ST Where do you rank TFA?

At some stage, between 2nd and 3rd viewings, I would go so far as to claim that TFA is the best Star Wars film ever made.

Now, I am leaning towards number 2, after the masterful The Empire Strikes Back (which is flawless in tone, imagery, memorable scenes, quotable dialogue, and boasts the most bad-ass and iconic movie villain ever)

TFA is infinitely superior to the entire PT, and easily ahead of ROTJ.

Now, I can see why some would maybe place it below ANH, but for me, TFA beats it. ANH, even as the masterpiece of fantasy cinema that it is, falls a bit flat after the opening scene ends and almost until our heroes reach Moss Eisley. TFA has superior acting, pacing, dialogue and I would also claim this: a better villain! I know, I know, calm down, I will explain myself. Darth Vader is nowhere near fully developed in the first film. Outside of two scenes, he is not much more a henchman. It's only by TESB that he becomes what we all admire so much. Kylo Ren on the other hand, is well developed within TFA itself. We see his passion, ruthlessness, insecurities, weaknesses, cunning, all in the first film. We are also set up for further development for future films. I also love his mask, and his voice is spot on, a cross between Darth Vader and Bane, with the enunciation being very clear and precise.

So, for now, my list goes like this:

The Empire Strikes Back
The Force Awakens
Star Wars: A New Hope

Return of the Jedi

[considerable gap]

Revenge of the Sith
Attack of the Clones
The Phantom Menace

 

Third. I feel that this was a massive improvement over the prequels but the acting and story does not compare to Empire Strikes Back.

 

How much I actually enjoy watching them:
ROTJ
ANH
ESB
TFA
TPM
ROTS
AOTC

Actual quality of film:
ESB
ANH
ROTJ
TFA
ROTS
TPM
AOTC

As a 'Star Wars film' (how it stands within the saga, what's shown and how does that contribute to the overall mythology etc)
ESB
ROTJ
ANH
AOTC
ROTS
TPM
TFA

It might seem dumb, but I do make these distinctions.

 

Pondscum , I fail to understand how TFA does not contribute to the saga.... it has presented a new generation of heroes and foes ... and also killed the most beloved character of the saga !

Also, a new kind of gray jedi is arising from TFA, it will change the whole concept of how Force users relate to it. A new type of dark lord is presented, one that is not a Sith.

Of course, I agree that since it was the first episode of a single story, many points are still left, more or less like what happened at the end of ESB.

 

Normally I don't do this, but TFA is tied with ESB for me as my most favorite. Both are classics in my eyes.

I can't decide upon which one I like better lol

 

Clearly it does contribute and I take your points. But watching the films chronologically, quality aside and glazing over technical discrepancy between ROTS and ANH, it feels like each film builds on or explores concepts introduced earlier while having its own distinct voice. TFA feels so strange to me as part of the sequence. Aside from a few choice plot elements, it didn't feel like a logical, natural or particularly interesting progression.

Of course I might eat my words come episode IX when things have played out, but I feel like TFA is always going to stick out to me as one long homage that happens to introduce (and do away with) some great characters.

 

After a long hiatus, I saw TFA for the last time in a local theater. And man. It's a great film, and better than I remembered. I think taking it apart analytically, here on these boards, slowly began building some critiques in my mind that I didn't have originally. While some of those remain, on an intellectual level, watching the film again wiped those away on an emotional/ impressionistic level. There's just some wonderful symbolism in this film, great uses of color, and characters that I simply care for. I also noticed how Rey is much, much more vulnerable than discussion here would have you think. She is uncertain for much of the film, and she's battered and bruised at many turns. There is little about her that even comes close to the "Mary Sue" critique.

And my new favorite scene is Rey, despairing over Finn's seemingly dead body, in the cold dark forest, followed by the unlooked-for bright light. Chewie, piloting the Falcon. Has a very similar effect to the eagles appearing at the end of ROTK, and the end of the first Hobbit film (though in this case, it is emotionally much stronger than the latter scene in the Hobbit). And the ending with Luke remains as my favorite ending to any Star Wars product. Period.

I now rank the films like so:

1. ESB
2. TFA/ ANH (dead heat, with TFA edging ahead a little)
3. ROTJ
4. TPM
5. AOTC
6. ROTS

 

The Evidence suggest beyond a reasonable doubt :

1. TESB
2. ANH
3. TFA
4. ROTJ
5. ROTS
6. AOTC
7. TPM

 

ANH
TESB

ROTS

AOTC/ROTJ
TFA
TPM

 

Hm. I always thought you ranked TPM higher than that.

 

This is where I am at the moment.

 

No... but I'm being generous to TFA from my perspective. I'd probably put TPM and TFA on a par, for different reasons. What TPM does wrong TFA does right and visa versa.

 

It's tied as my 2nd personal favorite with RotS....

 

Voted for 2nd, but it really is tied with ESB for first.
(although judging by the barrage of negativity on the internet for TFA, feel like i'm a minority on my stance)

 

Me. TCW made me like AOTC more.

 

I rank it 3rd.
NH
ROTJ
TFA

 

The bandwagon "OVERATTED!!!1" people that attach themselves to any critically/financially successful film aren't indicative of the majority opinion. (and before somebody inevitably says it; no, I'm not saying that all people who dislike the film are like this). Films like Gravity, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Force Awakens are quality films (at the very least on an extraordinary technical level) despite what "plot-holes" teenagers find .

 

Okay, here is the complete ranking for me:
1. ANH / TESB
2. TFA / ROTJ
3. Attack of the Clones
4. The Phantom Menace
5. Revenge of the Sith.
I foresee watching TFA a lot, and more than the other movies. ANH is the one I watch the most, while I want watching TESB to feel more like an event where I have to feel the drama and suspense. Watching ANH feels more like watching Star Wars for fun.
Yes, I'm one of those few with that ordering of the prequels. AOTC is higher because I just liked the experience, the structure of a mystery, and the anticipation and all the new stuff that is learned, even though there was a lot to be desired. The music is my favorite of the trilogy. TPM is higher than ROTS because I was still left with hope and wonder.

 

So pretty much everyone here liked TFA then? Are you thinking that VIII is going to be good?

 

After watching ROTJ again I am contend in saying that TFA ranks below. Starkiller Base is just as dumb as the Ewok traps and them defeating the best legion of the Empire. The rest of the story is far more concise and logical than the plot of TFA, where even the premise of having to find Luke is confusing.

 

I rank "favorites", not so much on artistic merit. That is subjective. I also don't rank based on realism or simply on storyline.

 

Interesting! I had the exact opposite reaction after watching ROTJ two days ago. For example, most of the scenes on Endor, IMO, pale in comparison to nearly everything in TFA. They feel so thin, and stretched (and silly, but not in a fun way). And Ford and Fisher seem to be going through the motions without much enthusiasm. Not how I remembered it.

Though this may be because "concision and logic" are not the most important elements of a film for me (as I agree that the film is generally concise...and logical). I approach film with an impressionistic mindset. From that foundation, TFA is awash in both pure cinema, and pure emotion. As a previous skeptic of Abrams' abilities, I think he really found his voice with this film.

 

I noticed that the complaints about Han being too tame seem overblown to me, I think he got a nice character arc and I have no complaints about Ford's acting. Carrie is a bit weak as far as acting goes I admit.

What ROTJ also helped me with was understanding why I have an iffy feeling about Leia in TFA. One reason is Carrie unfortunately and the other that she is not really written like Leia. Especially that "same jacket" line. It may be good for a chuckle but it seems out of character. Also the whole "bring my son back" is kinda pathetic compared to ROTJ Leia who takes charge. This Leia just stands back and lets others do the hard work.

I find both movies entertaining and both have characters that I enjoy a lot. But I also want a movie to "be" about something and TFA is just about finding Luke which for some nebulous reason is the most important thing in the universe. In ROTJ we know exactly why the protagonists do everything they do.

 

Fair enough. I'm just OK with nebulousness. In fact, I love that element of myth and fantasy. There's so much mysticism surrounding Luke, and so many questions. I mean, the very question you're asking raises myriad possibilities. After all, why is finding him so incredibly important to both the good guys, and the bad guys? What is he capable of to inspire such a relentless search? Does this not imply that there is something very extraordinary about who he is now? And doesn't that make you want to see the next film...yesterday?

It's just such an intriguing way to kick things off. Creating more questions than we began with!

 

Do you really think that this will pay off in some sort of grand way?

And no it doesn't make me that curious because I've seen some of ALIAS and Lost. I've seen the strings behind the puppet. I'm more intrigued by the stuff that was just a tiny detail like the church of the force or "show me the power of the darkside again". But the Luke mystery + Rey mystery is overhyped.