Every Star Wars Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

3. The Last Jedi

Star Wars The Last Jedi Luke Rey
Lucasfilm

It's still relatively early days on this movie, which has proved (and so far remains) extremely divisive among Star Wars fans, and opinion could well shift more one way or another as time goes on and it sits on shelves, getting countless rewatches.

As it stands, though, after a few of viewings it's hard to shake the feeling that Rian Johnson has delivered, to quote Snoke, something truly special. As the middle strand of this new trilogy he builds on The Force Awakens and lays the groundwork for Episode IX, but does neither in ways anyone would have expected.

He's more concerned with fulfilling his own vision than he is opening up the mystery boxes left behind by J.J. Abrams, and while that may frustrate some, it's to this movie's strength. It allows Johnson's film to be entirely rooted in character and themes, which means he's made something that does feel like Star Wars but also forges its own path, subverting tropes and expectations and becoming something really different. That isn't for everyone, with some finding tonal clashes or pacing issues - the Finn/Rose subplot is weaker and there is a lot of humour - but it's a bold move from Johnson.

It's one of - if not the - best-directed movies in the franchise, and beautifully shot by Steve Yedlin - the colour palette of this film is something else, and there are some incredible sequences. But it's what they do with the characters that make it stand out. They're all challenged and pushed in fascinating ways, from the mirroring of Rey and Kylo Ren - with a stunning performance by Adam Driver - to the return of Luke Skywalker. Its ambition is staggering, it's emotionally resonant, thematically rich, and a thrill to watch.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.

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WhatCulture's former COO, veteran writer and editor.