Every numbered Star Wars movie, ranked worst to best

1. The Phantom Menace (Episode I)

When trying to pinpoint the worst entry of the mainline Star Wars movies, you really don’t need to look any farther than Jar Jar Binks’ first “mesa.” The Phantom Menace has some really cool scenes …but ultimately it’s totally spoiled by the groan-worthy Gungan sidekick.

This movie, more than any other in the franchise, feels like Lucasfilm focused so hard on appealing to kids that it forgot to make a movie that appealed to everyone. It’s the only episode that’s downright embarrassing to watch at times. The battle droids act super silly, kid Anakin’s acting is stiff, and the Trade Federation viceroy is about the goofiest villain in the series.

That being said, there are some glimmers of absolute brilliance in this film. The plot is solid, and aside from kid Ani, the casting is pretty on point as well. Liam Neeson delivers one of the most memorable performances of the prequels as Qui-Gon Jinn, the planets are great, and the pod race is still an awesome set piece even all these years later.

And of course, there’s that lightsaber battle. The three-way duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul stands as the best lightsaber battle in any Star Wars movie, even though five more mainline films have come out since then. It’s due in no small part to Ray Park, the stuntman-turned-actor who absolutely killed it as Darth Maul (and did all his own stunts and staff work).

But at the end of the day, not even that incredible feat of choreography could save this one from its place a the bottom of the pile.