Originally Posted by
RedEye
Well, I definitely acknowledge that separating aesthetics from story is a bit of an academic exercise (no surprise since that's my job LOL). I like to think my esteem for the film is reflected in its place atop the other two lists. It's my favorite SW film.
And yet, for the sake of these rankings, the character development and plot twist you cite, while brilliant, are part of the film's narrative innovations as opposed to its aesthetic ones. The imperial walkers, to me, don't age well when I watch them, and certainly don't compare to the wow factor I still get when I see A New Hope (which was also a lot more risky given Lucas wasn't really Lucas yet in terms of reputation).
I do take your point about Yoda and the puppetry though... hmmm... maybe that should vault the film up a slot or two. How innovative was that at the time? I mean The Muppet Movie is, what, 1979?
Seriously though, Attack of the Clones and The Phantom Menace are both gathering respect as they disappear in the rearview mirror. They were not successful films at the time, but they do merit a second look now, especially in light of what happened afterwards.
And Rogue One. Love it.