The critics’ consensus on “The Rise of Skywalker,” the final installment of “Star Wars,” is… not great. According to Rotten Tomatoes, before the movie opened, it stood at 57 percent fresh.

But reviews haven’t always been so harsh. At The New York Times, at least, the critics have positively endorsed some entries in the franchise, beginning with the first one in 1977, which Vincent Canby, senior critic at the time, described as “the most elaborate, most expensive, most beautiful movie serial ever made.”

Here’s a look, in order of release date, at how The Times has reviewed the saga, episode by episode:

published May 26, 1977

‘Star Wars’