The Prequel Trilogy General Discussion and Appreciation Thread

[Brem]

Yeah, the prequel hate, I just try to let it pass. I've gotten so many damn links to RedLetterMedia videos, and I'm like, can't I just enjoy my movies? Its like people that change their opinions over Youtube reviewers. If I liked it before, why should someone else's opinion suddenly make me think otherwise? I agree, lets just enjoy them!

I need a marathon a swell. Then I need some Clone Wars too. Not all of it, but there's plenty of good arcs to choose from. Once I get done watching this teaser for the 50th time.

Haha! That's them! I couldn't think of the name, but they're the ones. Exactly, though! Why on Earth, if I like the prequels - and I really do - would I want to watch videos the users posting them claim will change my mind!? I don't want to change my mind! I want to sit back, relax and have a blast. I do that, so I am extremely happy. t:

I'm on Lost Missions, myself, in terms of Clone Wars. I finally, finally got Season 5 and Lost Missions on Blu-Ray this month. Did a massive run of Season 5, and I've watched the first four of Lost Missions. Funny thing - used to hate it. Had never seen it, but from bits of the animation to Ahsoka I said, pfft, I'll never watch it. I did, ended up loving it and Ahsoka is one of my favourite characters. Cannot get enough of the series. It's why I went into Rebels with an open mind, and again - love it. Bring on Season 2!

But yeeeah. I need to stop watching the trailer now. Need to keep it fresh for tomorrows viewings.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

See I never hated TCW, but had a major drop off around Season 3, and then the Darth Maul arcs brought me back. Its got some bad arcs but I find after going back through, its got a lot more to love. I just want to start right now....maybe I will!

I keep saying I'm going to stop....but I'm not. I'll be watching this until the sun comes up

 

[Bim]

I'm hiding in here for a bit, because I love love love the new trailer for The Force Awakens, but I'm so tired of seeing "This is more Star Wars than the prequels!" etc. etc.

lol i say just ignore them. Some folks just cant love something without putting other stuff down to do it. I see that often in lots of fandoms lately, not just Star Wars. Pretty sad if you ask me. But hey, we must understand those who hate the PT: they have three less Star Wars movies to enjoy. We have six!!

Yeah. I mean, I remember as a kid, I loved A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, but I found Empire a long slog of boredom. I enjoy it more now, but I was never overly keen - then. All three of those films have their own problems. After all these years though, I just figure - if someone brands me a fake Star Wars fan for liking three Star Wars films they didn't like, so be it. I'll be happy with the Plo Koon figure I bought today while they complain. D :

Yeah, my appreciation for Empire only developed as i was older. When i watched it originally, i didnt think it was that awesome, not to mention that to this day Mark's reaction to "I.. am your father" still makes me laugh lol.

I think it's inevitable that those who hate the PT will think episode 7 will be the second coming just cause lol, so you all better be ready for that. Eve if they have issues, most are likely never to acknowledge it haha.

I need to catch up on Rebels, which is why i've stayed out of that thread lol. So dont spoil me!

 

[Brem]

See I never hated TCW, but had a major drop off around Season 3, and then the Darth Maul arcs brought me back. Its got some bad arcs but I find after going back through, its got a lot more to love. I just want to start right now....maybe I will!

I keep saying I'm going to stop....but I'm not. I'll be watching this until the sun comes up

I've only JUST got to the point where some of the story arcs haven't pulled me in. Season 5 had the first story, which was ok for the last.. Two? Episodes. But the first two didn't pull me in. But after that I loved it. Even now with Lost Missions, good first arc, second arc was a bit bland but enjoyable, but I know there's a lot to look forward to. And man, was that droid arc in Season 5 brilliant. Loved it. D: Don't care what anyone says! They were so damned adorable!

Maybe you should, man! ;-; Once I'm done, I'm definitely starting over!

Haha. Same here. Several watches today alone. Unbelievable. I don't watch many, if any trailers this much but it's Star Wars! And that music. Oh wow. Cannot get enough of the mysterious tone of it at the start and the build up after the Christmas note.

lol i say just ignore them. Some folks just cant love something without putting other stuff down to do it. I see that often in lots of fandoms lately, not just Star Wars. Pretty sad if you ask me. But hey, we must understand those who hate the PT: they have three less Star Wars movies to enjoy. We have six!!


Yeah, my appreciation for Empire only developed as i was older. When i watched it originally, i didnt think it was that awesome, not to mention that to this day Mark's reaction to "I.. am your father" still makes me laugh lol.

I think it's inevitable that those who hate the PT will think episode 7 will be the second coming just cause lol, so you all better be ready for that. Eve if they have issues, most are likely never to acknowledge it haha.

I need to catch up on Rebels, which is why i've stayed out of that thread lol. So dont spoil me!

Haha, that's the first time I've seen it put like that, but it's so true. You know, I remember a game came out about a month ago that people put down. Claimed those of us who did like it were deluding ourselves. Fine. Maybe I am, but man I'll settle for that delusion and enjoy myself. t: And we'll have our six movies - soon to be seven - fingers crossed - and have a great time. That's it. I'm putting on Revenge of the Sith now. Haven't watched it in a long time!

I always found the "I love you!" moment a bit awkward. I know people love that scene, but it never really clicked. I enjoyed the moment shared in the cockpit on the Falcon a lot more.

My body is ready! Man, just imagine - we like the prequels, but we see Episode VII and we don't enjoy it. That would drive them mad haha. t: Pfft, as if that will happen. Right?

My lips are sealed. D:

 

[DigificWriter]

Am I the only person out there who thinks more love needs to be shown for Attack of the Clones amongst the fandom? I think it's easily as high-quality a film as its OT counterpart, The Empire Strikes Back, and doesn't get nearly as much attention as it deserves.

 

[Brother Jack]

It's the worst Star Wars movie. Almost everything about it sucks.

 

[Snow Queen]

It's the worst Star Wars movie. Almost everything about it sucks.

Almost everything? Don't be so generous.

 

[Doc Ock]

I think TPM is more like an OT film than the other two, it is still the prequel I enjoy the most.

 

[Lord]

Best thing about Episode II was the marketing, the film itself was awful, and has aged terribly. It suffers the same problem as the other prequels, as it had good ideas but they were terribly executed, from the script to the screen.

Lucas's luck was that he had one of the best special effects studio working for him, but even they were limited by the times and have had some of their special effects aging like milk out of a refrigerator.

Episode II had some interesting concepts, seeing Kenobi as a detective was fun, but if you think too much about what was going on, there are way too many problems in what is going on, not to mention the Jedi's dialogue just being non-sensical some of the time. The city where they make clones actualy had an interesting aura to it, but the scenes there were filled with so much unnecessary CGI that they don't look very good nowadays. The arena bit was also pretty cool, but could have been handled much better.

The Prequels feel like a lot of wasted potential, Episode I was Lucas trying to make something amazing enough to compete with the recent blockbusters Jurassic Park and Titanic, but he overused CGI so much and took it for granted that everyone already knew the rules in the SW universe, while still alienating old fans. While JP and Titanic still have a massice following and respect by the General public, Episode I is mostly known by film buffs as an example for how Prequels can suck. I think this film would have been amazing had Spielberg decided to Direct it, and even if it wasn't, it would on te very least be a worthy addition to the SW canon.

Episode II also seemed promising on the surface, putting a detective aspect in the series, as well as adding romance as a catalyst for a lot of what happens later on, then there's also the massive expansion of the SW universe with multiple locations that could look "larger than life". But then, all it did was use those elements to bad results, with an overuse of CGI that look hilariously fake nowadays, and make the romance incredibly awkward and weird, i seriously think the romance between Anakin and Padme was one of the worst ones in a mainstream film, even worse than the one in Twilight IMAO. This film would have most likely been flawless in the hands of someone like James Cameron.

Episode III was the one that handled all the elements the best in my opinion, it had a good structure, starting off with Obi and Anakin's final adventure before the dark fate that fall upon both friends, and having various war set-pieces now and then, while the film itself focuses more on what is happening behind the scenes. Then it all goes to s*** when Anakin turns to the dark side and starts acting idiotic, with a bloated action scene that makes the Prequels connect even worse with the original trilogy. The CGI was for the most part pretty good, but Lucas's overreliance on it, as well the way he directed the actors in certain scenes makes them look kinda clunky. 2005's Peter Jackson would most likely have been the perfect candidate for this kind of story.

In short, i respect many of the new things the Prequels were trying to do, but i'm disapointed Lucas's execution was so poor.

 

[Brother Jack]

Almost everything? Don't be so generous.

I think the soundtrack is good. John Williams was reliable throughout, and Phantom Menace in particular is a great score.

 

[Snow Queen]

I think the soundtrack is good. John Williams was reliable throughout, and Phantom Menace in particular is a great score.

I know, I was just teasing. His score was all well done and there were a few other good points.

 

[DigificWriter]

Apparently, I AM the only person - at least here - who has a favorable opinion of AotC, which is a shame.

 

[Thoix]

Apparently, I AM the only person - at least here - who has a favorable opinion of AotC, which is a shame.

I've got you back. I really enjoy AOTC and the other two prequel films as well.

 

[Bim]

Apparently, I AM the only person - at least here - who has a favorable opinion of AotC, which is a shame.

Nah, you're not. I tend to think of AOTC as my least fave, yet there's so many things i enjoy when i watch it! Who am i kidding, for me "least" favorite means squat. That's why i hate ranking these movies lol. I truly enjoy them all, for different reasons. Each one brings (for me) something truly unique that i just love.

 

[Doc Ock]

Apparently, I AM the only person - at least here - who has a favorable opinion of AotC, which is a shame.

I like alot of AOTC, it should of been more Blade Runner Detective Obi-Wan than the Annie/PAdme "romance." It would of been amazing to have it just be a Detective Obi film.

 

[apocryphon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpi7dF_dPtY

Star Wars re-edition. Episodes I, II, and III, together in one. Closest thing to the original trilogy. CGI limited. No Jar Jar Binks. No Gungans. No Podracer. No young Anakin space pilot. No silly romance. No General Grievous. Anakin attracted to the dark side of the force well explained. No Yoda-Palpatine lightsaber duel. Lightsable duel between Anakin and Obi Wan more credible.

 

[Thoix]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpi7dF_dPtY

Star Wars re-edition. Episodes I, II, and III, together in one. Closest thing to the original trilogy. CGI limited. No Jar Jar Binks. No Gungans. No Podracer. No young Anakin space pilot. No silly romance. No General Grievous. Anakin attracted to the dark side of the force well explained. No Yoda-Palpatine lightsaber duel. Lightsable duel between Anakin and Obi Wan more credible.

I could only watch about ten of that before shutting it off. I could already tell this would be paced and edited far worse than what we got from the prequels. I'm sorry, but this is one of the worst fan edits I've attempted to sit through.

 

[Nemeres]

I remember walking out of AOTC with a buddy who was a huge SW fan and collector, and we were both geeking out about how this was the best SW ever, etc. I had kept a pretty good memory of it because I owned the amazeballs soundtrack, which made the movie look good. Then I got a new DVD after years of not watching it and was genuinely surprised by how much the flaws weighed it down. So much about it looks great on paper - Anakin being dark, love story, clone army origin, Jango, 1000 lightsabers - and still it falls apart. So sterile, bloated and uninvolving. Right there and then it became my least fave Star Wars film, even if it does have a better story than TPM. Mucho nostalgic value for that one.

 

[BatLobster]

www.starwarsringtheory.com

I know "It's like poetry. It rhymes." has become a meme that pokes fun at George, but if you're a Star Wars geek and you wanna take a deep dive into some detailed analysis of the saga, there is some great stuff at the above link. I think a lot of people were already more or less aware that the 'rhyming' structure between the prequels and OT wasn't simple 1/4, 2/5, 3/6, but also very much 1/6, 2/5, 3/4. At the very least the parallels between Menace and Jedi were pretty obvious to a lot of fans, but the above essay goes in depth about how the parallels continue throughout the whole saga.

This is not some attempt to excuse the PT of its problems (which IMO are more about overuse of CG and flat acting, not so much the overall story structure), but if you're interested in story structure and chiastic structure in particular, there's a lot to sink your teeth into there.

 

[dax]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpi7dF_dPtY

Star Wars re-edition. Episodes I, II, and III, together in one. Closest thing to the original trilogy. CGI limited. No Jar Jar Binks. No Gungans. No Podracer. No young Anakin space pilot. No silly romance. No General Grievous. Anakin attracted to the dark side of the force well explained. No Yoda-Palpatine lightsaber duel. Lightsable duel between Anakin and Obi Wan more credible.

But we need the Yoda-PalpSidious duel to explain why Yoda ended up on Dagobah in the first place and why PalpSidious wasn't around to save Vader from being severely injured by Obi-wan.

 

[Lord]

It was kinda implied that Yoda was not a fighter in the original trilogy, and with that, most simply guessed that was the reason he never went in to face the Emperor, in the prequels, he is a fighter, and with how close his fight against te emperor was, it's a bit odd how he simply left for the Dagobah system and waited 20 years instead of trying to figure out a way to beat Sidious.

How does it explain why Palpatine wasn't around to save Vader? It's not as if he was babysiting him most of the time, Vader could have been hurt or died many other times during the original trilogy when Palpatine wasn't around, it's not farfetched to think he would face Obi-Wan alone during one of his hunts for Jedi.

You can enjoy the prequels however you want, Episode III was what made me a fan of SW when i was younger, even though i no longer enjoy it as much, but some of these excuses are just nonsensical, we don't need to see every single thing that happens or how, if we go by that logic, then we also need to know how Palpatine became a sith too, or why Yoda meditates so much.

The questions answered by the Prequels weren't needed to be answered, most of them were already answered by simple logic, but the prequels themselves opened many more questions, like why the council didn't send more Jedi in the end of Episode I to fight Maul, or why they felt the need to bring Anakin too, or why they never went back to save Anakin's mom from slavery, etc.

 

[Bim]

For anyone interested, there's this cool book called The Star Wars Heresies: The Themes, Symbols and Philosophies of Episodes I, II and III, by Paul F. McDonald that makes for an interesting read. There's lots of symbolism in the PT that just flew past me, and this book helped me become aware of them. Very nice read if you have the time t:

 

[Lord]

Almost every film has symbolism, some is well used, other is not, i feel like it's more worth analysing that in good movies than bad ones.

 

[Bim]

Well what you consider good or bad might differ from what others think though, so

 

[Lord]

Of course, art is sucjective. However, when a movie or book follow a certain formula or previously extablished sequence, you can evaluate weather you think it works or not, the Prequels for example are plagued with awful dialogue and things that contradict the canon, as well as various gaps of logic.

You can enjoy something, but also need to keep some perspective while judging its quality, for example, i didn't realy like Lincoln, but do not deny it's a realy good film, it simply wasn't my cup of tea, on the other hand, i enjoyed Chronicles of Riddick a lot, but it's not a very good movie. Cinema isn't just entertainment, it's also art.

The original star wars aren't perfect either, but they were very well executed for their time and are generaly pretty consistent (even though there are some weird bits like Luke and Leia being brothers).

I don't deny there are elements of briliance in the Prequels, but that's what makes them even more disapointing for me, all the people working behind the concepts came up with some astounding ideas, but they were unlucky that Lucas chose to use them the wrong way, Maul and Grievous being some prime examples.

When i was growing up, i actualy liked the Prequels, Episode III was my favorite SW film for a while, but looking back, i can't realy say they were good movies, and they haven't aged very well either.