10. Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Landing at number 10 out of 11, The Rise of Skywalker had a mountain to climb even before it hit theaters. After the whirlwind of mixed feelings stirred up by The Last Jedi, this flick was expected to stitch the saga back together, tie up loose ends, and deliver a finale that was both epic and satisfying. But instead, it left us aboard a bumpy ride. It literally felt like two movies in one, like Abrams was trying to undo everything Rian Johnson did wrong in TLJ - it packed in so many plot twists, reveals, and fan service moments that it ended up feeling more like a frenzied dash through the galaxy than a triumphant victory lap. It was pretty disorienting.
What really put The Rise of Skywalker in the sticky spot of number 10 wasn't just its breakneck pace - it was how it seemed to play it safe by walking back some of the bolder choices made in The Last Jedi and pulling even more punches back (surprise, Chewie isn't dead! Surprise! C-3PO doesn't lose his memories!) aiming to please everyone but ending up with a bit of an identity crisis. The movie wanted to be the glue that mended the fragmented fanbase, but in its quest to do everything, it sometimes felt like it lost its own way. It's a bit like trying to make the perfect smoothie but throwing in every ingredient you've got - what you end up with might still be a smoothie, but it's not quite the satisfying blend you were hoping for.
Pretty disappointing, actually.