For my money, the first "Star Wars" flick is still the all-time.
Conventional wisdom among "Star Wars" fans says "The Empire Strikes Back" surpasses the original, merely it'south missing 1 crucial ingredient: Leia, Luke and Han in the same room together. The three friends are only together briefly in "The Empire Strikes Back." They spend a niggling more time every bit a group in "Return of the Jedi," a somber reunion as Luke broods over the revelation that Darth Vader is his father.
Merely the best moments of "Star Wars" are those in which the iii protagonists become great friends. Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han (Harrison Ford) bickering, Luke (Mark Hamill) struggling with his destiny, the three of them annoyed with each other and triumphant together in turns. The Death Star escape in "A New Hope" is a astounding sequence, and information technology's the friendship between the 3 protagonists that forms the backbone of the remainder of the series.
What makes "Star Wars" corking isn't the setting, the aliens, the ships or the space battles — it's the three young rebels standing against the terrifying power of Darth Vader.
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When fans excitedly tweeted about hearing Luke Skywalker'due south voice again for the first time in thirty years at the release of Star Wars Celebration'due south "The Last Jedi" trailer, I couldn't assistance but observe it pitiful. Yes, in that location's something of a thrill in seeing Luke return to the screen — he was a character that was powerful and influential to me as a child, like he was for millions.
Only we'll never see Luke together with Han and Leia ever again. The soul of "Star Wars," the enduring friendship of three people who risked everything for each other again and again, tin can never be recaptured.
I should note that this separation is not considering of the tragic and unexpected death of Carrie Fisher. Her iconic function is inspiring and meaningful to many, many people, and her loss as an creative person, and entertainer, a writer and a figure is felt throughout the "Star Wars" community and well beyond it.
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But for the purpose of this chat, the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of "The Forcefulness Awakens" — because while information technology'south possible that Luke and Leia could have a scene or ii together in "The Final Jedi," "The Force Awakens" has irreparably taken Han out of the equation. The motion picture purposely separates the iconic heroes, undercutting important elements of their characters — merely Leia has made it through the last 30 years in the course nosotros remember her, it seems. And then information technology does away with Han Solo for its emotional climax.
That Han, Luke and Leia are scattered to the current of air, the intervening 30 years having rocked them emotionally and apparently splintered their relationship is more than a plot signal. It'due south a fundamental undoing of a trilogy of character development. Han Solo overcame his selfishness to get an essential resistance leader — simply merely for the sake of his friends. Luke Skywalker basically planned to cede his life not merely to redeem his begetter, but in a desperate gambit to protect the others. And Leia, the stone for them all, was an unwavering and principled force for adept who fabricated both Han and Luke meliorate, and who was strengthened by their support.
"Star Wars," in no small mode, is the three of them. They reach together what none of them could on their ain.
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"The Forcefulness Awakens," and the new "Star Wars trilogy at big, wants to laissez passer that same torch to a new group of heroes. There's zippo wrong with that idea — in fact, "Star Wars" needs that. Merely to pass the torch, someone needs to exist property it.
"Star Wars" tin can now never over again reunite the three people who made information technology more than than just a series of movies to millions of people. Short of a previously-shot flashback scene in "The Last Jedi" or some gross utilize of CGI in "Episode Nine," it can never once more revisit the bond that influenced so many people for so many years.
In time, maybe the new characters of "Star Wars" and their relationship to one another volition exist simply equally powerful. But it's sad that something so meaningful as 1 of the most recognizable friendships in motion-picture show history isn't a part of this new chapter of "Star Wars." "The Force Awakens" permit the opportunity sideslip by, and nosotros'll never have it again.
All 8 'Star Wars' Movies Ranked Worst to Best: From 'New Hope' to 'Rogue One' (Photos)
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How does "Rogue One" compare with the other seven "Star Wars" movies? Here are all of them, ranked from worst to best.
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8. "Episode I: The Phantom Menace"
We waited 16 years for George Lucas to return to this universe, and what did we get? Trade routes and political intrigue, blood tests for the Force, and peradventure worst of all, Jar Jar Binks. "Menace" isn't terrible considering information technology's a kids' movie; it'due south terrible because information technology'southward a terrible kids' movie.
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Highlight:
The light-saber battle between Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Darth Maul (Ray Park) - they're the ii nigh interesting characters the movie has to offer, so naturally both become killed off before the endmost credits curlicue.
Worst Function: Whatsoever utterance of the discussion "Yippee!" whether by Jar Jar or by pre-pubescent Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd).
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vii. "Episode II: Attack of the Clones"
A slight comeback over its predecessor, in the same way that a stubbed toe hurts less than a migraine. This installment introduces a hockey-haired Hayden Christensen as a petulant Anakin, smitten with Senator Amidala (Natalie Portman), despite her noting, "To me, you'll always be that little male child on Tatooine" upon their reunion. Too, at that place are clones.
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Highlight:
The fight betwixt Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison), which feels similar a genuine disharmonism of equals. Shut 2d: Yoda'south lightsaber battle with Count Dooku (Christopher Lee).
Worst Part: Anakin woos his lady in a CG meadow that looks like the gear up of a toilet paper commercial. (No i can forget the immortal line, "I don't like sand.")
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6. "Rogue 1: A Star Wars Story"
Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and a rag-tag group of rebels ready out to steal the plans for the Death Star to prove that Jyn'southward father Galen (Mads Mikkselsen) did indeed booby-trap that thermal port so that one day Luke Skywalker (Marker Hamill) can blow up the whole mama-jama. This start non-"Episode" film in the series is less a film and more than of a collection of Easter eggs for hardcore fans to find and enjoy.
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Highlight:The climactic battle sequence, spotlighting the boggling combat skills of [SPOILER REDACTED], whose proficiency with The Force makes up for [SPOILER REDACTED].
Worst Part: The fact that the film prioritizes plot details over character -- especially since the existence of "Episode Four" assures that nosotros already know how this one ends.
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5. "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi"
Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is unfrozen from carbonite, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is briefly enslaved by Jabba the Hutt (and forced to article of clothing the infamous metallic bikini), and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) resists the temptations of the Dark Side and brings his dad, Darth Vader, effectually to defeat the sinister Emperor Palpatine. If only then much time weren't spent with those cutesy Ewoks, whose abrasive presence presages the juvenile tone of the prequels.
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Highlight: The speeder chase through the forests of Endor, one of the most breathtakingly exciting sequences in the unabridged saga.
Worst Office: The Empire seems a little less threatening when they have such a hard time continuing up to a agglomeration of teddy bears with ropes and pulleys.
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4. "Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith"
Anakin completes his journey toward becoming Darth Vader as the Empire succeeds in its hostile takeover of the Republic. Christensen remains as pouty equally ever, just at that place are moments in "Sith" that support the notion that if Lucas had made just this i prequel rather than three, we wouldn't call up so poorly of his return to this galaxy far, far abroad.
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Highlight: Anakin faces off with Obi-Wan for a last confrontation that leaves the younger man beaten and dismembered. Also, the "unmasking" of Chancellor Palpatine as "The Phantom Menace" past a phalanx of Jedi (including Samuel L. Jackson's Mace Windu) who are made short piece of work of by the evil Sith Lord.
Worst Role: A reconstructed Anakin bellows, "Nooooooooo!!!!!" when he awakens in his Darth Vader armor, in a ham-fisted homage to/ripoff of Boris Karloff in James Whale'southward "Frankenstein."
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3. "Episode VII: The Force Awakens"
The first of the post-Lucas adventures sees manager and co-writer J.J. Abrams connecting some familiar faces from the previous films to a new set of fascinating characters, both good and evil. The pic bears more than a few structural resemblances to "A New Promise," but information technology'southward no less thrilling for its moments of familiarity. If George Lucas cribbed from serials, Errol Flynn and Akira Kurosawa, Abrams pulls ideas from Lucas.
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Highlight: Either when Han and Chewie are reunited with the Millennium Falcon or when Rey realizes her destiny.
Worst Part: A primal character becomes fully present only at a plot-user-friendly moment late in the story.
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two. "Episode 4: A New Hope"
Lucas' original space-spanning saga has get such an iconic American movie that it's joined the ranks of "The Wizard of Oz" -- nearly every moment, camera set up-upwards or line of dialogue has been quoted, referenced or lampooned by another motion-picture show over the years.
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Highlight: Who can choose? I'm a big fan of Luke and Han manning the turret gun in the Millennium Falcon every bit Chewbacca evades the Empire'due south TIE fighters, simply if yous prefer the escape from the garbage disposal or Darth Vader's hands-free strangulation of Admiral Motti (Richard LeParmentier), yous're non incorrect either.
Worst Part: Princess Leia'south British accent and Luke's nasal whining point that Lucas hadn't quite yet pinned down the specifics of these characters.
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1. "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back"
Having created these worlds in the previous moving-picture show, Lucas (working with screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett and director Irvin Kershner) could let these characters and their relationships grow richer and more interesting, while simultaneously ratcheting up the stakes and the excitement. Here'southward a sequel that enhances its predecessor rather than attempting but to re-create it.
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Highlight: Again, so much to choose from, whether it'southward the AT-AT walkers on Hoth, Han Solo's evasion of the Purple fleet via an asteroid field or Luke's apprenticeship under Jedi Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz).
Worst Office: For people who saw the film in 1980, that cliffhanger ending -- with the noesis that the next sequel was a full 3 years away -- actually stung.
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Is "Rogue One" more "Phantom Menace," or "New Hope"?
How does "Rogue Ane" compare with the other 7 "Star Wars" movies? Here are all of them, ranked from worst to all-time.
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