Rating the Star Wars Saga

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*=Bad
**=Fair
***=Good
****=Great
*****=Brilliant

A New Hope (1977)
*****

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
*****

Return of the Jedi (1983)
****and a Half

The Phantom Menace (1999)
***

Attack of the Clones (2002)
***

Revenge of the Sith (2005)
****

A New Hope *****
The Empire Strikes Back ****
Return of the Jedi ****
The Phantom Menace *
Attack of the Clones *
Revenge of the Sith *

(By release date, the numbers show the chronological order)

IV A New Hope: * * * * * (THE classic space opera. Its not 2001, but it doesn't try to be. It is a modern take on the classic heroes of myth and a true myth in its own right)
V The Empire Strikes Back: * * * * * (The darkest of the original trilogy)
VI The Return of the Jedi: * * * * * (I actually love Ewoks, regardless of what others say)
I The Phantom Menace: * * * and a half (This was the first Star Wars movie I saw, so this movie is nostalgic to me the way the original is to everyone else)
II Attack of the Clones: * * * (This is where things start to go downhill for Anakin, both in character and out of character)
III Revenge of the Sith: * * and a half (So... much... forced... ANGST. And this is coming from an Eva fan! Ewan McGregor was great, though)

A New Hope: 5
Empire Strikes Back: 5
Return of the Jedi: 5
Phantom Menace: 1
Attack of the Clones: -1
Revenge of the Sith: 1
Jimmy Fallon Skit: 5

Empire Strikes Back over all of them.

SW: ***** (I never refer to it as "A New Hope")
Empire: *****
Jedi: ****1/2
Menace: ***
Clones: ***
Sith: ****1/2

Really aren't that many complaints about the Original Trilogy save for the alterations over the years. The first two prequels had some high points (pod race, the lightsaber duels) and I'm a fan of Ewen McGregor and Natalie Portman, but the story was just too jumbled and too full of stuff that you wonder if it was necessary for them to put it there. Although Sith's story has some of those as well, it had enough worthwhile and necessary stuff in it to easily make it the best of the prequels.

I'm so tired of people dissing Ep 3, it was a great movie maybe not that great but still.

It's just as awful as the other prequels. Whenever I hear someone try to defend it, all they can do is point out that it's darker, as if that makes it better. The acting, writing, and directing are still completely inept. This review nails it, and it's a hell of a lot more entertaining than the film:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loFpxBSyWG0[/youtube]

A New Hope: 5
Empire Strikes Back: 5
Return of the Jedi: 4.5
Phantom Menace: -1 000 000
Attack of the Clones: 1
Revenge of the Sith: 2.666

The Empire Strikes Back= *****
Return Of The Jedi=****
A New Hope=****
Revenge Of The Sith=***
Attack Of The Clones=***
The Phantom Menace=*

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

I think part of the problem with the prequels is that the original trilogy broke so much ground. Filling in the gaps is hard.

As for the overall story of the prequels (rather than the details and the dialogue), I find it good. It's only once you start watching the films proper that you feel, 'this ain't Star Wars'.

Now, for anyone who hates Revenge of the Sith, I highly recommend the novelisation. It redeems the story of the movie.

ANH: 5
TESB: 4
ROTJ: 3

TPM: 1.5
AOTC: 4
ROTS: 1.5

A New Hope (1977) ****

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) ****

Return of the Jedi (1983) *****

The Phantom Menace (1999) *

Attack of the Clones (2002) **

Revenge of the Sith (2005) ****

Why do people bash on Revenge of the Sith? Fair enough for the previous 2 I admit they weren't brilliant, but Sith was awesome! The battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan was so epic. No I'm not trolling, I'm being honest, and I'm not afraid of showing that. Do your worst, angry fans.

Awful acting and writing, and soulless action scenes. I don't know about others, but I haven't got some biased vendetta against Revenge of the Sith. I would have been satisfied with a movie half as good as Return of the Jedi. It's just an incredibly poor film. I recommend watching the YouTube review I posted above. It lays out everything that's wrong with the film better than I ever could.

Empire is the high point, the prequels are really bad films.