Mercurius
Legend
OK, having done some recent re-watching, and my last half-joking post aside, here's my actual current list, with comments:
1. A New Hope. I previously ranked Empire 1st, but I'm going to give this one the top rank, if only by a hair. It is just the iconic Star Wars film. It is raw and goofy at times, but just a sheer thrill andd complete in itself.
2. Empire Strikes Back. What hasn't already been said about this film? So much fun, and it just flows from one sequence to the next. Perhaps the most perfect SW film, it is really 1a and 1b, in whatever order.
3. Return of the Jedi. Has the best sequence in the entire saga--Luke, Vader, and the Emperor--but also some not-so-great parts, and feels a bit patched together. Upon re-watching, I found myself tempted to skip through the whole Jabba sequence...it was OK, but it lacked dramatic tension and just seemed silly. I'm OK with the ewoks - they're cute, even if their cutesyness is too contrasting with what Luke is going through.
4. The Force Awakens. Holy homage, Batman. If I had never seen Star Wars I would have though, "wow, what a fun film!" And it is a good film, beautiful to look at and--unlike the later Lucas monstrosities--doesn't rely on CGI. But you can't separate it out from the Saga, and with that in mind it is flawed. First of all, it is just so damn derivative. Just about every element is a variation on something from the originals. Secondly, despite excellent actors, the characters don't come alive as they should and the chemistry is weak. Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson are some of the better actors of their generation, but they all seem less than in other films. Finn should be more sympathetic than he is. I love Adam Driver, but Darth Emo is a bit over the top. And Hux is just silly. All that said, it is a lot of fun and is clearly a loving homage.
5. Rogue One. This may be the best of the Disney films thus far, but I also find myself not caring to re-watch it. As with Solo I eventually will, but perhaps because its not central to the Saga, it just feels tangential.
6. The Last Jedi. The most controversial Star Wars film. It truly has some bad bits to it, but also has so much going on that there's something for everyone to like--and hate.
7. Solo. The least necessary of all Star Wars films, but also thoroughly inoffensive.
9. Attack of the Clones. "You'll always be that little boy on Tatooine, Ani." I guess not.
10. The Phantom Menace. At least there's Liam Neeson. And Darth Maul. But the pod race, Jar-Jar, that kid, Jake Lloyd, utterly kills it for me...so much horror. Oh, the horror.
1. A New Hope. I previously ranked Empire 1st, but I'm going to give this one the top rank, if only by a hair. It is just the iconic Star Wars film. It is raw and goofy at times, but just a sheer thrill andd complete in itself.
2. Empire Strikes Back. What hasn't already been said about this film? So much fun, and it just flows from one sequence to the next. Perhaps the most perfect SW film, it is really 1a and 1b, in whatever order.
3. Return of the Jedi. Has the best sequence in the entire saga--Luke, Vader, and the Emperor--but also some not-so-great parts, and feels a bit patched together. Upon re-watching, I found myself tempted to skip through the whole Jabba sequence...it was OK, but it lacked dramatic tension and just seemed silly. I'm OK with the ewoks - they're cute, even if their cutesyness is too contrasting with what Luke is going through.
....A vast gulf of empty nothingness, not unlike the void between stars...
....Commence fanfic...
....Commence fanfic...
4. The Force Awakens. Holy homage, Batman. If I had never seen Star Wars I would have though, "wow, what a fun film!" And it is a good film, beautiful to look at and--unlike the later Lucas monstrosities--doesn't rely on CGI. But you can't separate it out from the Saga, and with that in mind it is flawed. First of all, it is just so damn derivative. Just about every element is a variation on something from the originals. Secondly, despite excellent actors, the characters don't come alive as they should and the chemistry is weak. Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson are some of the better actors of their generation, but they all seem less than in other films. Finn should be more sympathetic than he is. I love Adam Driver, but Darth Emo is a bit over the top. And Hux is just silly. All that said, it is a lot of fun and is clearly a loving homage.
5. Rogue One. This may be the best of the Disney films thus far, but I also find myself not caring to re-watch it. As with Solo I eventually will, but perhaps because its not central to the Saga, it just feels tangential.
6. The Last Jedi. The most controversial Star Wars film. It truly has some bad bits to it, but also has so much going on that there's something for everyone to like--and hate.
7. Solo. The least necessary of all Star Wars films, but also thoroughly inoffensive.
....And even faster gulf of empty darkness, this time the void between galaxies...
Oh, George, what happened?
8. Revenge of the Sith. The best of a bad trilogy. At the least we get to see some fun Jedi action and cool sets--as with the other two. But Hayden Christiansen just isn't good and diminishes the legacy of Darth Vader.Oh, George, what happened?
9. Attack of the Clones. "You'll always be that little boy on Tatooine, Ani." I guess not.
10. The Phantom Menace. At least there's Liam Neeson. And Darth Maul. But the pod race, Jar-Jar, that kid, Jake Lloyd, utterly kills it for me...so much horror. Oh, the horror.
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