Star Wars is a celebrated and international phenomenon nowadays. With some of the biggest stars, biggest budgets, highest grossing releases and iconic scenes in film history. What began as a small dream of one George Lucas, quickly evolved into a massive universe full of amazing characters and stories.
While we do love to poke fun at some recent and old things that happened in Star Wars, on this day of May 4th, we rank the best!
12. The Clone Wars
You would probably not believe that this animated film was made by the same people that gave us the Emmy Winning series. Yet, it is true, it is the same people, but this movie just feels like a proof of a concept rather than an attempt.
There’s just enough highlights in the movie to warrant a watch. Setting up the dynamic between Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi Wan is the most prominent piece of the whole thing. Showing fans the earliest glimpses of three characters who were about to become some of the most beloved in Star Wars history.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t excuse the mediocre dialogue, average animation and lackluster action sequences. It just feels lazy by comparison to the heights the show reaches.
11. Solo: A Star Wars Story
A movie that didn’t need to be made can still be an enjoyable movie, even if it is just Fast and Furious in space.
Solo tells the story of, well, Han Solo as a young man and how he gets to be where he is in the later movies. We follow Han from his first few days as a junker and outcast to the conniving and dastardly con man he becomes.
Honestly, the biggest issue with Solo isn’t the acting, story telling or pacing or anything. It’s just how relentlessly boring and unnecessary it is. No one really cared to see it or review it because no one wanted to know Han’s backstory.
10. The Phantom Menace
Let’s get one thing out of the way, George Lucas and crew did get some things right with Phantom Menace. The action choreography, the music and the mythos of the universe were on full display.
Sadly, when the surrounding elements like acting, pacing and story are shot to hell, it doesn’t exactly instill confidence. There are significant moments in this movie that are worth a rewatch every now and then.
9. The Rise of Skywalker
Alright, so just be forewarned, we’re not HUGE fans of the Sequel Trilogy by Abrams, Johnson and Disney. Doesn’t mean we do not recognize them or their filmmaking value, just that we don’t consider them masterpieces like the last few.
Overall, Rise of Skywalker had a lot to live up to. The Last Jedi did not exactly put the fandom in a great place, and it completely decimated Abrams original story. So there was not really any winning either way in this movie.
Absolutely there are some phenomenal moments in this movie that made the Skywalker Legacy complete. But, it was also surrounded by too much reliance on nostalgia and safety nets.
8. Return of the Jedi
George Lucas sowed the seeds for things that people would come to hate about the prequels in Return of the Jedi. Acting got significantly cheesier, the story took unnecessary detours, there was a strong focus on comedy etc.
That being said, because of how this movie chose to end, redeeming Vader and destroying the Sith, made up for all of the shortcomings.
7. Attack of the Clones
This movie is just Return of the Jedi but it’s ultimately saved by being a touch more serious and not having weird story detours. Even if the acting is atrocious in some cases, the pacing is really wacky and the brief comedic detours fall flat.
Everything else though is completely on point and is Star Wars at it’s high point. Action is kinetic and immersive, music is incredible, the CGI is second to none and it sets up some phenomenal story beats down the road.
6. The Force Awakens
We’ll be the first to admit it, this movie is just A New Hope for a new generation. The plot is literally just copy/pasted onto a new format with some new actors and new writers.
That being said, Force Awakens is full of great and shocking moments that set up some fantastic new characters. If it succeeded at one thing, it was setting up the intrigue and mystery around Finn, Kylo and Rey. Even if Rise of Skywalker failed to live up to that hype.
5. The Last Jedi
What happens when you combine a director who is told to ignore everything in the middle of a trilogy, stellar film work and no plan? Well, you get the most divisive movie of the last decade.
There is no way of denying the strengths of Last Jedi as a film. It has incredible cinematography, great acting, phenomenal music and… Well that’s about it.
Considering how good those few things are, that is what ultimately saves this movie. Because the pacing, plot, choreography and payoff are so lackluster it lags behind every other movie on this list.
4. A New Hope
Going down as not only a great film, but a film that kickstarted the biggest franchise in history is no small accomplishment.
Lucas and crew created something special with A New Hope. SciFi and Westerns shouldn’t go together this well. When you combine groundbreaking special effects, up and coming actors and an original story you get success.
With some of film’s most memorable lines, scenes and moments. A New Hope was not only the start of something great, but stands the test of time as a great film overall.
3. Revenge of the Sith
Shocking, dour and full of incredible moments that had fans on the edge of their seats and holding back tears. Episode III took everything full circle as we learned of how Anakin fell to the Dark Side completely and became Darth Vader.
There is no happy upside to this film either, showing one of the first times that Star Wars just went dark and didn’t look back. No hero coming in at the last second to save the day, just death and suffering among the rise of a dictatorship.
2. Rogue One
Who would have guessed that a standalone movie that was plagued by development issues would turn out to be one of the best movies? Certainly not us that’s for sure.
Even though it had a very rocky filming schedule and was almost completely reshot, Rogue One beat the odds. Focusing on the story of the lesser known characters in Star Wars and taking a more shades of grey approach. Rogue One is a finely made film and one of Star Wars’ best so far.
Besides, that ending scene with Darth Vader? That deserves a mention by itself.
1. The Empire Strikes Back
Really the first time that the villains just straight up won in a SciFi movie. No fanfare, no epic conclusion for our heroes. Villains just walked in, beat them mercilessly and walked back out.
Featuring one of film’s greatest plot twists in decades and some of the most iconic scenes in all of filmmaking. Empire is not only the best Star Wars movie ever made, but it is one of the best films from the 80s, period.
That’s our list folks! We know how vocal the Star Wars community is so be sure to continue check us out here at Scoophash!
Take a look at our other Star Wars articles and take our quizzes to see where you land with us on opinions of the franchise!
