The Rise of Skywalker Post TRoS: Rank the Star Wars Movies

[Luigi]

1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Revenge of the Sith
3. A New Hope
4. The Last Jedi
5. Return of the Jedi
6. The Force Awakens
7. Attack of the Clones
8. The Rise of Skywalker
9. The Phantom Menace
10. Solo
11. Rogue One

 

[Filmfreak]

The Empire Strikes Back
A New Hope
Return of the Jedi
Revenge of the Sith
The Force Awakens
The Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones
The Rise of Skywalker
Rogue One
The Last Jedi

Haven't seen Solo.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

1. Rogue One
2. ROTJ
3. Solo
4. ESB

5. TLJ
6. ANH
7. ROTS
8. TFA

9. TROS
10. AOTC
11. TPM

 

[moviedoors]

1. The Last Jedi
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. Return of the Jedi
4. A New Hope
5. Rogue One
6. The Force Awakens
7. The Rise of Skywalker
8. Solo
9. the prequels, don't care to rank them.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Would like to see TROS again before finalising but at the moment:

1) Empire Strikes Back
2) A New Hope
3) The Force Awakens
4) Return of the Jedi
5) Rogue One
6) Revenge of the Sith
7) Solo
8) The Rise of Skywalker
9) The Phantom Menace
10) The Last Jedi
11) Attack of the Clones

Not seen The Mandalorian yet.

 

[henzINNIT]

Gulp.

The Good.

Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars
Return of the Jedi
The Last Jedi
Force Awakens

The Meh.

Rise of Skywalker
Rogue One
Solo

& The Prequels.

Phantom Menace
Revenge of the Sith
Attack of the Clones

 

[Doctor Jones]

ESB
ANH
ROTS
ROTJ
AOTC
TPM
Solo
TLJ
TFA

RO
TROS

 

[OutOfBoose]

1. SW. Before it became a saga.
2. ROTJ. I just enjoy watching it more than ESB.
3. ESB. The classic, obviously.

4. TPM. I have a soft spot for this one. It was the first SW I ever watched. Or maybe it's just Duel of the Fates.
5. ROTS. The best of the prequels, but those CRINGY romance scenes...
6. AOTC. Also cringy romance scenes, but without glorious Palpatine scenes.

7. Solo. The best (or the least worst) of disneys.
8. TFA. Well shot overall, and carries some emotional weight you can care about. But poor world building, rehash of the original and weak characters bring it down...
9. RO. Also pretty decent, but my god those CGI faces....
10. TROS. Ugh... I struggle to like anything about this one. Mess.
11. TLJ. WTF was even this?

 

[Orba]

ESB
ANH
TLJ
RO
ROTJ
TFA
TROS
Solo
ROTS
TPM
AOTC

 

[akfj]

TESB
ANH
ROTJ
ROTS
RO
TFA
Solo
AOTC
TPM
TROS
TLJ

 

[AvengerPA]

IMDB ratings:

1. The Empire Strikes Back 8.7
2. A New Hope 8.6
3. Return of the Jedi 8.3
4. The Force Awakens 7.9
5. Rogue One 7.8
6. Revenge of the Sith 7.5
7. The Last Jedi 7.1
8.(tie) Solo 6.9
8.(tie) The Rise of Skywalker 6.9
10. Attack of the Clones 6.6
11. The Phantom Menace 6.5

The new movies have declined in quality from 2015 to 2019.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

1. A New Hope
2. The Empire Strikes Back

These are clearly the best two. I have A New Hope over it for primarily one reason: the Death Star Battle. 20 minutes of pure bliss. Maybe my favorite sequence in the history of cinema.

3. Rogue One - I really loved this one. It is like a throwback to old war movies like The Dirty Dozen and Where Eagles Dare that I love so much. It is a tad sloppy at the beginning when the plot and characters are being introduced, but when it gets going it gets amazing. The second half of this movie is spectacular.

4. Return of the Jedi - Not quite of the level of the first two. Some of the signs that would come to haunt that prequels are visible here with more of an emphasis on effects than character. Yoda was a spectacular achievement in ESB, but he was a character first and a muppet second. Here they seemed to include some things just because they thought it would be cool. Still, the Luke/Vader/Emperor stuff is top notch and it is a satisfying ending.

5. The Last Jedi - There is quite the dropoff between ROTJ and here. I really like TLJ. It is one of the few films after the OT to truly get the spiritualism of the Force and be about something other than cool action scenes. The Luke/Rey/Kylo story is as good as any in the series and those scenes are the heart of the movie. It reminds me a bit of ROTJ, except in ROTJ I still enjoyed things like Jabba and the Ewoks even if it wasn't up to the usual bar. But here there is a ton of flab (most notably Finn's storyline) that I don't think adds much at all. So there is enough here that I certainly really like it, but there are problems, especially in the middle part of the film.

6. Revenge of the Sith - Or the prequel that's worth watching. I think it kind of unfairly gets shoved in with the other two. The terrible dialogue and delivery are still around (especially when it comes to Anakin/Padme, up there with Twilight as one of the worst romantic pairings in film history), but stuff is happening the whole movie, I was never bored, and I did feel some real emotion when the galaxy starts falling apart. Plus Ian McDiarmid is fantastic in this. Maybe my favorite performance in the entire franchise (admittedly, the franchise isn't known for good performances).

7. Rise of Skywalker - An entertaining car crash. Is it silly? Yes. Does it make much sense? No. Does it squandor the potential TLJ set up for it? Yes. But at least it was fun to watch. Much like ROTS stuff is constantly happening so at least I was never bored, even if a lot of it felt empty and meaningless.

8. Solo - Fine, but uninspired. Good thing it had Woody Harrelson because he (or his character) really kind of carries this movie. I thought the plot was okay and I liked some of the western homages, but the whole thing was missing something. It is a bit hard to explain. Like some oomph or punch. It felt competent, but flat.

9. The Force Awakens - It seems these films come in pairs, as this is much the same as Solo. Competent, but paint-by-numbers. Only here it is easier to figure out why. It doesn't try to do anything new. It is basically just the first film redux. It remind me of one of those Disney animated live-action remakes like Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, where it looks pretty but is just junk food. Now there is one saving grace here, which is basically everything to do with Han and his character. He was great. That includes his relationships with Kylo and Rey. But where Rise at least kept me entertained, this one had me thinking I had seen everything before and done better before.

10. Attack of the Clones - I found Obi-Wan's side of things interesting enough and I can never hate Cristopher Lee. But ye gads that romance plot is DEATH. I still think there is more to offer here than...

11. The Phantom Menace - Everything everybody wanted from the fourth Star Wars movie: old politicians arguing about taxes. Between annoying characters (Anakin, Jar-Jar) and the near complete lack of anything interesting or exciting until the last few minutes (minus the Pod Race) this is just dull and boring and crap. Easily the worst outside of those Ewok movies from the 80s and the crappy Clone Wars cartoon movie.

 

[SomeOldGuy]

I’ll do it this way:

Episodes I own & rewatch happily: ANH, TFA, TLJ

Episodes I like and would watch if I saw it on flipping channels but otherwise don’t feel a need to revisit much: ESB, ROTJ, TPM (also Solo)

Episodes I just don’t much care for: AOTC, ROTS, ROTS (also Rogue One)

 

[Spider-Fan]

6. Revenge of the Sith - Or the prequel that's worth watching. I think it kind of unfairly gets shoved in with the other two. The terrible dialogue and delivery are still around (especially when it comes to Anakin/Padme, up there with Twilight as one of the worst romantic pairings in film history), but stuff is happening the whole movie, I was never bored, and I did feel some real emotion when the galaxy starts falling apart. Plus Ian McDiarmid is fantastic in this. Maybe my favorite performance in the entire franchise (admittedly, the franchise isn't known for good performances).

I agree with the assessment you give for most of the movies, except really this one. Yes, this movie is a notch above the other two prequels. But this movie is still incredibly ugly to look at visually due to the terrible CGI excess, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman are as dull and lifeless as ever, and even though Ian is giving an interesting performance, I find myself disliking how they use Palpatine and Yoda. I never liked seeing either of them use lightsabers, and the execution of them in these movies make the characters far less cool. I don't even know what they were doing as far as these battles out with the digital models. Their lightsaber usage is just unbearably terrible. The only character I consistently really like in that movie is Obi-Wan, but even there I don't like him enough to sit through the stuff in the movie I just find not very good.

Honestly, I think there is a kernel of a decent movie in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, but both movies squander what potential they have with abysmal execution. Some of the ideas are there, though. Unlike The Phantom Menace, which to me is an entirely unnecessary movie. They could have just started the story were Attack of the Clones did, have Anakin and Padme be meeting for the first time and falling in love instead of the creepy romance that they were having to build off of from The Phantom Menace, and then tell the story of Revenge of the Sith over to movies. Then we would see the beginning of the Clone War, a movie within the Clone War itself, and then the end of the Clone War and Anakin turns into Darth Vader with the rise of the Empire. That's probably what I would have done in retrospect.

 

[Mjolnir Reborn]

I've been thinking about how my list would look but it's hard without rewatching the sequels, but at the same time I honestly don't see myself rewatching them again.

They don't feel fresh since it's just so much repetition of the OT, they have surprisingly few scenes that I would go back and watch as standalones, and overall I think the trilogy consists of one fine but redundant film and two bad ones.

Still I can't just put them below all the others since the prequels have a lot of flaws as well. Maybe it's for the best since I don't really like making ranked lists, even though I evidently still think about doing it now and then.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Honestly, I think there is a kernel of a decent movie in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, but both movies squander what potential they have with abysmal execution. Some of the ideas are there, though. Unlike The Phantom Menace, which to me is an entirely unnecessary movie. They could have just started the story were Attack of the Clones did, have Anakin and Padme be meeting for the first time and falling in love instead of the creepy romance that they were having to build off of from The Phantom Menace, and then tell the story of Revenge of the Sith over to movies. Then we would see the beginning of the Clone War, a movie within the Clone War itself, and then the end of the Clone War and Anakin turns into Darth Vader with the rise of the Empire. That's probably what I would have done in retrospect.

While we disagree on ROTS, I have thought this for years. The Phantom Menace is just not an interesting story. It isn't just bad, but as you say "unnecessary." AOTC 100% should have been Episode I, ROTS Episode III, and a missing Episode II that we never got because it all took place off-screen (or in a cartoon).

 

[Iceman]

While we disagree on ROTS, I have thought this for years. The Phantom Menace is just not an interesting story. It isn't just bad, but as you say "unnecessary." AOTC 100% should have been Episode I, ROTS Episode III, and a missing Episode II that we never got because it all took place off-screen (or in a cartoon).

I tried getting through the novelisation and ended up giving it to charity.

 

[DarthMuppet]

1) The Empire Strikes Back 10/10 (it has been my favorite SW film since leaving the theater on day one back in 1980 and I honestly doubt anything will ever dethrone it)
2) The Last Jedi 9.5/10
3) The Rise of Skywalker 9.5/10 (My only gripe with the film is the first act feeling a little too rushed. Having said that, it's an issue that bothers me less and less with each subsequent viewing)
4) The Force Awakens 9/10
5) A New Hope 9/10 (the first film my parents took me to see in the theater and my earliest memory)
6) Rogue One 8.5/10
7) Revenge of the Sith 8/10
8) SOLO 8/10
9) Return of the Jedi 7.5/10 (I loved it as a kid, but these days, with the exception of the space battle at the end, I tend to skip past anything that doesn't feature either Luke, Vader, or Palpatine. My other main gripe is the look of the film. I've never found it to be aesthetically pleasing)
10) The Phantom Menace 7/10
11) Attack of the Clones 6.5/10

 

[Bim]

ANH
ROTS
ESB
ROTJ
TPM
AOTC
Rogue One
Solo
TFA
TLJ/ROS

 

[shinlyle]

Here's my rankings...because, you know...so many people were asking for it from me! (sarcasm)

1- Empire Strikes Back
This is the greatest movie in the saga with the best Lightsaber battle and the most shocking ending in the saga. I wish I could mind wipe myself of all knowledge of Star Wars, and watch this again for the first time. SO. GOOD.

2- Star Wars (Yes, I still call it that. Screw that "New Hope" jargon)
The first, and the Death Star battle was just...where it's at. Characters that we instantly cared about, and the introduction of the greatest villain in cinema...as he chokes out a man while interrogating him and accidentally snaps his neck...before tossing his limp carcass like a rag doll. Whew! So good!

3- Rogue One.
Much like Star Wars, it introduces us to new characters, makes us CARE about them, and them systematically kills them off in spectacular fashion. Great film...and when you think it's over, some guys running down a hall way hear a respirator behind them, and the movie becomes legend (guess my favorite character in the saga? GUESS!). Watching Vader completely destroy an entire platoon like they aren't even there is amazing. I can do nothing but watch in silence every time. Keep in mind, this is the first time 90% of these guys have ever even seen a lightsaber. Force wielders of any sort were all but forgotten, and here stands one GUNNING for them. Epic.

4- Return of the Jedi
The weakest of the original trilogy, but still better than anything else after it except for Rogue One.

5- The Last Jedi
Kiss my grits, this movie still rocks. Subverting what everyone expected, and taking a different route, this film was great. Aside from Canto Bight or Blight...whatever...and Rose Jar-Jar-ing up every scene she was in...it was great. (You want to free some horses while we're on this tight time table? Seems legit! Idiot) I have nothing against the actress, but she should have been given a real part instead of this tacked on role. Just...no. Luckily, there was a throne room duel that was so awesome that I forgave it...also,Luke Force walking was great. Using the plot hole with the destroyed blue saber to basically show that it wasn't real was a great touch.

6- The Force Awakens
Brought back the fun, brought back the heart, and made us care about the new characters. Also, Luke becomes the coolest character without uttering a line of dialogue. It only loses points because we have another "take down the big weapon" scene. It was cool...but it was really Death Star 3.0. Honestly, Rey's outright likability is what carries the film for me. She's such a lovable character that you want her to do well, learn the Force, and NOT lose a hand in her trilogy.

7- Rise of Skywalker
It wraps things up satisfyingly enough, I just think maybe Palpatine should hire some military advisors for his "big weapon of destruction" division. Maybe put the weaknesses inside of some thick armor plating...inside the planet's core. Just a thought. Loses points also because Kylo Ren never won a SINGLE lightsaber duel in his entire trilogy. Everyone whooped him...but he was still cool to me. Also, seeing Palpatine return as the thing of nightmares was great. I wish they would have just stayed the course from TLJ.

8- Revenge of the Sith
The only prequel I enjoy. It features the birth of Vader...even if there was a point where "swing upward" is all that needs to be done. Ugh. Even then, when Christensen and Portman aren't trying to fake having chemistry, it's an enjoyable film...mostly because of the fall of the Jedi. Palapatine was cool, and they didn't even let Jar Jar do anything...which helped overall.

9- The Phantom Menace
Darth Maul was cool. And Qui-Gon was a pretty awesome Jedi. Pod Racing was fun. The rest was hot garbage.

10- Solo
A 2 hour film that serves no purpose but to tell us a story we already know...with no interesting folds at all. They even have Darth Maul pop up and ignite a lightsaber as a projection...which is like pointing a gun at someone on Skype. It doesn't do anything. Ugh.It's only not last because there was one film that was worse than it can ever hope to be...

11- Attack of the Clones
Awesome clone troopers and Christopher Lee couldn't save a romance that just...didn't work. It's like someone is who graduated from college dating someone who's a senior in high school...and marrying them because he lost his mom, and she really doesn't know how to let him down gently after kissing him while he plays bodygaurd on a planet with NO CONFLICTS. Also, let's take SW holy ground like Boba Fett, and make him an annoying kid, too....because doing that to Darth Vader worked out so well. Nothing about the film works, and I thank the Lord that Spider-man was in theaters when this was out, which kept me from seeing in on the big screen. Had I paid to watch it in the theater, I would have thrown up popcorn on the back of someone.

 

[shinlyle]

While we disagree on ROTS, I have thought this for years. The Phantom Menace is just not an interesting story. It isn't just bad, but as you say "unnecessary." AOTC 100% should have been Episode I, ROTS Episode III, and a missing Episode II that we never got because it all took place off-screen (or in a cartoon).

I used to pretend The Clone Wars cartoon (The Gendy Tartakovsky one) was Episode 1, ROTS was Episode 2, and The Force Unleashed was Episode 3. It made me feel better.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

3- Rogue One.
Much like Star Wars, it introduces us to new characters, makes us CARE about them, and them systematically kills them off in spectacular fashion. Great film...and when you think it's over, some guys running down a hall way hear a respirator behind them, and the movie becomes legend (guess my favorite character in the saga? GUESS!). Watching Vader completely destroy an entire platoon like they aren't even there is amazing. I can do nothing but watch in silence every time. Keep in mind, this is the first time 90% of these guys have ever even seen a lightsaber. Force wielders of any sort were all but forgotten, and here stands one GUNNING for them. Epic.

I don't think Rogue One gets nearly enough praise. This was the Star Wars movie I was waiting for since 1983. Spectacular.

 

[chintai80]

that vader scene at end of rogue one is probably one of the best star wars scenes ever - it shows how formidable and big a threat vader actually IS.

breh absorbed a blaster shot into his palm and shot it back!

he was always holding back in ESB and ROTJ because he was not trying to kill luke.

in my head canon, he was also holding back in ANH when he fought obi-wan, because he wanted to give his former master a fair duel now that he's old and frail.

 

[Mjolnir Reborn]

I don't think Rogue One gets nearly enough praise. This was the Star Wars movie I was waiting for since 1983. Spectacular.

I haven't rewatched any of the new SW films, but RO is the one I want to get back to so I can see if I like it more. The first time I didn't think they managed to make me care about the characters and I think the first two acts were a bit wonky, for example wasting a lot of time building up to Saw Gerrera who turned out to be relatively pointless. I liked the third act though, despite that the expected deaths didn't move me, so I hope the rest will fare a bit better the second time around. The Vader scene is also one of the best SW scenes ever.

 

[Orba]

Rogue One also has the best space battle of any of the films. There was strategy going on with the Rebel's actions, they were creative, like disabling a star destroyer then pushing it into another star destroyer. I was expecting ROS to try to do something great with its space battle after R1 had set the new standard, needless to say I was deeply disappointed with what we got.