The Ten Star Wars Movies, Ranked
Also, we give mini-reviews to The Mandalorian and a couple recent movie releases
We are now only one week away from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the final chapter of the Skywalker saga that began back in 1977 with the George Lucas original. To stoke your excitement, we thought this was the perfect time to do some ranking! Here are each of the ten Star Wars movies, ranked from worst to best. I’m sure this won’t be controversial at all.
You can stream all of these movies on Disney+, except for The Last Jedi and Solo, which can be found on Netflix.
(One quick note before you dive in: We have a Do You Like Apples logo now! The biggest of shoutouts to Becca Bergman for creating it for us!)
11. Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Drew: The nadir of the Star Wars franchise simply has to be 2002’s Attack of the Clones. Not only was it the lowest-grossing of the three prequels, but it’s also just kind of boring. Despite a few decent (but very CGI-heavy) action sequences, the writing is unimaginably dull, from the story bogged down by Galactic Senate votes to the cringe-inducing dialogue (Anakin really doesn’t like sand, you guys). And the acting doesn’t help either. Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) and Natalie Portman (Padme Amidala) are so absent of romantic chemistry that you just want their scenes together to end as quickly as possible. George Lucas would right the ship a little with Revenge of the Sith a few years later, but Attack of the Clones remains the most embarrassing Star Wars movie.
10. Solo
Drew: Stricken by behind-the-scenes shuffling (Ron Howard took over directorial duties halfway through the production), Solo ended up a disappointment after years of giddy anticipation for a Han Solo origin story. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what is to blame. Is it the mostly lackluster storytelling? The unsuccessful balancing of tone? A miscast main character? Alden Ehrenreich is not a total disaster as young Han Solo, but he doesn’t quite grasp the ineffable charm of Harrison Ford’s character. Fortunately, the rest of the cast is super watchable, with Emilia Clarke (sup, Dany), Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, and Paul Bettany kind of wasted by a mediocre movie. Ultimately, Solo doesn’t contain half the wit and daring of the iconic original Han Solo.
9. Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Billy: Du du dododo du du dododo du du dododo… if you know the incredible lightsaber fight between Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan and Darth Maul, that phonetic rendition of “Duel of the Fates” is hopefully recognizable. Otherwise I sound like Jar Jar Binks, a rambling imbecile. This movie allowed every Star Wars fan to be fake woke for the first time. Most people’s initial reaction was praiseworthy after leaving the theater as an adult or being exposed to Star Wars for the first time. Upon further reevaluation this one misses more than it hits, but when it hits it brings all the emotions flooding back. Qui-Gon was a good mentor to propel Anakin and Obi-Wan into their next journey and the lightsaber action takes a huge jump. While this one is far from perfect we get a fine entry into the series that tells a story that would have fallen short no matter what given the expectation.
8. Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Billy: Finally George Lucas decides to focus on the relationship that we only got glimpses of in the first two prequel movies. Oh, you think I am talking about the lackluster romance between Padme and Anakin? No no no. The Obi-Wan and Anakin friendship is the main reason the prequels work at all. Revenge of the Sith goes all in on that relationship with hints at the storylines that don’t work as well. While the ride to seeing the transformation into Darth Vader is strong, the landing leaves much to be desired. After an exhilarating fight sequence that is cool to look at and emotional when we see the full turn. A better actor could have sold that better. Hayden Christensen has flashes of talent throughout this whole movie, but when it matters most he falls flat. Seeing the connection to the original trilogy is incredibly satisfying by the end of this one, despite some gripes.
7. Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
Drew: JJ Abrams is a pretty good choice to kick off something new, but definitely the wrong one to end it. His Episode IX has major story issues that unfortunately deny fans a satisfying finish to this trilogy. Sure, there are moments of enjoyable action and a few good character beats. The bright and talented cast they assembled are still a blast to watch, especially Driver, Ridley, and Isaac. But The Rise of Skywalker is ultimately way too plot-driven, MacGuffin-obsessed, and simplistic. Many of the best themes and story decisions from the excellent Episode VIII have simply been ignored or actively pushed aside. It’s too strong to call The Rise of Skywalker a disaster, but I completely identify with fans walking away underwhelmed and disappointed.
Billy: I have seen Rise of Skywalker twice now and the first viewing brought so much distress because it seems to purposefully undo so much of what I loved in The Last Jedi. After accepting what this movie was trying to be there is joy to be had, but Star Wars has never been a “accept what it is” action franchise. When at its best the characters struggle with identity and philosophical themes rather than magic (thanks Sean Fennessey for phrasing this for me). Rise of Skywalker is unorganized and does not rely on its strongest characters, but even for this unenthusiastic fan, the fan service and some emotional plot points worked throughout.
6. Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Billy: The Force Awakens played it safe and damn it was nice to go back to what the roots of what Star Wars is, almost completely void of trade negotiations. As an annoying film fan, I love to go all in-depth on the symbolism and faith connotations of Star Wars, but let's be real here. Luke, Leia, and Han brought the energy and that energy is back! While also introducing a new trio that rivals the old one with Rey, Finn, and Kylo. The fastest ride of the entire trilogy is set up wonderfully by J.J. Abrams. Allowing the new characters to lead the way and bring a new generation into the familiar feel, but hopefully for them, it creates an experience that will last the rest of their lives.
5. Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Drew: Endings are hard, as fans of Lost, Game of Thrones, and many other shows know all too well. They are equally difficult for movie trilogies, and the finale of the original Star Wars trilogy finished on a solid and satisfying note. While Return of the Jedi isn’t considered many fans’ favorite installment, I’d urge you to remember how many show-stopping set pieces this movie contains. There’s the Sarlacc pit rescue at Jabba the Hutt’s palace, the speeder bike chase on Endor, and the final showdown between Luke and Darth Vader. Sure, the Ewoks have their haters, but Return of the Jedi remains an exhilarating and rewarding finish to one of the greatest trilogies of all-time.
4. Rogue One
Billy: The most important Star Wars movie of the 2010s. Most fans of this series were excited for Rogue One, but the idea of creating Star Wars stories without Luke, Leia, and Han made the fans incredibly nervous. Rightfully so. Luckily for us the risk paid off by creating the first movie in the series to focus on the “War” aspect. Enhancing the danger for these characters was a necessary change. A long-running series can become stagnant once the fate of our characters is almost certain. Bringing uncertainty to the new characters Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor brought life into the series. Plus, Darth Vader is a badass in this one.
3. Episode IV - A New Hope
Drew: The one that started it all, A New Hope also kickstarted the modern franchise blockbuster. The original Star Wars still ranks fourth all-time in inflation-adjusted box office gross (behind Gone with the Wind, Avatar, and Titanic), and its influence has only grown since it was released in 1977. All of the seeds for a successful space adventure were there at the start: the young hero (Luke), the wise sage (Obi-Wan), the rebellious princess (Leia), and the smartass cowboy (Han Solo). A New Hope boosted all of its young lead actors to stardom, but it’s Harrison Ford that is the most indispensable. When his Han Solo pops up on screen in the Mos Eisley cantina, the movie truly comes alive, all the way to Death Star-exploding climax.
2. Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
Drew: Now we come to the most polarizing Star Wars film of them all. All you have to do is go to The Last Jedi’s Rotten Tomatoes page to see how divided people are over writer-director Rian Johnson’s bold and beautiful Star Wars vision. From our ranking, you can tell how Billy and I feel about it. Besides The Empire Strikes Back, I’ve never felt so thrilled, challenged, and surprised by a Star Wars movie. Not only is it visually magnificent (the scenes on the planet Crait near the end are especially stunning), The Last Jedi is also narratively audacious. After the fun but familiar story in The Force Awakens, this chapter is not afraid to break things and move the franchise in a fresh direction. Yoda burns the sacred Jedi texts (“Page-turners, they were not.”), and Kylo Ren urges Rey to “let the past die, kill it if you have to.” However, it’s the emotional farewell between Luke and Leia that resonates most when you think back on this dazzling, game-changing Star Wars entry.
1. Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Billy: It is time to point out that in elementary school my mom grounded me from Star Wars. Empire Strikes Back being the one that I missed the most. A sequel that built upon the original, but also subverted expectations to what A New Hope brought us. The Empire Strikes Back increased the wonder of the story by bringing in larger themes and more intimate storylines. From a film perspective the reason the series continued to go to legendary status is because George Lucas did not direct this one. It allowed the world to lean into his strengths, which is writing and world-building. It is hard to envision any future Star Wars movie being better than The Empire Strikes Back.
Recent Release Mini-Reviews
Parasite (in theaters now)
Billy: This is the most tonally perfect movie of the decade. All the comedy, con-man, thriller, and horror elements are intertwined so tightly it is akin to the most satisfying cruller (that spiral donut) imaginable. Where many movies that delve into the idea of class go wrong is by making villains out of one side. Parasite decides to create flawed, but attractive characters that come from two completely different walks of life, leading to a wonderfully crafted commentary on how one thing can be beautiful for the fortunate while at the same time terrifying for those in poverty. Don't let the overt symbolism lessen your desire to see Parasite because this is the funniest movie of the year while also being the most tense. See this one as soon as you can. It is going to be in the forefront of our minds for a long time. - 5 / 5 Apples
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (in theaters now)
Drew: It’s amazing that A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood works so well. This is not your conventional over-sentimental biopic of a famous person, thank heavens, but it is quite sincere, tender, and sweet, a movie befitting Mister Rogers’ extraordinary compassion and warmth. I’ll cop to being something of a cynic at times, but this film disarms the most cynical among us, which is what Fred Rogers could do better than anyone. As Mister Rogers, Tom Hanks evokes the spirit of the man like no other actor could, while Matthew Rhys delivers an excellent performance as the initially skeptical magazine writer Lloyd Vogel. Director Marielle Heller has effortlessly made a wonderful movie about forgiveness and grace that causes you to realize just how much those ideals are within our reach. - 4 / 5 Apples
Dark Waters (in theaters now)
Billy: Dark Waters is the entertaining and satisfying movie that is forgotten as soon as it is turned off. Good performances and solid direction make a hard-to-make-entertaining movie enjoyable. This seems like it would have been on cable all the time if it came out in the 90s. Now it will fall into the endless void that is your streaming queue. - 3 / 5 Apples
See more reviews on our Letterboxd page
Streaming TV Corner
What we’re watching right now
Drew: The Mandalorian (streaming on Disney+)
Sorry to make this almost an all-Star Wars newsletter, but after five episodes The Mandalorian has become one of the things I look forward to most each week. Somehow this streaming-only Star Wars TV show based on a faceless bounty hunter named Mando has become a sensation this fall (Baby Yoda memes might have something to do with that). The best part about The Mandalorian is how it expands the Star Wars universe while still feeling so self-contained. Inspired by Westerns and samurai epics, this is a show that even non-Star Wars people should give a shot.
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