ST Rank the Last Jedi among the SW films

It deserves a 4K UHD release and a sequel.

 

Here are my rankings with ratings this time:


1. Rogue One (2016)
2. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
3. Star Wars (1977)
4. Return of the Jedi (1983)
5. The Last Jedi (2017)
6. The Force Awakens (2015)
7. Solo (2018)
8. Rebels (2014 - 2018 animated tv series)
9. Ewoks (1985 - 1986 animated tv series)


10. Star Wars: Resistance (2018 animated tv series)
11. Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
12. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 - 2014 animated tv series)
13. Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984 tv movie)
14. Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985 tv movie)


15. The Phantom Menace (1999)
16. Attack of the Clones (2002)
17. Revenge of the Sith (2005)
18. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 animated movie)


19. Droids (1985 - 1986 animated tv series)
20. Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 - 2005 animated tv series)

 

Lately I've become nostalgic for the prequels, since those were the SW films being released while I was still just a kid. With that being said, I understand that they're technically inferior to the other films. Therefore, I've settled on two different rankings for the series now:

Objective Ranking (as a critic):
1.The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
2.Star Wars (1977)
3.Return of the Jedi (1983)
4.The Force Awakens (2015)
5.The Last Jedi (2017)
6.Solo (2018)
7.Rogue One (2016)
8.Revenge of the Sith (2005)
9.The Phantom Menace (1999)
10.Attack of the Clones (2002)

Subjective Ranking (as a fan):
1.Star Wars (1977)
2.The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
3.Return of the Jedi (1983)
4.The Phantom Menace (1999)
5.Revenge of the Sith (2005)
6.Attack of the Clones (2002)
7.The Force Awakens (2015)
8.The Last Jedi (2017)
9.Solo (2018)
10.Rogue One (2016)

 

1. Yub Nub, eee chop yub nub, coatee cha tu yub nub
2. A New Hope
3. Empire Strikes Back
4. Return of the Jedi
5. Rebels
6. Rogue One
7. Solo
8. Resistance, especially Neeku
9. The Force Awakens
10. The Last Jedi
11. place holder for episode 9
12. Clone Wars tv show
13. The Phantom Menace
14. Droids
15. Ewoks
16. Attack of the Clones
17. Revenge of the Sith
18. Caravan of Courage
19. Forces of Destiny
20. Clone Wars movie
21. The Star Wars Holiday Special

 

Change my mind again about the "critic ranking and fan ranking thing." Just watched huge chunks of the prequels again and... Yeah, they really don't hold up, sadly. It pains me to say that, cause I want to like them, and feel they take a lot of unfair heat, but I do think it's true that they really just aren't on the same caliber as any of the other films.

Therefore, my new and current ranking is:

1.Star Wars (1977)
2.The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
3.Return of the Jedi (1983)
4.The Force Awakens (2015)
5.Solo (2018)
6.The Last Jedi (2017)
7.Rogue One (2016)
8.The Phantom Menace (1999)
9.Revenge of the Sith (2005)
10.Attack of the Clones (2002)
11.The Clone Wars (2008)

I think that's pretty much a lock, for now. Looking forward to seeing where Episode IX lands on this scale later this year!

 

Here is my rankings..of late, with where I had them a year ago.

1. A New Hope (+2) - Always loved it, but of late I am really hankering for less not more - another side effect I think because of my number 10 placed movie.
2. Return of the Jedi (+1) - The ending of the Saga(IMO) - the third act is one of the best in cinematic history.
3. Empire Strikes Back (-2)
4. Rogue One - Gareth Edwards could make another movie as far as I am concerned.
5. Phantom Menace - Its 20 years old, and it has it own magic, first SW movie at that time in 16 years.
6. The Force Awakens - Just fast escapism.
7. Han Solo - I like the adventure aspects of it and seeing more of the universe from a non-Jedi perspective.
8. Revenge of the Sith - At the time when I first saw it, it was the best of the Prequels, now I watch it and see more of its glaring flaws.
9. Attack of the Clones - Admire its technical aspects, I think George caved to public opinion personally, ditched Lloyd, scaled back Jar jar, a 2nd act meant to be about falling in love- its cringe worthy. I love the ending though and Darth Tyrannous.
10 - The Last Jedi - IMO - a confused film that drops anything intriguing from TFA, concludes some things in a part two which feel like they belong in a part 3. It seems evident to me this trilogy is being whinged. I have only seen it all the way through twice, plus has fundamentally changed my spending habits towards Star Wars. More is not more. The size of the ship is ludicrous compared to anything else, it was like what you would come up with as a 5 year old, and then the baddies show up...but their ship is 50 times the size of the goodies. I cant make out what is happening to Star Wars - we are exactly where we were in A New Hope, except with less compelling characters. The baddies are massively over powered and out number them.

 

1. TPM
2. ANH
3. ESB
4. ROTS
5. ROTJ
6. Solo
7. TFA
8. AOTC
9. RO
10. TLJ

The last three are mainly there due to pacing; the top seven are ones I can watch at anytime, but the last three feel longer and drag a little more.

 

I wrote a similar post over on the Solo thread. But I honestly don't think I can ever see a day when the OT is going to be displaced from the top of my list. I've grown up with them, they are my whole childhood. Of course I enjoy films later in the series, but the originals are so engrained on me over this last 40 years and that’s the style and tone of the films that I like, that’s Star Wars to me.

The more I watch the latest films, the more I feel that the anthologies are adding something to the series as a whole. I like the direction they've taken and I hope the box office disappointment of Solo doesn't mean that they rethink these kind of films.

As for the ST I think that TLJ has fast become my least favourite. I feel that TFA set up the new trilogy perfectly, but TLJ has set it back as I don’t think it advanced the story that TFA looked to be setting up. I don’t think it set up the state of the galaxy well enough, I feel like I know nothing of the FO and their goals. I also think they misjudged the tone of the film too, in particular the overall humour and the pacing, in particular the Canto Bight detour and the boring slow chase in space. I wasn’t too keen on the choices they made that changed some of the rules that I (maybe others too) assumed were in existence, with force users being able to project themselves elsewhere. I felt that Leia was wasted and Luke dying was also unnecessary as well.

So with that in mind……..

Empire
Star Wars
Jedi
Rogue One
Solo
TFA
ROTS
TPM
ATOC
TLJ

Theres not really a lot between Solo and TFA, they could easily swap places given what mood I'm in, as could ROTS and TPM.

 

Empire
ANH
ROTJ
Rogue One
ROTS
TFA
Solo


TPM


ATOC








TLJ


To me, the OT will always be the top three (classics, end of story) but I really enjoyed Rogue One and think ROTS (despite a couple cringe worthy parts early on mostly between Anakin and Padme) is underrated. TFA and Solo are both really enjoyable popcorn flicks with some warts while TPM wasn't any really good IMHO but there are some enjoyable parts so it gets the nod over AOTC which isn't any good either and has less enjoyable parts. And TLJ to me is simply unwatchable. I already decided I am going to skip in my build up to Episode IX. People can love it all they want but for my personal list, it's my Rocky V. It does not exst.

 

I find it shocking just how inferior the Disney movies are to any of the Lucas movies. That said, I don't think TLJ is quite as dull, derivative, unimaginative, and just overall bad as TFA, so I rank TFA last and TLJ slightly better.

 

2.5 months later, here's the latest thread poll ranking stats.

 

1.TESB
2.ANH
3.ROTJ
4.ROTS
5.TPM
6.R1
7.AOTC
8.SOLO
9.TLJ

 

1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Revenge of the Sith
3. A New Hope
4. Attack of the Clones
   
5. The Phantom Menace
6. Return of the Jedi
7. Rogue One
8. Solo
9. The Clone Wars
10. The Last Jedi
11. The Force Awakens

 

Can you update your numbers to account for my shift in ranking? I ranked it #4 when this poll was created, but moved it to #1 pretty quickly after and it has remained there since.

 

1. anh - the first one is the best one still since there was an ounce of originality in the film. not much since lucas by his own admission copied every success franchise in existence. but at least it isn't star wars copying star wars.

2. esb - and the downfall begins. from the laughably bad asteroid chase (seriously compare this to the space-boat chase scene in thor the dark world and you'll agree how bad it is. of course the dark world was made by competent filmmakers.) to the poorly choreographed fight scenes this film just fails on all levels. lucas was too bored by this point to direct it himself and watching it i understand why.

3. rots - the best of the wretched prequels. that's the only thing positive about this film. oh and it doesn't have teddy bears defeating a military juggernaut so you have to give it points for that.

4. rotj - as bad as this film is it isn't anywhere near as terrible as tpm and aotc are. but it's the beginning of star wars copying star wars. and it had ewoks.

5. the force awakens - star wars copying star wars. a soulless imitation of the original film.

6. tlj - this would be at the bottom of the list if lucas hadn't puked out the first two prequels. everything after rey leaves luke is just so laughably bad.

7. tpm - jar jar binks? seriously lucas? did you let your children right this movie for you? in a time period that gives us the first spider-man, the first x-men and the lotr films lucas can only produce this hot garbage.

4. aotc - good god this movie is terrible on all levels. like how could this have been made? how could anyone reading the script think, "yep this is a winner." it boggles the mind. disney really should have fired anyone who had anything to do with this film. they should erase it from canon it's that bad of a mark against the franchise. lucas clearly didn't care at this point.

not rated - rogue one/solo - i haven't watched either of these all the way through. maybe one day when i want to torture myself i'll give them a shot.

 

@MarvelRulesStarWarsDrools You do realize Kevin Feige often cites Star Wars as an influence on the MCU, right? :–) And each MCU director is also probably heavily influenced by the original films? :–) So if Star Wars drools, that means, by extension....... Marvel drools, too :–)

 

Okay I'll bite.

How are Empire Strikes Back's fight scenes poorly choreographed?
To me they are some of the best of the era.

The Cloud City duel - Vader was never more intimidating and the way it is shot you feel like you are seeing it through Luke's own perspective.

And the asteroid chase scene was more about showing how the Rebellion could improvise, where the Empire in all it's power couldn't keep up without losing their pursuing Tie-fighters. Plus the characterisation of Han, Leia, and C3-PO in the scene is gold. And come on; the music.

 

Yes yes but if you compare it to the space-boat chase (a memorable scene in which... stuff happened, probably) from the cinematic masterpiece Thor: The Dark World, you'll see it's actually teh sux.

 

feige pays lip service to Star Wars because they're owned by the same company. he can't really come out and say it sucks.

universally recognized by who?

 

You do realise Disney has only owned Star Wars since 2013 right?

 

1) He’s been saying this since before Disney bought Lucasfilm, and he doesn’t have to say anything, let alone remark how influential they’ve been to his world and story building approach.

2) By critics, fans and audience members? Check reviews, they’re not great. Any list I’ve seen ranking the films has it very near or at the bottom. It’s pretty widely recognized as being a bad film.

 

they've actually owned lucasfilm since 2009.

 

Seriously?
I was just going on memory but I could have sworn the ST was announced in 2013.
My bad if that is true.

Just your comment "Disney should have fired anyone involved with AOTC" made me think perhaps you thought the PT was made by a Lucasfilm under Disney.