Best-to-worst Star Wars films acting-wise?
Which Star Wars film do you think had the best acting across the board, and which one do you think had the worst? Preferably, make a best-to-worst list of the Star Wars films based on acting, and highlight which actor you think shines or bogs down the movie with their performances.
I made this mainly because I saw people once talking about how the acting in ANH wasn't really good, so I was curious where people would place that movie compared to the others.
Anyways, I thought Natalie Portman kind of sucked in TPM and RotS, but I'm sure that was mainly George's fault. Hayden wasn't that bad, tbh. Ewan was great.
My list would be:
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Return of the Jedi
3. A New Hope
4. Revenge of the Sith
5. The Force Awakens
6. Attack of the Clones
7. The Phantom Menace
I think some of the highlights of the prequel trilogy are when the actors are literally not talking. In Revenge of the Sith, when Anakin and Padmé are looking out the windows during that scene (everyone knows what I'm referring to) there's some pretty good facial emoting going on that really makes the scene intense. Hayden nails the passionate emotions that go unspoken, IMO. He's also really good when he's burning alive. But in general, I think RotS has more higher points than lower points.
I love the OT acting because there's a great sense of comradary that seems so effortless and makes me really get into everyone's characters and their dynamic. There's obviously some cheesy lines here and there but on the whole I think the OT acting is pretty solid.
I don't really have any complaints about TFA, either. I think the acting was good generally, but nothing really blew me away. Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley were pretty impressive, though.
lol to those saying that the OT had this superior acting compared to the PT.
Mark Hamill was shit as Luke, especially in the first one, same with Carrie Fisher. The only one who was any good and came off as a natural was Harrison Ford.
In the PT Liam Neeson, Ewan Macgregor, and especially Ian McDiarmid KILLL it in the acting department, even Chris Lee who was clearly phoning it in was miles ahead of anybody in the OT save for Ian and Peter Cushing. Even Hayden Christiansen as shit as he was in ATOC had flashes of brilliance in ROTS.
Looking at the acting alone the PT at the very least matches the OT and ill say it was superior TBH
Originally posted by relentless1
lol to those saying that the OT had this superior acting compared to the PT.Mark Hamill was shit as Luke, especially in the first one, same with Carrie Fisher. The only one who was any good and came off as a natural was Harrison Ford.
In the PT Liam Neeson, Ewan Macgregor, and especially Ian McDiarmid KILLL it in the acting department, even Chris Lee who was clearly phoning it in was miles ahead of anybody in the OT save for Ian and Peter Cushing. Even Hayden Christiansen as shit as he was in ATOC had flashes of brilliance in ROTS.
Looking at the acting alone the PT at the very least matches the OT and ill say it was superior TBH
This.
I think this is really subjective to the person's generation. My dad, for example, thinks Harrison Ford sucks ass in ANH while TFA was okay.
The original trilogy had their sh1tty moments, but overall I think the acting was of a higher caliber than anything in the prequels or disney trilogy.
My list: (best-to-worst)
1. RotJ
2. ESB
3. Rogue 1
4. ANH
5. TPM
6. TFA
7. RotS
8. AotC
Christopher Hayden by himself kills the pre-quels. I don't think Portman was that cringeworthy aside from the Mustafar dialogue and AotC moments.
lol anybody that actually put ANH in the top slots is fooling themselves; your blind hate for the prequels is pathetic.
1. Return of the Jedi - Hamill is vastly improved, Ian McDiarmid is always 10/10, Harrison is solid also.
2. Revenge of the Sith - Ian carries this whole film, Ewan MacGregor is sublime as Obi Wan, you can really feel how he's torn and heartbroken and even Hayden has flashes of brilliance here not necessarily in dialogue but his emoting when he cries reflecting on his shitty choices as well as when he finds out he's gonna be a dad.
3. Empire Strikes Back - Fisher and Ford really sell the romance under duress, Hamill is great in the training with Yoda.
4. Force Awakens - All of the new cast kills it, Harrison might just be channeling himself as a tired old man but it works.
5. Rouge One - the rebels are all good actors, especially Diego Luna; he really sells the turmoil of doing bad things for a greater cause.
6. A New Hope - Harrison Ford carries this film; he's the only one that seems comfortable in his skin and casually emotes, of course Peter Cushing is the other side of this equation as the sublime villain of the piece, Alec Guinness kill also as the weathered old master.
7. Phantom Menace - Liam Neeson is the reason this film works on any level actor wise; Ian McDiarmid is also a gem but he doesn't have much to do although his appearances as Sidious are a highlight.
8. Attack of the Clones - this film doesn't have much going for it acting wise except Christopher Lee but he's not in it enough.
The amount of times I cringe when I watch the movie determines its placement.
I'll admit I haven't watched the sequels in their entirety for a while now, but I can say these are the lines I roll-over in bed at:
ANH: "I'm the Captain of the Millenium Falcon..." and anything else he says at Mos Eisley. And my god is the dialogue between him and Jabba terrible.
ESB: I cringe at the dialogue between Han and Leia on cloud city.
Most of Lando's lines came off as artificial.
RotJ: Nothing comes to mind atm.
RotS: Jesus Christ. Hayden on top of Portman's "Ani, I love you!...you're going down a path I can't follow!..." was enough to cut myself.
Sam Jackson is good and all, but anything he said to Palpatine was so forced.
AotC: By far the worst. Hayden's whining on top of his sh1tty love dialogues with Padme are literal ass. The Kaminoans also sucked.
TPM: Yep basically Liam Neeson. Every time I saw Qui-Gon I thought Schindler's List which is why I put it above AotC.
Rogue 1: Can't think of anything cringy.
TFA: Rey, Kylo, Hux, everyone. I. left. the. movie. half. way. through.