5 Movie Franchises That Got Better Over Time (And 5 That Got A Whole Lot Worse)

Regardless of which side of the divide you fall on when it comes to either The Last Jedi or The Rise of Skywalker, it can't be argued that the Star Wars franchise has failed to replicate anything like the success of the universally beloved original trilogy, no matter how many attempts they've made or countless filmmakers that have been hired and fired with alarming regularity.

Even the mere mention of the prequels is enough to give some fans the shivers, and while the sequel trilogy was a vast improvement on the frequently tedious tales of Senate hearings and Midichlorians, J.J. Abrams was heavily criticized for failing to take risks and being too reverential to George Lucas' original trio, while Rian Johnson found himself the target of many an online hate campaign for diverting from the established mythology.

The fanbase is arguably more divided and dissatisfied than they've ever been, with The Mandalorian marking the rare project that hasn't come under any sort of fire, and while everyone wants Star Wars to recapture the glory days of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, nobody can seem to agree on how they want the filmmakers to get there.