This summer, I decided to finally watch all of the Star Wars episodic films in machete order (4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9), one a week. Can't believe 9 weeks have passed already, felt like no time at all. I decided to leave out Rogue One and Solo this time around; they fit perfectly in chronological order but not very well in this order.
It was interesting to see the films in this order and how things were re-juxtaposed. A lot of these movies I haven't watched all the way through in years too, so there were a lot of smaller things I picked up on now that I didn't before. These movies have been discussed to death but hopefully I have a few new things in my perspective. I already bothered Gato every week so I'll share here too. These are not so much reviews; they are more like just what made the biggest impression on me during rewatch.
Star Wars / A New Hope
It's interesting to me to think of this movie as a standalone, as it was originally intended (or at least, was forced to be). If it ended here, there were so many things it set up. Luke never even uses the lightsaber for anything. We never really know what is going to go down with Han and Jabba. Darth Vader is knocked out into space and we still know nothing about him. It's something my generation kinda takes for granted since all of the movies were already made, so it's interesting to think about.
It's also interesting how slow and tense the trench run scene is. It's not really an action scene the way the rest of the adventure on the Death Star was. It's more of a suspenseful one. Bunch of ships on an impossible mission and get picked off one by one. More akin to Alien than Aliens. The lack of score over most of this scene helps too.
And now that I know that the idea that the Death Star was about to destroy the Rebel Base was done during the editing phase, I like to keep an eye out for how that was constructed. Very cleverly, they just put post-recorded intercom announcements over re-used shots or create new computer graphics, etc. Notice how no on-screen character ever mentions how the Death Star is approaching the base. It's very smooth; I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't told that.
The Empire Strikes Back
Man, it was really surprising to me to see just how little actually happens in this movie, plot-wise. This of course is not a bad thing, as the whole point is to develop the characters and sit in the atmosphere. And that it does pretty perfectly.
Everyone just kinda accepts that this just the best Star Wars movie and like I agreed as well, and even put it in my top 10 films list back in 2017. After a rewatch...I'm not prepared to say it's not the best, but there were so many weird plot things that stuck out to me. I'm not sure if I feel like Luke is kind of uncharacteristically pessimistic in this, in his training with Yoda. Han and Leia's romance also comes a lot more out of nowhere than I remember.
The reason I'm unsure about these things is it's impossible to look at this movie contextlessly, as if it was my first time and I didn't know about all the other movies and other material. Perhaps if it was only three movies, the dark tone of it would stand out more. Looking back at my entry in my top 10 list, I really didn't offer any substantive reasons why this is the best. I guess I just kinda went with the bandwagon.
It took me until this viewing to really appreciate Lando as a character though. I'll get into him more during Return of the Jedi, but as someone who was never a big fan of Han Solo, I feel like Lando kinda fills that character role for me. Leia is a Princess of course, but she loses her people early on in A New Hope so we never see them. On the other hand, Lando's entire character here is constantly having to battle with doing the right thing vs. doing the pragmatic thing. Very compelling. And interesting that he's the outside character of the group. He doesn't know Luke at all, just that he's important because Darth Vader wants "someone named Skywalker". Then he's forced by Chewie and Leia to back and rescue Luke, and he himself is the one who goes out to retrieve him. I wonder what must be going through his head the whole time.
The Phantom Menace
I always thought that The Phantom Menace was a great name. Very mysterious. I also strongly feel that this is the best of the three prequel films. Liam Neeson is a good enough actor to be compelling as the lead, even though as many have pointed out, he really should not have been the lead. It really is a shame that Obi-Wan's story is kind of sidelined when it should've been the main arc here, but oh well.
When people discuss the best character or performance in the prequels, the two most commonly brought up are Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan and Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine. I actually disagree with Ewan McGregor; even he can't save the awful lines he was written from becoming meme material. Ian McDiarmid does a good job balancing the many faces he has to wear: warm and welcoming, mysteriously ominous, and then cartoonishly evil. He's definitely up there. But I actually think Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker is the best performance in the prequels for one main reason: her performance actually pulls out some emotion. Jake Lloyd gets a bad rap but their scenes together are actually quite moving and it is genuinely heartbreaking when he has to leave her behind. In a series that gets flack for being so sterile and lifeless, I feel like the mother-son relationship in this movie is legitimately powerful.
Another interesting thing is, if you didn't watch the special edition of A New Hope, this is where you first see Jabba, rather than Return of the Jedi. He's removed from the context of Han Solo as well, so I'd be curious how a first-time viewer would take that.
Attack of the Clones
I never hated this movie as much as most, and I actually put it over Revenge of the Sith in most of my rankings. Rewatching it though, a lot of its problems became a lot more apparent to me. I hadn't seen the whole movie straight through since perhaps in theaters in 2002, so I was really surprised to see just how MUCH of the film was devoted to the incredibly awkward and embarrassing love story. There are parts of it that are set up to work...Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman do have a degree of natural chemistry, and John Williams' love theme is very good (it is kind of funny to look at the bonus features and see interviews where he basically has to pretend he is composing for a story in the tradition of the great tragic love stories lol). The "I don't like sand" bit was never weird to me, it seems normal for teenagers to be making small talk about things like that (it's no weirder than talking about what you like to eat, really). Them speaking about their love in extremely faux-poetic ways to each other is what is awkward.
There are a lot of little things in this movie that just don't add up, as has been said to death. One thing I will give this movie is that has a lot of cool characters. Kiwi Jango Fett and Zam Wessel have really killer designs and are a blast (though I will admit it's because I know of their relationship and adventures in the EU; obviously they don't get to do much here), I always loved these characters as a kid. Count Dooku is one of my favorite Star Wars characters, and my favorite Sith Lord. Christopher Lee as always is amazing in this movie, but really, the reveal that he is in league with Darth Sidious makes his plan make almost no sense. Really, all of the cool characters are squandered with premature ends, unfortunately.
The action scenes are really cool here legitimately, and once again Shmi Skywalker, in her one scene, has the sole emotional moment in the scene. Perilla and Hayden also have pretty good chemistry and it's a legitimately heartbreaking departure.
Revenge of the Sith
People have always said this was up there in at least the top 5 Star Wars movies and I...I just don't see it. I am rarely a nitpicker, but this is one of those cases where there are just a bunch of tiny things that prevent me from thinking this is a great movie. I don't see why it makes any sense that Dooku, a political leader, not a military one, would be out there on the front lines to get killed like that (you could say Sidious told him to or something but...come on). Dooku, the actual character, is killed early on in favor of Grievous, a complete non-character (a shame, as again he is interesting in the EU) who is just there to get Obi-Wan out of the way so Anakin can be tempted. The whole Darth Plagueis scene comes WAY more out of nowhere than I remember. It's so out of nowhere it's unbelievable that Anakin doesn't know right away. The Anakin vs. Obi-Wan scene goes on for quite a bit too long.
I acknowledge Lucas's roadblocks in writing this. The Jedi have SO many resources and numbers in this that it's difficult to have them lose in a way that's not overly contrived. But there are ways to do it that are more believable. The idea that the Jedi were turning against their own ideals is a good one, and a good foundation to keep. But I've felt that a better specific conflict to be the last straw would be the Jedi finding out about his secret marriage to Padme. That doesn't take too much reworking of the script, and it builds on what was set up already in Attack of the Clones. Losing her to childbirth sets up that unbelievable idea that Anakin turned on a dime because of a vague rumor. The Jedi are already against Anakin for being with Padme, they just don't know about it yet.
One thing I'll say it does well is carry a consistently dark tone throughout the whole thing. And I think Hayden Christensen actually carries being the lead very well here.
Return of the Jedi
I heard a podcast interview with Sam Witwer (he plays Darth Maul in some of the animated shows) defending this movie, and it has given me more appreciation of it. The second Death Star kind of HAD to be built if you think about it. In a narrative, we see it as repeating the same trope. But in the real world, when something important gets destroyed, well...you fix it. The Senate was also dissolved on the premise that the Death Star would be replacing them, so it was their policy to have it. I think the issue here is that it seemed unforeshadowed, and therefore it appeared like they had run out of ideas. I think a quick line or two in Empire saying that they need time to work on the second Death Star would alleviate those concerns. It goes from being a recycled idea to something set up and earned over two movies.
I still don't like the Ewoks, but Sam's idea that it is the payoff to Yoda's teaching to Luke actually makes a lot of sense. Luke arrives on Endor and stays with the gang long enough for them to ally with the Ewoks; it's paying off his lesson to not judge things based on their size. I like Lando in this too of course. I think he makes a good foil for Han; he's the only one who really gets him. Luke and Leia are always trying to get him to change, but Lando comes from the same world as Han, and they treat each other like friends.
Aside from that, this movie has some of my favorite moments, including the throne room stuff where Vader saves Luke. Very wholesome family values! I disliked the idea that Palpatine was going to die anyway when the rebels destroyed the Death Star, as it takes away from the impact of that. But I'll get to that more when I get to Rise of Skywalker.
The Force Awakens
It is really weird to watch this movie right after Return of the Jedi, lol. Without the time skip in real life to feel like time has passed, it's super jarring to jump ahead 30 years the very next day. Return of the Jedi does not have a denouement establishing the galaxy's new status quo, it ends right after the battle of Endor. So we go from that battle to now a new Empire. Han and Leia finally realized they loved each other, and then immediately they're 30 years older and separated. This isn't a fault obviously, since this was determined by real-life circumstances. But just interesting. Perhaps it'd be better to read some of the books between watching Return of the Jedi and TFA, ha.
I was never a big Han Solo fan in the original trilogy. Didn't dislike him but for reasons I can't explain he was never that interesting to me. It took me until this rewatch of The Force Awakens to really appreciate and like him. I think I like this older and less cynical Han the most. He hasn't lost his edge or sense of humor but I like him more in the mentor role.
As for the First Order...Kylo Ren is definitely a Zuko-type character: sympathetically incompetent (less often than Zuko though), pushes away the unconditional love of his good mentor in favor of an eviler one, wants to be evil more than he actually is evil. For that to work, we really needed the Zhao-like figure to be a good foil for him. Someone who is a more standard, not-too-complicated, threatening villain. That SHOULD have been Hux, who should've been like the Tarkin in this series. And Hux is written right but...just cast all too wrong. Hux is way too young and makes the First Order look like it's just a bunch of frat boys. At least the actor takes it seriously and tries to give it all he's got, but actors only have so much range. Perhaps Phasma could've done it, with more screentime?
I don't like Starkiller Base as a concept, and we know pretty much nothing about the political situation of the galaxy so it has no impact. But at least it has a really cool visual with the sun and snow. Aside from that...I think Finn vs. Kylo Ren is probably the best lightsaber duel in the series. Feels the most real and raw. The first time I can see and feel the equal and opposite reaction on the wielders when the blades connect. Rey spends her duel running away a bit too much for it to be very interesting.
The Last Jedi
When I came out of this movie the first time, I felt that it may just be my favorite Star Wars. It's interesting looking back, as my post contained more criticisms than praises. Of course I've heard all of the complaints about this film over the years and it's weird because, well, they're all valid. But as I rewatched this movie, I found myself the most engaged I had been with any of my rewatches. There are so many problems with this film but for just entirely subjective reasons that I cannot defend, they just don't bother me at all. Why is Holdo allowed to wear a dress in a military situation when no other woman is? It's dumb, but it doesn't affect that much. Why did Yoda or Obi-Wan never show up to guide Luke before? I guess that's a bit of a bigger problem. Why are there so many horribly awkward jokes? Dunno. Why does Canto Bight look a little too much like real-life casinos? Eh.
I guess what keeps me most engaged is the Luke x Rey x Kylo Ren stuff. Luke was always the more interesting character to me compared to Han and Leia, and 30 years is enough for anyone to change so it's a little hard to claim that anything is out of character. Trying to take on the entire Jedi legacy onto his shoulders changes a man. It is interesting to note though that Luke and Han kind of end up where the other one started. Han the cynic ends up saying "it's true, all of it" and Luke the idealist says the Jedi need to end. I do like how it tied in this (unintended by Lucas, but conveniently fitting) modern reading of the prequels that suggests the fucked-up things Lucas came up with were actually the Jedi losing their way which led to their downfall.
It's frustrating to me that Hux was turned into just a complete joke, indicating that they're not even trying now, and he wasn't replaced with someone a little more competent. Snoke dying is not a bad twist, but we did need a little more time with him. Rian Johnson said there wasn't any place to fit in Snoke's backstory without messing up the pacing but...I think Luke's flashback scenes would be a great time to work it in. I think most of the issues with this movie can be explained away, but I think it is poor to have to "explain" a movie; storytellers should be able to anticipate the biggest points of confusion or contention and proactively address them intelligently and appropriately within the story itself.
Aside from that...Luke's final appearance was extremely earned and wonderfully done. He gets the hero welcome fans wanted with the whole resistance watching on in awe and talking of him like he's a legend. Johnson said he didn't want to make the Force too much like a superpower with Luke just pulling ships out of the sky with the force and stuff. The whole projection thing gets to have it both ways: it's a powerful technique we hadn't seen before, but it also taps into the more spiritual and emotional side of the force with this whole thing playing on Kylo Ren's anger and Luke's complete calm. Really cool.
The Rise of Skywalker
I really disliked this movie when I first saw it. On rewatch, I liked it just a little bit more. Palpatine coming back is not a bad plot point at all...it just had to have been set up from the beginning, with TFA. Not nearly enough time to have a satisfying resolution to the whole Rey's parents thing either. It would be great too, as I always felt like this trilogy did not have enough connective tissue with the original trilogy in terms of continuity (obviously in terms of narrative structure, it took a lot). This negates my problem with Palpatine's death being basically inevitable in Return of the Jedi. It makes sense as well, with the knowledge we got from the prequels, that he would find a fucked up way to cheat death.
It just really bugs me that this movie set up so many fetch quests instead of taking the time to develop the characters, especially with how drastically different Rey and Kylo Ren are by the end. Kylo Ren does not really have a believable reason to turn, it also just happens so instantly. Adam Driver is just such a good actor that we buy it.
Pryde is the character that Hux should've been, and I'm glad they realized it and created him...but the problem is we still have Hux and they just came up with the dumbest and most out-of-character way to get rid of him. Ah.
I feel like Poe and Finn were just turned into a pair of fools. Finn being in love with Rey was part of his character from the very beginning, and that was fine. They have never been equals power-wise but they had a connection by being two kids trying to find their way. Here, they don't even seem like friends at all. It comes across that Finn is some kid Rey has to take care of. Poe for some reason becomes cartoonishly incompetent whenever around Rey as well. It is just strange. I loved Rey in TFA and TLJ but she just comes off as so unlikable here, and every character she's around suffers in order to make her look better. Poe was "wrong" in The Last Jedi, yes, but his wrongness was extremely proactive and competent. He organized the mission for Finn and Rose and kept it a secret, he successfully pulled off a mutiny, etc.
My biggest issue here is just that the characters have no arcs. Even the ones that change, nominally, have no logical reason for doing so. The climax with Rey suddenly having the power of all the Jedi, and Lando showing up with a bunch of ships, feel so completely unearned and hollow, compared to the climax of The Last Jedi.
Some overall takeaways:
For both the prequels and the sequels, there are complaints that it "doesn't feel like Star Wars". I have to say, rewatching them, these movies feel much more similar to other films of their time, than to each other. The Original Trilogy has a slowness of pacing and dialogue style that isn't the same as today, to say nothing of look. The sequel trilogy definitely takes after a Marvel-style pacing and has more modern dialogue. I don't think that is a bad thing though, just a cause for why the films all feel different.
Whether I feel like the prequels or the sequels are "better": Both trilogies have the opposite problem, and it all depends on whether you value films as films or Star Wars as its own brand and franchise. The prequel films do not really hold up well as films, but they push the universe forward a lot. The macro story of Palpatine creating a fake war to get into power is really good. The contributions of the designs and lore of the prequels are just as much part of the consciousness of Star Wars as the original trilogy now. So there is a lot of material there to bake the overall "pie" of Star Wars.
The sequels, for the most part, all work as films. They're competently made. Again, I'm particularly fond of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. But it's also true that they just reset the galaxy back to the Empire to achieve the same ending that was already achieved in Return of the Jedi. With those in-between 30 years not in any movie, it does feel like nothing has changed at all. The designs don't feel distinct enough from the OT either. So it doesn't push the whole universe of Star Wars that much further, even if the movies themselves are good.
Anyway, those are just my thoughts and some opinions after rewatching all these movies. I would love to hear what others think. Every fan has different things that they expect out of Star Wars, so it's interesting to me to see how that leads to them to liking certain elements and certain films over others.