Everything 'Star Wars' Blogathon || All the Star Wars movies, ranked.

I WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THIS *cries* 

What-ho, all!  Today marks the beginning of Eva's and Katie's epic three-day blogathon devoted to all things Star Wars!  Huzzah.

For my first (possibly only?  we don't know) contribution, I have ranked all the SW movies to date, according to My Personal & Subjective Opinion, Okay, Don't Let's Get Mad. 

I doubt there'll be that many surprises on this list?  But, as always & once again, these rankings reflect my feelings and my preferences and are in no way meant as an attack on those who have different ones.  I respect all the SW movies in various ways and I respect all the SW fan opinions in various ways. 

There.

⸻

#11.  

Rogue One

This ain't it, chief.  Not for me, at any rate.  I know a lot of people love it, and I understand why they do, but I . . . do not.  Nope, nope.  *shakes head emphatically*  It's sort of everything I don't want in a Star Wars film. 😬

#10.

Solo

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would, all things considered.  I don't usually go for prequels very much.  For some reason, stories that retroactively try to force me to accept as canon a backstory for a character I've already met . . . stress me.  They mess with timelines; they mess with my own ideas about who the character was before I knew them, should I have undertaken to form any such ideas; and they often alter my perception of the character as portrayed in the original, "later" story in unwelcome ways.

Basically:  I don't tend to like them. 😛  So, from the very beginning, I was skeptical of this movie.  While I thoroughly approved the casting of Alden Ehrenreich, I still knew that they were going to "mess" with my favorite Star Wars character's history.  Plus, I knew that they were going to do all that WHILE ALSO attempting to sell me on a "serious" love interest that was doomed from the start due to what we already knew of Han's story later on . . . and I just wasn't on board.

I'm still not, for the record, "on board" so much as I am no longer "off board".  If you will. 😜  I still don't necessarily accept the Solo plot as Han's backstory; but the movie itself, I thought, was actually pretty good.  Even if it's not one I'd personally care to watch over and over.

#9.  

Revenge of the Sith

I think this is possibly the "strongest" of the prequel movies, but it's also my least favorite simply because, you know, sin and ruin and betrayal and despair and tragedy and all that.  I mean, Padme dies.  You can't expect me to be itching to watch my queen die every chance I get.

It's good; it just makes me feel . . . not sad, really, but . . . slightly crestfallen.  And I'm not looking to be crestfallen after watching a Star Wars movie. 

#8.  

The Rise of Skywalker

I don't have much to say about this one.  It was fine, and I forever love Rey + Poe + Finn; but beyond that . . . eh. *shrugs*

#7.  

The Force Awakens

everybody dance now

Rey and Finn being bright-eyed ingenues entering the free world after years of oppression is The Purest Thing, and I love their excitement and geekiness and hugs.  I also love the feeling of freshness, of newness, of beginnings.  I love Han Solo and Leia Organa being Crusty Old Whippersnappers.  I love the line, "Chewie . . . we're home."  I love the line, "tHaT's NoT hOw ThE fOrCe WoRkS!"  (I basically love Han, period.)

I don't love the unimpressive emo adolescent Phantom of the opera that is Ben in this movie.  I definitely don't love aforementioned unimpressive emo, etc. killing my boy.  Nope, nope.  We don't stan that, madam; we do not.  And any numbskulls who want to come and try to tell me, "Oh, but it needed to happen for the story" may exit, pursued by a bear, at the first available moment. 😁

#6.

The Last Jedi

Despite its arguable flaws, I enjoy a lot of this film.  It has several of my favorite moments of the new trilogy:  Rey screaming at Ben; Rey learning from Luke; Luke being salty and decrepit; Rey and Ben fighting Snoke together; Rey caring about Ben but taking Exactly None of his nonsense when he's urging her to rule the galaxy with him; Luke doing The Shoulder Flick; Rey closing the ship door on Ben's face; Rey lifting the rocks to free the Rebels; Finn and Rey hugging again because #pure; Poe and Rey meeting.

*sighs in satisfaction*  Good moments, those. 

#5.  

The Phantom Menace

This one is just fun, for me.  The stakes are pretty low, so I don't really have to "worry" about any of my favorite characters, but I still get to enjoy them.  I still get to experience a unique shade of the SW story universe, one that's different from either the original or the newer trilogy.  It's a good time, folks. 

#4.  

A New Hope

A Smol List of things that greatly enhance this movie:

• Leia Organa, taking care of business.

• Han Solo, trying very hard to not take care of business but doing it anyway bc, what the heck, it's the weekend and he's bored.

• Obi-Wan Kenobi, thinking he's taking care of business and really doing a kind of horrible job at it but it's okay he tried. 

• Luke Skywalker, wanting desperately to take care of business but simultaneously being a Sheltered Homeschooler Teen with absolutely zero clue what's going on.  

• "but I was going to go to the Tashi station to get some power converters!!"

• Luke destroying the Death Star.

• Han helping Luke destroy the Death Star.

• Luke and Han tackling each other back at the rebel base bc they're so excited that they destroyed the Death Star.

• "We're all fine, here, now, thank you . . . how are you?"

• Leia handling herself with more suavity and aplomb and heroism than any of us could possibly hope to imitate even after being forced to watch her entire world be literally blown to smithereens in front of her eyes??

• Han barreling down a hallway clutching a gun and screaming at the top of his lungs with no apparent plan whatsoever. 

#3.  

Attack of the Clones

I knowwwwwwwwwww, I know.  But what can I say?  I am Utter & Complete Trash for Padme Amidala; and I am likewise Trash for a solid Aesthetic; and this movie has both in abundance; and therefore you really can't blame me. *shrugs*

Will I mock its dialogue just as heartily as the next person?  Heck yeah.  Will I still thoroughly and unironically enjoy it?  Heck yeah.  

#2.  

Return of the Jedi

I love how much time we spend on Endor in this movie.  Endor is probably my second-favorite SW locale — right after Naboo — and all the forest-y goodness adds a touch of whimsy and coziness to the story.  Plus, I just love watching all the characters at the end of their arcs:  they're all a little more mature, a little more serious, but also a little more appreciative of the ordinary everyday good things that they're trying to preserve for the future.  I stan, madam.  I stan most strongly. 

PLUS THE ENDING.  It genuinely makes me feel so happy and cozy and safe. 💚

#1.  

The Empire Strikes Back

*grins*  You can't beat the Han-and-Leia dynamic.  I can't, at least, and I am unabashed in saying that this is my favorite of the films primarily because of all the screen time that the two of them get together. 

Luke also gets a lot of exposition in this installment, which is important and of course sets him up for the events of Return.  

I love it, my dudes — I do, indeed. 

And we're done!

Which is your favorite SW movie?

Which is your least favorite?