Why Do People Hate the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy?

[Smellmet]

And they look outstanding... not video-gamey like CGI did fifteen years ago.

Kor

I must be one of the few people who found the visual effects in TFA quite cheesy and underwhelming in parts. Rogue One I found to be much more enjoyable on this front.

The most glaring video gamey moment for me is the droid factory in Episode 2. None of that looked really, especially C-3P0 and Padme's perilous predicament.

Absolutely. I hated this sequence, It still looked ok for the technology of the day, but combined with the childish humour in it and the fact it was clearly an action sequence for the sake of it, and it adds up to the worst sequence in the PT for me. Dreadful. I think most of the rest of AOTC holds up pretty well still. Just the odd bit here and there where it looks dodgy. I think Lucas bit off more than he could chew with this movie.

The duel on Mustafar...

Kor

This still has problems, but the VFX was better done here I think, and the climatic, high drama nature of the sequence carries it over the line comfortably for me. I could have done without the swinging from ropes bit, and I still think they'd both be burnt to death when they're stood on those things floating in the lava, but I always enjoy it. I'm a massive fan of ROTS in general though.

 

[Set Harth]

Absolutely. I hated this sequence, It still looked ok for the technology of the day, but combined with the childish humour in it and the fact it was clearly an action sequence for the sake of it, and it adds up to the worst sequence in the PT for me. Dreadful.

Hey, at least it gives R2 his obligatory hero moment, so... that's something?

 

[Prax]

I said I preferred the scenes overall, not the sets themselves. You know, the characters, the effects, the visuals, the sets, and the like as a collective whole? I prefer the scene.

I've always liked the Star Wars sets, especially Naboo.

That was rude of me to say. I apologize.

 

[fireproof78]

That was rude of me to say. I apologize.

We're good. Just clarifying is all.

 

[Smellmet]

Hey, at least it gives R2 his obligatory hero moment, so... that's something?

Meh. I preferred it when he stuck to his day job of hacking into computers. Or doing his fire extinguisher act at a push.

 

[fireproof78]

Meh. I preferred it when he stuck to his day job of hacking into computers. Or doing his fire extinguisher act at a push.

Or repairing a starship, like he was designed to do.

 

[Prax]

Or when Anakin rides him in The Clone Wars "movie...."

Have any of you seen the 4 part "order 66" arc in season 6? Where Fives rides that droid let a jetski? I love that droid. His name is AZI-345211896246498721347. I thought he was voiced by Seth Green, but looking at Wookiepedia, it says Benjamin Diskin.

 

[Reverend]

Or when Anakin rides him in The Clone Wars "movie...."

Have any of you seen the 4 part "order 66" arc in season 6? Where Fives rides that droid let a jetski? I love that droid. His name is AZI-345211896246498721347. I thought he was voiced by Seth Green, but looking at Wookiepedia, it says Benjamin Diskin.

You were probably thinking of this guy, who was indeed voiced by Seth Green.

 

[Prax]

You were probably thinking of this guy, who was indeed voiced by Seth Green.

Ahh, thanks. Todo is great, too! And so is Seth Green.

Poor Todo... He did have a funny death though. Mace Windu pushes him back into the duct and closes the vent on him right b4 he explodes.

 

[LJones41]

And they look outstanding... not video-gamey like CGI did fifteen years ago.

Kor

That's because the technology behind CGI has improved in the last decade-and-a-half. You did consider that . . . right?

 

[ichab]

If I had to pin it down, they just didn't give me the same excitement that I got when I first saw the OT. The "fun" aspect just wasn't there. I still rewatch episode 3 because was when the most interesting stuff happens, but I always skip 1 and 2.

 

[fireproof78]

If I had to pin it down, they just didn't give me the same excitement that I got when I first saw the OT. The "fun" aspect just wasn't there. I still rewatch episode 3 because was when the most interesting stuff happens, but I always skip 1 and 2.

That's a sentiment I find shared around in many different reviews. One friend of mind noted the differences that were illustrated by when someone reedited the Star Wars Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy to the style of Guardian of the Galaxies. He noted that there are not as many fun moments in the PT as in the OT, and that trailer kind of illustrated that point:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[LJones41]

I've always wondered why the media and many people tend to assume that all STAR WARS fans hate the Prequel Trilogy.

Or, why do some fans who dislike the Prequel Trilogy, tend to put down those fans who actually like it?

The "fun" aspect just wasn't there.

I never understood this belief that every STAR WARS movie requires a "fun aspect". I think the tone should adhere to the story being told. I believe the same should be considered for comic book hero movies.

 

[Prax]

Agreed. After watching those mashup trailers above, I think they're both amazing, but the PT one works a bit better than the OT one. It may just be that the OT one is so ingrained, that the true context(scenes used for humor in the trailer, that are actually of a very different tone) of many of those scenes leaps out, at least more prominently than the PT scenes.

Both trilogies have humor and light hearted moments, but they don't use a bunch of contemporary one liner jokes like a Guardians or Iron Man. They are more regal, and take themselves more serious(in a good way)

In context of the stories being told, the OT should have more light hearted adventure romp fun. The PT definitely has this, but less and less as the story progresses.

Why? Because(and I'm sure I've said this before) the story is an "epic tragedy" and a "downfall" or "fall of civilization."
In Ep1, the good guys win, but it's a pyrrhic victory. It's actually the villain who has won.
In Ep2, the good guys win, but just like Yoda says "Victory, Obi Wan? Not Victory" Yoda is old enough and wise enough to know what war actually means. The rest are too naive. So , another pyrrhic victory, and the Villain wins again.

In episode 3, the good guys(albeit wary, and suspicious) think they are on the cusp of ultimate victory, but they are on the edge of ultimate defeat. The villain wins wholesale.

Then there's a sliver of hope at the end.

The tone of these movies should reflect the tone of this story. The first should be lighter and end darker, and so on. So the fun moments should decrease as the plot moves forward.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Why Do You Hate the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy the Most?

Because they're not "fun," that's why ...

George Lucas gave STAR WARS '77 so much energy and just the joy of making movies ... that it became so contagious, the world caught onto it and made him a multi-billionaire! Also, it had no burdens on it, considering that Lucas didn't know if there would ever be another STAR WARS movie, for certain. A New Hope didn't have to follow up, or follow through, or tie any loose ends, or anything like that. It could just be a movie, unto itself, free of any and all inhibitions and was a masterpiece of Science Fiction/Fantasy, as a result. The prequels were just about getting it shot quick and dirty, with an overreliance on shorthand that came from knowing the previous trilogy and it just had no life of its own, like ANH did. It wasn't about the fun that can be had at the movies, it was all about the hype. Had there not been a nearly 20 year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace, the latter movie wouldn't have fared nearly so well, as it did. And it did fare well. Many who saw it at the time thought it was good stuff. It wasn't until later that fans started criticizing the living balls out of it and bellyaching about ruined childhoods and all that kind of stupid shite ...

 

[fireproof78]

I've always wondered why the media and many people tend to assume that all STAR WARS fans hate the Prequel Trilogy.

Because the people who like them are not as vocal. Sorry, that's the truth. I have listened to ten different podcasts, by several different people from all walks of life (visual effects, comedians, Sam Witwer) and only Sam's was the most positive and described how the whole Saga all fit together.

Honestly, I hear constant complaints that the PT "isn't that bad" (what is it like prison food? Not as bad as they say?) but I don't hear the positive stories. And before I get slapped down for not "knowing all of fans" please note that I was a part of a Star Wars fan group for 4 years, made 3 fan films, none of which are fit for human consumption.

So, maybe, just maybe the stories that are more positive could be told to expand people's awareness of other experiences.

I never understood this belief that every STAR WARS movie requires a "fun aspect". I think the tone should adhere to the story being told. I believe the same should be considered for comic book hero movies.

It's not just fun, but also the idea of taking it less seriously at certain points. This is a strange world, and people need someone who calls it as ridiculous and then moves on. It's a part of storytelling, and the original does it very well, because you have the Han Solo character who doesn't believe in the Force, only to be proven wrong and to become less skeptical and move towards the hero's point of view.

Even in Empire, the darkest part of the OT, you still have small glimpses of humor as well as a genuine sense that these characters are taking the situation seriously.

Finally, as I have stated before, the characters do not come out as believable in the PT as the OT and TFA, and this obviously, is very subjective. But, that's my experience, and I rarely hear different experiences.

But, if others are not willing to share their positive stories, then I'll do one thing and say listen to Rebel Force Radio's commentary episodes with Sam Witer. Sam is probably one of the most positive guys on Trek I've listen to in a long time, and that includes Pablo Hidalgo.

 

[Captain Nebula]

I don't hate the Prequels. Some of us really liked them.

I rewatched them all back to back in one day for the first time in ages a couple of weeks ago, and do you know what? I really enjoyed them. It's been easy to hate on these films down the years, but really, I think they're pretty damn good overall.

I think people have been hypercritical about the Prequels. Part of it was Expectation Blindness. They expected something different because the Expanded Universe gave them something different. I stopped reading the EU after so long because most of the authors couldn't get the Force right. I almost wrote my own rules for the role-playing game, because you couldn't create any characters that matched the movies.

 

[fireproof78]

I don't hate the Prequels. Some of us really liked them.

I would love to hear more

I think people have been hypercritical about the Prequels. Part of it was Expectation Blindness. They expected something different because the Expanded Universe gave them something different. I stopped reading the EU after so long because most of the authors couldn't get the Force right. I almost wrote my own rules for the role-playing game, because you couldn't create any characters that matched the movies.

And would love to hear these rules. I think that RPGs and video games really struggle with the concept of the Force, and is application. Maybe Dark Forces II did petty good, but things like Star Wars Galaxies, and the tabletop RPGs made me scratch my head.

Finally, as a general comment, it really doesn't need to be an "us vs. them" situation with the PT. It really can be an opportunity to learn and grow through learning other individual's perspectives and experiences.

 

[Morpheus 02]

I think it isn't so much hating the entire pre trilogy.. it's simply the massive let down that The Phantom Menace was.

Revenge of the Sith, in my opinion was great, worthy of the OT, and had the best opening of any Star Wars movie.

But with Jar Jar and kiddie Anakin, and believing he was someone special (as opposed to Dakota Fanning in Taken) ..that really threw things off.

I would say the internal hype of anticipation even outweighed that of The Force Awakens. But with TFA, both the trailers and the actual movie, "felt" like Star Wars, where the Phantom Menace not so much.

And that disappointment lingered in people's minds for the rest of the trilogy.

 

[Garak]

Don't hate them, they just aren't very good. Incredibly lackluster compared to the previous movies and not nearly as fun. The acting aside from a few notable exceptions was terrible, it was generally poorly written. I don't really remember any cringe worthy moments in the previous movies outside of the Ewoks but there are plenty in the prequels.

Saying that there are some amazing parts here and there that are definitely Star Wars and definitely worth watching.

But on the whole.....meh.