Latest news with #ThePhantomMenace
Buzz Feed
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
43 Laughably Fake Movie And TV Moments
Recently, Reddit user Behind_Th3_8_Ball asked about props that ruined a movie, and a bunch of people chimed in with the wildly fake movie moments that always bother them. Here are 43 fake-looking things from movies that I can't believe made it onto the screen. This garbage can from Independence Day, which literally says "art department" on it: Suggested by u/Namtab666 This extremely obvious fake baby from American Sniper: And the baby that appears on the ceiling in Mark's dream in Trainpotting (yes, it's supposed to be creepy, but STILL): Suggested by u/Significant_Fuel5944 Also, the fake baby in this Malcolm in the Middle scene: Suggested by u/plainandawesome Anytime characters in post apocalyptic movies and shows, especially women, have perfect Dina in The Last Of Us: And Karen from The Grudge 2: When an FBI agent uses Excel to hack a nuclear weapon in Unthinkable — and you can also see a movie script pulled up: Suggested by u/HalfACupkake When you can see that a character's not actually on the phone, like in this scene from The Boys...: Even worse, when the character's on a different app, like Abby in this NCIS scene. Suggested by u/Foxterriers Similarly, when characters text using a non-messaging app, like in School of Rock, when an audience member "texts" someone using a blank document: Suggested by [deleted] Wildly fake video game-playing moments, like this one from Rumble in the Bronx...: ...And this one from Malcolm in the Middle...: ...And the "controller acting" from Anora, where this character just mashes buttons indiscriminately: This costume from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles scene, where you can clearly see the person inside: Suggested by u/SlipTheSlime Whenever actors drink from clearly empty coffee cups, like during the stakeout scenes of Law & Order...: ...And on Gilmore Girls, where the characers keep gesturing while holding cups that are clearly empty: Qui-Gon's communicator from The Phantom Menace, which is obviously a Gillette Razor: And Anakin's backpack from the same film, which looked like the backpack every other kid had at the time: Speaking of The Phantom Menace — when you could tell this guy in the background was DEFINITELY not Samuel L. Jackson: Suggested by u/colinaclark The obvious mannequin used in this stunt from Wonder Woman 1984: Similarly, the wildly fake dummy from the car explosion in Casino: Here it is in a slowed-down GIF, so you can see how bad it is. The badly photoshopped family photo in Twin Peaks: The Return: This obviously fake stalactite from The Lord of the Rings: Suggested by u/IljaMaran Also from The Lord of the Rings, when this extra is clearly using imaginary arrows: Suggested by u/AnalysisMoney This stunt from The Fugitive, where it's clearly a dummy and not Harrison Ford: Check it out in GIF format here: The toilet seat from Liar Liar, which you can tell is made out of foam: Suggested by u/heidismiles The game of hackey sack going on with no hackey sack in this scene from Twilight: Suggested by u/Charlie4774 Everything about Bond making espresso in this scene from Live and Let Die: The way Steven Seagal holds a gun in Sniper Special Ops: Anytime a character fits through the air ducts, like this scene from Die Hard: The eggs from Batman V Superman: The uncanny valley CGI Renesmee from Breaking Dawn: The fake prop toilet from Boondock Saints: When Wash wasn't even holding onto the wheel in Firefly: Similarly, when Brian pulls at a brake that isn't there in 2 Fast 2 Furious: Suggested by [deleted] And also Antonio Banderas just miming moving imaginary controls in this scene from Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams: Suggested by u/Chair_Last This moment in D2: The Mighty Ducks when you can tell the background extras are actually just cardboard cutouts: Suggested by u/LisleSwanson Speaking of cardboard cutouts — these fake books behind Indy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Suggested by u/Oldspice_DentalFloss This scene from Men in Black where Zed and K are only pretending to type in the background: Suggested by u/MyNameGifOreilly Zoro's bending scabbard from One Piece: Suggested by u/MikeFleezy This "metal" rod from the show Dark, which moves: Suggested by u/AjemMirumilovny This man's photo in Smallville, which is very obviously glued/taped on rather than printed as a part of the newspaper: Suggested by u/ArtisanGerard And coffee cup in Game of Thrones: What wildly fake or unrealistic moment or item took you out of a film or TV show? Let us know in the comments.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
By fighting Musk for the dark soul of MAGA, Trump has finally met his match
Dark Maga has seen the light. In a plot twist eerily reminiscent of The Phantom Menace, (also known as the worst Star Wars movie ever made) Edgelord Elon Musk has joined the rebellion and declared war on Sith lord President Donald Trump over that most noble of causes – trade specifics. Their stoush over Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' has erupted in such spectacular fashion that you can't help wondering if Musk knew what was coming and gave himself that black eye before entering the Oval Office a week ago, in perhaps DOGE's one true act of efficiency. Given their big, beautiful bromance, who could have foreseen this shocking turn of events? (Apart from Steve Bannon, John Kelly, Reince Priebus, Anthony Scaramucci or any of the other approximately half a gazillion high-level White House aides whose relationships with Trump went up in flames during the first year of the Trump 1.0 administration.) Since that farewell visit to the White House less than a week ago, the relationship between Musk and Trump has blown apart with the speed and ferocity of an exploding SpaceX Starship. Threats and counter threats have been thrown out in rapid succession: Musk calling for Trump's impeachment and implicating the president (without evidence) in Jeffrey Epstein's sordid affairs; Trump threatening to DOGE the Dogefather's SpaceX and Tesla contracts. I suspect, however, these will come to be seen as merely opening salvos in the true war to come: the fight for the heart and soul of MAGA. Musk has taken this fight to X, the spiritual homeland of Trump's base, posting a poll question that asked 'Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?' At the time of writing it had already had 40 million views and 80 per cent of respondents had voted yes. Trump's support from the MAGA faithful has always been seen as unassailable, the movement inextricable from the man himself. But Trump has never been seriously attacked by anyone from within MAGA and certainly not by anyone of the stature of Musk. Of the major markers by which Trump measures success: wealth, business acumen and online followers, he is eclipsed in all three categories by Musk. Like all wars, if it continues it will come down to resources. In the Dark MAGA corner, Musk has his billions, his social media platform X and SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is used to supply the International Space Station and transport NASA astronauts. Musk has already threatened to decommission Dragon, prompting Steve Bannon (playing the role of Ivana to Musk's Melania) to call for Trump to create an executive order to seize it. In the red MAGA corner, Trump controls the levers of government so has the power to cancel Musk's billion-dollar government contracts, and revoke his security clearance. However, a far more likely move would be for Trump to use his favourite tactic of lawfare against Musk, similar to the investigations that he ordered into Biden earlier this week.
The Age
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Age
By fighting Musk for the dark soul of MAGA, Trump has finally met his match
Dark Maga has seen the light. In a plot twist eerily reminiscent of The Phantom Menace, (also known as the worst Star Wars movie ever made) Edgelord Elon Musk has joined the rebellion and declared war on Sith lord President Donald Trump over that most noble of causes – trade specifics. Their stoush over Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' has erupted in such spectacular fashion that you can't help wondering if Musk knew what was coming and gave himself that black eye before entering the Oval Office a week ago, in perhaps DOGE's one true act of efficiency. Given their big, beautiful bromance, who could have foreseen this shocking turn of events? (Apart from Steve Bannon, John Kelly, Reince Priebus, Anthony Scaramucci or any of the other approximately half a gazillion high-level White House aides whose relationships with Trump went up in flames during the first year of the Trump 1.0 administration.) Since that farewell visit to the White House less than a week ago, the relationship between Musk and Trump has blown apart with the speed and ferocity of an exploding SpaceX Starship. Threats and counter threats have been thrown out in rapid succession: Musk calling for Trump's impeachment and implicating the president (without evidence) in Jeffrey Epstein's sordid affairs; Trump threatening to DOGE the Dogefather's SpaceX and Tesla contracts. I suspect, however, these will come to be seen as merely opening salvos in the true war to come: the fight for the heart and soul of MAGA. Musk has taken this fight to X, the spiritual homeland of Trump's base, posting a poll question that asked 'Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?' At the time of writing it had already had 40 million views and 80 per cent of respondents had voted yes. Trump's support from the MAGA faithful has always been seen as unassailable, the movement inextricable from the man himself. But Trump has never been seriously attacked by anyone from within MAGA and certainly not by anyone of the stature of Musk. Of the major markers by which Trump measures success: wealth, business acumen and online followers, he is eclipsed in all three categories by Musk. Like all wars, if it continues it will come down to resources. In the Dark MAGA corner, Musk has his billions, his social media platform X and SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is used to supply the International Space Station and transport NASA astronauts. Musk has already threatened to decommission Dragon, prompting Steve Bannon (playing the role of Ivana to Musk's Melania) to call for Trump to create an executive order to seize it. In the red MAGA corner, Trump controls the levers of government so has the power to cancel Musk's billion-dollar government contracts, and revoke his security clearance. However, a far more likely move would be for Trump to use his favourite tactic of lawfare against Musk, similar to the investigations that he ordered into Biden earlier this week.
Gizmodo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Andor' Put So Many Easter Eggs in Luthen Rael's Shop
You knew about the 'Indiana Jones' one, but did you see the winks at 'Revenge of the Sith' and 'Phantom Menace'? One of the many, many things that makes Andor so great is that it's uninterested in fan service. There are no gratuitous cameos. No wild, broad connections. First and foremost, creator Tony Gilroy wanted to tell an emotional, impactful, and timely story of heroism and hope, which just so happened to be in the world of Star Wars. But that doesn't mean other members of his team didn't want to have a little fun, and the set and prop designers did just that. In the first season of Andor, fans instantly noticed that Luthen Rael's shop on Coruscant was filled with recognizable and clever winks and nods to Star Wars and Lucasfilm projects of the past. The most famous, of course, were the Sankara stones from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but Luthen also had Sith artifacts, Mandalorian armor, and more. All of which made sense. Luthen, after all, does deal in rare artifacts and antiquities, so he would be interested in acquiring and selling things of this nature. This season, that was taken up a notch, and the official Star Wars website has a post breaking it down. Like, for example, Luthen has a Sith Chalice on display, much like the one Palpatine had in his office in Revenge of the Sith. There's a Kalikori, a prized Twi'lek family heirloom, much like the one we've seen from the Syndullas in Star Wars Rebels. There's a Royal Naboo headdress that looks very similar to one Queen Amidala wore in The Phantom Menace (shouldn't Bail Organa have picked this one up to hold for his daughter?). Finally, there's even a Gungan skull. Which Gungan? We don't know, but I'm sure many of us have a few top choices. You can see images of those and more all over at The same article also reminds us of everything from Andor season one, including a Jedi Temple Guard mask, like the ones from Star Wars: The Clone Wars; a Gungan shield as seen in The Phantom Menace; and another Naboo headpiece, this one resembling one Padme wore in Attack of the Clones. Again, Bail, why didn't you buy these? The best part about all of this is it has nothing to do with the story. There's no impact on Luthen and Kleya's work in the shop. No smoking gun to solve a problem. It's just there to remind you this story is happening in a world where all of this other stuff happened too. Both seasons of Andor are streaming on Disney+. You can see the above artifacts most specifically in episodes five and 10 of season two, as well as four, five, and seven of season one.
Business Insider
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
All 18 live-action 'Star Wars' shows and movies, ranked by critics
18. "The Rise of Skywalker" (2019) Rotten Tomatoes score: 51% Critics and fans agree that the most recent (for now) "Star Wars" film is also the worst in the decadeslong franchise. In attempting to wrap up a story that's been going since the '70s and please fans who hated the previous installment (more on that one later), the powers that be had an unenviable task. Unfortunately, they did not prove to be up to the challenge. "Rise of Skywalker," in the six years since its release, has become shorthand for a disappointing finale — just look at the first responses to the new "Mission: Impossible" movie. If you don't remember, "The Rise of Skywalker" made the questionable decision to make Rey the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, dragging this new trilogy back to an enemy fans thought they'd finally left in the past. It also killed off Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, failed to kill off Chewbacca in an insulting fake out, and added a bunch of new, useless characters instead of focusing on existing ones that audiences had grown fond of over the last two films. "J.J. Abrams's mechanical, nonsensical 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' contains so many resurrections it's a wonder Disney and Lucasfilm didn't push back the release date from Christmas to Easter," wrote Michael Sragow for Film Comment Magazine. 17. "The Phantom Menace" (1999) Rotten Tomatoes score: 54% "The Phantom Menace" came to theaters in 1999, 16 years after we had last spent time in a galaxy far, far away. Needless to say, expectations were extremely high. This movie, which certainly has its defenders, is, to put it plainly, boring. Even if its plot about a trade war has new significance today, that doesn't mean we wanted a "Star Wars" movie to focus on the economy of the galaxy. It was also an unfortunate choice to introduce Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, as a 10-year-old kid, especially when his future wife, Padmé, was played by 18-year-old Natalie Portman. "Sure, there's a great NASCAR-like pod race and a cool, horn-studded professional wrestler type... But the only person who gets body-slammed here is the viewer looking for a trace of the magic that carried us away in the original trilogy," wrote Rick Holter for the Dallas Morning News. 16. "Attack of the Clones" (2002) Rotten Tomatoes score: 61% Ruled a slight improvement upon its predecessor, "Attack of the Clones" continues the story of Anakin Skywalker, now played by a 21-year-old Hayden Christensen. It follows him as he falls in love with Padmé (a big no-no for a Jedi), while the rest of the Jedi try to uncover a conspiracy regarding a secret army and the return of their ancient enemies, the Sith. "'Attack of the Clones' wasn't as outrightly horrid as 'Phantom Menace,' but it offended in a different way: it was boring," wrote Collider's Allison Keene. 15. "The Book of Boba Fett" (2021) Rotten Tomatoes score: 66% Boba Fett, as a character, was one of the coolest and most mysterious people in the Star Wars universe. He was introduced as a faceless assassin with a sick jetpack in "The Empire Strikes Back," and he captivated fans for decades after. It's a tough ask to create a story worthy of someone that cool — and " Book of Boba Fett" proved that we probably should know less about Boba, not more. It follows the assassin after his escape from the Sarlacc Pit in "Return of the Jedi," when he became part of the Tusken Raiders, through to his takeover of Tatooine's underworld. If none of that meant anything to you, it's best you skip this one. The most damning thing about "Boba Fett" though, is that the best episode of the season was the one that was more like a bridge between the second and third seasons of " The Mandalorian." "'The Book of Boba Fett' was a series of compounding mistakes. Its best feature was to deliver a 'Mandalorian' sequel that could have been a self-contained film," wrote Craig Mathieson for The Age. 14. "Solo" (2018) Rotten Tomatoes: 69% It was never going to be easy to fill the gargantuan shoes of Harrison Ford as Han Solo, perhaps the coolest and most beloved character in movie history? (There's a case to be made.) So, we can't really lay the blame on Alden Ehrenreich for the failure of this movie, an origin story for pre-"A New Hope" Han. It was just never going to work. There's also the nonsensical plot, unimportant fan service — did we really need to know how Han got his dice or his last name? — and a lackluster villain. "'Solo' is at its best when it's uncoupled from all that heavy lifting, just crammed in a cockpit with its likeable cast and shooting for the stars," wrote Time Out's Philip de Semlyen. 13. "The Acolyte" (2024) Rotten Tomatoes score: 78% There's a lot to love about " The Acolyte," chief among them: Manny Jacinto's performance as The Stranger, one of the creepiest villains a "Star Wars" property has ever given us. This show, which took place in a heretofore unexplored era of the "Star Wars" universe (roughly 100 years before "The Phantom Menace"), also had an interesting question at its center: Are the Jedi actually good? Alas, we'll never know what happens to twins Ash and Mae, and the Stranger, because Disney canceled the show after one season. "Set hundreds of years before the events of the Star Wars saga we know best, this show gets to tell its own story — making it better than most of the series Disney+ has pumped out," wrote Dylan Roth for Observer. 12. "Revenge of the Sith" (2005) Rotten Tomatoes score: 79% Don't underestimate the power of the prequels, even if, on average, they have the lowest scores of the three film trilogies. When " Revenge of the Sith" returned to theaters for a weeklong stint to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, it was the No. 2 movie at the box office, only behind " Sinners." " Revenge of the Sith" is easily the best prequel film. It has the very real stakes of Anakin slowly descending into evil and becoming the most iconic movie villain of all time, Darth Vader. It also depicts the Jedi finally realizing that they've been blind to the hatred and fascism festering right under their noses, and Obi-Wan's decision to dedicate his life to protecting his best friend-turned-enemy's son, Luke. It puts all the pieces into place for anyone who chooses to watch the "Star Wars" films in chronological order without missing a beat. "The saddest and sincerest of all the 'Star Wars' epics, the mad work of a man desperately trying to understand his own creation," wrote Vulture's Bilge Ebiri. 11. "Obi-Wan Kenobi" (2022) Rotten Tomatoes score: 82% For many years, fans theorized about what, exactly, Obi-Wan was doing in the Tatooine desert during the 20 or so years between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope." This miniseries answered that question, for at least a few weeks. It turns out Obi-Wan met a young Princess Leia, saved her from the Empire, battled with Darth Vader multiple times, and reconnected with the Force. It was a productive time! The high point of this series was Obi-Wan and Vader's final fight, where Obi-Wan heartbreakingly glimpsed Anakin for a few moments, underneath all the hatred, before giving up on his old friend. "The latest 'Star Wars' spin-off from Disney+ sees the Scot [Ewan McGregor] put in his best performance as the legendary Jedi in a John Wick-esque caper with marvelous action sequences," wrote Stuart Heritage for The Guardian. 10. "Return of the Jedi" (1983) Rotten Tomatoes score: 83% It's hard to end a series in a satisfying way, and back in 1983, George Lucas and Co. didn't know for sure that another six movies would be released. This could've been the last people saw of Luke, Han, Leia, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO. Even though, of course, we know it wasn't, " Return of the Jedi" does a pretty good job of tying up loose ends. Luke fulfills his destiny to bring balance to the Force, Han and Leia declare their love, Anakin finds the light once again, and Ewoks are there. What else could you want? "One may carp, gripe, quibble with 'Jedi,' but Lucasfilm's special effects subsidiary, Industrial Light and Magic, is in a class by itself as creator of screen magic. And when it is good, 'Jedi' is peerless escapist fantasy," wrote Joseph Gelmis for Newsday. 9. "Rogue One" (2016) Rotten Tomatoes score: 84% George Lucas has repeatedly reiterated that "Star Wars" is meant for kids. Rogue One, a prequel story that goes right up to the seconds before "A New Hope" starts, puts that statement to the test. It's easily the darkest and most morally gray film in the "Star Wars" canon and shows Darth Vader at his most terrifying, finally pushing beyond what was technologically possible during the original trilogy. Based on a throwaway line in the opening crawl of "A New Hope," " Rogue One" proved that a "Star Wars" movie about something other than Luke Skywalker and the Force could be successful. Chris Klimek of NPR called the film a "tense, well-made spacefaring war movie about a desperate and demoralized band of insurgents standing up against a rising authoritarian regime." 8. "Ahsoka" (2023-present) Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% This is the time when we have to discuss the animated properties in the "Star Wars" universe. If you skipped out on "The Clone Wars" or "Rebels," you most likely don't even know who Ahsoka is. A quick crash course: In between the events of "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith," the Clone Wars ravage the galaxy, and Anakin is promoted from padawan (or apprentice) to Jedi master. In turn, he takes a padawan himself: Ahsoka. Don't worry about why she's never mentioned in the movies; it's (somewhat) convincingly retconned in "Clone Wars." She's one of the most beloved characters in the animated "Star Wars" canon, and her live-action debut was highly anticipated. So, when it was announced that Rosario Dawson would play Ahsoka first in "The Mandalorian," and then in her own series, people were hyped. And, for the most part, the series lived up to expectations. The one issue is that this show barely makes any sense if you don't have, at the very least, basic knowledge of the characters from "Rebels," including Sabine, Hera, Ezra, and Thrawn. "No lightsabers can match the fierce glow of Rosario Dawson as the ex-Jedi with the funky headgear who leads her sisterhood — glory to Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Natasha Liu Bordizzo — against the Empire's fading patriarchy. Now that's worth celebrating," wrote Peter Travers of ABC News. 7. "The Mandalorian" (2019-present) Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% Two words: Baby Yoda. The first-ever "Star Wars" live-action TV show started on a high note, thanks to the cutest puppet of all time (who would later be named Grogu, but started out as simply "Baby Yoda"). Besides this unbelievably adorable baby, "The Mandalorian" has another thing going for it: Pedro Pascal's vocal performance as Din Djarin, a Mandalorian bounty hunter just trying to find his way in the universe. When he meets (and then refuses to kill) Grogu in the first episode, it starts him on a quest that's still going now — get ready for "The Mandalorian & Grogu" coming to theaters in 2026. As "The Mandalorian" has progressed, it's become a bit bogged down in connecting to the larger "Star Wars" canon, but we'll always have that perfect first season. "For all its sci-fi stiltedness, 'The Mandalorian' founded a compelling myth, a world of paranoia, ethical dilemmas and, aah, tiny space kitten things. Just don't take it too seriously," wrote The Times ' Victoria Segal. 6. "The Last Jedi" (2017) Rotten Tomatoes score: 91% " The Last Jedi" is the most divisive "Star Wars" movie of the bunch. Those who love it, love it, and those who don't? Well, just look at the 41% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. We're of the opinion that it rocks. It has breathtaking cinematography, intense fights, and a genuinely beautiful message: That anyone, even if their last name isn't Skywalker, can stand up to evil in the universe, whether they're a small boy with a broom, a former Stormtrooper, or a young woman from a junk planet in the middle of nowhere. It doesn't matter where you came from, just where you intend to go. "[Director Rian] Johnson is easily the most skilled filmmaker to helm one of these (it's not even close) and it's not just that the film has a surface beauty of its own. He's aware of what we expect narratively from a 'Star Wars' movie, and delights in subverting it," wrote Jason Bailey for Flavorwire. 5. "Skeleton Crew" (2024) Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% "Skeleton Crew" is best described as "The Goonies" in space. It follows a group of ragtag kids who accidentally get trapped on an old spaceship and get lost in space. They must work together, along with a new friend Jod (played by the always-charming Jude Law), to get home to their planet, which is more important and mysterious than these kids ever could have guessed. It's fun — something that "Star Wars" has been sorely lacking recently — and definitely worth the watch. "For anyone who says the House That [George] Lucas Built is out of ideas and has been picked clean, 'Skeleton Crew' proves there's still meat left on those bones," wrote The San Francisco Chronicle's Zaki Hasan. 3 (tie). "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% "The Empire Strikes Back" has one of the most iconic plot twists in movie history. Do the words "No, I am your father" mean anything to you? It's also widely considered one of the best sequels of all time, and has been used as a shorthand to describe any sequel that some could call better than the original, and it's certainly darker than its predecessor. "The Empire Strikes Back," for all its fun (and there is fun!), ends on a huge downer. Han has been captured and frozen in carbonite in front of the woman he loves and has been betrayed by an old friend; Luke has found out his nemesis is actually his dad; and the Empire is stronger than ever. Woof. "The appeal of visiting Oz is that it is a magical place over the rainbow. The appeal of 'Star Wars' and, now, 'The Empire Strikes Back' is that it also takes us to a magical place — the childhood of our mind," wrote Gene Siskel for the Chicago Tribune. 3 (tie). "The Force Awakens" (2015) Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% It had been 32 years since Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher had graced our screens as Luke, Han, and Leia (and for Hamill, at least, it'd be another couple of years until we saw him again). Audiences had three decades to become attached to these original characters, but when " The Force Awakens" introduces us to Finn (John Boyega), a disillusioned stormtrooper, Poe (Oscar Isaac), a brash Resistance pilot, Rey (Daisy Ridley), a junk trader desperate for something more, and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), our new terrifying villain, audiences knew they were in good hands. And then, after all that, we got to see (almost) all of our old friends together again, too. "As a nostalgia trip that knows exactly what die-hard 'Star Wars' fans want and then layers in some memorable new characters, 'The Force Awakens' is exactly what it needs to be: an old-school Saturday afternoon sci-fi matinee writ big," wrote The Austin Chronicle's Marc Savlov. 2. "Star Wars: A New Hope" (1977) Rotten Tomatoes score: 94% Originally titled " Star Wars," this is the film that started it all. There's a reason we're still watching "Star Wars" movies and shows five decades later. The world that George Lucas introduced us to in "Star Wars" is filled with lovable characters, a villain that continues to scare audiences, a magical Force that connects all living things, and a brand-new alien to catch your attention whichever way you look. In many ways, it's the closest thing we have to American mythology. It also affected Hollywood forever. The special effects company created for this film, Industrial Light and Magic, completely changed the game for special effects and is still working today. It's the fourth-highest-grossing film ever, adjusted for inflation. It was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including best picture, and won six, including a special achievement award for its sound designer, Ben Burtt. Critics knew it then; fans still know it now. To put it simply: "A New Hope" is great. "George Lucas' 'Star Wars' is not a film that readily lends itself to comparisons, so it may as well begin with the superlatives. This captivating science fantasy is the finest pure entertainment to reach the screen in ages," wrote Desmond Ryan for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1. "Andor" (2022-2025) Rotten Tomatoes score: 97% "Andor," according to critics, is the best live-action "Star Wars" property, and it's hard to argue with them. The series, which ran for two seasons before its finale aired Tuesday, follows the beginning seeds of the Rebellion, which, by the time we see it in "A New Hope," is a high-functioning operation. Of course, it didn't start out that way. Even though we know how this story ends, with Cassian Andor and many of his friends sacrificing their lives in " Rogue One" and beyond, the stakes are high, and the series can be unbearably tense. Another high point: The writing. Many have clowned on George Lucas' stilted dialogue in the prequels. There's none of that to be found in creator Tony Gilroy's prose, which has provided some of the most beautiful lines in "Star Wars" history. It will be missed. "The show deserves to be seen as great TV, in the same league as shows like 'The Wire' and 'The Sopranos,'" wrote David Klion for The New Republic.
