Star Wars is a space opera. The epic battles and family drama all lie within that realm, and it's resonated with millions of people all around the world. Despite that success, the operatic antics sometimes cause the series to fall flat on its face.
The Star Wars movies have several scenes which are funny for entirely the wrong reasons. Be it due to the dialogue, acting, or directing, these moments swerve right past poignancy and straight into the realms of parody. This obviously isn't what the creators intended, but that doesn't mean these scenes are devoid of entertainment. On the contrary, audiences love to laugh at them. Because of that, many have become ironically beloved parts of the series over time.
1 Han Shot First - A New Hope
Here's one of the chief complaints of the Special Edition. It takes a simple gunslinger moment and uses every post-production trick in the book to turn it into something else.
In the original Star Wars movie, Han Solo shoots bounty hunter Greedo before he has a chance to react. Creator George Lucas later decided this makes the hero look like a cold-blooded killer. Thus, he re-edited the movie so that Greedo fires a shot before Han puts him down. Solo's head digitally dodges the blast in cartoonish fashion.
Subsequent releases still change the scene. Now, the timing is slightly different. In addition, Greedo has another line before pulling the trigger. The whole sequence is now so convoluted that fans can't help but chuckle as the filmmakers dig themselves into a deeper and deeper hole.
2 "I Am Your Father" - The Empire Strikes Back
Another iconic moment that has had the wind taken out of its sails, though, this time, the culprit isn't post-production tampering; the silly bit was always in this scene. Namely, the acting is to blame for this unintentionally funny Star Wars moment.
James Earl Jones and David Prowse are fine as Darth Vader, but Mark Hamill doesn't fare so well as Luke Skywalker. Upon learning the true nature of his parentage, he screams, "No!". Sadly, his nasally tone makes it sound like a prolonged whine, which isn't helped by his mouth stiffly frowning the whole time. Put together, these aspects convey constipation more than anything, which somewhat undermines the gravity of this major revelation.
3 Yoda Vs. Dooku - Attack Of The Clones
Yoda using a lightsaber has received a mixed response from fans, and the scenario doesn't exactly come out swinging. To compensate for his small size, he hops around like a rabbit that's drunk way too much sugar water. As a result, watching Count Dooku desperately trying to keep up with him is akin to a Tom & Jerry sketch.
Adding to that comedic image is the battle cry that Yoda lets out with every jump. The little Jedi has an inherently goofy voice, coming from Frank Oz of The Muppets fame. The filmmakers would have had an easier time making Kermit the Frog intimidating. On the upside, Yoda quietens down in subsequent fights, so his duels are slightly less farcical.
4 "Unlimited Power" - Revenge Of The Sith
In Episode 3's most pivotal scene, Palpatine reveals himself as Darth Sidious, fights off four Jedi, and pushes Anakin Skywalker to betray everything he stands for. This seems to give Ian McDiarmid carte blanche to be utterly ridiculous as the cackling villain. While fighting Mace Windu, he pulls all sorts of funny faces and weird noises.
That silliness culminates when he fires off Force Lightning. His mouth contorts in a grotesque pucker as he maniacally screams about his "unlimited power." Yeah, it's clunky and literal, but McDiarmid makes it a joy to watch. His unique brand of jolly evil is always entertaining. Unfortunately, it overpowers what should have been an intense internal drama for Anakin.
5 Every Scene With Saw Gerrera - Rogue One
The problem with Palpatine is amplified in Rogue One. Here's a similar case of hammy acting. Since the movie strives to be less operatic, though, such a performance feels more out of place. The ham in question is Saw Gerrera, an extremist fighting the Empire in a merciless manner. He runs afoul of the mainline Rebel Alliance as he realizes they seek to silence him.
This might be a heartbreaking moment if Forest Whitaker wasn't giving his worst performance since Battlefield Earth. He rants, raves, and wheezes his way through every scene, regardless of tone. The director seems incapable or unwilling to reign him in. Considering how understated and boring the rest of the flick is, this cyborg clown sticks out like a sore thumb.
6 Kylo's Tantrums - The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, & The Rise Of Skywalker
Speaking of clowns, this wannabe Sith Lord is just an immature kid at heart. Ben Solo feels betrayed by those close to him, so he tries to match the sinister legacy and presence of his grandfather, Darth Vader. He always has something to prove, leading to an unrefined villain. This could have created an engaging departure from the traditional masterminds of the Dark Side, but there had to be a better way than this to get his immaturity across.
At even a minor setback, Kylo Ren flies into a massive temper tantrum. He screams at the top of his lungs and smashes objects like a baby. In the process, he ceases to be interesting. The movies sometimes play up the comedy, but he exhibits the same behavior when trying to be threatening. Needless to say, he fails spectacularly, reminding audiences at every turn that the Big Bad is just a petty man-child.
7 Rose "Saves" Finn - The Last Jedi
Somehow dumber than Kylo Ren is Rose Tico. Her whole character is based on childish idealism, often utterly disconnected from reality. This usually makes her a naive irritant who gets in the way of the adults, and nowhere is this more prevalent than during the climax of The Last Jedi.
Finn tries sacrificing himself by flying into the First Order's laser, thereby preventing them from breaching the Resistance base. Rose has other ideas though and crashes her own ship into his. She says, "I saved you," but her stupid stunt should have sent both of them up in smoke. She doesn't help her argument with her cringe-worthy line about "saving what we love" and spontaneous kiss with Finn.
Star Wars has always had hopeful themes, but their portrayal here is straight out of a spoof. The laser blasting the Resistance base to bits in the background only cements that impression. Such a comic visual contrast is sadly emblematic of this entire flick and its disjointed randomness.
8 Chewie's Medal - The Rise Of Skywalker
The final mainline Star Wars chapter has nothing substantive to offer, so it bombards viewers with shallow fan service instead. The nail in that coffin comes when Maz Kanada gives Chewbacca a medal. No one else receives one. This stems purely from a fan nitpick. Specifically, audiences point out how Han and Luke get medals in the original Star Wars while Chewie doesn't. These medals affect nothing in the grand scheme of things, so the omission is more of a meme or a private joke than anything else at this point.
The filmmakers here want in on that joke, but it has the opposite effect. Drudging up such a superfluous element four decades later—all for some cheap brownie points—paints the writers in a pathetic light. Rather than give a rewarding moment for everyone's favorite "walking carpet," this little exchange takes fans out of the movie due to the desperation of those behind the camera.