To point two, here is my humble opinion (point one I will get to at another time).

1. The Phantom Menace
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. Star Wars-A New Hope
4. Return Of The Jedi

Though it seems to be a favorite fall-back thread to "list, in order, your favorite ~ ", I will not contribute.

I think the Star Wars saga strongest as a whole, a cycle.

It would be like trying to choose your favorite chapter out of your favorite book, and I will not do that. I cannot calibrate one by the strengths and weakness of the others, without weakening the whole, and I enjoy the whole too much.

Empire Strikes Back
Phantom Menace
Star Wars
Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi
Empire Strikes Back
Phantom Menace
A New Hope

Starwars - A New Hope
Return of the Jedi
The Empire Strikes Back
The Phantom Menace

SFT

1) Empire Strikes Back
2) A New Hope/Phantom Menace/Jedi (tie....sorry)

Can't think of another way to rate em. hehe Empire remains my fave, and the others I rate equally.

Dan (UK)

1. Empire Strikes Back
2. New Hope
3. Phantom Menace
4. Return of the Jedi

To answer the question that was posed earlier regarding Return, I don't really have a problem with the score but the movie was very disappointing to others and me. Why? (WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW FOR RETURN OF THE JEDI AND EMPIRE STRIKES BACK)

Well, I think it depends on when you saw it. If, like me, you waited for 3 years after Empire, enduring the cliff hanging suspense, talking with all your buddies about “the Other” all that stuff and what you got was Return, then you were probably disappointed. I think that if you saw all three together then you might like it.

Why did I not like it?
First, Han's character that had been so cleverly and clearly developed in Empire, was turned into an idiot in Return. Also he almost had no role in the film.

Second, Luke completely resolves his inner conflicts off screen and apparently learns all his Jedi stuff by himself.

Third, all of the darkness and complexity that was shown in Empire was replaced by jumping dancing Teddy Bears.

Fourth, The scene that might have been cool, the Millennium Falcon being destroyed with Lando on board, was scrapped. There is a price to pay for freedom, the rebels got off cheap. (Please, don't tell me that Anakin's death was the price. He had to die to balance the Force and end the Sith Menace. That ended the only way it could have.)

Fifth, The climax was a remake of the first movie’s climax. (A fault that Phantom Menace shared, to a lesser extent)

Sixth, The cute muppet like characters that seemed inserted into the film merely to milk the merchandising cow. Ugh! That horrific blue keyboardist on Jabba’s barge!

Seventh, Too many cute droid scenes!

Eighth, It signaled George Lucas’ surrender to the dark side. He decided that why bother making a film for adults and kids when if you made it a picture for kids you could pump the merchandising out. I expected Phantom Menace to be kid film so it didn’t bother me. After Empire, I expected a film for adults.

1.Star Wars-A new hope
2.The Phatom Menace
3.The Empire strikes back
4.The Return of The Jedi.

My reasons:
Star Wars is my favorite because it is the most melodic of all the scores. It is the score which led me to collect soundtracks and caused me to appreciate and like classical music. With this score a new world came itno my life. I was 16 when I received the score, two years before The Return of the Jedi.
I find the phantom menace to be technically superior, because of the complex orchestration and thematic uses although the score as a whole is not really melodic.

Phatom is my second favorite score because I find the duel of the fates to be so powerful and Anakins theme so masterful how it hints to the future with the last few notes of the Imperial March woven in. I just love listening to this score.
The Empire is second technically speaking, I find it in this regard superior to the other two.

The Empire is my third favorite. It too is very melodic and has some great new themes. It is technically superior to Star Wars which is why Star Wars is number three in the technical catogory.

The last on my list, in both cases (how peculiar), is the Return. Now I loved the movie and didn't mind the Ewoks that much either. However, although the score is very melodic and with the Emporeres theme tremendously powerful, there is a certain popconish sound about it I can't explain.Technically it is the least accomplished.

Again, I'm not saying any of these suck, because they all are great masterpieces, but as I have tried to explain to Lancelot, they are just favorites.

Whew, that was long .

Of course I have good memories and moments--and bad ones, naturally, but the ultimate result is: i'm me. I see your point, but I'm being rather cynical, as well--Not in any bad way, and not necessarily directed at my colleages on the bulletin board, but I'm tired of defending my position on the whole thing. I feel the overwhelming need to comment on it, wherever discussed, because I love it so much, but I hate when it turns into either:

A) an "i love this/this sucks" debate, where rabid fans pick apart the story like a chinese buffet, and then attempt to stitch it back together like a bad patchwork quilt.

or B) an "Oh--*you* like Star Wars, well come, let us berate you for enjoying such childish things"....

I've spent too much energy on those pointless discusssions, where I've learned that the best defense is not to fight. I've come to the inevitably true conclusion that folks are going to like what they like and dislike what they don't--and my arguments make little difference. I would prefer to remain the loyal film-fan that I am, without appearing like the raving, frothing-at-the-mouth star wars junkie that resides in a corner of my mind.

So--my favorite discussions of Star Wars are the ones that deal with the themes and symbolism and mythology of it all, and those involving the music of Star Wars as well, and not the kind of that premise themselves, "hmm, i'd better have a clear cut thought of what I like and what I don't like, and be able to list them."

Incidentally, A friend of mine told me yesterday that it seemed, on the average, the favorite amongst guys is "Empire", and the favorite amongst women is "Jedi"....which I had to laugh at, because it seems true.

Again, I appreciate what you're saying. I enjoy debate, as well, and I hope that you do not infer that I don't learn anything from all of this. Please don't make assupmtions on that matter.

The discussions here have remained friendly, and I am glad that they continue to do so--I have been in some less than cordial debates, which did not end pleasantly, which is very sad, to me.

I grew up with Star Wars--(I am 24, so no old teeth jokes), and I have very complete memories and recollections of my experiences with it. For me, it is one of the greatest stories you can tell a child, and one of the greatest stories that even an adult likes to enjoy again and again. I am really overwhelmed with the multi-generational response to it--and that kids who were as old I as I was when I first saw it, are able to approach the universality of it. It's great that they "get it". That's the important thing, to me.

I try, perhaps unsucessfully, to set your mind at ease about my intentions....I am something of a "purist" when it comes to Star Wars. I suppose there are all types of fans, and maybe even a few more like me out there. I'm glad that we can all enjoy this story, and hope that we don't become so cynical about the technicalities of it all.

Very interesting indeed...