Pretty easily the worst of the OG trilogy — the first act is not great. The whole film indulges in the worst parts of Star Wars: So and So is related to *That Guy!?!*, dogfights generally feel weightless, and some of the storytelling feels cheap and consequence free (infamously not killing off Han feels dumb). 

And yet, the central father/​son conflict is so strong, and the main villain so brilliantly conceived and executed, that it almost doesn’t matter. What could have been trite is elevated by a relatable, tense conflict at the heart of it. 

It’s certainly not as groundbreaking or inventive or good as the first two, but still: This is a great movie.

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