Star Wars Prequels: Good or Bad?

[VaderFan2187]

Are the Star Wars prequels good or bad?

Love them or hate them, Star Wars prequels are part of the saga.

But why do you love them? Or why do you hate them?

Do explain your stances.

 

I find that the prequels had good storylines but the movie was filmed badly. Bad acting, awkward actors, CGI overuse…

However, I read the prequel books before watching the movies, and I enjoyed the storyline, particularly Revenge of the Sith.

 

It is clear that good filmmaking, not necessarily good storyline, is important for a successful Star Wars (or any other) film. In my opinion, the prequels had good stories while The Force Awakens did not; however, the Force Awakens had been filmed well while the prequels had not. Thus, The Force Awakens is generally more popular among the Star Wars community than the prequels.

But what do you think?

[Forresto]

I grew up with the prequels so they still hold a special place in my love of Star Wars. However as i've gotten older i've noticed more and more of the flaws. I do think the story the prequels try to tell is absolutely brilliant and the concepts are excellent. The fundamental problem I have is with much of the writing. George Lucas has a great eye and he is excellent when it comes to creating concepts and ideas but he's not so great at developing them. He should have always been the creative director but given full control of directing and writing to someone else.

For instance the way they portrayed Anakin's rise is rather dissapointing. As someone mentioned once though its not even Hayden Christensen's fault. When your an actor with a naturally high pitched voice and all of the dialogue is complaints then you're going to come across as excessively whiney and immediately disliked. 

To me the best part of the prequels as they exist now are all of the Palpatine scenes and the Clone Wars battles. There is really a lot of awesome cool things throughout the prequels and honestly while I wish they had been done better I don't think they're the worst. I'm a huge trekkie, believe me we've had less enjoyable episodes and films we had to suffer through.   

As it stands I do love Revenge of the Sith and before Rogue One my original "Trilogy" had been Revenge, A New Hope, and Empire Strikes Back. 

I don't think they should remake the prequels however. With the recent passing of Christopher Lee as well as EVERYONE involved in those films it would be really rude to do that.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Forresto

[VaderFan2187]

8 minutes ago, Forresto said:

I don't think they should remake the prequels however. With the recent passing of Christopher Lee as well as EVERYONE involved in those films it would be really rude to do that.

I definitely agree. The prequels should not be remade.

[dr_spock]

I rate the PT as average movies.   If Lucas is going to redo them with some "fixes" like he did with the OT, maybe he could do some actor substitutions here and there.

Day 275 of 365: Death of Count Dooku by dr_spock_888, on Flickr

 

[xboxtravis7992]

The Prequels were definitely my first "theatrical Star Wars experiences" (not counting the one time I think I saw one of the special edition films when I was four or something like that...). But they are still my least favorite in the saga. Why? Well I have a few reasons:

• Choppy Acting and Dialogue: George Lucas is a weak director and dialogue writer, and it really showed in the PT. Great actors such as Ewan McGregor and Ian McDirimid were able to salvage their roles and make them memorable. However some other talented actors such as Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson were lackluster in their roles at best. Sadly it seemed Anakin got the worst dialogue despite being the lead character, and the so-so acting of Hayden C. and Jake Lloyd really made it so they couldn't elevate their roles. Again, I think the issue lies in the dialogue and on set directing, as at least Ewan, Ian, Natalie, and Samuel have proven to be GREAT actors elsewhere. (Heck remember how everybody ragged on Natalie for her depiction of Padme, yet only a few years later she was winning Oscars for best Actress? Seems to make me think George is not as skilled in directing actors as he is in other parts of making a movie.)
• Overuse of CGI: First, yes I know that a few critical parts of the PT were done with old school effects (Just look at what half of the future Mythbuster's hosts were doing when they were at ILM making the PT ) However the CGI really carried the focus in a lot of effects. Sadly though the CGI of 1999-2005 was crude and new technology. The films looked plastic-like due to the bad CGI moments, and lacked the sense of grounded reality the OT had. What was revolutionary tech back when the PT was first made now looks incredibly dated compared to the seamless blend of CGI and classic effects in modern films.

However don't get me wrong, there are a lot of elements of the PT I still do like. While I think George is a weak director; he is a visionary story man and world builder. The PT oozed with original ideas, which sadly were often hard to see through some of the noticeable mistakes. Revenge of the Sith is still one of my favorite Star Wars films, out done only by A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Rogue One, and The Force Awakens (my top four aren't exactly ranked in that order though). Furthermore the PT inspired some of my favorite Star Wars spin-off media, both in Clone Wars, and The Clone Wars. Star Wars Battlefront II, Republic Commando, Jedi Starfighter, and more. But especially I gotta love how the PT helped inspire Lucasfilm to sign a contract with a certain danish plastic brick manufacturer... 

Edited January 11, 2017 by xboxtravis7992

[Japanbuilder]

I would not call them the worst films out there but as part of Star Wars they are definitely pretty bad. 

I can sit down and enjoy them as popcorn entertainment but only every once in a while. Once you start to try to square them with the rest of the saga it gets ugly pretty fast. 

That is not to say I can't see what Lucas tried to convey but generally he failed in every major way to convey the rise of Vader in way that fit with the Vader we saw in the OT.

Bottom line, on film, Anakin kills no Jedi at his level or better. But he does commit infanticide and genocide on a tribe of sand people. The rest of the time he was a creepy stalker, whiney kid and overall wuss. That is not the Vader I hoped for but that is the Vader Lucas saw fit to put on film. 

On a cinematic level the writing was bad, the set pieces were bland, the dialogue was boring and the exposition was thick when it didn't need to be. 

I for one would not mind a remake of the prequels. The people in the original projects got their paychecks and some of them had their careers ruined as a result. The heaps and heaps of continuity holes, plot hiccups and everything about them screams remake to me. Some people may find that disrespectful but I don't see how or why. TCW fleshed a lot of it out better but the fact that needed to exist in the first place says a lot about the quality of the PT in general. 

[-JD-]

-

Edited January 10, 2023 by -JD-

[VaderFan2187]

5 hours ago, Jammiedodger said:

 I don't see what this thread really adds to SW discussion. This has been debated endlessly elsewhere and in the Star Wars thread. As I said there last time this came up, on other forums you would be shunned for making this post. It just encourages silly negativity, emotions, and overused, frequently disproved, arguments. But against my better judgement I voted anyway...

I laughed when I saw 'should Disney remake the Prequels'. I mean seriously? The majority of SW fans and general public don't give a damn about gripes some people have with those movies, and neither does Disney/Lucasfilm. They bought the property as a whole and it is one Saga, like it or not it always will be, and it will be treated as one unified story. All the references in Rebels, TFA, Comics, and RO wouldn't be there if they thought otherwise. We wouldn't have all this new Star Wars without them. So a silly question, no offence.
Overused CGI?  Have you seen RO and TFA? Have you seen other recent movies (that wouldn't look so amazing if the PT hadn't done so first)? Would you rather obviously fake puppets/matte paintings/bad blue screen?
Bad acting?  Have you really watched the OT and new films? Have you seen other movies? They aren't all stellar either.

Please look on other sites like jedicouncilforums if you want to appreciate these films for what they are, talk with people who have watched the films hundreds of times, and enjoy Star Wars as a whole - these sorts of topics/discussion seem to be unnecessary afterwards.

People need to just get over it and move on, and if they are wondering things similar to you they should just look up the discussion elsewhere instead of beginning another. What matters is we are very lucky to have such a massive universe of lore to be interested in (and more than half of that is thanks to the PT). If more thought that way, this fandom wouldn't be considered one of the worst (if not the worst).

Don't get me wrong. I like the prequels 

[BrickG]

The prequels are a mess...

 

http://redlettermedia.com/

Just go and watch his Star Wars movie reviews. I agree with them almost entirely. PLUS these are funny and fun to watch either way. I'd say my own opinions but his match mine almost perfectly and he says it MUCH better than I ever could.

 

They're not the worst movies in the world. They're just... not great.  They should be recognized for their not greatness.

[LegoRacer1]

The only reseon I watched Episode 3 is because in the beginning as a kid I used to pretend I was flying the ships with them.

[Forresto]

I rewatched the prequels for the first time really since I was a teen, back then I watched them all a billion times so I reached that stage I needed to take a break. I will say i've noticed a lot more of the cracks, which i was previously aware of when originally seeing them but now as an adult I realize how much more pronounced they are. 

They aren't amazing, in fact they're slightly disappointing when you think of their incredible potential. I would argue the story of the prequels, the actual story not the execution of it, is perhaps one of the coolest ever told in my humble opinion. I think thats what makes the prequels such a let down in many ways because the brilliance of the story is messed up by the poor writing and mostly wooden acting.

That being said I still think there are a lot of brilliant aspects to the prequels really unmatched in the genre of sci-fi and fantasy. The universe and the way its portrayed is fantastic and the visual design is distinct and inspired. John William's score is phenomenal! The cinematography and camera shots and the actual visual sequence of the three films are likewise to me incredibly well done. There are so many shots that are framed impeccably well and we get many moments scattered throughout where you just go woah. These things are what many franchises and stories struggle and fail to create and imbue in an equally satisfying way. 

Edited June 4, 2017 by Forresto

[Mesabi]

On 1/10/2017 at 5:03 PM, Forresto said:

For instance the way they portrayed Anakin's rise is rather disappointing. As someone mentioned once though its not even Hayden Christensen's fault. When your an actor with a naturally high pitched voice and all of the dialogue is complaints then you're going to come across as excessively whiney and immediately disliked. 

To me the best part of the prequels as they exist now are all of the Palpatine scenes and the Clone Wars battles. 

Since we're on the topic of the prequels, I feel we should talk about the Clone Wars The movie and series. The Clone Wars really help to show Anakin's descent, while showing off awesome Clone Wars battles. 

Or is this off topic? I'm not really sure whether the Clone Wars counts under the prequel banner. 

[xboxtravis7992]

1 hour ago, Mesabi said:

Since we're on the topic of the prequels, I feel we should talk about the Clone Wars The movie and series. The Clone Wars really help to show Anakin's descent, while showing off awesome Clone Wars battles. 

Or is this off topic? I'm not really sure whether the Clone Wars counts under the prequel banner. 

Looking at The Clone Wars, I feel the decision to release the pilot episodes as a theatrical movie was dumb. They didn't translate well into film and felt choppy and wooden; what was acceptable animation for TV felt cheap via blockbuster movie standards. No wonder it is the worst reviewed theatrical Star Wars film on Rotten Tomatoes!

But as for the TV series? Sure it had a few episodes that were as bad (or worse) than the film. But it also had what I think are some of the best hands down Star Wars story moments ever. There are some great tense episodes, some great philosophical episodes, and a few good dramas and comedys in the mix. I think the character ark of Asohka Tano is one of the redeeming aspects of the Prequel Era in general; taking a young optimistic and annoyingly chipper character, and wearing her down and maturing here over the series until she becomes a young adult with a more sober outlook on life (not to mention following it up with her adult and tragic story in Star Wars: Rebels a few years later)... Brilliant and perhaps far better played than Anakin's arc in the PT ever was. Also the humanization of clone troopers, new characters such as Cad Bane and Hondo, great references to the EU, back stories for tertiary characters, cameo references to other films and behind the scenes stuff... Wow! There are a few turds in the series, but the good out shines the bad!

[Ultron]

I would love to see the SW prequels remade by Dave Filoni in the Clone Wars style animation. Using the show actors as well and rewriting the dialogue and probably some of the plot. Too bad that'd never happen  

18 minutes ago, xboxtravis7992 said:

Wow! There are a few turds in the series, but the good out shines the bad!

The like 5 episodes following R2D2 (who I freaking love) and the droids he's stuck with on some mission come to mind when we're talking about bad Clone Wars episodes...

Edited June 7, 2017 by Ultron

[Umbra-Manis]

16 hours ago, Ultron said:

I would love to see the SW prequels remade by Dave Filoni in the Clone Wars style animation. Using the show actors as well and rewriting the dialogue and probably some of the plot. Too bad that'd never happen  

The like 5 episodes following R2D2 (who I freaking love) and the droids he's stuck with on some mission come to mind when we're talking about bad Clone Wars episodes...

But even those episodes gave us a Clone Commando IN ACTION! 

[Vindicare]

On 1/10/2017 at 6:30 PM, Jammiedodger said:

 I don't see what this thread really adds to SW discussion. This has been debated endlessly elsewhere and in the Star Wars thread. As I said there last time this came up, on other forums you would be shunned for making this post. It just encourages silly negativity, emotions, and overused, frequently disproved, arguments. But against my better judgement I voted anyway...

I laughed when I saw 'should Disney remake the Prequels'. I mean seriously? The majority of SW fans and general public don't give a damn about gripes some people have with those movies, and neither does Disney/Lucasfilm. They bought the property as a whole and it is one Saga, like it or not it always will be, and it will be treated as one unified story. All the references in Rebels, TFA, Comics, and RO wouldn't be there if they thought otherwise. We wouldn't have all this new Star Wars without them. So a silly question, no offence.
Overused CGI?  Have you seen RO and TFA? Have you seen other recent movies (that wouldn't look so amazing if the PT hadn't done so first)? Would you rather obviously fake puppets/matte paintings/bad blue screen?
Bad acting?  Have you really watched the OT and new films? Have you seen other movies? They aren't all stellar either.

Please look on other sites like jedicouncilforums if you want to appreciate these films for what they are, talk with people who have watched the films hundreds of times, and enjoy Star Wars as a whole - these sorts of topics/discussion seem to be unnecessary afterwards.

People need to just get over it and move on, and if they are wondering things similar to you they should just look up the discussion elsewhere instead of beginning another. What matters is we are very lucky to have such a massive universe of lore to be interested in (and more than half of that is thanks to the PT). If more thought that way, this fandom wouldn't be considered one of the worst (if not the worst).

It seems to me that people who rag on the Prequels so much are SW snobs, like the OT is the end all, be all SW franchise. I also can't help but laugh when people bring up how whiny Anakin is...did they miss how whiny Luke is? They're both teenagers going through life, teenagers tend to whine. Sometimes a lot. 

[ChiefPie]

I like the prequels. I recently watched episode 2 and it definitely was not as good as I once thought. Anakin felt like a creep and I don't really mind jar jar but when I saw his cgi it really looked out of place. The only parts I truly enjoy in that movie is Geonosis and Anakin killing the tusken raiders.  I used to hate episode 1 but now I like it. The light saber duel is great and I like the story. Episode 3 is my favorite. The only thing I would change is to make grievous as deadly as he was in the original clone war series. I think the actors were perfect for the roles but needed a better script and better directing. 

[BaneShake]

They're very mixed. Really strong highs and really bad lows.

Bad: Anakin's acting, particularly Clones; unnecessary kidification, in particular he-who-must-not-be-life-debted and the bizarre comic-reliefiness of the battle droids as the trilogy went on; CGI woes, as many of the movies of the day now show, and really dumb moves on part of characters who should all be so much smarter; forced connections to the OT that had no place (Chewbacca), which is admittedly a problem the new movies have still demonstrated.

Good: So many fan-favorite characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Mace Windu, General Grievous, Darth Maul; intense and well-choreographed lightsaber duels; memes galore; Palpatine's entire sith monologue; Ewan McGregor's perfect Obi-Wan performance (if he doesn't get to come back and play him again I will consider it a war crime).

[Agent Kallus]

Read my signature 

They shouldn't remake them but extend them to 9 hours long (in total not each)

Edited September 18, 2017 by AgentKallus of Hydra

[rodiziorobs]

They weren't great, but probably receive more hate than they deserve.

Worthy of note is that they were groundbreaking, TPH in particular--no movie before had used CGI so extensively, to the point of having a major character and multiple settings entirely animated. Granted, the effects haven't aged particularly well, but it showed what was possible, and set a precedent which nearly every blockbuster made today follows. Imagine the current cinema landscape without the influence of TPH.

Yet as evidence of the hate towards it, when VES (Visual Effects Society) lists their most influential movies of all time, TPH is notably omitted.

Heh, a similar argument could be made for the OT by just replacing a few movie-specific details and the word "hate" with "love". 

[Legochaek]

I really like the prequels! For one thing Jar-Jar Binks and Darth Maul. 

For another I like knowing backstories of characters especially Darth Vader/Anakin.