'The Last Jedi' is the third best Star Wars sequel

People have opinions about The Last Jedi, if you have been on the internet since December of last year.

Rian Johnson's follow-up to The Force Awakens was subject to attacks from a loud subset of fans right from its release. Even after The Rise of Skywalker was released, the venom continued even after the election.

A new ranking of Star Wars movies suggests otherwise. The Last Jedi is the most successful film franchise of all time, according to a ranking by USwitch, a broadband provider. Box office revenue minus the film's budget and reviews on Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes, and viewer ratings are used to arrive at that.

The ranking gives each Star Wars episode a score from best to worst.

1. A New Hope was released in 1977.

2. The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980.

3. The Force Awakens was released in 2015.

4. The Last Jedi is a movie.

5. Revenge of the Sith was released in 2005.

6. Return of the Jedi was released in 1983.

7. The Phantom Menace was released in 1999.

8. Attack of the Clones was released in 2002.

9. The Rise of Skywalker was released in 2019.

The Last Jedi would be higher on the critical front if it weren't for the user ratings on the internet movie website. Force Awakens, the first Star Wars movie in 10 years, is the highest grossing film of all time in the U.S.

It's an impressive showing, even though it was criticized for the other J.J. Abrams Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker. Attack of the Clones is a film that fans of the sequel trilogy have a hard time defending. The confusing ending to the saga, which attempted to be all things to all people, ended up not pleasing anyone.

Where did the fury over Last Jedi come from? There were many legitimate story-based critiques. Some fans didn't like the side quest on Canto Bight. Even though George Lucas intended for the sequel to feature a young Jedi named Rey, he still hated the image of the movie presented of the young Jedi.

The larger reason was political. The Force, previously wielded by Skywalkers, Kenobis and other mostly male Jedi elite, was presented in Johnson's movie as a democratic entity that could light anyone up. The Jedi were shown to be out of touch and Canto Bight was a paradise for the rich.

The Last Jedi debate became a proxy for liberal and conservative views. Russian troll joined in the debate. In the seven months after the movie's release, some 50 percent of the accounts on social media used the debate to promote extreme right-wing causes, according to a study.

There was always a silent majority of viewers who enjoyed the film and its highly visual attempt to take the Star Wars franchise in risky new directions. The Last Jedi received an A grade from ComScore and CinemaScore, two companies that measure audience approval.

The following year, this approval did not fade. The Last Jedi was the second best-selling movie of the year, behind Black Panther. Star Wars fans disliked Rise of Skywalker because they disliked Last Jedi's boldest reveal.

The Skywalker saga films have been put firmly in their past by Lucasfilm. The company is focused on its current and forthcoming Disney+ shows. The movie is expected to arrive in December of 2023.

There has been no word on a planned Rian Johnson trilogy that was supposed to be set in a new time and place far away. Insiders say that Last Jedi is dead in the water, and that it may be Johnson's only work for Lucasfilm. The more time passes, the movie is seen as a classic.