My Ranking of the ‘Star Wars’ Franchise

It’s been a very long time since I ranked anything in this franchise. In fact, it hasn’t been since The Rise of Skywalker that I did this which is a bit shocking. Now that Obi-Wan Kenobi is finished though I figured it’s finally time to get back to ranking installments in this franchise. Enjoy!

19. Star Wars: Resistance

This cartoon had some interesting ideas and could’ve been really good. Instead, it felt like it was the first animated series to be catered to an audience under eight-years-old. Hence its boring story and forgettable characters.

18. The Clone Wars Movie

This movie actually isn’t that bad but it has some musical choices that are so atrocious I had to place it this low on the list.

17. The Book of Boba Fett

When I learned Boba Fett was getting his own spin-off I couldn’t be more excited…and then I watched the show. Week after week the series departed further and further from the character I knew and loved. Boba Fett’s cold ruthlessness and iconic awesomeness was sacriced to turn him into a not-as-cool caricature of Mando.

The series treated the title character so poorly that he was sidelined for two of the episodes in favor of Mando. And yes, those were the best episodes.

Plus, the Starburst-colored space Vespas and that gang of half-cyborg youngsters were the absolute WORST. And why was the show called The Book of Boba Fett again?

16. The Bad Batch

I liked some of the episodes in this show and the overall story is pretty intriguing. It’s just a little annoying and a tad bit boring on more circumstances than I would’ve liked.

15. Solo: A Star Wars Story

Ron Howard was the director, Woody Harrelson was Han Solo’s cynic mentor, it seemed like a recipe for success right? Unfortunately, the film is totally unnecessary, Alden Ehrenreich wasn’t a very likable Han Solo, and the story is ultimately quite boring. The best thing about the movie is Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra and unfortunately she hasn’t been given a Disney+ series yet.

14. The Attack of the Clones

I like this movie and I don’t like this movie.

13. The Rise of Skywalker

This movie is filled with near-irredeemable flaws…and yet I watch it more than the other Sequel Trilogy movies these days. Hmm…

12. Return of the Jedi

This movie has some powerful/iconic moments but when I think about the other installments on this list I can’t place this any higher than #12.

11. The Phantom Menace

Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn are the best things about this movie…and the creation of the Duel of the Fates piece composed brilliantly by John Williams.

10. A New Hope

This movie is a classic for a reason. The music is chill-inducing, the story is brilliantly simple, and the characters are unforgettable. But, compared to the other movies and shows on this list it’s definitely a bit lackuster.

9. The Last Jedi

Where this movie excels is the storyline with Rey, Kylo Ren, and Luke Skywalker. Unfortunately, Rian Johnson didn’t provide nearly enough dedication to Finn, Leia, and Poe’s story resulting in a film that is both powerful and boring as heck. Hence its spot on this list.

8. The Mandalorian

This show singlehandedly saved Star Wars. With that being said, this show would be higher on the list if it was easier to rewatch but it just isn’t. I love the characters, I love the story, and I love the many guest stars the second season provided but I cannot get myself to binge watch this show. And that’s kind of unfortunate.

7. The Force Awakens

Despite being a near-carbon copy of A New Hope this movie is still incredibly magical. Rey and Finn’s friendship was beautiful to witness and Kylo Ren was at his best. Plus, it brought back Harrison Ford in a sizable role as Han Solo which was perfect. It’s too bad the Sequel Trilogy could never top this film.

6. The Clone Wars

This cartoon is incredible. Spanning seven seasons and twelve years, the series let us dive deeper into Anakin and Obi-Wan’s stories while giving us one of the greatest characters in this franchise, Ahsoka Tano. And its final four episodes, I can definitively say, are some of the best in television.

5. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Even though there are some who don’t like this show I think it is undoubtedly one of the best things Disney has done. It fits like a glove after Revenge of the Sith, it’s well-written, and it’s actually kind of perfect. I unabashedly love this show.

4. The Empire Strikes Back

There’s no doubt that this movie is one of the best of all time. It’s a timeless sequel with one of the most iconic moments in cinematic history and it can easily be considered the best Star Wars movie ever made. With all that being said, the next installments on this list are becoming more and more special as this story expands.

3. Revenge of the Sith

As I grew up this was always my favorite film of the prequels. Now, with the end of The Clone Wars and its connections to other installments, Revenge of the Sith has become an incredibly powerful chapter in the Skywalker Saga.

2. Star Wars: Rebels

I have been invested in animated characters but none quite like the Ghost Crew. Their story over the course of four years/four seasons is beautiful, heartwarming, riveting, heartbreaking, and powerful. I’m so excited to see Sabine and Hera’s stories continue in Ahsoka next year.

And 1. Rogue One

So far, this movie still hasn’t been topped because it, in a word, is extraordinary. It’s a gritty, intense two hours of pure Star Wars storytelling and I hope Andor is just as compelling because if it is… Well, I will be very pleased.

So there’s my long overdue updated ranking. I thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day. May the Force be with you.

‘The Last Shot’ Is Just Like ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’: Enjoyable but Boring

I’ve read over a fourth of The Last Shot, a companion to Solo: A Star Wars Story. It features a story of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian that jumps back and forth between their years before the events of Solo and their years after Return of the Jedi.

I tried to really get into this novel, and maybe I’ll try to finish over it the next few days, but like Solo: A Star Wars Story, I couldn’t sink my teeth into this novel as much I wanted to. Daniel José Older tries to bring Lando and Han to life in a realistic way but I couldn’t connect. Lando feels too much like Lando, if that makes any sense. And Han’s constant grumpiness and lack of cockiness in this story makes him less likable than normal.

What I did like, however, were the father/son and even uncle/nephew moments with two-year-old Ben Solo. Years before he would turn evil and kill the very man who brought him to existence, years before the dark side would begin to corrupt him and he would start becoming a troubled child, he was a sweet, innocent, dark-eyed baby who was just as cute as could be.

It’s so sad. 😭

Anyway, like I said before, I’ll try to complete this story but as of now, it’s good, but it hasn’t gripped me in the way that the novelization for Rogue One did. Just like I find myself unable to watch Solo anymore even though it’s good, The Last Shot won’t be making it to the top of my must-read list.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have an amazing day. May the Force be with you.

 

I Finished ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ The Other Day…But Why Was It So Hard?

I’ve been trying to finish Solo: A Star Wars Story for over a year now. Here’s the drill.

The first step to watching Solo is experiencing extreme boredom. Once I am extremely bored I always manifest the idea: “I’m going to watch Solo today.” There are usually three places I end up stopping; after the train heist (which is the best part of the movie), when they reach Kessel, or during the Kessel Run. If I make it past the Kessel Run sequence I’ll finish the movie.

When I watched Solo for the first time in theaters three years ago I was pleasantly surprised. The movie was actually pretty entertaining. But after subsequent viewings I began to dislike the movie more and more.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not bad. In fact, it’s a solid Star Wars movie. But there is one common denominator that makes it a challenge to finish (and enjoy) this movie…and that is Alden Ehrenreich.

The Three Greatest Millennium Falcon Action Scenes in ‘Star Wars’

The Millennium Falcon, it’s the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. The ship that captivated the eyes of millions of viewers since 1977, the Millennium Falcon is a beloved vessel. When one thinks of iconic vessels in science-fiction you may be easily drawn to say the Nostramo or the USS Enterprise but the Millennium Falcon will always be a part of that conversation because it is so iconic.

This year may be the last time we ever get to see this dazzling hunk of junk on the big screen, which is truly a depressing thought, but I’m sure J.J Abrams will deliver a fascinating action scene that’ll highlight the Millennium Falcon in the best way possible.

Today, I want to celebrate this incredible ship by highlighting its three best action scenes. Enjoy!

QI’RA: Chapter Fifty

Qi’ra’s Return

Captain Peer was in a meeting with Moff Arnim, several other senators surrounding them as they prepared to move ahead with claiming the Noad System. When the moff asked him where Qi’ra was he told her of the dark times that had befallen the Crimson Dawn leader and her sudden need to depart the planet. That had been two days ago.

She had told him she would return but Captain Peer wasn’t sure how much he could trust her word. It’s why they had continued the meeting without her in case she would, in fact, never return.

QI’RA: Chapter Forty-Nine

An Imminent Fate

Qi’ra looked up and saw a shaft of red light pouring from a hole in the ceiling. She had fallen ten feet into a dark cave whose walls were lined with the brambled tree’s roots that snaked toward the surface. In the darkness, she could hear the distinct squeak of bats. Her heart hammered in response.

There was the hum of a lightsaber as Maul appeared at the edge of the hole, his form a shadow against the maroon backdrop of the nighttime sky. And then he jumped into the cave before her, his blood-red lightsaber bathing the darkness in a haunting glow.