With Star Wars: Episode 9 - The Rise of Skywalker, The Skywalker Saga has finally come to an
end — but how does it stack up to other entries in the series?
Let's rank every Star Wars film from worst to best, according to the scores from critics
on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fans were absolutely thrilled in 1999 when Star Wars creator George Lucas returned after
a 17-year absence and gave us The Phantom Menace — at least, they were thrilled until
they actually watched the thing.
There were so many problems with this one.
Glacial pacing.
Clunky dialogue.
And probably the silliest, most distracting character in the entire Star Wars mythos.
We're speaking, of course, of a certain Jar Jar Binks.
"Something something, this way, hurry."
Many reviewers felt The Phantom Menace committed a cardinal sin: Namely, it was deathly boring.
In his lacerating review, The Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern took the film to
task for getting bogged down in politics, writing:
"What I can't comprehend is why the political details had to be so tedious and abstract.
Will the kids of our nation and the world truly be titillated by trade wars and the
spectacle of a do-nothing Senate?"
Despite the inclusion of a thrilling pod race and an epic three-way lightsaber fight, The
Phantom Menace was a disappointment that many fans could've done without.
The film ultimately scored a dismal 53% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What's worse than an unsatisfying beginning?
How about a sloppy ending?
Unfortunately, many critics felt like The Rise of Skywalker was ultimately something
of a slog.
Reviewers generally felt that the film failed to take any of the chances that defined its
predecessor, 2017's The Last Jedi.
But that wasn't the only grievance by a long shot.
In her decidedly negative review, Chicago Tribune's Katie Walsh wrote:
"[Director J.J. Abrams] hits the gas on this space race right away and never pauses to
let a single emotion land, because the characters are too busy scrambling around the galaxy
looking for thingamajigs and each other.
The pace and volume of plot is punishing, and numbing."
The fact that the film shamelessly undid several plot points from The Last Jedi was seen as
another major flaw.
As A.A.
Dowd wrote in his AV Club review:
"[Abrams has] made what feels sometimes like a glorified apology for his successor’s
choices."
As of the making of this video, the hotly-anticipated Rise of Skywalker has only scored around a
58% on Rotten Tomatoes.
It's hard to believe… but here we are.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones focused on the theoretically epic love story
between Anakin Skywalker — played by Hayden Christensen -- and Padmé Amidala — played
by Natalie Portman.
Unfortunately, their romance brought the movie to a screeching halt whenever they had a scene
together.
That lack of chemistry was only part of the problem.
George Lucas's dialogue has never been this jarringly bad.
On the upside, many reviewers felt the film was somewhat redeemed by the crackerjack action
sequences.
AV Club's Scott Tobias wrote that,
"Save for a crowd-pleasing moment with Yoda, the movie remains pretty and inert, with no
authentic emotion, no cumulative power."
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern specifically called out George Lucas's wooden
dialogue, writing:
"You can't blame actors, particularly young ones, when the words put in their mouths are
almost unspeakable and the direction seems to suck them dry of energy or spontaneity."
After suffering this attack of the critics, Attack of the Clones wound up with a disappointing
65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Solo was famously rescued by director Ron Howard after original filmmakers Phil Lord
and Chris Miller departed — and the fact that the film needed rescuing definitely shows
in the final product.
"Come on, Chewie.
Gonna need a little of that Wookie oomph."
"Murh."
In his review for The Beat, Kyle Pinion noted,
"[The filmmakers] are working overtime to recreate the Han you know and love from the
original trilogy rather than crafting a younger, more formative version from which he can evolve.
In short, it’s clearly a movie made by committee with many hands on deck."
Looking past the film's troubled production history, most reviewers thought Solo was a
solid, if not altogether spectacular installment.
Critics generally felt its biggest flaw was failing to stand out.
Allison Rose of FlickDirect wrote:
"As a standalone film, Solo: A Star Wars Story has a good plot, interesting characters, and
well-done action scenes.
As part of the classic franchise, it comes across a little disjointed and disconnected."
Solo: A Star Wars Story holds a decidedly so-so 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Widely considered the best entry of the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith benefited from
an emphasis on action — and on Anakin Skywalker's turn to the Dark Side.
It's a character development that Hayden Christensen pulls off with aplomb, and most critics were
quick to praise the film.
In his glowing review, Toledo Blade's Christopher Borrelli wrote:
"[Revenge of the Sith is] a terrific, riveting, surprisingly affecting finale to a series
that has impacted every last inch of our culture."
But not every critic was thrilled by Revenge of the Sith.
Christopher Tookey of the Daily Mail wrote:
"Episode III has the same faults as episodes I and II (terrible dialogue and worse acting)
plus two brand new ones — a confusing lack of geographical sense and a tendency to leave
gaping plot holes.
[...] I found the whole thing a colossal disappointment."
But at the end of the day, most critics were quite fond of the film.
John P. McCarthy of ReelTalk Reviews wrote:
"The saga comes full circle as both the Empire and the seeds of the rebellion are born, and
the original magic of 1977 is rediscovered.
[George Lucas] taps into the old-fashioned, Saturday matinee quality he brought to the
first Star Wars along with revolutionary craftsmanship."
After all was said and done, Revenge of the Sith wound up with an 80% rating on Rotten
Tomatoes.
At the time of its release, Return of the Jedi was the most highly-anticipated movie
of all time.
As such, it couldn't help but let a few fans down — although generally speaking, it was
considered a satisfying if imperfect ending to the original trilogy.
In her highly positive review, Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times wrote,
"With this last of the central Star Wars cycle, there is the sense of the closing of a circle,
of leaving behind real friends.
It is accomplished with a weight and a new maturity that seem entirely fitting, yet the
movie has lost none of its sense of fun; it bursts with new inventiveness.
With Jedi, George Lucas may have pulled off the first triple crown of motion pictures."
But not every critic was convinced.
Arthur Knight of The Hollywood Reporter acknowledged the impressive visuals, but he straight-up
panned the film, writing that:
"It conveys the sense that the machinery has already started to wear down, and the inventiveness
to wear thin.
To be sure, the film abounds in action.
[...] But, despite its huge cast of new intergalactic grotesques, Jedi seems woefully familiar."
But most critics thought Return of the Jedi was a solid entry — perhaps not as good
as people had hoped for, but none too terrible, either.
In his review for the San Francisco Chronicle, Peter Stack wrote:
"Though it looks almost too polished, a handful of eye-smacking action scenes were breakthroughs
in precomputer cinematic graphics.
And when the film moves, it does so with blazing energy and awesome noise.
[...] Seeing the very end of an endlessly hyped trilogy somehow puts a lump in the throat."
Return of the Jedi currently holds a respectable 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story follows the plucky band of rebels who died getting the plans
for the Empire's infamous space station, the Death Star, into the hands of the Rebellion.
The film popped in all the right places, was bolstered by terrific acting and production
design, and featured a truly jaw-dropping finale.
Many critics felt Rogue One was the first entry in the franchise that actually felt
like a war movie, while others bemoaned the myriad acts of fan service and the occasionally
sluggish pacing.
"I'm one with The Force, The Force is with me.
I'm one with The Force…"
"Pray?"
Nonetheless, critics were generally way into this movie.
In her glowing review, Newshub's Kate Rodger wrote:
"[Rogue One is] dark, gritty, dirty, brave and a Star Wars story worth telling.
No, it's not perfect, [...] But it delivers us so deliciously to the door of A New Hope
and it's jam-packed with everything I need for a thrilling few hours in that galaxy far,
far away."
At final tally, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story earned an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
That's none too shabby.
It certainly divided fans, but most critics really loved The Last Jedi.
The middle chapter of the sequel trilogy — and the only one to be directed by Rian Johnson
rather than J.J. Abrams — definitely made some controversial choices with the narrative.
But refreshingly, the film didn't play it safe, and critics really appreciated that.
In his review for ComicBookMovie.com, Josh Wilding wrote:
"A superb addition to the Skywalker Saga which is sure to leave fans with plenty to talk
— and argue — about, Star Wars: The Last Jedi now stands proudly alongside The Empire
Strikes Back as one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all-time."
Sure, The Last Jedi got its share of negative feedback too, although the majority of reviewers
praised the film.
In his review for Parade, Samuel R. Murrian wrote:
"Let's not mince words.
This will be remembered as one of the best science fiction/fantasy movies of all time,
and this backlash simply must stop, because that's no way to treat a near-masterpiece."
At the end of the day, The Last Jedi racked up an enviable 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
"That's impossible."
"Yes.
And they've done it."
Coming a full decade after the conclusion of the prequel trilogy, The Force Awakens
was greeted warmly by critics and fans alike.
Its new characters were found to be compelling and relatable, its villain was surprisingly
complex, and it featured the return of the beloved principals from the original trilogy,
most of them in major roles.
Sure, the plot beats might have been a touch familiar, but that's easy to forgive when
a movie is this well-crafted.
Critics certainly thought the film was a major improvement on the prequel trilogy.
"Good job, kid.
Thanks."
"You're welcome."
In his review for The Atlantic, Christopher Orr wrote:
"With The Force Awakens, [J.J.] Abrams has begun one of the most important reclamation
projects of our time: the complete erasure from cultural memory of The Phantom Menace
and its sequels."
Generally speaking, critics thought The Force Awakens was a thrilling return to form, and
an excellent Star Wars film in its own right.
Ultimately, the film scored an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
What can be said about A New Hope that hasn't been said already?
It's a movie that won over an entire generation.
One thing worth noting: The sci-fi opus wasn't unanimously praised upon its release.
In her 1977 review published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Helen Frizell even bodyshames
R2D2, writing:
"Oh, the astronomical audiences; oh, the mundane story; oh, the over-cute little robots (one
fat, one thin); oh, the vapid actors, the galactic shootouts; oh, the brilliant technology
and oh, the boredom of it all."
"What's wrong?"
"I felt a great disturbance in the force."
Still, most reviews were extremely positive, with Dale Pollock writing in the Santa Cruz
Sentinel:
"This is one film that exceeds its tremendous pre-release ballyhoo.
Few films have ever been this much fun to watch.
[...] It conquers our dreams, lights up our hopes, and leads us down the path to the future."
Not surprisingly, A New Hope scored an impressive 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Empire Strikes Back dramatically raised the stakes for our heroes and ended with their
crushing defeat — a bold and unusual move for a sequel.
Critics were impressed with the film, to say the least.
Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote:
"The Empire Strikes Back suggests strongly that the Lucas imagination has hardly begun
to be tested.
[...] It is expansive but more tightly time-framed in terms of plot.
I wish it were a handful of minutes shorter, but this is my single caveat about another
richly imaginative, engrossing and spectacular motion picture."
In a more recent review, Jeffrey Lyles of Lyles' Movie Files succinctly wrote:
"See it, and prepare to be captivated by the most spellbinding sci-fi film of them all."
No wonder The Empire Strikes Back currently holds a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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