Veknoid_Outcast said:
I cannot focus at work today, so I decided to compose a list of the Star Wars movies. Because that's what I do when I'm bored 
I recently rewatched all seven mainline movies, and the spin-off Rogue One. Here are my thoughts.
8) Episode II: Attack of the Clones
What to say about this most ignominious Star Wars movie? It inherited all of the negatives of Episode I — wooden acting, lazy direction, stilted writing — then moved further away from practical effects and added arguably the most unconvincing, awkward romance in cinematic history. George Lucas makes one of his largest prequel blunders by pitting an army of disposable droids against an army of disposable clones, creating a scenario when it's difficult to care about either side.
7) Episode I: The Phantom Menace
From the very beginning of The Phantom Menace, red flags abound. The taxation of trade routes seems like a strange entree to a space opera. The audience soon meets several bland, forgettable characters and one profoundly annoying character, Jar-Jar Binks. By its mid-way point, the movie is buried under contrivances, plot holes, forced cameos, and unremarkable performances. A 12-minute-long pod race is a highlight, but its only meaningful addition to the story is to provide a flimsy pretext to separate young Anakin from his mother.
6) Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The best of the three prequels, basically by default. Child actors are removed, boring political debates are tossed out (replaced by transparent allusions to Bush-era war-mongering), and there are actually, finally, stakes. The first act of the movie is a weird, tonally-incongruous space battle with a new inexplicable villain, General Grievous. After that, things get a little better, with Anakin's slow descent into anger and fear. Hayden Christensen does the best with the material and direction given him. As with the previous prequel movies, Lucas shows himself far more invested in special effects than encouraging his human actors.
5) Rogue One
This latest Star Wars movie is only slightly better than the prequel trilogy. Since everyone knows the ending of the story of Rogue One, the filmmakers needed to introduce sympathetic characters and genuine emotion to make the adventure worthwhile. Unfortuantely, the most interesting character in the movie is the comic-relief droid. The others are almost instantly forgettable. Apart from a truly spectacular space battle at the end of the movie, Rogue One doesn't add much of all to the Star Wars universe. It's a movie full of fan service — Hey, there's the rebel base! Look, it's Ponda Baba! — and cringe-worthy digital cameos, but lacking in what makes Star Wars so magical: a sense of wonder and adventure and joy.
4) Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Following up the best Star Wars movie was always going to be tough, but the creative minds behind Return of the Jedi did an admirable job. The first act is spectacular, with Luke Skywalker and friends staging a daring rescue of Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt's palace. Quieter moments later on are equally compelling: Luke confronting Obi-Wan over his prevarication, Vader gripping Luke's lightsaber with a mix of pride and internal conflict, Leia recalling her mother's face and Luke regretting never meeting her. The third act, with its focus on Ewoks and Hamill's overacting, is the shakiest, but it's rescued by a breathless chase through the core of the Death Star and Vader's dramatic decision to protect his son at the expense of his master and his own life.
3) Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Apart from suffering from a serious case of deja vu, The Force Awakens was a triumphant return to form after three poorly-made prequels. Yes, the movie relies on many of the beats of A New Hope, but unlike Rogue One, it makes up for all the call-backs and allusions by introducing complicated, sympathetic characters. There's Rey, a naturally gifted mechanic and linguist who's suffering under the delusion that her family will return for her. There's Finn, a turncoat Stormtrooper who's torn between self-preservation and loyalty to Rey. And there's Kylo Ren, a brooding, uncomfortable young man struggling with his family legacy and his desire for control. Director J.J. Abrams embraces practical effects whenever possible, giving the movie texture, and, with the help of Empire screeenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, pens a script full of humor and genuine emotion.
2) Episode IV: A New Hope
It's a classic for a reason. Inspired by Flash Gordon, The Hidden Fortress, and Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces, A New Hope is a story immediately understandable and relatable. A young man fulfills his destiny to rescue a princess and save the galaxy. Filled with ground-breaking special effects and sound design work, set to an all-time great musical score, injected with humor and suspense, and starring arguably the most memorable movie villain of all time, Star Wars is a movie for the ages.
1) Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
A movie's identity is wrapped up with its director, and so Empire Strikes Back, the best of the saga, shares the vision of Irvin Kershner, who said famously "I like to fill up the frame with the characters' faces. There's nothing more interesting than the landscape of the human face." Thus Empire moved past the pulp origins of Star Wars and became a dramatic and emotional movie about real people, set in space. Sure, there's plenty of action in Empire — an armored assault on Echo Base, a high-risk escape through an asteroid field — but what makes Empire special is its more humble character development moments. Luke's training with Yoda is the emotional and philosophical center of the movie, with the budding romance between Han and Leia setting up incredibly romantic and, eventually in Cloud City, heart-breakingly somber scenes. The climactic scene with Vader's revelation and Luke's subsequent decision to destroy himself rather than turn is perhaps the defining moment of the entire Star Wars saga.
That's my list! What's yours?
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