At the beginning of the school year, I wanted to give myself a challenge to watch a series of movies and review them. In anticipation for the upcoming movie Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, I decided upon watching the entire catalog of the production company Lucasfilm. Created by the director George Lucas, they have been responsible for some of the most beloved franchises of all time, including the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series. For the purposes of these reviews, I will be counting every theatrically released film that was produced by Lucasfilm, and every film produced by George Lucas. This leads me to a total of 33 films. I have been watching and reviewing them throughout the year, and my reviews of them are all down below, so please enjoy! 🎥

№1: Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989)= Even after all these years, my opinion has not changed. This is, and continues to be, both my favorite Indiana Jones movie, and favorite movie from all of Lucasfilm. Opening with a flashback to a young Indiana Jones as a Boy Scout, we see his first real encounter with adventure and gain his iconic fedora. Jumping back to the present, we see Indy reconnect with his father (Played excellently by Sean Connery) on the search for the legendary Holy Grail, while trying to defeat the evil Nazi’s. Their dynamic is fun and really adds a lot to the movie. It means a lot to me, and is one of my favorite movies of all time. Highly recommended. A true masterpiece and a real bit of movie magic. 10/10.

–Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade is currently streaming on Paramount+ and Disney+.

№2: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)= this is one of the best sequels of all time. The film builds upon everything that made the first Star Wars so special, and makes something truly amazing. Darth Vader’s character is fleshed out brilliantly, and it makes the ending reveal hit even harder. It also introduces the Characters of Yoda, Lando, and Boba Fett, some of my personal favorites. The camera is so much more fluid and dynamic, and its pacing is flawless. I saw the Despecalized edition and while I thought it was good, this is the only one of the original trilogy that I prefer to watch the Special edition. A true masterpiece. 10/10.

–Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is currently streaming on Disney+.

№3: Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)= This has, quite possibly the single greatest opening to a film of all time. Beginning in the jungle you get a sense of who Indiana Jones is and it shows you this with very little dialogue, pulling you in masterfully. Then he performs the idol swap and the boulder falls and chases after him in an exhilarating sequence where he narrowly escapes with his life. As much as I am raving about this film, that was only the first 5 minutes, the rest of the film is just as good as a globetrotting epic. One of my personal favorites. 10/10. 

-Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark is currently streaming on Paramount+ and Disney+.

№4: Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters /「ミシマ：ア・ライフ・イン・フォー・チャプター」(1985)= The life of Yukio Mishima was a fascinating and controversial one, he was an author that became radicalized with ultra nationalistic views and died attempting to overthrow a base belonging to the Self Defence Force, later committing ritualistic seppuku after he realized that the soldiers weren’t swayed by his oration. The “Four Chapters” portion of the title comes from the four concurrent stories being told, which are three adaptations of his written works and the last day of his life. The movie is both written and directed by Paul Schrader, the writer for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. The stories all offer an interesting glimpse into the psyche of Mishima at different points throughout his life, that being「The Temple Of The Golden Pavilion / 金閣寺」 which depicts his views on Beauty and Obsession,「Kyoko’s House / 鏡子の家」showing showcasing Art and Love, and「Runaway Horses / 奔馬」which can best be described as “Poetry written with a splash of blood”, embodying his beliefs on Patriotism and Action. The soundtrack by Phillip Glass is absolutely phenomenal and has no right to be this good and greatly enhanced the movie. Interestingly, it was even sampled for some of his later compositions, including The Truman Show. My favorite part of the film would be the chapter「The Harmony Of Pen And Sword / 文武両道」which cathartically brings to a close all four stories we were following with a bang, showing the inevitable conclusions of their actions brought full circle with a booming orchestral score in the background, finishing with a single breathtaking shot of the rising sun “lighting the sky for an instant.” I highly recommend this film to all who are willing to experience it. 10/10.

–Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters is available from the Criterion Collection.

№5: Star Wars (1977)= I had seen this movie many times before, but this was the first time I watched the original theatrical cut and it greatly improved the experience. I didn’t have to see any wonky CGI additions or listen to any “Mclunkey”, I just watched the film that blew everyone away in 1977. It’s the time tested story of the hero’s journey given a fresh coat of paint with some spaceships and a lot of inspiration from Akira Kurosawa, mixed with groundbreaking special effects to create a film for the ages. John Williams is phenomenal as always, creating one of the most iconic scores of all time. A true classic. 9/10.

–Star Wars is currently streaming on Disney+.

№6: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)= When I was younger I used to dislike this movie. It didn’t really “click” with me and I thought that it was a little weird. Rewatching it, I now see how wrong I was. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were both going through tough breakups and that anger makes its way into the film. It garnered controversy for its dark tone, and was one of the main reasons for the creation of the PG-13 rating. I love Short Round and Kế Huy Quan is the heart and soul of this movie, delivering an amazing performance (as he does in all of his work). The set pieces are thrilling and while it might be a little problematic at times, I have grown to appreciate this film for what it is. 9/10.

–Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom is currently streaming on Paramount+ and Disney+.

№7: Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)= “Don’t get too close to people, or you’ll catch their dreams.” As someone with an interest in old cars, I found the story of Preston Tucker fascinating. He had a dream, to create the best and safest car on the road, with no expense spared. With his company and the backing of thousands of excited people, he created the glorious 48 Tucker Torpedo (I have seen one in person, and it was very nice). Unfortunately, the major automakers colluded together and tried to destroy everything that he had worked so hard to build, leading to only 50 cars ever being made. Francis Ford Copalla directed the film, and it was a passion project for him. Jeff Bridges delivers a charismatic and uplifting performance as Preston Tucker, and Martin Landau playing the chief financier for the Tucker corporation and rightfully received his Academy Award nomination for the performance. The production design is also phenomenal and perfectly captures the late 1940’s setting beautifully. At times hilarious, but also tragic, I highly recommend the story of Tucker, and his dream of the future. 9/10.

–Tucker: The Man and His Dream is currently available for free on Youtube.

№8: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)= Of all of the Star Wars Films made by Disney, this is probably the most underrated. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but that allows you to just have a fun time. The story of how Han Solo came to be in possession of the Millennium Falcon is indeed serviceable, but I personally love the whole scene of the Kessel Run and find it to be one of my favorite scenes in all of Star Wars. Ron Howard is the director, and he was previously an actor in 2 other Lucasfilm productions: the American Graffiti movies, he also directed the movie Willow. It is a shame that this was the only Star Wars movie to lose money at the box office, as I wouldn’t mind them revisiting his story again. 9/10.  

–Solo: A Star Wars Story is currently streaming on Disney+.

№9: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)= This is the most divisive movie in the Indiana Jones series, being derided by countless people on the internet, but I personally had a lot of fun. Set in the 1950’s at the height of the cold war, Indiana Jones has to fend off communist forces while trying to solve the origin of a mysterious Crystal Skull. Some may not like the Sci-Fi elements, I don’t mind them trying something new. Is it the best? No, but it is still a very good time. 8/10.

–Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull is currently streaming on Paramount+ and Disney+.

№10: American Graffiti (1973)= An ode to the cruising and car culture of the late 50’s, American Graffiti successfully captures the feeling of an era long gone. The story is about 4 different friends who all are going their separate ways after high school and follows their individual adventures on one of the final days of their childhood. The film actually lacks a traditional score, instead preferring to utilize diegetic songs from the radios of cars throughout the movie. Its atmosphere is quite wonderful and this is one that I will definitely be checking out again. 8/10.

–American Graffiti is currently streaming on Showtime.

№11: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005)= “Hello There,” this is without question, the best film of the prequel trilogy. Beginning the movie with “WAR!” was indeed an inspired choice, as the rescue of Palpatine plays out over the first 10 minutes and sets the scene for a pretty good time to come. The central conflict of Anakin trying to prevent the death of his wife in childbirth and turning to the dark side as a result is actually quite compelling, leading to his betrayal of the Jedi Order and carrying out Order 66, (Itself a reference to US Executive Order 9066, which caused the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII) ending with a final showdown between 2 former friends. The score is again spectacular, and while the acting has improved, this is somehow the funniest and most memeable of the entire prequel trilogy. One might say that people “Underestimate its power” as a film. It’s a pretty good time. 8/10.

–Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge Of The Sith is currently streaming on Disney+.

№12: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)= While the story may be extremely derivative of A New Hope, I still find The Force Awakens to be an enjoyable film on its own merits. Harrison Ford steals the show taking up the role of the mentor, and he has all the best scenes. John Boyega as Finn also did a great job, but it saddens me how little they used his character in the subsequent films. The music is again excellent as always. Although people have rightfully criticized the sequel trilogy for many things, this movie is still good. 8/10.

–Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is currently streaming on Disney+.

№13: Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)= Although there is a lot of valid criticism towards this movie, you have to admit that it looks absolutely stunning. The predominant colors of white and red, representing the Light and Dark sides of the Force, contrasting beautifully throughout the film. The direction from Rian Johnson (who would later go on to create the Knives Out series) leads to some great camerawork and excellent cinematography throughout. I like most of the story, but feel that the excursion to Canto Bight could have been handled better. While I may like a lot of what this movie does, its flaws stop me from considering it truly great. Still a pretty good time. 8/10.

–Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi is currently streaming on Disney+.

№14: Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi (1983)= This was my first time watching it with the theatrical cut, and it GREATLY improved the film. It was always my least favorite of the original trilogy, and while I believe that it does a phenomenal job at being a satisfying end to the original series, it is a little shaky as a movie on its own merits. Still, the film is still quite good and has its moments. 8/10.

–Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi is currently streaming on Disney+.

№15: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)= “I am one with the Force, the Force is with me.” The idea to turn the opening crawl of A New Hope into a full movie was actually a very inspired choice, lending a whole new meaning to that first battle. The character of Chirrut Îmwe (played by Donnie Yen) is easily the best part of the cast, with a great amount of one liners and action. Ben Mendelssohn’s portrayal of Director Krennic is surprisingly compelling with understandable motivations. This is also the origin of the character of Cassian Andor, who would later star in his own highly acclaimed show. The best part of the movie however, was the final 5 minutes, in which some absolutely CRAZY stuff happens. Overall, pretty good. 8/10.

–Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is currently streaming on Disney+.

№16: Kagemusha /「影武者」(1980)= This was the final film I watched for these reviews, and I was sufficiently impressed. The story is about a daimyō of the Takeda clan who is slowly dying and comes across a petty thief with an uncanny resemblance to him, and he is ordered to take his place and become a Kagemusha (a Shadow Warrior, or Body Double) in order to deceive his enemies and protect the clan. The color usage is just beautiful to behold and makes every scene pop. The movie ran over budget and as a result George Lucas and Francis Ford Copolla begged Fox to pay the difference and helped produce the final film. This was because it was directed by the great Akira Kurosawa who was a tremendous inspiration to both of these filmmakers. An excellently made movie. 8/10.

–Kagemusha is available from the Criterion Collection.

№17: Double Victory: The Tuskegee Airmen At War (2012)= Originally created as a companion piece for the movie Red Tails, the documentary Double Victory: The Tuskegee Airmen At War interviews the actual members of the Tuskegee Airmen about their experiences. It really makes you understand how hard their lives were, fighting both the Axis powers and institutional racism at the same time, and achieving a Double Victory on both fronts. I would recommend this film to any WWII history buff, and anyone interested in Black history. 8/10.

–Double Victory: The Tuskegee Airmen At War is currently streaming on Disney+ and available for free on YouTube.

№18: Red Tails (2012)= This movie tells the tale of the Tuskegee Airmen, the Black fighter pilots of WWII and the battles they had to fight, both on the field and off. Good performances from Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard help keep the movie compelling, although the dialogue could be better. Still, it is a pretty good time. 7/10.

–Red Tails is currently streaming on Disney+.

№19: Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)= While this movie may have its problems, I find it to still work from an emotional perspective. Picking up from the end of The Last Jedi, it shows the final stand of the Resistance against the First Order, taking our heroes across the galaxy. The filmmakers were dealt a difficult situation when Carrie Fisher unexpectedly passed, and they tried their best to make the film work, and I feel that they succeeded. It may not be a perfect film, but it is one that I enjoy regardless as a satisfying ending to the Skywalker Saga. 7/10.

-Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker is currently streaming on Disney+.

№20: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones (2002)= While the dialogue may again be stilted, it is at least an improvement over The Phantom Menace in many ways. I personally love the soundtrack, with the pieces for the chase and the arena battle being standouts. The film has also become a lot funnier than its predecessor, although this was most certainly unintentional. It is one that I don’t mind revisiting. 6/10.

–Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack Of The Clones is currently streaming on Disney+.

№21: Radioland Murders (1994)= A decently fun whodunit set against a retro 1940’s aesthetic that also functions as a love letter to the medium of radio itself, unfortunately it does drag in a few places and not all of the jokes land. The best character is played by the always amazing Christopher Lloyd who plays “Zoltan”, the sound effects guy who is always a laugh-riot whenever he is on screen. Overall, a fairly decent watch that could have been worse. 6/10.

–Radioland Murders is currently available for purchase and rental on demand.

№22: Willow (1988)= I saw this movie a few years ago, and I thought it was just fine. Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer are enjoyable enough leads. This movie was directed by Ron Howard, who would later direct Solo: A Star Wars Story. The fantasy world is a little bland, but serviceable. It’s nothing bad, but also not the greatest. 6/10.

–Willow is currently streaming on Disney+.

№23: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)= Does this movie deserve criticism? Yes it does. It is better than most people remember? Also yes. While the visuals and writing may have aged poorly, along with giving us some iffy performances, can you truly claim that the film is that bad if it gave us “Duel Of The Fates”? 5/10.

–Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is currently streaming on Disney+.

№24: More American Graffiti (1979)= Why does this film exist? All that this movie accomplishes is expanding on what we already know is going to happen to the characters, and they just ruin what little personality they have (except for Bob Falfa, I thought his cameo was pretty funny). Most of the charm of the first American Graffiti was derived from the late 50’s setting and a sense of youthful charm, which this one lacks. The pacing is bad and the 4 main stories are very disjointed as a result. I will give the film credit for experimenting with different aspect ratios and the final shot of John Milner driving off into the moonlight night, never to return is hauntingly beautiful. 5/10.

–More American Graffiti is currently streaming on Showtime.

№25: The Land Before Time (1988)= I’m pretty sure that I am not this movie’s intended demographic. I had seen it once before as a very young child and rewatched it for this review. The story is very weak and thankfully, extremely short. At least the score is surprisingly good. 5/10.

–The Land Before Time is currently available for purchase and rental on demand.

№26: Latino (1985)= This film was very forgettable and bland, and didn’t earn the ending it tried to pull off. It is about America’s involvement in the Nicaraguan civil war and how a U.S. soldier falls in love with a local girl, and is then so abhorred at the American backed contras that he defects. The single most interesting thing about this film was that it was released at the start of the Iran-Contra scandal, and was extremely controversial as a result for being ‘anti-American’, which caused it to be blacklisted from cinemas. In conclusion, the film was very dull and the defection at the end was not built up to and caused it to miss the landing. 5/10.

–Latino is currently available for purchase and rental on demand.

№27: THX 1138 (1971)= And so my journey watching every Lucasfilm movie began with an excerpt from The Adventures Of Buck Rogers. While I may wonder why he chose to begin the film like this, I found it a fitting beginning to his storied career, that being said I did not understand the rest of this movie. The story is about a dystopian society where individuality and relationships are prohibited, and the main character (THX 1138) tries to escape. The audio company THX was created by George Lucas and was named after this film. The ideas it tackles are interesting but the dialogue is incoherent to the point that I have a hard time remembering this film, but still it has its moments where you can see George Lucas’s potential as a filmmaker. 5/10.

–THX 1138 is currently available for purchase and rental on demand.

№28: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)= This is probably the worst Star Wars movie. While it may share its name with the excellent television show that followed it, ‘shares its quality, it does not’. It is entirely skippable, however you should check out the show. 4/10.

–Star Wars: The Clone Wars is currently streaming on Disney+.

№29: Labyrinth= This movie is just David Bowie chewing up the scenery and he is great, other than that it can be a confusing mess. I found it very hard to connect to the characters and the plot was awful, although the puppets were nice. 4/10.

–Labyrinth is currently streaming on Netflix.

№30: Twice Upon A Time= What the hell did I just watch? Its story was completely incoherent and its jokes were either too juvenile, crude, or somehow both at the same time. The visuals are an interesting mix of 2D animation and live action, and they are the best part of the film. Still a better film than The Star Wars Holiday Special. 3/10.

–Twice Upon A Time is not currently available on the internet, although piracy is still an option.

№31: Howard The Duck (1986)= It was so bad, it’s just meh. It tries to be funny, but it isn’t. The jokes are both too childish to be taken seriously, and far too adult for any reasonable parent to let their child see it. At least Tim Robbins and Lea Thompson are good in the film. 2/10.

–Howard The Duck is currently available for purchase and rental on demand.

№32: Strange Magic (2015)= Oh God why did this have to be a musical. Like Lucasfilm’s earlier work of American Graffiti, the score is mostly composed of licensed music tracks, but unlike that film, they are sung by the characters and feel utterly soulless. The textures are strangely realistic while the designs themselves are exaggerated and cartoonish, which creates an uncanny feeling when viewing the film. I would not recommend it. 2/10.

–Strange Magic is currently streaming on Disney+.

№33: The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)= I take it back, THIS is the worst Star Wars movie. “I’ve got a BAD feeling about this.” The writer admitted to being EXTREMELY high on cocaine when he was writing the script, which explains A LOT. The baffling decision to focus on Chewbaca’s family for the first 10 minutes without any way to understand them at all was extremely dumb. And for some reason Chewbaca’s dad watches some EXTREMELY questionable material in front of his grandson. Other bizarre things that happen are an acrobatic performance, an alien that gives off rapist vibes, and literal blackface. It all ends with a soulless celebration of “Life Day” set to music sung by a very depressed group of Star Wars characters. The only way I was able to get through the entire duration without going insane was by getting a friend to watch it with me and relentlessly make fun of it  à la Mystery Science Theater 3000. While I may have had a good time ironically, this is without question the worst thing Lucasfilm has EVER made. 1/10.

–The Star Wars Holiday Special has been rightfully wiped from the face of the earth. Just pirate the damn movie.