Sunday Best: Star Wars Live-Action Theatrical Movies Ranked

 

With The Mandalorian and Grogu out in theaters, I thought that we should take a look back on the film franchise and rank what has come so far.

My assessment of the ranks may be a little odd for most people.  In fact, when I told one person a few years ago, he said to me point-blank (and without humor), "You're insane."

So below is how I would rank the Star Wars live-action theatrical movies.  This will therefore exclude The Clone Wars animated movie and all of the direct-to-video Ewok movies.

(I am only including the live action theatrical films in this list.)

12.  Solo

I actually enjoy this movie very much.  It lacks a good deal of the iconic power of the other films, but the chemistry between Solo and Becket was fantastic as you could see the development of the main character into the scoundrel from the original film.  Donald Glover also knocked it out of the park as the young Lando.

11.  Rogue One

The idea behind this film is excellent and there are some very good moments.  But the director failed at making strong enough emotional connections to the characters.  It also entered and incredibly morally ambiguity that felt very out of place in the Star Wars universe.  This used to be on the bottom of my list, but the series Andor makes this much more watchable.  However, the fact that the movie is centered on Jyn Erso instead of Cassian Andor makes it less engaging

10.   Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

This movie is half-great.  The problem is that the B-story isn't just bad, it is completely pointless.  Nothing of consequence occurs in that B-story.  A number of people attack the film because of the portrayal of Luke.  I disagree.  I think that the guilt-ridden Luke was a fascinating take on the character.  If only writer/director Rian Johnson was not so obsessed with subverting expectation, then he could have made the story work better for all Star Wars fans.

9. Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Many people would say this is worse than The Last Jedi, but I disagree.  It is true that there are too many plot contrivances ("Somehow, Palpatine returned."), but I attribute much of this to JJ Abrams having to course correct the issues laid out in the previous film.  I think that from Rey and Kylo Ren's fight on the Death Star to the end is really very good.

8.  The Mandalorian and Grogu

As I said in my review, this movie is a great deal of fun.  It never tries to be more than it is: an enjoyable, '80's style, action adventure.  And since I love Grogu as a character, I was completely invested in the story.  

7.  Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

I love this film for what it is: a fun adventure for kids.  It also has one of the best lightsaber duels in the entire franchise.  The main flaw is how talky it is as it gets bogged down in space politics.  It also misses the opportunity to establish a strong friendship between Padme and Obi-Wan.  But despite its flaws I can still get a great deal of enjoyment from this film.

6.  Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

I did not mind that this movie was a rehash of A New Hope's plot or that they killed off one of the main characters from the original.  This movie delivered on what it promised: Star Wars style fun and space adventure.  The opening was strong and JJ Abrams understood the visual vocabulary of George Lucas' universe.  And the moment Rey force grabs the lightsaber is as good as anything in the other Saga films.

5. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

While they could have done a better job of showing Padme fall in love with Anakin, everything from the Genoshian arena until the end is gold.  All of that is a spectacle bigger than any we had seen in a Star Wars film until that point.  And the moment when Yoda draws his lightsaber... pure movie magic!

4.  Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

This is the one that started it all.  George Lucas took the universal story of the hero and turned it into an epic that no one had ever seen before.  It was so strange and yet so hauntingly familiar.  It is still as thrilling and compelling as it was over 40 years ago when it was released.  To this day, that final run on the Death Star Trench will have me on the edge of my seat and cheering.

3.  Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

As I wrote above, someone told me I was insane for putting this one above A New Hope.  But when you look at the Saga movies as a whole, you can feel the power of Revenge of the Sith.  Anakin's fall to the dark side is so horribly tragic because you can see how morally trapped he feels.  All of his relationships fall apart because the only help he gets is from the one who wants to destroy his soul.  The last act perfectly captures the fall of man and how it plunges everything into darkness.

2. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back


What this movie understood more than anything was Aristotle's principle that plot is character.  The whole movie is about how are characters are changed by the ordeals they face and the people that they face them with.  It never failed to turn out a story of truly epic scale and spectacle, but director Irvin Kershner turned the narrative inward and explored the souls of the characters involved.  Like that one cryptic shot of helmetless Darth Vader, the real story was beneath the surface.

1.  Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

This is my favorite movie of all time.  This is the end point of the Original Trilogy and in brought the entire story to the most satisfying conclusion I could imagine.  It turned the entire tragectory of the narrative from defeating Darth Vader to saving Anakin Skywalker.  It was something I did not expect and changed the way I looked at the world.  The bright colors, the epic adventure, the iconic moment, and the fantastic story all culminate into the greatest of all the Star Wars films...

...so far.

Film Flash: Masters of the Universe (2026)

  

15 words or less film review (full review to follow soon)

Nostalgic, campy adventure, written like a comedy.  Enjoyable only if you also find it funny.

Film Review: Star Wars - The Mandalorian and Grogu

 

Sexuality/Nudity No Objection

Violence Acceptable

Vulgarity Acceptable

Anti-Catholic Philosophy Acceptable

Even before this movie came out, people were declaring it to be a failure and a bomb.  Star Wars has become such a cultural flashpoint in the pop culture community that anything that happens with this franchise tends to provoke extreme reactions.  But the real question is this:

Is the movie any good?

The answer is: yes.

Is the movie as great as the pre-Disney Star Wars films.

No.

But if you take the movie as a simple, fun adventure, then you will have a good time.

The movie takes place after the events of The Mandalorian season 3.  Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal, Brendan Wayne, and Lateef Crowder) is raising the "baby Yoda" Grogu.  They go on bounty hunting missions together (like the manga Lone Wolf and Cub), taking down remnants of the Empire.  New Republic Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) tasks him to work with the criminal Hutts to recover Jabba's son Rotta (Jeremy Allen White) so that they can gain important intel on a high ranking Imperial hold out.  But as they enter into the hunt, all is not as it seems.

To say more would remove the twists and the turns that this story has to offer, which are quite enjoyable.

Let me begin with the movie's deficits.  The movie has the opposite problem of shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi, where they took a movie script and expanded it into a series so that it felt thin.  For Mandalorian and Grogu, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was original a series of television scripts condensed into one 2-hour film.  As a result it feels like you have five stories instead of one.  This requires some short cuts and contrivances, like one of the villains blurting out his evil plan to Din for no particular reason other than to get the plot going more quickly.

The second is that the story does not feel consequential enough for a feature film.  Like a typical James Bond film, this feels like another adventure in a series of stories that won't make a difference in the character's overall development.  The season 2 finale of the show felt like it had much more weight to it with the return of Luke, the revealing of Din's face to Grogu, and the farewell.  While the movie has heart, it doesn't reach those earlier levels.

And this is a small thing, but if you notice I listed 3 people playing Din.  All three got top credit for this movie.  I agree that all of them deserved it, but because of this, I could not shake the idea that Pascal was not in most of the scenes, but it was only his voice.  This reality would sometimes shatter the illusion that the movie was trying to create.

Having said all of that, I enjoyed this movie a great deal.

The movie feels like an 80's movie in the best sense of the word.  Yes, there is a lot of CGI, but there is a fun sense of adventure to the story.  This is particularly the case when director Jon Favreau uses old school puppetry or stop-motion animation.  You can tell he has a particular love for this era of movies and it shows in the best possible way.  Favreau knows how to film a scene with exciting spectacle and pacing.  It recaptures some of the thrills I had going to the movies when I was younger.  The early scenes of Din taking out his prey were reminiscent of the early days of the TV show where he felt a lot like "The Man With No Name."

Some may accuse this of nostalgia-baiting.  Generally speaking, I don't care as long as I am entertained.  There is a gladiator fight scene that pulled me in and I couldn't figure out why until I realized that the creatures in the areana were the ones from the "chess" game that C-3PO and Chewbacca played on the Millennium Falcon in the original Star Wars.  Little nods like that made me smile.

I also enjoyed the fact the title of the movie reflects the content.  This isn't just a movie about Din taking care of Grogu.  This is both of their stories.  There are large swaths of this film where Grogu is the main character moving the story forward.  Favreau and co-writers Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor are trying to say something about the relationships of parents with children.  At one point Din says "The old protect the young and the young protect the old.  This is the way." Some people may see it as ridiculous that Din bring Grogu  to these dangerous situations.  But the he is a father teaching his son to become a man.  Grogu may be too young, but that doesn't matter.  Sometimes the world is dangerous and it cannot wait for you to grow up.  And we see this in Grogu.

The movie also has something to say about bad parenting.  Rotta is desperate to get out of his father's shadow.  But there are those who see this desperation and take advantage of it.  Rotta mistakes the cheering of crowds for actual love and validation.  There is a look of horrible, crushing defeat when he hears them turn on him.  I don't know if this was meant to be an allegory for young people seeking attention on social media, but it does tap into that truth about desperately wanting to find your own identity and how that path is filled with its own pitfalls and dangers.  It is only in the bonds of love, family, and true friendship that we really find out who we are.  

In terms of tone, it goes from very light to serious fairly quickly.  If you find Grogu and characters like Babu Frik to be funny and adorable, you will connect to those emotional tethers very quickly.  But if those puppet characters do not make you feel anything, then a lot of the story's heart will fall flat.  I personally found the Grogu scenes to be both funny and tender.  They do an excellent job of conveying his fear, courage, and vulnerability without him having to say a word.  

He Has Gone Into the West (repost)

 A year ago today, my friend Matt passed away.  

I think about him every day and he is still constantly in my prayers.  And while there has been grief, there has also been the healing that comes with time.  But when someone that important leaves your life, there is a strong urge not only to remember them, but an urge that his memory should not fade in others as well.  

For that reason, I am reposting what I wrote the day after he passed.  

Eternal Rest, Grant Unto Him O Lord and Perpetual Light Shine Upon Him.  May His Soul and All the Souls of the Faithful Departed Through the Mercy of God Rest in Peace.  Amen.

(original post 6/4/25)

Yesterday my friend died.

Matt became one of my best friends at a time when I did not think I would gain any more best friends.

Please pray for the repose of his soul and pray for his wife and family that he leaves behind.

When I think of what words I can use to express how I am feeling, I am at a bit of a loss.  I've always felt that there are things we experience that are incapable of being put into words.  I also find that when I do try to formulate something, it is a quote or a paraphrase from a story I read or a movie I saw.  I suppose that is to be expected.  Fictional grief is a way for us to come to understand actual grief.  But it seems trivial to take these words to describe an actual loss of this magnitude.

Then again, for Matt this might be utterly proper.  Our friendship grew in the pop culture.  We had mutual friends back in college and we ended up running in the same social circles.  It was only later that I came to realize what a comic book geek he was.  A number of my friends had taken up the hobby at some point, but most of them had outgrown it.  

But not Matt.

And so we found ourselves spending more and more time together talking about comics and movies and TV.  In science, a culture is substratum where things can grow.  In this weird popular culture Matt and I lived in, our friendship grew.

Everything I could say about Matt seems too simple.  An adjective is too flat to encapsulate the depths of a life.  And I lack the skill to add all the layers and dimensions of his person so that you could know him.

But above all, Matt was kind.  That isn't to say that he was weak or passive.  I once saw him almost get into a fist fight at a movie theater over saving seats for his friends.  But he was always very others-centered.  Every single memory I have of him is one where he is smiling.  He was the kind of person who would drop everything if a friend asked for help.  He kindness was such that I would sometimes see others take advantage of his generosity of spirit.  Matt was no dummy.  He knew when people did not appreciate the things he did for them.

But Matt did them anyway.  Because Matt was kind.

Over the decades that I've known him, we must have had hundreds of conversations.  And yet I struggle to remember what was said.  I suppose the content of the conversation is not as important as the person to whom you are conversing.  Like me, Matt was a teacher.  When it was summer, he would drive up to my house each Wednesday afternoon and we would go up to my local comic book show and then out to lunch.  All the while we would fill the time talk of JRR Tolkien vs. George RR Martin or if could Darkseid defeat Thanos.  Even after Matt got sick, we tried to keep the tradition when we could.

There are five conversations that I can remember with clarity.

Once we were asked which superhero we would like to be.  Normally, people immediately think of what super powers they would like to have.  But Matt and I knew these characters like old friends.  Some of the obvious ones like Batman or Spider-Man we said no to because of the tragic loss at the heart of their stories.  Others like Superman we also said no to because of the weight of the responsibility.  But we each individually concluded that we would want to be Wally West.  Of all the heroes to take the mantle of the Flash, he did so not out of a tragedy but out of a desire to do what was right.  And Wally lived as normal a life as a hero can get with a wife and children.  Both Matt and I saw that there is something so precious in an ordinary life.  He always wanted someone he could share a life with and take care of.

Because Matt was kind.

The second was one he had with my wife and I.  We had people over the house one evening.  As people began to head home, he lingered afterwards.  He then sat down with us because he need to talk about some things going on in his life.  I won't divulge here what private struggles he was having, but I remember this because it was at this point I think I began to understand just how important we had become to each other and how much we had started to rely on on another.  And just like my wife and I were there for him, he was always there for us.

Because Matt was kind.

The third conversation is one that I had right before the premiere of a film I had spent the past few months producing.  The night of the premiere also coincided with the premiere of a new Godzilla movie in theaters.  And Matt being the loyal person that he was decided to go and see Godzilla instead of my movie.  When I asked him why, he said, "You have to understand: I've known Godzilla a lot longer than you."  Years later I got my revenge when I gave my best man toast and shared this story with all his friends and family at his wedding.  But Matt smiled as I roasted him.  In fact, even though I was poking fun at him a little, he seemed to enjoy the fact that I remembered his words from all those years ago.

Because Matt was kind.

The fourth conversation was when I was sitting my car in the parking lot of my school.  It was a dark January evening and the snow was falling and bitter.  I got to my car and Matt called me.  I thought he wanted to talk about something from his wedding and honeymoon just a few short weeks before.  Instead he told me that he was diagnosed with stage-4 cancer.  In that moment I was filled with an uncomfortable rage at the unfairness of what was happening.  No one deserves cancer, but especially someone like Matt.

Because Matt was kind.

The final conversation was the last one I had with him alone.  Less than a week ago, I stopped by his house.  I didn't think he would be awake.  He had been getting weaker and weaker.  But when his wife let me in, he was there lying on the couch.  Gone was the smile that until now had never left his face.  Both of us understood that this would probably be the last time the two of us would have together like this.  I sat down next to him and held his hand.  I will keep our words private and not share them with you here.  But we said what we needed to say.  I don't know that I ever cried in front of him, but no matter how hard I tried, the tears would run down my face.  One of the sad burdens of dying is that when people come and visit, the sick person often has to comfort the visitor.  I don't know how long we sat there together, but Matt saw my tears and heard the heartbreak in my voice.  He saw that I had a small gift for him in my hand.  So to cheer me up, Matt snapped his head up.  And that smile that was so central to who he was came back and he lit up the room and he said, "So, what'd you get me?!?"  Even though he was the one dying, he took our last moments to make sure that I would feel better.

Because Matt was kind.

Sitting here now, I can feel the wrenching in my chest and the warm tears down my cheek.  I remind myself that the pain I feel now is a remembrance of the love I have.  Looking back on what I have written, I can see what a poor job I have done of sharing Matt with you.  Mostly all I've done is describe how Matt affected me and how he made me feel.  But this time is not about me, it's about him.  And yet all I can think about is how much I am going to miss my friend.

The most important people in your life make your heart grow because they become a part of it.  And when they leave, they take that piece of your heart with them.  

But part of me rejoices for Matt.  His last few years were so difficult. He carried his cross without complaint and fought on more bravely than I ever could.  But the wound never fully healed.  As I said at the beginning, all of my images to express my grief are tied up in the stories Matt and I loved.  And here it is no different.  I image us at the Gray Havens and he is about to board his ship into the West for the Undying Lands.  We don't want to say our goodbyes but white shores are calling.  And before he steps on board, he turns to us and smiles.  He lets us know that he is going to a far green country under a swift sunrise.  He is laying down the pain of this life and He is going into the arms of the Father.  

If, by God's mercy, I am to one day enter the Kingdom of Heaven, I know that my friend will be waiting for me.  And despite all the ways I ever let him down or failed at being a good friend to him, he will welcome me with open arms.

Because Matt is kind.

Film Flash: Pressure

 

15 words or less film review (full review to follow soon)

Fascinating, well-acted film about an obscure part of the D-Day invasion.  

Sunday Best: Catholic Skywalker 14-Year Anniversary

     

(5/31/26: Feast of the Visitation)

Once again, this milestone snuck up on me.

Over the course of 14 years I've made 2,953 posts to this blog.  I'm sure there are many who would call this a waste of time.  Other would call it an incredible waste of time (apologies for stealing a Conan O'Brien joke).  But I have found a great sense of satisfaction from my writings here.  

I hope I have been insightful, witty, and interesting.  If I have failed in this department, I do apologize.  I do write with you, Dear Reader, in mind.  You take the time to read this blog when you could be doing anything else, so I want to honor that sacrifice of time that you make by giving you something worthwhile to read.  

Much has happened in the last 14 years.  Since beginning this blog:

-my mother and both of my remaining grandparents passed away (God rest their souls)

-my father-in-law  and mother-in-law passed away (God rest their souls)

-one of my best friends passed away from cancer (God rest his soul)

-my wife and I weathered some rough employment situations

-I broke my back and had surgery 4 times.

-I became a godfather twice

-I was asked to write for NewEvangelizers.Com

-I've produced 15 more movies

-I've written, directed, and produced two plays and one musical.

-I got a second Master's Degree

-I finished my third year of Diaconate Formation.

This last one has taken up a good deal of my time this past year, the result of this is that I have written less here this year than in years past.  I hope to be able to find the proper balance to keep writing, if that is God's will.

And there may be new possibilities on the horizon.

All of this occurring during the tumultuous times we've lived through like COVID.

Through it all, I tried to write here regularly.  And now after 14 years, I've produced:

-398 Film Reviews

-126 Essays

-Nearly 350 New Evangelizers Articles

-14 Years of the Best and Worst of Movies, TV, and Comics.

Together we raised money for charity.  We've prayed together.  And hopefully we also laughed together.

Thank you again, Dear Reader, for taking this journey with me.  I pray that we will continue to walk this path of faith, film, and philosophy for many years to come.

God Bless You All!

Catholic Skywalker - 2026

Film Review: Mortal Kombat II

  

Sexuality/Nudity Mature

Violence Mature

Vulgarity Mature

Anti-Catholic Philosophy Acceptable

Sometimes a movie doesn't try to me more than it is and that is okay.

And sometimes a movie sequel takes audience feedback and uses it to improve.  And that's even better.

This is the case with Mortal Kombat II.

The previous film in the franchise came out during the weird post-COVID era when movies were being platformed on streaming and in theaters.  For that reason, I never got a real handle on how popular that movie was.  In my original review I remember thinking that the final act was too gory and that they made a massive mistake in ruining their best character, Kano (Josh Lawson).  Many other people found the main character Cole (Lewis Tan) a bit generic, but I had not problem with him.

To my great surprise, the sequel is an improvement on the first.

This time the movie centers on two characters.  The first is Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), a washed-up 1990's action star full of regret and cynicism.  But for some reason, he has been chosen to participate in the final Mortal Kombat for the fate of earth realm against the forces of Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford).  He wants nothing to do with all of this mystical violence, but is reluctantly drawn into the fray.  The other main character is Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), whose father was killed by Shao Kahn in the previous Mortal Kombat and now so now has become's Kahn's adopted heir.  However, she secretly works as a double agent for Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) to help the heroes of Earth survive.  So Cole, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax Briggs (Mehcad Brooks), and Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) must face off against Kahn's forces, including Kitana, her bodyguard Jade (Tati Gabrielle), and some resurected characters from the first film.

Like I said, this movie doesn't try to be more than it is.  It isn't trying to be a deep meditation on heroism and violence.  It just wants to offer you a good time.  

And a good time is what I had.

The main reason for this was because of Johnny Cage and (the resurrected) Kano.  Urban is fantastic in everything he does and this is no exception.  There is a weariness to him that boarders on exacerbation.  He is not ready, not prepared, and is constantly overwhelmed by the craziness around him.  I like that they made Cage and older person in this movie.  It taps into that feeling that we get as we age where the world we knew sort of passes us by and the modern world is strange and unfamiliar.  I feel this way whenever my students try to explain the latest TikTok trend and my old brain cannot comprehend.  The movie actually plays into this early where Johnny is sitting alone at his table at a comic con while social media influencers are mobbed by fans.  It doesn't make sense to him and it doesn't make sense to me.  Because of this, he delivers some great one liners and gives the movie a nice touch of cynical humor at everything.  But he is not a one-note comic relief.  Part of his journey it to rediscover his self-worth and heroism that is buried under all of that wasted potential.  There is an actual heart beating in this character that you root for to come out and win the day.

But the real scene-stealer is Kano.  Every time he comes onto the screen Lawson knocks it out of the park.  He plays his character with such an odd enthusiasm that is both evil and innocent.  I laughed more at his scenes than I do in most theatrical comedies.  When he is resurrected, it is asked why isn't a mind-controlled zombie like the others.  Quan Chi (Damon Herriman), the necromancer, says that Kano had so little soul in his life that there was nothing there to control.  Hearing this, Kano beams with pride and shouts, "Loophole!"  In the hands of another actor, almost all of this would have fallen flat.  But Lawson knocks it out of the park with every line.  I'm not kidding when I saw he is at the top of my list of Best Supporting Actor this year.  Comedic performances are almost always overlooked but Lawson carries every scene.

The other performances are decent, straightforward, and earnest, but most don't really stand out.  This is unfortunate because the other half of the emotional engine of this movie is Rudolph's Kitana, and she isn't able to get you as invested as Urban.  She isn't even able to get to the level of charisma of the original Liu Kang (Robin Shou) from the very first Mortal Kombat, who had a similar roll to fill in that story: the earnest chosen one. Hiroyuki Sandada returns as Hanzo/Scorpion, and he brings some much-needed gravitas to the nearly cartoonish entertainment.  CJ Bloomfield also has a surprisingly good turn as the monstrous Baraka whose fight with Johnny Cage is a highlight of the film.

Director Simon McQuoid should be commended for taking what he did in the first film and improving on it.  The fight sequences are generally better and world-building is better than the original.  The script by Jeremy Slater delivers a more straightforward story than the first, but he has a few twists and turns that I did not see coming.  I remember at one character death, my wife sitting next to me actually gasped in shock.  In a traditionally by-the-numbers sequel like this, that isn't an easy thing to do.  But Slater seems to get the characters and gives them each a moment to shine.

Like the original, the movie is a bit too gory, but it did not bother me as much in this film as in the last.  The vulgarity is through the roof, especially with Cage and Kano, but it is done with great comedic effect.  As I said before the movie's biggest problem is that it divides the weight of the narrative between Johnny and Kitana, but only one really succeeds in doing the heavy lifting.

If the violence and vulgarity are things that offend you, I would avoid this movie.  But even so, there are some good messages about heroism and redemption.  As milquetoast as most of the other heroes are, there is something admirable about their heroism.  Cole tells Johnny early on that he is stepping up to fight even though he knows he may never see his family again.  Johnny has to slowly learn this lesson over the course of the movie through failure after failure.  But in the end, he discovers that the most important part of being a hero is simply standing up to the danger.  I know that sounds overly simple and cheesy, but for this movie it works.

The movie is primed to become a trilogy.  I don't know if that is in the cards.  But with the characters that we have established in this movie, and if the series continues to improve, I am definitely in for another round of Mortal Kombat.