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[Game4life]

SPOILERS involved for the rare breed that has not seen the movies.

So I was re-watching Star Wars back to back from Episode 1 to 6 and feel Return of the Jedi is the best one. It has a cracker opening, a freaking amazing set piece in the form of speeder chase in the forest moon of Endor and has an amazing amazing finale with the Vader vs Luke fight and the iconic sequence of the falcon escaping the death star after shooting the power core.

It holds up much better than Empire strikes back in my opinion. Although the plot is rehashed to combine elements of 4 and 5 it still feels it has more of an overall direction than 5 . In 5 the main objective driving the movie was from Vader's perspective - 'Catch Skywalker'. The rebels did not seem to have a clear cut objective in that movie whereas they did have a concrete objective in 4 and 6 which was driving the movie's plot forward. I know it is not a popular opinion but does anybody else like Jedi the best of all the Star Wars movies?

My ranking is Jedi>New Hope> Empire Strikes Back

Not bothering to include the prequels in the ranking.

Surely I cant be the only one GAF?

 

[George Oscar Bluth II]

It has Ewoks.

 

[SuicidalSteve]

While i agree some scenes were awesome and iconic but personally i prefer empire by a large margin

 

[SigmasonicX]

I do feel that Return of the Jedi is greatly underrated, and I prefer it over A New Hope, but I do think saying it's better than The Empire Strikes Back is a bit much for me.

Concerning the Ewoks, frankly, I don't know how people can't at least find the scene of them trying to cook Luke and the others funny.

 

[Game4life]

It has Ewoks.

For a few minutes. They were not that bad man. Atleast not jar jar binks level.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Surely I cant be the only one GAF?

You're never the only one, no matter how misguided your opinion might be. So there's some comfort there, I'm sure.

 

[Borgnine]

Fucking god damn right, always felt this way.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

That's a weird way to spell Attack of the Clones...

 

[brandonh83]

Love it but it's the worst of the initial batch.

 

[Sephzilla]

I would say Empire is the best put together Star Wars movie, but Return of the Jedi is my personal favorite. It manages to strike a balance between some of the light-hearted stuff of A New Hope with the darker tones of Empire. The set pieces in this movie are fantastic. The space battle above Endor is glorious. The speeder chase is fun. Vader vs Luke Round 2 is amazing.

Spoiler

Vader's face turn at the end to save his son still gives me chills and makes me smile

. The Emperor is pure evil and delights in it. John William's is in god mode for the music.

What should be a glorious moment of a hero defeating a villain is turned into a sad sequence as a son is about to murder his father. I fucking love everything about the Vader/Luke/Emperor scenes.

My ranking based on which ones I enjoy most would be Jedi > Empire > A New Hope

Edit: I'm also 100% okay with the Ewoks. Of course the Empire would build the Death Star 2's shield generator on a planet full of teddy bears because why would you put it on a planet with creatures that look hostile? And of course the Empire would also not expect cuddly Ewoks to actually be bloodthirsty little beasts who will play drums on your skull after the battle.

 

[Arc]

The Luke and Emperor encounter is the second best moment in the series right behind binary sunset. I still get chills every time I see Luke whaling on Vader.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

no

 

[Patryn]

The Rebels objective in Empire was simply to survive. The movie is about Vader hunting down Luke, and the Rebels reacting to that.

The middle chapter of at trilogy is about increasingly the stakes. Hence, the Rebels get their ass kicked all over the board in that one.

It also works to add a lot of depth to the various characters.

ROTJ was my favorite as a kid, but that's because it has all the coolest battles. It's honestly the most shallow of the three, as it mostly just moves from set piece to set piece.

 

[Jack Scofield]

Prepare for a ridiculous echo chamber of hate from Gaffers. Some crazy individuals eveb think that the prequels are better than ROTJ.

Overall, though, you're right. I never had a problem with the Ewoks, so I loved Return of the Jedi.

 

[Game4life]

The Luke and The Emperor encounter is the second best moment in the serious right behind binary sunset. I still get chills every time I see Luke whaling on Vader.

Yup.

Prepare for a ridiculous echo chamber of hate from Gaffers. Some crazy individuals eveb think that the prequels are better than ROTJ.

Overall, though, you're right. I never had a problem with the Ewoks, so I loved Return of the Jedi.

Which normal human being thinks that?

 

[Count Dookkake]

That's a weird way to spell Attack of the Clones...

Indeed.

 

[SocksAndShoes]

no

.

 

[thelatestmodel]

I'm kind of in the same camp. I love Empire, but overall I prefer watching Jedi. I just find it more entertaining I suppose.

The Jabba scenes culminating in the skiff battle, the Endor scenes without Ewoks are amazing, Lando in the space battle... yeah it's my favourite of the trilogy.

 

[thecouncil]

 

[The Outsider]

Empire still the king for me. I think Return is great though.

 

[jtb]

No, it's not. It's highs are very good but it has a lot of lows.

 

[greatgeek]

Rewatched ROTJ the other night, which was probably my 20th viewing. That scene still gives me chills.

 

[Game4life]

The Rebels objective in Empire was simply to survive. The movie is about Vader hunting down Luke, and the Rebels reacting to that.

The middle chapter of at trilogy is about increasingly the stakes. Hence, the Rebels get their ass kicked all over the board in that one.

It also works to add a lot of depth to the various characters.

ROTJ was my favorite as a kid, but that's because it has all the coolest battles. It's honestly the most shallow of the three, as it mostly just moves from set piece to set piece.

Apart from the reveal of the Vader Luke relationship what depth does it add? Okay I guess you will talk about Luke training to be a Jedi.

 

[Real Hero]

Empire is by far the best and is a perfect movie.

 

[Patryn]

The score in this scene is probably my favorite John Williams composition.

That or the Asteroid Field.

Apart from the reveal of the Vader Luke relationship what depth does it add?

That's not depth. That's plot revelation.

Depth is the beginning of the Leia/Han relationship, and those characters developing beyond their loosely sketched characters in A New Hope.

Depth is Luke learning from Yoda and growing closer to becoming a Jedi.

Depth is giving Vader more motivation than just being this menacing evil guy.

 

[Game4life]

I'm kind of in the same camp. I love Empire, but overall I prefer watching Jedi. I just find it more entertaining I suppose.

The Jabba scenes culminating in the skiff battle, the Endor scenes without Ewoks are amazing, Lando in the space battle... yeah it's my favourite of the trilogy.

This. Empire is not as exciting rewatching it. Though truth be told I preferred return even the first time through.

 

[Spider from Mars]

Which normal human being thinks that?

Revenge of the Sith is better than ROTJ

5>4>3>6>1>2

 

[cacildo]

i agree

 

[OnPoint]

For a few minutes. They were not that bad man. Atleast not jar jar binks level.

I always hate when people equate Ewoks with Jar Jar. He's on another level of bad. It's also usually older fans that do it as well.

Jedi is great. It's the fulfillment of the promise of Luke becoming a Jedi and it soundly defeats the evil Empire you rooted against for three whole movies. It's just really rewarding as a payoff movie, especially after the darkness in Empire.

I don't hate the Ewoks, but even if I did, they wouldn't be enough to ruin it for me.

 

[Sephzilla]

Revenge of the Sith is better than ROTJ

5>4>3>6>1>2

Nothing in ROTS even touches the Throne Room stuff in Jedi.

Spoiler

I'd agree with you if you said Sith was better than A New Hope, but not Jedi

 

[kaiju]

I mentioned in another Star Wars thread yesterday that the first hour of ROTJ is the best in the whole trilogy. So much awesome in there.

 

[brandonh83]

Revenge of the Sith is better than ROTJ

It is, but are you ready for the pitchforks?

 

[jtb]

Revenge of the Sith is better than ROTJ

5>4>3>6>1>2

Now this, I cannot permit. What scenes in ROTS are watchable, let alone on the level of the action set pieces like the final space battle or the throne room duel? Don't let your hate for the ewoks blind you from ROTS' many problems.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

5>4>>>6>>>3>>>>1>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2

 

[Spider from Mars]

It is, but are you ready for the pitchforks?

I'm ready to duel with these nostalgic nerds. It's time they realize the truth.

 

[jtb]

5 > 4 > 6 >>> 1 > 3 > 2

I'm a big believer that the Phantom Menace is the best of the prequels, by far. Best action set pieces, most coherent plot (a low bar, admittedly), the least terrible acting, none of the overreliance on ugly CG that plagued the other two prequels.

 

[Patryn]

Let me say that despite me knocking ROTJ in this thread, it's still my second favorite in the series.

5 > 6 > 4 > 3 > 1 > 2.

 

[Game4life]

Revenge of the Sith is better than ROTJ

5>4>3>6>1>2

I refuse to believe you think this.

 

[Pagusas]

I always felt A New Hope was the weakest of the Trilogy (though easily best any of the prequels in style)

Empire>ROTJ>>>New Hope

ROTJ just had so many iconic Star Wars scenes. I feel like most of Star Wars as we know it is shaped by it. Empire was just a more powerful movie though. Both great.

ROTJ is also challenged by the worst "special edition" changes though.

 

[Tizoc]

It has Ewoks.

I always forget about those midgety people. Mainly as I never cared for them.

 

[Heroman]

Revenge of the Sith is better than ROTJ

5>4>3>6>1>2

You have my sword

 

[greatgeek]

The score in this scene is probably my favorite John Williams composition.

Yep, it's something special.
https://youtu.be/3fQ9ZskcDSI

 

[alfredofroylan]

I agree

 

[Real Hero]

I think ROTJ is easily the worst original film but it has some of the best moments. The Luke, Vader and Emperor scenes are the best Star Wars has ever been.

 

[Snaku]

Every scene in the Emperor's throne room is God tier. Could have done without the Ewoks, but they're not as loathsome as Gungans. I really dug the opening third with Jabba. It's my second favorite Star Wars film, behind Empire.

 

[Nerdkiller]

Prepare for a ridiculous echo chamber of hate from Gaffers. Some crazy individuals eveb think that the prequels are better than ROTJ.

Not as crazy as the folks who think that Jedi is the best of the lot. *babbles lips*

Spoiler

I'd agree with you if you said Sith was better than A New Hope, but not Jedi

Now this is ever crazier talk.

 

[Sephzilla]

I'm a big believer that the Phantom Menace is the best of the prequels, by far.

Kind of off topic, but I really want to hear this one out because I can actually see a case for why someone could say this. Episode 2 and 3 have a bunch of cases of Lucas stumbling over himself trying to correct his own mistakes, something that isn't in Ep 1.

ROTJ is also challenged by the worst "special edition" changes though.

This.

Lucas straight up ruins the best scene in the movie.

 

[Game4life]

Nothing in ROTS even touches the Throne Room stuff in Jedi.

Spoiler

I'd agree with you if you said Sith was better than A New Hope, but not Jedi

I was agreeing with you until you mentioned Sith better than New Hope? The attack on Death Star > the entirety of Sith.

 

[Eggbok]

The lightsaber hitting the rail and not destroying it is bugging me...

 

[Enduin]

5>4>>>6>>>3>>>>1>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2

Have to agree. I mean 1 was intensely horrible and so boring but 2 was just plain insufferable and mountains of stupid. Anakin is literally the least likable person ever. The whole romance plot was beyond unbearable and creepy. The finale was OK but really it was just special effects porn and I was happy when Anakin got his ass beat by Dooku. I wanted the Sith to win and kill all of these shitty charactes.

I love ROTJ a ton but it definitely has a lot of that the beginnings of things to come that went full on stupid in 1-3. Ewoks were OK but given too much time and the ending was a bit too goofy at times with some of the more comedic elements.