72 Comments »

1. 

   Great list; I agree wholeheartedly with all these reasons. I’m, after all, one of those few people who actually *liked* the prequel trilogy (and absolutely LOVED Revenge of the Sith. They are DEFINITELY not as bad as many people say they are. (They are better than half the crap that is released in theatres every day anyway…)

   Comment by Sebastian Z — August 7, 2008 @ 10:55 am

2. 

   Err, firstly you might want to add an “after the jump” tag there so you don’t hog the whole front page.

   Sorry, you haven’t convinced me. I agree with a couple of your points, but I still hate the prequals. Let me respond by point;

   1. McGregors impression of the Guiness accent is horrible. Even more surprising seeing as he is Scottish. He was good in Phantom Menace, I’ll give you that, but after that… no. Completely failed to have the quiet confidence a mature Obi Wan needs.

   2. Yes, Qui Gon was good. Only decent jedi in the whole of the prequals.

   3. What did we actually learn about the sith? Bugger all. Darth Maul was good, all the rest sucked. The KotOR games give us much more insight into the Sith.

   4. HMm, no, we don’t see much of the Dark Side either. The great purge we already know about. We don’t see the least exploration into the philosophy of the dark side. GEroge Lucas ‘won’t go there’.

   5. Coruscant was good. Tattooine was OK. Everything else sucked. Mustafah? please. And the technology was way too new and shiny and CGI looking. Gone was the charm of 1000 year-old tech that made the original Star Wars what it was. The prequals looked like Just ANother Scifi Movie.

   6. Yoda in CGI looked rubbish. ANd don’t even get me started on his lightsabre antics. The real yoda wouldn’t need a lightsabre,

   7. Meh. I don’t really remember it much, so it obviously made less of an impact on me than on you.

   8. Humour is fine (it was C3PO’s lines hat were utterly rubbish and not funny. R2D2;s lines were all spot on…) The flying of R2 droids is not.

   9. Besides the excellent Duel of the Fates, I can’t say the music did much for me.

   10. The end made everyone I knowsnort in derision. GRanted there was a degree of satisfaction in seeing Haydn burned alive, but on the whole…. ‘Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo’

   11. Meh. Bit part. Could have had a much bigger role. That would have made more sense than having the kids taken away by CHewbacca at least.

   So in conclusion: You Are Wrong.

   Now go and review the second Sandman book. And read Watchmen while you’re at it. And read up on critical journalism skills and whatnot (because we can all improve).

   Comment by DanJW — August 7, 2008 @ 11:00 am

3. 

   Oh, wait. I was too kind on Number 4.

   You think Anakin’s fall was well handled?! It should have been a magnificent Shakespearian fall of a titan, a Godfather-eque tragedy, The Toppling of Troy, and other classical references. Instead we see an idiot adolescent having a hissy fit that goes too far. What a load of balls.

   Comment by DanJW — August 7, 2008 @ 11:09 am

4. 

   Revenge Of the Sith was good enough for me to regain some of my faith in the series. I have not read a lot of the books since Attack Of The Clones and have lots to catch up on, but Revenge Of The Sith was what many of us had been waiting for since the early 1980’s.
   It was better than I ever thought given the first two parts of the prequel trilogy.
   Great article, Major, glad to read your thoughts on one of the greatest stories ever told.

   Comment by Jerry — August 7, 2008 @ 11:40 am

5. 

   I concur.. and i might add that Queen Amidala’s role was played wonderfully by Natalie Portman..
   After watching these movies and then going back to the original trilogy I concluded that Episodes 1 2 and 3 could have been even better with the addition of a Han Solo type character..
   Other than that I thought Episodes 1 2 3 were awesome.. except maybe for the “NOOOOOoooo” belted out by Vader at the end..

   Comment by Siah — August 7, 2008 @ 1:08 pm

6. 

   #10 What are you talking about? The ending of Revenge of the Sith sucked. The script was laughable and Anakin’s transformation to evil, the whole point of the entire movie, was completely unconvincing. Hayden Christensen’s acting was wooden, and he tries to look evil by scowling and talking loudly. “You’ve turned her against me!” I refuse to watch the movie again.

   Suprisingly I actually liked Phantom Menace when I rewatched it recently, except for the midichlorians and virgin birth. Liam Neeson and Darth Maul made the movie awesome, but they were killed off.

   Comment by Robert — August 7, 2008 @ 1:18 pm

7. 

   A few thoughts:
   1) It’s Alec Guinness, not Alex.

   2) I totally agree about Ewan McGregor. His awesomeness almost made up for the utter awefulness of Christian Hayden. Almost.

   3) I have to totally disagree with you about the end of Revenge of the Sith. I thought their climactic duel was rather awful. My biggest problem is that they hardly ever use their Force powers. Here are two of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, and they don’t use the Force. For instance, when Anakin does his ridiculously ill-advised flip over Obi-Wan while they’re floating in the lava, Obi-Wan could easily have a) sliced him in half mid-air, or b) used Force push once he landed to push Anakin into the lava as he was trying to regain his balance. Hell, he could have pushed him over with his hand, for god’s sake! No swordsman would have passed up taking advantage of such an obvious vulnerability as his opponent being off balance just a few feet away.

   The final outrage is that Obi-Wan just leaves Anakin to die. So you’re telling me that you’re just going to walk away from the second most dangerous man in the galaxy without making sure he’s dead? It’s not like Obi-Wan wasn’t aware that there is such a thing as prosthetics, that just because Anakin has been “disarmed” doesn’t mean he can’t be fairly easily “rearmed.” Hell, Anakin already had a prosthetic hand at that point. You don’t just leave someone like that alive, it’s absolutely ridiculous!

   Comment by Slayve — August 7, 2008 @ 1:23 pm

8. 

   Alec Guiness.

   Comment by tyler — August 7, 2008 @ 1:35 pm

9. 

   I think Darth Maul’s sole purpose was to generate merchandising revenue from Taco Bell cups and double-donged light saber toys; he certainly did nothing for the movie. Gratuitous coolness from an otherwise interesting and contributory personality–like Yoda’s fight scenes–is great, but good light saber fu alone doesn’t make for a compelling character, it makes for a waste of space.

   So subtle was Palpatine that young Skywalker never knew what hit him.

   As subtle as a baseball bat. Lucas’ awful writing certainly telegraphed it to the audience, and we’re supposed to believe that such an evil genius couldn’t see that shit coming? Puh-leez.

   Granted, he was never the smartest droid in the bunch, but one would expect a certain measure of thinking for oneself.

   The shit acting portrayed him as a dumbass, but part of what made Vader such a formidable opponent is precisely that he is smart and unusually perceptive.

   But Palpatine so manipulated him, and the events around him, that you see each step of his path down the road to the dark side taken, because there was no other choice.

   There is always choice. Always.

   Comment by 1-900-HEY-NICK — August 7, 2008 @ 6:31 pm

10. 

    I dunno, it was “so so” I thought. Nothing will ever compete with the first three. You just cant make it better.

    JT

    Comment by Jim Jones — August 8, 2008 @ 10:36 am

11. 

    Actually in Episode IV Obi Wan did have a look in his eyes like he knew R2-D2. I don’t think he ever technically owned him but he definitely remembered him. When he arrived on Tattoine I think he pretty much owned him then at least for the time being.

    Comment by linkerjpatrick — August 8, 2008 @ 10:50 am

12. 

    hyperbole and poor writing. there are three trilogies?

    Comment by p — August 8, 2008 @ 10:56 am

13. 

    You left out the battle at the end of Attack of the Clones. Nothing in the entire series was as cool as seeing all of the lightsabers light up around the arena and then the entire battle that follows. It was the one good thing about Episode II.

    Comment by garrett — August 8, 2008 @ 11:23 am

14. 

    I have to tell you that the scene where Anakin and Obi-wan land half of the Invisible Hand was such a stinking pile of dog crap, I couldn’t believe it. And it was the BEGINNING of the movie! I had to sit through the entire film, stunned by the ridiculous stupidity of this scene.

    Comment by Tim — August 8, 2008 @ 11:41 am

15. 

    I agree with all of your reasons. Lucas did a much better job of explaining the Dark Side in the prequels instead of simply stating that “it’s bad.” Ewan did a great job of slowly morphing into Alec Guiness with each film.

    Comment by Charles — August 8, 2008 @ 11:49 am

16. 

    I think your list is a big piece of crap. Quit trying to make it seem just that you went to the movie. You know deep down inside you hated it but you wanted to love it so much you went home and played a little pocket pool because you were so excited about the movie even though you knew it sucked.

    Comment by Tom — August 8, 2008 @ 11:59 am

17. 

    Dude, you’ve got a hard-on for star wars.

    1,2 fine.
    3 – darth maul was so completely underused as a character that he too goes into the category of things lucas could have done well but instead shat on and then told us to watch
    4 – completely disagree. the so-called subtlety you’re referring to is called bad writing. period. you are so ingrained in the mythos that you know what’s going on in the background without listening to the words being spoken. truth is without your knowledge of what’s going on and your burning hard-on for star wars, the scenes between palpatine and anakin are such complete shit that they slap every star wars fan in the face repeatedly. lucas had such ridiculous opportunity to create something masterful and instead we get, again, shit.
    5 – planets, no, tech, yes. Lucas’ greatest fatal error (there were a lot) in making the prequels was making the audience watch some rendered bit of CGI get the characters from place to place. The only thing a director should ever do with his shots is continue the story. Imagine the same prequels, but with those “arrival” scenes cut down to half their time, or more. All of a sudden you’re watching a very fucking short and poorly written movie. Lucas is so obsessed with the technology behind making movies that he has no idea how to tell a story anymore.
    Nothing about any of those planets, except Naboo (and even then it’s questionable), made any difference to the story. The characters could have been in different rooms in the same house and the story would have been no different. Still would have been shit, though.
    As a star wars fan myself, gotta love the pre-original series tech.
    6 – again, you like the yoda from the mythos, not from the movies. yoda in the film is entirely that second paragraph – another possibility squandered
    7 – disorganized, flat, boring eye-candy. big fucking whoop, i’m flying through a 3d battle in space. nevermind that the audience has no fucking clue what’s going on, or that there’s a severe disconnect between the protagonists and the sever potential for drama going on around them. nope, let’s just fly through a clusterfuck and watch the ride. great choice there, director-man.
    8, 9 fine
    10 – holy shit there’s a good way to do it and lucas’ way of doing it. he screwed the pooch with his shit directing here as well. and that fight between obi-wan and anakin was actually fun to watch, until the end when anakin lost because obi-wan had the “high-ground” – holy fuck shoot me now.
    11 – are you fucking kidding me? there’s absolutely no connection betweeen the bail organa that you’re fantasizing about and the character jimmy smits portrayed on screen.

    Comment by realism — August 8, 2008 @ 12:02 pm

18. 

    @Slayve and anyone else who doesn’t pay attention:

    It was a typo and he said ‘Sir Alec Guinness’ first. The second mention was ‘Alec Guinness’. The last time he mentions him, the author says ‘Alex Guinness’. If you’re going to annoy people as part of the grammar police, do it right.

    Comment by matt — August 8, 2008 @ 12:08 pm

19. 

    “I’ve absolutely no idea actually why he didn’t kill the Emperor when he had the chance.”

    As I interpret it, the Jedi will RESPOND with deadly force in defense but not use deadly force as a tool. Hence, Yoda, being a wise creature, would not pursue and kill him but only defend himself.

    Comment by PhineusQButterfat — August 8, 2008 @ 12:10 pm

20. 

    Make no mistake – the prequels were *horrible*. Just..jut awful. Such a shame. Some of the stuff in the list is okay – but you are still in denial about the prequels if you think that any part where a person was talking (nothing against Ian or Liam or most of the others – it wasn’t their fault) is good. The *only* part where there was a glimmer of hope of anything is when Count Dooku was talking to the bound Obi-wan in Attack of the Clones and said “what if I told you the Republic was under control of a sith lord?” For that brief, brief, moment, there was the possibility of a genuine, unforeseen twist. But then it was gone.

    Best non-talking parts:
    1)Opening sequence of ROTS until Hayden Christenson talks – it was *awesome*.
    2)Pod race.
    3)Non-talking AOTC ground battle scenes.

    Let’s just accept it – they are awful. But there is some cool stuff to look at that isn’t ruined by talking that’s not too bad.

    Comment by Brian — August 8, 2008 @ 12:35 pm

21. 

    “The final outrage is that Obi-Wan just leaves Anakin to die. So you’re telling me that you’re just going to walk away from the second most dangerous man in the galaxy without making sure he’s dead? It’s not like Obi-Wan wasn’t aware that there is such a thing as prosthetics, that just because Anakin has been “disarmed” doesn’t mean he can’t be fairly easily “rearmed.” Hell, Anakin already had a prosthetic hand at that point. You don’t just leave someone like that alive, it’s absolutely ridiculous!”

    The book says Obi Wan left Anakin to the “will of the force”. Obi Wan couldn’t bring himself to kill him, so he left it to fate.

    Comment by Chris — August 8, 2008 @ 12:35 pm

22. 

    “… or Ben Kenobi as he was then known, to remember R2-D2 when he arrived on the scene at the beginning of A New Hope.”

    I don’t believe this is true. Ben says, “Funny, I don’t remember OWNING a droid”(?)

    That’s because he never OWNED R2. R2 was his own being, that chose his partners, and therefore, they were friends, and did not have a master-slave relationship.

    Comment by Furk — August 8, 2008 @ 12:58 pm

23. 

    Christ, I can’t believe I’m writing a response to a Star Wars article, but here goes.

    Mate, to sum it up, you’re talking shit, in fact I’ll elaborate, you’re talking like a Star Wars fan.
    I re-watched the original trilogy recently in a fit of nostalgia since I hadn’t seen them in about six years. In short the prequel trilogy doesn’t even come close, at all, that’s not nostalgic rose tinted glasses talking, that’s about appreciating films for what they are, not some exercise in sci-fi loving wank-fest.

    So let’s take your points.

    1. Ewan McGregor- Nonsense, He has and always will be a very limited actor, look at him up against Liam Neeson, a proper actor, he hasn’t a clue. The only thing he’s ever been decent in was Trainspotting. And his beard made him look totally stupid.

    2. Qui-Gon, I’ll give you that, but only just. In short he’s a totally unnecessary character, what was wrong with starting the whole prequels with just Obi-Wan and Anakin as a teenager? Would’ve made things a lot simpler.

    3. The Sith. I’ll give you Darth Maul, who was a brilliant villain despite his limited screen time, a proper lightsaber duel as well, the only decent one in the whole prequel trilogy. And whose bright idea was it to only have two of them at any one time? Kind of ruined any chance of seeing a mass pitched battle between loads of Jedi and loads of Sith didn’t it?

    4. The Dark side, give me the bits on Dagobah any day, they were brilliant at explaining what the force was, the dark side was poorly described in comparison.

    5. Planets and technology. A huge mistake in my opinion. Lucas should’ve had the balls to make the ENTIRE SIX MOVIES LOOK RETRO. Think about it now and how much better it all would’ve knitted together, like someone else said. It just looks like any other sci-fi movie, only in the closing minutes of ROTS and some parts of TPM does it look anything like Star Wars.

    6. Yoda, utter, utter nonsense my friend. The prequels did their best to utterly destroy a much loved character. I will never understand the total nerd-gasm that occurred when he pulled out a lightsaber, or that totally stupid bit when he fought the Emperor. Yoda was a scholar, a teacher, not a warrior, he was the Dalai lama to the Emperors Chairman Mao. Never mind the fact he needed a fucking walking stick and then suddenly is able to withstand 100ft drops.

    7. The opening battle of Sith, There’s a reason why the closing space battle of Jedi is so brilliant even today, watch them both side by side and see what I mean, one is an amazing 3 dimensional battle that looks wonderfully real, the other is a techincolor mess that looks like a computer being sick.

    8. R2-D2, no problems with him

    9. Music, one of the only saving graces, but it’s John Williams so you’d expect that.

    10. Nooooo!!! I can hardly remember anything about the final duel, other than it was a CGI mess. That and I’d swear that they gave Vader a CG-cloak at the very end, I mean for christ sake you nerdy bastards just put some cloth on a fucking costume.

    11. Bail Organa, meh.

    I’ll call it right here, the prequels, and the internet, killed Star Wars. Back in the Nineties and when I was a kid Star wars was for everyone, it was even kind of cool. It wasn’t the nerd-preserve that was the like of Star Trek, Then this shit came along, and along with the nerd-preserve of the internet meant that it became the kind of thing that you were shameful to admit liking lest you be lumped in with a bunch of twats who took it way too seriously.

    Now I know that I’m posting on the internet and I am taking it seriously, but it should never have come to this, they should’ve been left a timeless classic, now Star Wars is just another joke that only fat nerds like, and that is very sad.

    Comment by embarrassed to be here — August 8, 2008 @ 1:21 pm

24. 

    Christopher Walken was the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow…

    [Ed. Note: Walken played the character head-on; in the scenes where he’s “headless” it’s Ray Park doing the part.]

    Comment by Zach — August 8, 2008 @ 1:41 pm

25. 

    Wait, what Jedi kid who kills troopers at the end? I don’t remember this…

    Comment by Jack — August 8, 2008 @ 2:17 pm

26. 

    GJ. glad to see there’s a man out there who isn’t afraid to tell it how it is! rofl. but when it frst showed Anakin as Darth Vader and he did that Paaaaagmmaaaaaayyy(dont know how its spelled)that just had me laughing hysterically and just ruined probably the whole series because i truly was embarrassed for watching it

    Comment by subtleNerd — August 8, 2008 @ 2:53 pm

27. 

    Absolute worst part of ROTS:

    Obi-Wan: “There ARE no absolutes.”

    then later:

    Obi-Wan: “I have the high ground, you can’t win.”

    Ummm, anybody see a contradiction there?

    And when GL threw in that Bush-ism from Anakin… Total downer…

    Comment by Furk — August 8, 2008 @ 3:10 pm

28. 

    It’s funny-the only kids who don’t like the prequels are the ones who weren’t even born when the originals came out.
    For those of us that are older (and wiser), we love all 6.
    Go back to your Wii’s and PSPee’s: You wouldn’t know a good prequel if it hit you in your Matrix.

    This is the worst generation of people ever and I weep for your future (not mine). You are the product of parents who give you the freedom that they always wanted and your self-centered, me only attitudes will be your downfall.

    Pokemon rules!!!

    Comment by Corbin Bensen — August 8, 2008 @ 3:15 pm

29. 

    um, i am older and wiser and i think the prequels are a snooze fest. not to mention the bad acting. watch the lord of the rings trilogy and get back to me. you can have fantasy and good acting in the same movie! final words: jar jar binks.

    Comment by DL — August 8, 2008 @ 4:10 pm

30. 

    I would have to agree with Corbin here. I saw the all 6 movies in the theaters when they came out. I went into each of the prequels with an open mind, and came out seeing how the events were unfolding. If you want to talk about acting, check out Mark Hamill’s performance in episode IV again. GL is not know for his dialogue. All in all, the prequels were well done, explained alot, and had excellent scores, thanks to John Williams. For the self-centered “me” kids out there, that era is over, ended in 1990.

    Comment by subliminal — August 8, 2008 @ 5:19 pm

31. 

    I can not for the life of me at this point in fandom understand why you feel the need to defend or attack Lucas’ Star Wars movies. None of us wrote, directed, or acted in any of these films. So if you are not a masterful director perhaps we let him and the movies speak for themselves, a series of Six films. Why do we need to justify liking something fun and exciting? Don’t go see anymore if you need to destroy the vicarious illusion on the screen. Don’t be so cynical, damn.

    May the Force Be with You!

    Comment by mage?! — August 8, 2008 @ 5:48 pm

32. 

    The beginning of Revenge was good…until they killed Dooku. Then I wanted a nap.

    As for the end…the most important event in the history of Star Wars happens on a backwater planet with a population quickly approaching 0 judging by Anakin’s antics. It’s not just a member of the Fail Club for Movies, it’s the president.

    Comment by dukrous — August 8, 2008 @ 7:25 pm

33. 

    Um, yes Corbin, don’t go making assumptions. For someone in their thirties you ought to know better.

    Comment by DanJW — August 8, 2008 @ 8:14 pm

34. 

    Here’s my take:
    1,2. I did think the Qui-Gon and Obi Wan characters were handled pretty well. Great performances in comparison to Hayden and the lines he had to work with.

    3. The Darth Maul fight scene was pretty amazing seeing it for the first time, but the entire Rule of Two idea just seems a little impractical. Other than referring to them as Sith, you do not gain a lot of insight into them.

    4. The dark side was not really explained, although the Darth Plagues story was interesting. I don’t see what would have been wrong with Anakin seeking the Dark Side in order to have enough power to save the galaxy. It’s been done a few times in the expanded Universe with the likes of KOTOR and even the recent Legacy of the Force series. The speed at which Anakin fell was also a little ridiculous. And come on, death in childbirth? That’s a rare occurrence in our society.

    5. Seemed like a lot of the planets were included just to have new planets, eg Kamino and Mustaphar. I would have liked to see more planets from EU, if only as a nod to the hardcore audience when so many other things were for the mainstream. Courascant was a treat after having read the EU novels.

    6. Yoda seemed under powered throughout the entire trilogy. He never even has the upper hand in the Dooku or Palpatine fights. I would have liked more wisdom from him.

    7. The opening scene of ROTS was pretty entertaining, seeing as the prequels lacked the epic space battles that were seen in the originals. The buzz droids kind of killed it. Looking back at ROTJ, the Battle of Endor was much more enjoyable. As for the clones, they were all the same people, and they summoned only a little more sympathy than the battle droids when they died. There was no real interaction between the main characters, and it was impossible to get attached to anyone because you couldn’t tell them apart. Biggs was looking after Luke the entire DS run. And it actually meant something when he died. The clones were dropping left and right and almost expected to die. So much for the super soldiers.

    8. Pretty good, except for the jets. Why introduce something in a prequel with a preexisting character when it never appears in the later movies?

    9. I agree, the music was good.

    10. I didn’t think the ending of ROTS was that great, but the Anakin ObiWan duel was amazing. Just looking back, it was very well choreographed and offered probably the purest lightsaber battle in any of the movies. The “higher ground” part was kind of dumb, as was ObiWan’s leaving him there, but that doesn’t take away from the fight itself.

    11. Bail Organa was nice, but they cut scenes with a young Mon Mothma, which actually had baring on the later movies in favor of some butchered lines between Anakin and Padme or some other ridiculously overdone CGI ship approach.

    Comment by EC — August 8, 2008 @ 10:19 pm

35. 

    While I appreciate your attempt to show what you liked about the prequel trilogy, I am still amazed that there is a category of people that feel the prequel trilogy was a letdown. Episodes I-III are nothing short of brilliant and without them, you don’t get the whole story, nor do you get the multi-layered facets of the original trilogy thanks to George Lucas’ ingenious way of storytelling. Obi-Wan DOES recognize R2D2 in “A New Hope” (“Come here my little friend”). He just feigns admitting he owned a droid in front of Luke, because he’s not quite sure if he is ready to bring Luke into the fold yet. The biggest thing you missed acknowledging on your list is the story of Episodes I-III. Unmatched by any other original cinema story out there, the Star Wars saga, all six episodes, is the greatest story ever told. Period. Sorry, but I do love the Star Wars prequel movies, and that is exactly what makes me a real fan. Your lack of appreciation of them comes from you not paying close enough attention to the details of the themes George Lucas has brilliantly woven onto the silver screen…

    Comment by AdamS — August 11, 2008 @ 2:32 pm

36. 

    “I don’t believe for one moment that you can both ‘love’ the Star Wars prequel movies and be a real Star Wars fan.”

    That would be a shocker to anyone who’s known me over the past 30 years. In any case, your attempt with that one line, yet another variation of “the prequels aren’t all bad, BUT” didn’t exactly work at placating your audience judging by many of the comments.

    I love all of the Star Wars movies and I make no apologies or qualifiers about it. And you know what, I think deep down you really do like the prequels. You’re just too afraid to admit it. As another Star Wars character famously said, “Let go of your hate.” It might be frustrating over on the Light Side, but it’s also more fun.

    Comment by lazypadawan — August 11, 2008 @ 2:53 pm

37. 

    Am I the only one who thought that the politicking in the prequels was fascinating – “So this is how liberty dies… with thunderous applause. “.

    The way Palpatine manipulated things to become a win-win situation for himself was amazing.

    I also like the fact that EP1-3 catered more for adults in parts while EP4-6 were kids movies with less subtext.

    I’m sick of people bagging the new trilogy.

    Comment by Gavin Bollard — August 11, 2008 @ 6:24 pm

38. 

    So, to re-iterate this entire page: Dude doesn’t hate prequels, cliche geek ranting ensues.

    Comment by max_jaybo — August 11, 2008 @ 7:42 pm

39. 

    I so agree with reason number one. That’s my main reason for watching the prequels but all the others are really good too. :)

    Comment by PetraKenobi — August 11, 2008 @ 8:47 pm

40. 

    I’m sick of these arguments, I’ve been a massive Star Wars fan for as long as I remember, and although anyone with a brain knows the PT doesn’t touch the OT-I still love them. Darth Maul, Anakin, the Clones-and the toylines and VGs circulating around it are just too cool to hate-so I see no reason for it (still) and to call people who like both, “idiots,” or “,not true fans-” is one hell of a stupid generilzation.

    Geez, am I the only person in the world who likes, y’know, everything?

    Comment by Anthony — August 11, 2008 @ 11:13 pm

41. 

    My biggest disappointment is the way the whole “living force” and Qui-Gon thing was handled. We have to wait until the end of Sith to find out why (some) Jedi disappear when they die, arguably the biggest mystery in the original trilogy, and it is just a few lines of dialogue at the end. Almost an afterthought.

    So, geeks, check me on this. Qui-Gon was into the whole here-and-now aspect of the Force, the so-called Living Force. It was the Jedi’s reliance on other aspects of the light side, the meditating, the visions, etc., that blinded them to the Sith. That’s why Yoda’s tune is different in Empire when it comes to seeing the future. The Living Force allows Jedi to become one with the Force at death (at will?), right? Anyone? (OK, that and we never really revealed where Anakin came from, I’m thinking he was created as a tool by the Pre-Sidious Darth Whatsits.)

    The prequels didn’t ruin Star Wars for me, although I was honestly disappointed by the first two. (Really, why did things have to bog down so much when they get to Tatooine in Phantom?). Aside from Jar-jar and the Tatooine lull, Phantom wasn’t as horrible as you’d think. The romance in Attack of the Clones overshadowed a pretty cool little Obi-Wan detective story. )

    What’s worse about Star Wars is the EU. Wasn’t the destruction of the sith the point of Star Wars? Why do they keep coming back?

    Comment by Greg — August 12, 2008 @ 7:49 am

42. 

    I agree with bits and pieces of some of these reasons. But can I point out that 11 good things in 3 movies……..that is sad. The Prequels suck terribly. Of course little kids like ’em. I did when I was little. I also liked the Originals when I was little. Now that I am older I realize that the Originals (not the Special Crap Edition) are really amazing films, and ground breaking at the time they were made. The prequels were clearly just crapped out for the money. Maybe some say they are ground breaking visually but I say all the CGI made them worse. Now I can go enjoy a movie that is just for fun and not meant to be ground breaking or whatever but if it has Star Wars in the title it needs to live up to Star Wars as we all know it. It didn’t. At one point I thought if Lucas would just hand over Star Wars to someone else….like a fan or one of the authors of the expanded universe that there might be some future left for the Star Wars franchise but with the new Clone Wars movie and the series….(wasn’t there already one?) and this live action show I keep hearing about…..I eagerly await the day Star Wars is put to rest.

    Comment by Chris — August 15, 2008 @ 6:39 pm

43. 

    the star wars prequel trilogy had its crummy moments for sure. but i still enjoyed them a lot. mainly cause all in all Star Wars is just fun. action, comedy, new worlds and just things we’ve never seen before.

    we can all sit around is argue about the death of star wars but at the end of the day it was George Lucas who gave this world to us to enjoy and it is him that can do whatever he wants with it. it kills me that people say things like “george lucas killed star wars” cause at the end of the day he has every right to do wahtever he wants with it.

    what a world it would be without star wars, cause i definately know it has influenced my life greatly and i’ll stick by it and its creator. ty GL for some fun entertainment.

    Comment by joey — August 17, 2008 @ 8:55 am

44. 

    Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace
    Love Qui Gon Jinn, he was killed too soon though
    Hate Jar Jar Binks and the annoying Anakin
    Overall was okay, saw it few times.

    Episode II: Attack of the Clones
    Hate the whole thing, saw it once.

    Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
    I was impressed with the opening scene.
    I didn’t expected the young lings scene.
    Hate the nooooooooooooooooooooo scene.
    I see more chemistry between Qui Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan compared to Amidala and Anakin.
    I left the theater feeling numb. I can’t decided whether to hate or love it. One thing for sure I’ve come to a conclusion… Qui Gon has to die in order for Obi-Wan to fail.

    Comment by nia — August 18, 2008 @ 7:35 am

45. 

    I disagree with alot of this, The planets were two CGI, CGI is nessecary at times but for corusant they could have easily made sections from model kits and backdropped with bluescreen.

    the humor of the droids (and others) were terrible, the humor didn’t flow with the story like the originals… whole chunks of screen time lost for poor slapstick comedy or pointless gags. Humor, do or do not… there is no try… and these movies tried way to much to be funny…

    Also a lack of solid villians, with the Emperor being the elusive bad guy we needed a big side villian… Christopher Lee, great actor and his character could have done much much more (he’s an ex jedi, he’s god a past, write it)… General Grevious, hyped as a powerful enemy was basically a waste of time… Maul, he was very good, he worked but really he was a little to silent for my liking.

    Comment by Sly — August 20, 2008 @ 11:12 am

46. 

    Josh,
    I have to disagree with you. I was 11 years old when I saw SW on opening weekend, and I was in love. I waited for the prequels with great anticipation and when they were through, I was in love again. I think the problem with most so called “Fans” is that their expectation surpassed their love, and they were ultimatley let down. I cant say that happened to me, I entered the theater to be told a story by a man that I trusted, and he (Lucas) has never let me down with anything pertaining to SW, because I don’t feed my head with expectation but instead sit back, turn down the lights, and turn off that critical/negative part of my ‘adult’ brain for a few hours, and just let the magic of the story take me away. Sorry to dissappoint you, but I am a true fan and have always been. The mistake you make is that you EXPECT what you WANT, instead of ACCEPTING what is GIVEN. We have too many years to speculate but I never remember leaving the theater after that first time in 1977 and thinking anything but, “I WANT MORE”.
    I love the prequels because they are part of the whole. That is the story, That is what happened to those characters. It’s too bad most of the “FANS” out there, I see these message boards all over the place filled with hate, and rage, and unintelligent babble and it just makes me sad. I don’t nitpick when it comes to SW, Jar-Jar was not my favorite character, but there was a little boy, about 9 years old, who was sitting just a few seats away from me, and he just marveled at the clumsy innocents on the screen, It made me smile, because I knew that a long time ago, I could have beent that boy.
    STAR WARS forever.

    peace
    -CThomas.

    Comment by C.Thomas — August 20, 2008 @ 2:02 pm

47. 

    I think the real question is: What would the Whole starwars series (because the poop train started to appear in ROTJ) have been like if it was written and directed by someone with a mindset like Peter Jackson. Someone who abandons themself to the making of the movie. I find myself watching LOTR thinking, “Man, I wish Lucas had been this sold out to making a piece of absolute art with the prequels.”

    Comment by Desert Scorpion — August 20, 2008 @ 2:11 pm

48. 

    CThomas,

    What you just wrote is beautiful! I cannot agree more…

    You’re not the only one that sees them all as one interconnected thread. Turn off expectation and receive what is given indeed!

    Comment by monsterofmud — August 20, 2008 @ 5:09 pm

49. 

    I am no defender of the Prequels, but I knew the day they were announced they wouldn’t be as good as the Originals. First off, the Originals were groundbreaking, struck the right chord with a certain audience from that time, and Star Wars & Empire are as great as a movie can be from this genre, as you just can’t ask a movie series to keep that quality up. Jedi took a dip, and then the Prequels dipped even more, as it is natural in a movie series that the more you make, the more the quality and magic will dissapate.

    The biggest reason the Prequels wouldn’t have that magic was it was missing those great characters from the Originals. You just can’t beat Luke, Leia, and Han, every kid could relate to them in some way, and you cared about them as to what happened next. The Prequel characters are just there to tell the backstory, as the story override any creativity Lucas could have went with them. He had to tell a story about the Jedi vs Sith, and in that process you lose key regular guys like Han Solo and Lando Calrissean. Just think of doing a backstory on Doc Brown and Back to the Future, and not having Marty McFly, you would lose that chemistry.

    The final reason the Prequels would never be as great as the Originals is that Lucas was past his prime when he made them. When he made Star Wars, he was a struggling director without any kids. By the time he made Jedi, he was a CEO and just adopted a baby, and I believe he never had that fire to make a great movie ever again, as it is very rare that directors keep churning out great movie after great movie. Spielberg is a rarity these days as he seems to be the only one who has stayed on top since his younger years.

    I don’t hate to the Prequels, nor will I ever love them for the reasons stated above, but for anyone to think they were ever going to match the originals, that just never happens in movies, you can’t strike lightning twice. They have their moments, and they are part of the story now, but Star Wars will always be remembered for the first two movies that are utter classics: Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back.

    Comment by co — August 21, 2008 @ 2:34 pm

50. 

    The true test of the prequels’ popularity – will anyone EVER dress up as Jar Jar Binks? And would they (like me) post an embarrassing picture of themselves in such an ill fitting suit of a character from the one of the prequels? A fat Darth maybe, but Jar Jar? Come off it…

    Comment by DarthWaster.com — September 5, 2008 @ 10:40 am

51. 

    I have been an on-again-off-again fan of STAR WARS for the past thirty years. I saw EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, RETURN OF THE JEDI, ATTACK OF THE CLONES, and REVENGE OF THE SITH on opening day. And, to completely clinch my STAR WARS geek credentials, I actually wrote a letter to the local newspaper defending ROTJ against a negative review from our town’s movie critic when I was no more than 16 years old.

    I recently became a step-father to a very bright eight-year-old, and have enjoyed experiencing the STAR WARS universe with her and her mother. We’ve kept her away from ATTACK OF THE CLONES and REVENGE OF THE SITH for now, but she already knows what’s coming and understands the broader narrative arc. She even knows about Mara Jade and Jaina and Jacen Solo. She adores the original trilogy, and is equally pleased with PHANTOM MENACE.

    Having watched all of the movies countless times during the past year, I have to confess that the prequel trilogy really holds up under repeat viewings. I know that many people hated Jar Jar Binks, and I personally objected to the ways that his character seemed to tap into African American caricatures from early 20th century film. But my stepdaughter is oblivious to this celluloid history, and she loves Jar Jar. She also enjoys the much-maligned battle droids and — of course — the comic banter between C3PO and R2D2.

    The animated CLONE WARS series has done a great job of blending the spirit of the original films with the characters/locales of the prequel trilogy.

    I will go further out on a limb and argue that the very best STAR WARS movie is the sixth film: REVENGE OF THE SITH. Anakin’s transition into Darth Vader, the fight between Mace Windu and Palpatine, the beheading of Count Dooku (sp?), and especially the implementation of Order 66 are simply wonderful scenes. The previous five films were just a build-up for what Lucas pulls off in the sixth film.

    The dust has settled, and I’ve been following STAR WARS for more than three decades. First as a kid, then as a teenager, and now as a parent. I’ve read some of the comic books, and close to a dozen of the novels in the extended universe. My verdict is this:

    The original trilogy was great. The prequel is even better.

    So there!

    Comment by Aaron — November 28, 2008 @ 9:25 pm

52. 

    Are we forgetting somebody………MACE WINDU aka Samuel L Jackson!!!!! He was the one who made Sidious (Emperor Palpatine) look stupid!!! Even later in the film, Yoda struggled against Sidious (could be the fact that he is 800??? years old),,,but never the less……..Mace Windu is probably the most powerful fighter we see in the whole Star Wars series!!!!!

    Comment by KAY JAY — February 2, 2009 @ 10:49 pm

53. 

    I don’t hate the prequels at all. I hate all the “Living-in-their-parents’-basement” dorks that think they have some kind of ownership or say-so over something that is solely George’s to do with as he pleases. If you don’t like them, don’t watch them and shut your pie-holes. Go watch Twilight or Buffy or whatever half-assed sci-fi you dorks are into these days. Stay true to yourself, George!!

    Comment by Dude5150 — May 11, 2009 @ 11:06 am

54. 

    Just stumbled across this site, & I will say that I, too, like the prequels, and am sick and tired of all the whining and bitching from the pathetic “WAAAH!!! LUCAS RAPED MY CHILDHOOD!!!” crowd. These people act like just because they watched Star Wars as a kid, Lucas personally OWES it to them to make his movies EXACTLY the way they wanted them made, and scream & throw tantrums whenever he doesn’t follow their “advice”. Most of these know-it-alls would have complained NO MATTER WHAT Lucas did, even if he had done what they say he “should’ve done” — you can’t win with these people. I also find it funny when people log onto sites like this and try to act “hard”, calling everyone who likes the movies “nerds”, “dorks”, and so on; in real life, people like this tend to be even bigger nerds themselves, who wouldn’t have the balls to say that stuff to anyone’s face.

    For my part, I mainly liked Eps.II and III; though Ep.I was mostly an unfocused jumble of story ideas (some good, some not so good) that seemed to show that Lucas wasn’t sure where or how to begin to PT, even it had its moments. And it bears repeating that Eps.I-III pulled in a total of over $1 billion in domestic box office alone, and while I and II got mixed reviews from critics, III got praised by many respected critics who had hated the previous 2 entries, so it’s just possible that the prequels are NOT as universally despised as many people claim. If you don’t like them, just don’t watch them.

    Just my $.02

    Comment by Lord Severian — May 17, 2009 @ 11:34 pm

55. 

    I prefer the prequels to the sequels (and yes, I’m apparently a rare race on Earth).

    I’ve seen the original series when I was a young kid, I liked them but nothing more. When the episode I came out I was 11. I went to see it and I really like it. Then I saw the other two and I thought they were good too.

    Then last week end, someone lent me the 6 movies, so I watched them, from I to VI in a row. I didn’t remember much of any of them so it was a bit like a new experience…

    And boy does the sequel suck! Wooden acting, hilariously stupid and cliché dialogues, non-existant plot, completely incoherent characters (Han Solo, who in the space of 2 hours goes from mercenary to boy scout who sacrifices his life and loves to accept medals), and I’m afraid (though its not Lucas’ fault) ridiculous special effects. To the point that they distract from the movie itself (I don’t see “Yoda”, I see a green foam puppet that hops around). And Alec Guiness who’s so obviously not involved in the movie that he pays attention to make every line he utters the most ridiculous possible, so every one in the audience is sure to notice that the writing is pathetic…

    To be sure, the prequel isn’t great either, but I can’t see anything that you can reproach to it that you can’t reproach to the original. Bad humor, check; bad acting, check; cliché characters, check. However it has some good points the original certainly don’t have: realistic political plots which make SW a “real” world. Good special effects (so you don’t have the impression of being in a Disney attraction every time someone is in a spaceship and there’s a video in front of them).

    All in all, I don’t really understand the obsession with SW. But I’m sure of one thing: The people who are disappointed with the prequel:
    1. Haven’t seen the sequel in a long, long time. They imagine them, not remember.
    2. Love the expanded universe, and don’t realize that the EU is NOT the original movies.
    3. Have bad taste.

    Comment by charles — December 2, 2009 @ 1:33 pm

56. 

    I agree with C.Thomas. I have just finished watching the Prequel Trilogy, and I love them more than ever.

    I saw TPM 15 times in the theater, and all the others about 5 times.

    These movies are by far my favorite fantasy movies, as they feature Zen Buddhist philosophy, lots of humour, mind-blowing visuals and things no one but G.L. could have come up with, boundless creativity in every single frame, genius…genius music by the great John Williams….and an endless list of fantastic characters.

    I also agree the ROTS is the best and most emotional of the bunch!

    It’s the ULTIMATE SW movie!

    I can’t wait for them to be released on Blu-ray!!

    I think the visual effects are for the most part top notch and hold up very well.

    Thank you George Lucas for giving us, the true SW fans the most awesome movies ever!!! Love you all!

    Comment by Alienadin — May 1, 2010 @ 1:28 pm

57. 

    First I just want to say, I am still and always will be a true Star Wars fan. All of the saga (Not only ep. IV, V, VI, But I, II, and III as well) I still can’t understand all the Hatred that goes towards the Prequels. They all had weak moments, but overall they really were great films. Yes Ep I was (In my Opinion) not the greatest, but the themes and yes the overall movie worked. Yes I hate Jar-Jar (Who Dosen’t) However to let one semi- Regular CGI Dork destroy a whole saga is just – Stupid. I liked ep II There was a lot of good in this movie, OK the love scenes were awkward, but they were part of the story. Remember this saga is the Tragedy of Anakin. Not all about just Darth Vader. IN ep II The battle of Jango and Obi-Wan. Amazing. Learning about the clones and there development, is really fascinating. It anwers a lot of question I have always had. The Arena battle, when have we seen so many Jedi? that leads into the start of the Clone Wars. I don’t know about most of you, but I have been waiting for the clone wars since 1977. It was a very good movie and an important addition to the Star Wars saga. Ep III well I couldn’t find fault with it at all. TO me this was the most important movie in the whole saga. It answered every question I had since the Star Wars saga began. Truly an awesome movie. Now I think a lot of So-called Fans do not like the Preqels, simply put they were not the Originals. They were completely different, That upset a lot of fans. I think if they were just like the Originals, it would have been silly. The Preqels stand as their own saga, and the Originals stand as their own saga. If people can’t accept the Prequels that is their problem. I really Loved them and I always will.
    Sincerley 41 Year old Original Star Wars fan, and yes I am Married, and the family Loves the Movies.

    Comment by Michael — October 11, 2010 @ 7:59 am

58. 

    By the way, I laugh at the stupidity of the pure anger and hatred some of these “fans” feel for the Prequels. Yes there are PLENTY of people who, Like me, Love the Prequels, as well as the Originals. However I have to Laugh at the way some angry “old Hermits” critique every little detail, down to the sound Vader screamed for about 5 seconds. To hear people say Ewan’s accent was off. Ha! No I don’t think so, he is a great actor and was on. Everyone says the exact same things about Hayden. “He was stiff and not believable.” Where most people got this is from hearing others talk, like “Angry Old Hermits” Leave Mr. Hayden C. alone. I only have one thing to say, Every one knows the old analogy “an opinion is like an…” Well if some one has an Opinion. Great!!! It does not mean I am wrong for having my opinion. We all can’t agree, and everyone should form thier own opinion. We are all right from our own point of view. I have mine, and others have thiers. Weather we agree or not is not essential. It is mearly the basis for a nice debate on OPINIONS. Not an angry tirade on how “my opinion is right so you are wrong” attitude. No one is right from their Opinion. Your point of view is yours. If you agree with me great, If not well thats to bad. I like my point of view and I like the Prequels very much. Thank you.

    Comment by Michael — October 29, 2010 @ 8:14 am

59. 

    The main problem with the prequels was the unnecessary humor and the catering to kids. I think if the movies were a little more mature and dark they would have been better. Revenge Of The Sith was pretty good because it was the darker of the 3.

    Comment by ikihi — October 10, 2011 @ 2:43 pm

60. 

    No… just no to like everything

    Comment by biglou908 — October 16, 2011 @ 8:42 pm

61. 

    I only like it because of the Clones

    Comment by Matthew Fett Rafanan Hernando — November 15, 2011 @ 6:27 pm

62. 

    You mean you liked the characters who only filled cliches? And a moviemaker is NEVER past his prime…..DO YOU REALLY WON’T TO SEE HAN SOLO AS A KID???

    Comment by Kyle — July 27, 2012 @ 3:26 pm

63. 

    Lucas did rape my childhood… I found nothing redeeming in the ‘prequels’, but do not blame you for trying to keep a positive note. In 1978 I saw Star Wars on the big screen and same with Empire and ROTJ. I think the saddest part of the whole thing, whether you tolerate 1,2, and 3, hate them, or like them, is that after twenty years of time to think, write, and plan- THIS steaming pile of crap was the best he could do. Too bad Peter Jackson wasn’t around to assist, but I get the feeling Lucas has a hard time soliciting and listening to help.

    Comment by Skull Smasher — November 21, 2012 @ 9:14 am

64. 

    You mean like the fat nerds that won’t stop bitching about the prequels?

    Comment by Justin Behrens — March 2, 2013 @ 8:36 am

65. 

    You mean the way the OT Yoda, and the Ewoks didn’t cater to the kids at all? The main problem with the prequels movies was that the “Star Wars Nerds” who seem to hate star wars, won’t shut up about how shit they think they were.

    I loved how they wrote the love scenes. The idiots who act all critical of the dialogue have obviously never been in love and said stupid shit. I guess that’s to be expected with these idiots.

    Comment by Richard Leslie Whereat — April 19, 2013 @ 10:58 am

66. 

    CGI is better than puppet.
    CGI is far more believable.

    Comment by Richard Leslie Whereat — April 19, 2013 @ 11:09 am

67. 

    I agree with you 100%. But in the part where you said you wished Lucas had enough foresight to make kenobi recognise R2D2 in A New Hope: I read it somewhere that Ben was playing on the comment ‘owning a droid’ because R2-D2 was never his like 3PO was Anakin’s with his comment ‘I dont seem to remember owning a droid’. Plus R2 and Ben knew more about Luke than luke did himself. So they were being careful. This is the same reason for Yoda playing around with R2 when Luke crash lands on Dagobah. As for R2 hiding behind the rocks in A New Hope, it could be that R2 had difficulty recognising Ben after 20 odd years since ben saved the unconcious luke with his hood down.

    Comment by Rajith Maligaspe — May 17, 2013 @ 5:38 am

68. 

    order 66. great

    Comment by timmy — July 6, 2013 @ 7:01 am

69. 

    I was born in 95 and grow up learning all about star wars. My dad is a huge fan so i had all the toys and basically anything star wars. When the prequels came out i saw them and i LOVED THEM. I finally became a star wars fan, i mean i was already but it was like i actually had something of mine and not something that i was into because everyone else loved it. It wasnt untill i was 15 i realized how hated the prequels where(i was a little kid i wasnt really part of online communities back then) i watched the movies over and agree with alot of compliants but it does not deserve any of the hate it recieves. Espicailly when people say it doesnt even deserve to be mentioned with the orginals. Because of this i kinda grew a hatred for the orginals (not really i just hate when the older fans dont even give the prequels a chance). The prequels has its falts but it still made new fans for the generation and im proof.

    Comment by Acen Chambers — July 5, 2014 @ 8:56 pm

70. 

    I feel that the original trilogy was fine without the prequels. Obi-Wan’s relationship to R2-D2 is not something that I consider significantly value-added for A New Hope. Sometimes, details are brilliant; other times, they’re just clutter; and many times, they can be taken or left.

    Comment by GAC — December 10, 2016 @ 10:39 pm

71. 

    Well Believe it. I LOVE the prequel trilogy and I’m also a Star Wars hardcore fan.

    Comment by Joseph — August 28, 2021 @ 3:07 am

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