What's the best Star War?

[Morrus]

Using the new Ranked Poll features, upvote the ones you like with the arrows to the right!

Movies only. There's far too many TV shows!

 

[GreyLord]

Where are you pulling these stats from?

It's anecdotal, if that's what you are asking. Repeatedly in my interactions in real life and online, this is what I almost always see. Even the most ardent of young fans of the new Star Wars are not hardcore like the older ones in general. The old ones go crazy about Baby Yoda for example, go and buy all the Baby Yoda Merch such as the stuffed toys, the plastic toys, the games, etc.

They buy the new books, they spend money on so much of the new Star Wars stuff it's insane.

I just don't see the younger generation doing that. I've seen one or two at the pictures of conventions (where you have the hardest of the hardcore), but in general, none of the younger generation (which, I admit is mostly my grandkids, their friends, and their friends, friends, along with those that I see or meet on my trips and travels, so employees, etc) I know personally or have met commonly are like the older generation who are fans of the sequels.

On the otherhand I see a LOT of the younger generation (and it's possible that since they grew up with the Prequels already existing, THAT IS part of the Star Wars) that are fans loving the prequels. The MOST COMMON complaint I hear about them, and their comparisons and statements on the Sequel Trilogy deals with how the prequels were not respected and various other things. Those who are young seem to have a great favorably opinion of the prequels (and the Clone Wars cartoon when they have seen it, that tends to be the older ones of those under the age of 25, as those under the age of 13 are less likely to have seen it and remember than those older than that).

The Older Generation tends to focus more on the Original Trilogy and if they do not like the Sequel trilogy seem to talk about it not respecting the OG, rather than the Prequels.

It's also the older fans who I've met who dislike the Prequels so much (and some of the younger ones I've heard blame these older fans for driving George Lucas to sell Star Wars due to how much flak he got, the abuse his kids got, the abuse the actors got...etc...whether that opinion is true or not).

On the otherhand, the MOST BITTER people I've met towards the Sequels are ALSO the older generations. Some of those you would think you tortured and killed their family and dearest friends with how they react towards the Sequel Trilogy.

So, yes, anecdotal, but with a wide range of groups I have interacted with that have given me these impressions.

 

[trappedslider]

Hmm, well, this speaks of who uses this site.

And we know with actual data how this site tends to skew towards the older age groups, those that are most likely to have seen the OT in theater as kids or watched it on VHS as kids.

 

[MGibster]

Sequels tend to be extremely (or at least more so) popular among those aged from around 35 to 65 (yes, I know there is overlap for the above unpoular thing...it seems for that age over 50 they either really love them...or really hate them...whereas there is more nuance for those other ages...including those who just don't care anymore).

I have a coworker who is also a big Star Wars fan and he was flabbergasted when I told him I thought the sequels were hot garbage. He's just north of 40 and I'm just south of 50. The special effects were fine, the actors did a great job with what they were given, but the story was just so bad. I'm personally flabbergasted whenever I hear someone liked the sequels but I'm not when someone tells me they liked the prequels. The prequels were made competently in that they told a fairly complete story from beginning to end. The sequels did not. All of the sudden Palpatine is back? WTF? Oh, there goes that side story about who the New Order mole was.

I don't expect a whole lot out of a Star Wars movie as far as plot sophistication goes. It should be geared towards children in my opinion, but the sequel just failed on so many counts.

 

[grimmgoose]

I knew the prequels wouldn't be popular, but dang. Did anybody like them?

I'm a fairly "normal" millennial, and I actually unequivocally love Episode III. I have a soft spot in my heart for Episode I, but I don't find much redeemable about Episode II.

 

[Clint_L]

My personal ranking would be:

1. Star Wars (shook my world)
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. The Force Awakens
4. Return of the Jedi
5. The Last Jedi
6. Rogue One

All the above range from paradigm-shifting down to good. Then there's a huge drop-off. The rest are all some degree of bad.

7. Holiday Special (What? I have fond memories. I was a kid! It's good-bad)
8. Revenge of the Sith
9. Rise of Skywalker
10. Solo (because we always wondered why he called Chewbacca "Chewie." Mystery solved! Seriously, the whole premise of this film is "explain things nobody needed explained")
11. Attack of the Clones
12. The Phantom Menace (which still actively triggers me)

 

[schneeland]

It's anecdotal, if that's what you are asking. Repeatedly in my interactions in real life and online, this is what I almost always see. Even the most ardent of young fans of the new Star Wars are not hardcore like the older ones in general. The old ones go crazy about Baby Yoda for example, go and buy all the Baby Yoda Merch such as the stuffed toys, the plastic toys, the games, etc.

Since we're just trading anecdotes: as someone who is over 35, but not yet 50, I can add that I'm neither a big fan of the prequels nor of the prequels. I don't outright hate them, though, and it's a more a case of: I'm not mad, just disappointed. It also varies per film - I find both Episode I and VII are not great, but also not particularly terrible (especially the visuals of VII are good) - that label is reserved for Episode II and VIII, which killed my interest in Star Wars for several years.
I did like Mandalorian season 1 and 2, and I have a Lego model of the Razor Crest. But any rekindled interest in the franchise was killed again by the Boba Fett series and Mandalorian season 3. So I guess I will go to the grognard corner and occasionally grumble a bit, but otherwise move on (and maybe buy a 4k version of the original trilogy at some point)

 

[Parmandur]

The results are quite legitimate.

 

[Cadence]

Hmm, sabotage is possible.

Except nobody can vote for it.

Which has it showing up in the right place... ahead of 1-3 and 7-9?