Ranked: Star Wars Films

The "Skywalker Saga" is complete. We now have nine films comprised of three trilogies and two "A Star Wars Story" movies. Opinions are as mixed as ever, especially when it comes to the Prequels and the more recent entries. While fans utilize a little down time to re-watch and re-evaluate The Rise of Skywalker in their homes, it's a perfect time to rank all eleven films, from worst to best:

11. Episode II: Attack of the Clones

I've recently reorganized my rankings for the Prequels following the latest re-watch. Attack of the Clones isn't a very good movie. The dialogue is borderline awful, the jokes are eye-rolling at best, and the effects have not aged well at all. There is some good action here, including the battle with Jango Fett and most of the finale, but the focus is on the love story between Anakin and Padme, and, simply put, it's uninteresting.

10. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Revenge of the Sith is significantly better than Clones, with a bit of dramatic heft and better performances. The dialogue is still fairly bad at times, and the effects are not aging well. Anakin and Obi-Wan's battle above the lava is a tad over the top, but concludes effectively. Not as epic as it could have been, yet Sith still manages to tie the first two trilogies together nicely.

9. Episode I: The Phantom Menace

The much-reviled Phantom Menace is, in my opinion, the best of the Prequels. The practical and digital effects are the best in this trilogy and hold up quite well. The podrace and final battle sequences are still exciting. Darth Maul is still a great villain. Jar Jar is still annoying. The yammering about the Galactic Senate is still boring. There's give and take here, but ultimately, Episode I holds up better than the other two Prequels, and I think the tide will turn on this one soon.

8. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

I don't hate this one nearly as much as other circles of Star Wars fandom, although I agree it has its problems. This film bore a lot of weight, as it not only concluded the latest trilogy, but also acted as the final chapter in a nine-film Saga. Many fans groaned over some of the plot contrivances and reveals that were present in Rise of Skywalker, and in some cases they were justified in their opinions. While many of the story points are indeed hit-and-miss, this is a brisk film full of great Star Wars action. The performances are generally strong, but it does leave one feeling as if it should have been something more.

7. Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo had a troubled production in addition to a troubled release, with lukewarm reception from critics, fans, and at the box office. It may have been the result of Star Wars overload, as Disney perhaps expected audiences to respond as they had with the Marvel films, which could sustain multiple releases each year. While Solo doesn't offer anything new to the franchise, it's a fun movie and its strength may be in the fact that it doesn't offer anything new. There are no cumbersome reveals, no clunky retcons, and there is no need for the viewer to be an encyclopedia of Star Wars knowledge. Solo is simply a breezy sci-fi western heist movie, and it works.

6. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Perhaps the most polarizing of all Star Wars films, The Last Jedi is a mixed bag that ultimately offers something refreshing to the franchise. While the film does little to satisfactorily continue the threads left dangling in Force Awakens, it does offer great action and strong performances. The risks taken for this movie are appreciated, but ultimately leave this fan a little disappointed, Luke's arc being the biggest contributor.

5. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi is usually considered to be inferior to the other two original trilogy films, but that doesn't mean it's not a great Star Wars movie. This one is packed to the gills with great effects and action sequences, another fantastic John Williams score, and an amazing finale. Return of the Jedi also wears its commercialism on its sleeve, when toy promotions were at their peak. The best aspect of the film is that its a true trilogy capper. It ends.

4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One gets a bad rap in some circles, which doesn't make much sense, although everyone is entitled to their opinion. It's a great standalone movie, a great sci-fi action movie, and a great Star Wars movie. It acts as both a heist film and a war film, and is bold enough to introduce a stable of great characters, knowing what the end result will be for all of them. Rogue One is top-tier Star Wars, and is a prefect bridge between trilogies, or prologue to the original trilogy if one chooses to ignore Episodes I-III.

3. Episode VII: The Force Awakens

The excitement behind a new Star Wars trilogy was unprecedented, especially since this one would feature the old gang getting back together as well as introduce new characters. As it turned out, the old gang didn't actually get back together, but the new characters were promising. What Force Awakens accomplished so well was that it has energy, which was just what it needed to be successful. Sure, it follows most of the story beats of A New Hope, but it does so in a way as not to be distracting. This one also conjures up some interesting new mysteries, which were unfortunately never paid of in a fulfilling way.

2. Episode IV: A New Hope

We wouldn't have Star Wars without A New Hope, one of the original blockbusters and one of the most important films of all-time. Star Wars took old adventure film tropes and made them fresh, exciting, and new. It was a cultural event, and major part of so many people's childhoods. This still holds up as a fun adventure, with groundbreaking effects, energetic performances, and great characters. Forty-three years later, kids of all ages are still swinging plastic lightsabers in households across the globe.

1. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Empire isn't just the best Star Wars film, it's one of the greatest films of all time. It represents cinematic perfection, when story, acting, music, effects, and sets all work in unison to present something unprecedented. This is a classic, with so many lines still quoted on a daily basis and so many great moments that are forever ingrained in our society's culture. This is my personal favorite movie ever, and it's one that has never become old no matter how many times it's been viewed.