All 11 Star Wars movies ranked from worst to best

9. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

While I personally adore this movie, including the incredible Duel of the Fates scene, I have to admit that this is not the best Star Wars movie at all.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace holds a unique spot in the galaxy of Star Wars films, landing at number 9 out of 11. It's like that one cousin at the family reunion who means well but ends up accidentally knocking over the punch bowl. Released in 1999, after a 16-year hiatus from the original trilogy, the anticipation for this movie was like waiting for a comet to pass by Earth – monumental. But when it finally arrived, it didn't really deliver in the way some fans expected it to, which attributed to it sitting in 9th spot.

The movie introduced us to a younger (and hot) Obi-Wan Kenobi, a tiny (and infuriatingly annoying) Anakin Skywalker (yep, Darth Vader was once a cute kid), and the unforgettable Jar Jar Binks, who became more famous for being hated on than for any heroics. While the film brought us the fun and heart-poundingly unnecessary pod race and the absolutely epic duel between Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Obi-Wan, it also bogged us down with talk of trade disputes and midichlorians, making parts of the galaxy far, far away feel more like a space-themed civics class.

The overall feel of the movie was off as well - this is an original movie for Darth Vader. You know, the dude who likes to Force choke others and doesn't think twice before slicing innocent civilians with his saber. Yet, there was so much light-heartedness in this movie, including the beginning of a romance between the 9-year-old Anakin Skywalker and 14-year-old Padme Amidala. Sure, the age gap means nothing as they grow older the in the other two movies, but... That's still pretty creepy.

I digress - The Phantom Menace was a mixed bag. It had the tough job of setting up the prequels, and while it succeeded in expanding the Star Wars universe, it struggled to capture the magic and momentum of the original saga.