I went through the Star Wars film catalogue throughout May. I hadn't actually planned to do this, but after seeing Revenge of the Sith in the theatre and finishing Andor, I jumped straight into Rogue One. So my rewatch order is a bit screwy--but mostly chronological.
The Phantom Menace - 2/5
I must have said this in this thread at some point, but it bears repeating: a few interesting ideas, mostly buried in wooden dialogue and trade negotiations.
Attack of the Clones - 1/5
I really struggled to find anything good here. The dialogue is coarse and rough, the characters are irritating, and the story is..everywhere. I'm old and cranky now and any semblance of childlike wonder is gone; the scene where the Jedi show up on Geonosis used to rope me in every time, not so much any more.
Revenge of the Sith - 3/5
A film about how fascism rises from within, and how even good intentions can be twisted by power. It hit hard in 2005 and feels just as relevant in 2025.
Solo - 2/5
This only exists because Disney was cranking out as many Star Wars films as possible--a symptom of corporate greed more than creative vision. It failed, and I’d like to think Disney learned something (they didn’t). That said, Donald Glover as Lando was excellent--easily the highlight.
Rogue One - 4.5/5
Andor flows into this perfectly. Watching the final Andor episodes just before this really made it sing. I also appreciated the overarching storyline more--from Attack of the Clones through to Rogue One, the Emperor’s long game and the Death Star take shape. This film grabs the relay baton and runs it to gold.
Star Wars - 5/5
Classic.
The Empire Strikes Back - 5/5
Easily the movie I've seen more than any other. It doesn’t just hold up--it improves with age. I still catch new things each time: a line delivery, a glance, a shadow in the background. It morphs with each rewatch, depending on where I am in life.
Return of the Jedi - 3.5/5
I was musing to myself while watching that for years I thought Death Star II was the original, just half-blown up from Yavin. It’s like I didn’t know how to read for the first 20 years of my life.
The Force Awakens - 3/5
Looks like Star Wars, sounds like Star Wars, feels like Star Wars--but something’s off. It wasn’t bad, and it was a decent leap forward for Disney, but it wasn’t great either.
The Last Jedi - 4/5
I was in hospital around the time this came out (or when I finally saw it), and missed all the online discourse (10/10, would recommend for all future Star Wars movies.) The Last Jedi gets way more #### than it deserves. It's by far the best of the sequel trilogy. The final shot could have been the end of Star Wars and I'd be satisfied. That’s the real end of the Skywalker Saga, for me.
Rise of Skywalker - 0.5/5
#### me.
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