Saga Favorite Star Wars film and Why (Revised)

I honestly consider Revenge of the Sith a masterpiece.

 

ANH

It's the most fun, and most defines what Star Wars is supposed to be, to me.

 

Revenge of the sith. Best lightsaber battles throughout the saga with Battle of the heors.

 

I feel kinda weird commenting without reading the whole thread, especially in a short one like this. But my top 2 is RotS and RotJ, with RotS being significantly higher. The main reason these two call to me the most is Anakin. I love Anakin's story and his characterization throughout. He falls to the lowest lows possible, yet returns to the hero he could've been when the galaxy needs him most. I have always recognized much of myself in Anakin, both the good and the bad. He is a tragedy but also evidence that you can always make the right decision and begin down the path to being a better person even if you have done evil. the other original 4 are all very close, with probably TPM being highest because of how it sets up Anakin and Palpatine. Both RotS and RotJ have a lot more going for them, like the death of Jabba and Grievious. The stunning space battles. The conversations between Luke and Vader and Obi Wan and Vader. Palpatine's machinations in both films. My least favorite is TFA, due to being to derivative for my tastes. But i am glad every film has atleast a couple votes. Every fan appreciates different things, and that is part of what is great about major fandoms. Everyone can enjoy it in their own unique way. I stand by my consistent stance that Art of all forms is inherently subjective and I think the differences in favorites helps illustrate that.

 

Truly, the first Star Wars movie is the epitome of a fun movie.

 

AotC my sweet sweet baby. I love the symbolism. I love that every scene is visually interesting. I Love Jonathan Hale alluding to his Young Indy episode. I love the nods to Spielberg’s conveyor belt in Minority Report. I love Hayden’s acting when he finds his mother. I love that it works as ring composition for both ESB and, strangely ANH. I love the score. There are a few movies I consider better than this one, but it’s the only one I would take if could only take one.

 

Clones has been my favorite since its release. I just love the various moods of the film, shifting from Blade Runner-esque SF melancholy to operate romance with tragic implications, all the while never losing sight of a pulp action core worthy of the 1977 original.

 

Episode: III-ROTS

IMO,
It did the best of combining the best aspects of the PT and OT all in one film.
The visuals were nothing short of amazing and you felt for the Jedi during Order 66.
John William's also delivered a top-notch score.

 

Love Episode III. I love politics, so that probably helps. But the opening half hour has some spectacular effects and visuals, its the film that joins the whole saga together, its a great film.

 

This is such a difficult question for me to answer, because I have two competing favourites which leapfrog one another, depending on my mood.

Revenge of the Sith should be my undeniable favourite, but it's just such a downer (even moreso after The Clone Wars went back and gave all of those slaughtered Jedi a backstory). I need to be in the right frame of mind for it; when I am, it's unbeatable, but sometimes I just don't have the emotional fortitude, y'know?

So I've voted for The Phantom Menace because it's just fun. Sure, it still has some powerful components to mull over (social ostracism, child slavery, the realisation that the Jedi Order wasn't all that great, political corruption, Qui-Gon's death, etc.) but the overall tone still manages to be upbeat and adventurous somehow. I'd also argue that it's the most wondrous Star Wars movie to date, with its imagination let loose and giving us some of the best spectacle shots (Otoh Gunga, Theed, the podrace arena, Coruscant). I've always got a big dumb grin on my face whenever I watch it, and that's worth a lot to me.

But yeah, then ask me again when I'm feelin' kinda angsty, and it'll be Revenge of the Sith. Argh, why can't we vote twice?!

 

ROTS is the only Star Wars film I will occasionally watch just on its own, like whenever I need a SW fix and I don't want to commit to the weeks it'll take for me to get thru the whole series and everything. To me that film embodies everything George Lucas Star Wars is all about comprehensively, and in all the best ways. Also, besides being incredibly epic, it serves as an effective connection to the Original Trilogy: not TOO exact, since there's 20 years in between, but just enough to set things right for the next installment. Also it's an emotionally moving film, a tragic story that represents a turning point in the overall saga. By the end you really get the sense that "things have changed now in the galaxy, and there's no going back to the way things were. Now there are dark days to come."

On top of that, the special effects-although somewhat dated in certain moments, like the Boga or certain shots in the opening battle sequence, are amazing-and still hold up to any CG-heavy film released even today. I would argue that the FX in ROTS still rivals even that of the most recent Marvel films! The sound editing is great (despite some flawed moments, but for such a complex film in terms of sound it's understandable), the costumes and makeup are amazing, and the score is IMO one of John William's best!

 

The highlighted is definitely true! Say what we will about certain pacing and character writing flaws or an overly childish tone, it definitely is a fun SW romp, that is a visual feast, GL style!! "Imagination let loose" is definitely a good way to describe it! And usually I'll only watch TPM when I watch the whole SW saga, so usually only twice a year on average-and whenever I'm watching it, I often look past the momentary flaws and realize about halfway thru how much I'm really enjoying myself!

Double Post, I know sorry-it was too late to edit...

 

I know a couple other folks who'll focus on the film's flaws when discussing it, then sit down to watch it and end up reacting more positively than you'd expect 'em to. If you can surrender yourself to the experience, it makes for some excellent escapism, if nothing else. Glad I found the right words to convey that feeling, thanks!

 

The best run is hands down, Episodes 3-4-5. My favourite changes periodically between these three. It's really unfair that ROTS gets a bad wrap because it's a prequel but to me it's really on par with A New Hope and Empire.

 

I’ve contemplated this so much, lol. I struggle between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. I voted for ESB. I’ve loved it since I saw it as a kid, the Hoth part in particular. Han and Chewy in the snow. Luke and tauntauns. The Falcon breaking down, Han and Chewy and their banter while trying to fix it, Vader coming in there, the whole Echo Base. The probe droid scanning. Those AT-ATs! AT-STs! Snowspeeders! I love the sounds, the way it looks, how the characters handle it… I’m getting giddy thinking about it, lol! I love how it all was featured in the N64 game Shadows of the Empire. It’s so awesome.

 

There used to be a constant battle between my top three, which are TPM, Rots and RotJ, but I think I have firmly settled on TPM. It's the most archetypally appealing of all the films, even more so than ANH, I think. While Battle of the Heroes is the most affecting duel on a personal level, Duel of the Fates is just an audiovisual and symbolic masterpiece that sets up the foundation for the entire saga.

 

Recently my top movies have been RotS, R1, ESB, and AotC. I think the top two are RotS and R1. Out of these, RotS would probably come out on top simply because it is more diverse.