I need to watch it again. And again and again... The most emotional one out of all 8 movies. I'd say I'm pretty much in love with it.)

    ANH (The movie that started it all.)

    TPM (Visually, the most beautiful one of the prequels. It's very dear to me for some reason.)

    ROTJ=AOTC (Absolutely love all the DS scenes in ROTJ. But there are parts of it that I like a little bit less... As for AOTC, again it's visually very beautiful, but still my least favorite of the prequels. Can't tell exactly why. [face_thinking] )

    TFA (Seen it three times so far. Tried to like it, but it's still a big disappointment for me. I liked Kylo Ren and that's pretty much it.)
     
  11. Alienware

    Alienware Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 19, 2013
    I'll gladly keep doing it. :)

    Rankings data can be found here (it's always up to date): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QK6BUQzjHitZA9bjodjb0mHhf_d6JDMOa3KxmVWh08o/pubhtml

    I already document any ranking that I encounter anywhere on the forum, which is why there's a link to every user's ranking if you click his or her name in the 'Ranking Data' tab (you can check your own ranking to see if I've made a mistake). Most of the current rankings are from the Rogue One forum thread. As always, I'll periodically post the results and interesting stats, but I'll wait until we get the some more rankings from this thread.

    Can someone please post a ranking with Episode II on top. =((
     
  12. darkspine10

    darkspine10 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2014
    1. The Phantom Menace - 10/10
    2. Attack of the Clones - 9/10
    3. Revenge of the Sith - 9/10
    4. The Empire Strikes Back - 8/10
    5. The Clone Wars - 7/10
    6. Rogue One - 7/10
    7. Return of the Jedi - 7/10
    8. A New Hope - 6/10
    9. The Force Awakens - 4/10
     
  13. medioCORE

    medioCORE Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2012
    This is tough...

    1) The Empire Strikes Back (10/10)
    2) A New Hope (10/10)
    3) The Force Awakens (9.5/10)
    4) Rogue One (9/10)
    5) Return of the Jedi (8/10)
    6) Revenge of the Sith (6/10)
    7) The Phantom Menace (5/10)
    8) Attack of the Clones (3/10)
     
  14. squir1y

    squir1y Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 1, 2003
    1. The Empire Strikes Back
    I just don't think there's a more grand and profound fantasy in cinema history. My all time favorite movie.

    2. Return of the Jedi
    Despite some predictable and lazy writing, the production of this movie is a prime example of doing the absolute best with what you're given. And haters be damned, I like the Ewoks.

    3. A New Hope
    I can't think of another movie that was as engrossing as the first time I saw this. It has my favorite film ending of all time. Although I would love to edit my own version of it.

    4. Rogue One
    This was an extremely satisfying movie and the most fun, intense movie theater experience I've had since The Dark Knight. I don't think the OT can be topped, but at the very least, this is as good.

    5. Revenge of the Sith
    Another very thrilling chapter. Stylistically, i think it's George Lucas' masterpiece. Ewan McGregor and John Williams are the real stars here for me.

    6. The Force Awakens
    It's repetitious and predictable story along with a serious lack of exposition really brought this one down. But it had likable characters and enough good things to give me hope that future installments will make this one more enjoyable.

    7. The Phantom Menace
    When it's good, its a fun adventure movie. When it's not, there's always the fast forward button.

    8. Attack of the Clones
    I really hope an extended cut of this is released one day. All the scenes cut from this weren't exactly well acted, but they added so much more character to Anakin, Padme and Dooku. Without all that, along with the stiff dialogue, we're left with a very emotionally sterile piece of work. The Clone War was cool though.
     
    grand_admiral_ewok likes this.
  15. Guest01

    Guest01 Jedi Padawan

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2015
    I gotta say, I truly enjoyed Rogue One. It was just awesome. What a fantastic way to tie into ANH.

    1. A New Hope
    2. Empire
    3. ROTJ
    4. The Force Awakens
    5. Rogue One
    6. Revenge of the Sith
    7. Attack of the Clones
    8. The Phantom Menace
     
  16. Ubraniff Zalkaz

    Ubraniff Zalkaz Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2014
    1. The Empire Strikes Back
    2. A New Hope
    3. Return of the Jedi
    4. The Force Awakens
    5. Rogue One
    6. Attack of the Clones
    7. The Phantom Menace
    8. Revenge of the Sith
     
  17. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Poll added.

    Now my current rankings, because I LOVED Rogue One, and TFA has not aged well for me.

    Return of the Jedi
    Empire Strikes Back
    A New Hope
    Rogue One
    Attack of the Clones
    The Force Awakens
    The Phantom Menace
    Revenge of the Sith
     
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  18. BoromirsFan

    BoromirsFan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 16, 2010
    Sith (Sith is the Star Wars film that blew my mind the way the original did for many in 1977)

    Empire (It never gets old, and will probably will always be my lucky #2)

    ---This gets hard----

    Jedi (My love for Sith and Empire helps make the conclusion more rewarding, but I wished it moved along at a better pace in some parts)

    Menace (This film is weird. A hybrid between old and new technology, the cast is different from AOTC and ROTS, but it contains many gems like Maul and Qui Gon. Exciting set pieces and a heartbreaking farewell from mother and son to master and apprentice)

    Clones (I love the mystery and the sleek futuristic aspects that Kamino brings to the film. I just wish it was a bit shorter, removing some excesses and bringing in the better deleted scenes. It has some great set pieces but the last duel is a let down between the human characters. Yoda is cool but his duels never really accomplish anything)

    Hope (Why did I place this film last of the original six? I don't hate this film at all. I just love what the other films built upon it. I like more lightsabers, aliens and planets. The film lacks this and focuses on Luke and the death star without much of the force. It's a magnificent film, but I watch it whole and almost never in pieces. The other five I frequently love to rewatch certain scenes or setpieces but I think ANH needs the full movie time to bask in it's glow.)

    ---This is easy---

    Rogue (It's better than the 2015 predecessor. Having only seen it once I need more time for it to sink in. It's fun and enjoyable but it lacks depth. Perhaps the substance was lost on the cutting room floor, but honestly I think making this into a team film saved this from becoming a travesty, A fun piece of fluff filler to fit into the OT)

    Awakens (It's dull and lazy. The setpieces don't excite. The saber combat is flailing around wildly. I guess it's too much work to choreograph good sword work when you have these films firing off every year...I don't care about the new characters, I care about the originals.

    And they make this film work. At least Han does. Just having his presence makes this film enjoyable for me so I can't hate it.
     
  19. Tho Yor

    Tho Yor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2001
    I am judging these by a mixture of subjective feelings and more considered, rational appreciation.

    1. Return of the Jedi - WHAAAAAT, you say? I know it's got major flaws, and that many fans don't speak of it in the same breath as ESB and ANH. Those two are objectively better films by a great measure. But for me, this is the most fun. I love it dearly. I first watched the trilogy as an 11-year-old via the 1997 re-release, so I saw them with a gap of a couple of months between each other, and got to experience this as the big finale with the father-son-emperor fight and the green lightsaber. The Endor confrontation has such powerful emotion to it, and I have always found the Jabba's palace stuff to be hilarious monster fun. My worn out VHS tape is testament to all this.

    2. The Empire Strikes Back - rationally this is probably the best SW film. Tonally it is so innovative (and now how many times do you hear studios saying 'the second one's gonna be darker, like Empire'!), it builds on the world of the first movie in new and unexpected ways, and Luke's internal and external struggle is so damn captivating. On first viewing I was dumbfounded that a movie could end on a cliffhanger.

    3. A New Hope - blown away on first viewing, as a kid I re-watched this least, perhaps because it is the most visibly "old", and also because of the slow opening in the dune sea. But in later years I've come to appreciate it so much more, because of its 70s charm, its frenetic and untamed energy (which is even palpable in JW's score), and the way it all builds so beautifully to the unmatched Battle of Yavin. All the other movies stand on the shoulders of this one.

    4. Rogue One - if you'd told me a week ago that this new spin-off movie would end up so high in my list, I'd have laughed. I was stunned by how much I enjoyed this film. Compelling, original characters who I grew to care about very quickly, joining together to take desperate action. An amazing battle with such real stakes. Dat ending! This film somehow went and made ANH even better. Wow.

    5. Revenge of the Sith - this movie has so many things that I love about it. Palpatine finally making his pitch to Anakin and revealing himself, building to the fight with Mace and Order 66, was just sublime. Anakin's turn worked really well. Ewan McGregor made Obi-Wan his own--he's who I think of now, more than Alec Guinness. But I find a lot of the film difficult to watch - from General Grievous to the Yoda-Sidious duel, it's empty digital action.

    6. The Phantom Menace - as a thirteen-year-old I found it fun. I still think it has real charm (especially as the only prequel shot on film). The Tatooine sequence is mythic, heartfelt Star Wars. Jake Lloyd's Anakin is really likeable, and Qui-Gon and Padme are great new characters. Sidious's machinations are also interesting, and the fights with Darth Maul are awesome. It's the Naboo vs Trade Federation stuff that is a chore for me.

    7. The Force Awakens - the first half of this movie was so promising. But I was so underwhelmed once it became clear that there was nothing more to it than a reset of the galaxy to neo-rebels vs an Empire tribute act. It is fun, the new characters are likeable enough, the family story is compelling, and the emotional moments ring true (something both JJ and Kasdan are skilled at). But fundamentally, I didn't feel like I gained anything new from this film.

    8. Attack of the Clones - remember when Spielberg said this was his favourite since Empire? I kinda liked it at the time. The concept of this movie and the things it tries to achieve are imaginative and interesting. It just ain't that fun to watch.
     
  20. ezekiel22x

    ezekiel22x Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    1. AOTC - the emotional core of the saga for me. The inner landscapes are varied and complex, and the outer fantastic and oftentimes beautiful.

    2. ROTS - Star Wars in its most epic form. Immense spectacle, achieved in large part because of the character foundation that bravely explores ideas of human frailty.

    3. ANH - Lived-in perfection. Not just because of the used future aesthetic, but because the pacing and mood of the Tatooine sections are developed in such a manner that you really do believe in Luke and his world.

    4. ESB - A different look for SW in some respects, a little less fantastic, while perhaps paradoxically feeling more "staged" compared to the world of its predecessor, both in terms of the backdrops and the character interaction, but a great movie nonetheless.

    5. TPM - more like a prologue in some ways, or even something close to a standalone. But that's why its so unique. Just delightful, with some hints of darkness in all the right places.

    6. ROTJ - anything with Luke/Vader is just fantastic, making up for the manner in which the film lacks imagination in other respects. And I like Ewoks!

    7. R1 - perfectly adequate franchise extension. Characterization is too thin for my tastes, but the action is fun and the world-building well done.

    8. TFA - the only Star Wars movie I don't care for. Main characters seem more at home in a 30 minute cartoon environment. Story and world-building are incredibly lazy. Action is dull and perfunctory.
     
  21. Zejo the Jedi

    Zejo the Jedi Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 16, 2016
    1.Revenge of the Sith
    2.The Empire Strikes Back
    3.A New Hope
    4.Rogue One
    5.Return of the Jedi
    6.The Phantom Menace
    7.Attack of the Clones
    8.The Force Awakens
    TFA was my 4th favorite, then 6th and now it's my least favorite.
    It's painfully unoriginal.
     
  22. Metellos

    Metellos Jedi Padawan

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2013
    1. A New Hope
    2. The Empire Strikes Back
    3. Revenge of the Sith
    4. Rogue One
    5. Return of the Jedi
    6. The Force Awakens
    7. The Phantom Menace
    8. Attack of the Clones
     
  23. Strongbow

    Strongbow Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 6, 2014
    1. TESB (The near-perfect Star Wars movie. Could have used an epic space battle. :) )
    2. ANH (The Original!!)
    3. TFA (Fun, exciting. Great Characters, looks great, fantastic music. I enjoy it a little more every time I see it)
    4. R1 (The Star Wars war movie many of us have wanted for decades)
    5/6. ROTJ/ROTS (both are great movies with serious flaws)
    7. AOTC (Some very good moments spoiled by some utterly wretched moments)
    8. TPM (a few bits of awesome sauce spoiled by mounds of poodoo)
     
  24. Pensivia

    Pensivia Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2013
    First viewing of R1 was today! Liked it quite a bit on a first viewing, and already planning a 2nd as I feel I missed _a lot_ the first time around. But my immediate ranking is as follows. My overall order has not changed since TFA was released, except that now there's yet another film ahead of it:p:

    ROTS
    ESB
    ROTJ
    ANH
    TPM
    AOTC

    RO








    TFA
     
  25. Darth Nerdling

    Darth Nerdling Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 20, 2013
    I come to you in the gravest of circumstances. The Saga forums have been invaded by the forces of the Star Wars anthology films, and I will not defer my motion to allow a commission to explore the validity my accusations. I have come before you to resolve this attack on the sovereignty on the Saga forums now. If this body is incapable of action, I suggest new leadership is needed. I move for a vote of no confidence in anakinfan's modding of this thread!


    As the votes of no confidence in Anakinfan's modding are being tabulated, I will post my list in the meantime, though I am doing so in part as a statement of protest.

    After a single viewing of Rogue One:

    ROTS/TESB
    ROTJ
    ANH
    R1
    TPM


    ATOC



    TFA

    On future viewings, it may move up to equal ANH or possibly down, but I don't think it'll be as re-watchable as ANH, in part because I don't know the characters as well, and it's a 1 and done film.

    It also works well for me. My favorite 5 Star Wars films all follow 1 another in order (ROTS to ROTJ), so I don't have to sit through a film that I think is just okay when I marathon my favorites!
     
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