Star Wars: All 9 Skywalker Saga films ranked from worst to best
By Scott Brown
4. The Force Awakens
The first film of the Sequel Trilogy is a rollercoaster of fun. As an introduction to our new cast of characters, it succeeds effortlessly and, as a passing of the torch, it’s also executed quite well. There are plenty of familiar beats from previous Star Wars films but, when The Force Awakens is viewed as what it should be — a soft reboot to the franchise — they’re very forgivable. Plus, to quote George Lucas, “It’s like poetry, they rhyme.”
As mentioned before, the best part of the Sequel Trilogy is the story of Rey and Kylo Ren. They don’t have many interactions here, but the ones they do are fantastic. Plus, their individual stories are great as well. Rey finally gets to go on the journey she’s been hoping for long before the film begins. Kylo’s struggle within himself and the subsequent murder of his father are extremely compelling. Combine both and you have the through-line of the trilogy.
But c’mon, the best part of this film is Han Solo. It’s wonderful to see Harrison Ford back as the character, even if it’s heartbreaking to watch him die. It’s wonderful to see how much this character has changed since we last saw him, but he’s still that same rogue at heart. The only wishful thing about his role here is the thought that he should’ve spent more time with Leia.