Why Do People Hate the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy?
- Thread starter VulcanMindBlown
- Start date
It's nearly impossible to compare the two trilogies in this manner objectively. If you could travel back in time to before 1997, you could possibly better gauge popular feelings on the OT in the same context that you could gauge popular feelings on the PT today. When they were released, all 6 were mega popular with audiences. Some more so than others. They all made mega bucks at the BO, some more so than others. Two of them were overall critically praised(Episode 4, and Episode 3), 2 of them received mixed reviews, Some quite negative, some on the fence, and a healthy mix of positive reviews(Episode 5, and Episode 2) And 2 received a mixed reception, with many negative reviews(e6, and ep1. Except for the late, great Roger Ebert. He praised both films)
I think critical reception is important to a discussion seeking to "count the flaws" or whatever is going on here, especially comparing two sets of movies a generation apart. There should be some historical context.
I think critical reception is important to a discussion seeking to "count the flaws" or whatever is going on here, especially comparing two sets of movies a generation apart. There should be some historical context.
Well . . . yeah! The OT does have its flaws and problems. Just because you made a sarcastic comment about that doesn't mean there are a lot of people who actually do believe that the OT is flawed.
Anyway, why make this comment only about the Prequel Trilogy? Does the fact that there are a large number of fans who love the Original Trilogy, "The Force Awakens" and "Rogue One" eliminate their problems? Or flaws? I guess not.
It's a balancing act between the two is my point.
And, yes, I believe the OT is flawed too-every film does. I think the good outweighs it though, especially with characters.
ETA: My original comment was not meant to be sarcastic. It was recognizing that it would be the next logical response. So, please try reading it without any sarcastic intent because there is none.
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The good outweighs the flaws in this case.
Seems a bit topical:
Says who? You? What makes you think that this opinion is a fact?
I feel that the OT's virtues outweigh its flaws. I believe that the PT's virtues outweigh its flaws. I also feel that way about "ROGUE ONE". I don't feel this way about "THE FORCE AWAKENS". But these are my opinions. They're not facts.
Is someone stating it as fact?
That is why I put "I think" as part of that statement. I have simply encountered are large number of fans who share that opinion.
Is someone stating it as fact?
I rarely ever see the words . . . "in my opinion" or "I feel". I do see a lot of "everyone" or simply "people".
any examples in this thread?
And I have done my best to speak from my experience and the opinions that I have heard. I try to avoid terms like those because I know opinions are so varied.
In my experience the majority of opinions I have read, listened to, jokes that I have heard, have not favored the PT due to character and story problems. I have also seen individuals or argue in favor of the PT, but that is less frequent in my travels.
I have been discussing the Star Wars films since 1999 online. The above is all based on my experience.
Yeah, I have come across a much much greater number of negative feelings about the PT than the OT.
I've come across a few people who like the PT, but the majority of them still like the OT better. I can not remember coming across a single person who actually likes the PT more. I like the PT a lot more than most people seem to, but even I still like the OT better.
I've come across a few people who like the PT, but the majority of them still like the OT better. I can not remember coming across a single person who actually likes the PT more. I like the PT a lot more than most people seem to, but even I still like the OT better.
Oh I dunno... the whole thing about Darth Vader being a virgin birth, and the midichlorians (I'm still to this day scratching my head in a WTF@&@!&!&&!& over that) and, of course, Jar Jar, a character I think Lucas came up with thinking everyone was going to love him... that was a slight miscalculation... 
I think I might have asked this before in here, apologies. But Lucas actually came up with the Midichlorians back when he was writing the OT according to a Making of book. Would we feel a lot less strongly about them if he had mentioned them in ANH and not just shoehorned in with TPM?
Thing is, it wasn't shoehorned into TPM at all. It was relevant to the immediate plot and to Anakin's and the Jedi's overarching plot for the rest of the trilogy. Firstly to demonstrate that Anakin's natural talents were *way* beyond normal and secondly to indicate that the Jedi Order had somewhat lost touch with the old ways and relied to heavily on science rather than trusting the force and their own instincts.
The former was necessary (as well as the "virgin birth" bit) because half the point of this was as a deconstruction of the "Chosen One" trope. That the Jedi took a prophecy at face value relates to the former above mentioned point. Their distrust of Anakin and their own instinct contributed to his fall.
As for it being mentioned in ANH: there really wasn't anywhere where it would have been relevant. Obi-Wan already knew Luke has a natural affinity thanks to his father; he didn't need to confirm it. Besides, Ben Kenobi is a much more enlightened person than he was and as such wouldn't put as much stock in a midichlorian count alone as he once did.
The former was necessary (as well as the "virgin birth" bit) because half the point of this was as a deconstruction of the "Chosen One" trope. That the Jedi took a prophecy at face value relates to the former above mentioned point. Their distrust of Anakin and their own instinct contributed to his fall.
As for it being mentioned in ANH: there really wasn't anywhere where it would have been relevant. Obi-Wan already knew Luke has a natural affinity thanks to his father; he didn't need to confirm it. Besides, Ben Kenobi is a much more enlightened person than he was and as such wouldn't put as much stock in a midichlorian count alone as he once did.
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Maybe. I dunno. I'm no expert on Star Wars history, by any means. But I do remember the late 90s, vividly, and I remember when the Phantom Menace was on its way. Oh, that was absolute insanity! People were camping out for weeks in advance to get tickets. People were filling up the theatres just to watch the trailer - and that's no BS. I remember sitting in a theatre back in '99 (don't even remember what movie it was off hand), the place filled to capacity to watch the Phantom Menace trailer and, as soon as that was over, almost everybody left. I think about 6 stayed for the actual feature.
And then, after all that hype, all that build-up, all that anticipation, as soon as it came out, everybody hated it. Even a lot of the die-hard warsies hated it. I remember some people were actually in tears over it. They were like, "I waited for another Star Wars movie for 16 years, and now it's here, and it's terrible..." literally crying, which, I gotta admit I found rather amusing, which may sound kind of sadistic. But the point is I was just like "People, I can understand being disappointed in a movie, but it is just a movie..."
It would be hard for anything to live up to that. I would imagine younger people, even if not liking it much, would be a lot less critical in part just from only waiting 2-5 years for a new one (as well as initially being closer to young Anakin's age).
I think in general the public opinion of the movies has improved or at least mellowed. The main criticisms are just that Jar-Jar was annoying, the romantic storyline in part two was bad and maybe the writing and acting were too stiff in general. The complaint that there was just too much CGI has probably gotten a lot less common and intense since heavy use of CGI has become a lot more common including in popular films.
I for one think the problem isn't "too much CGI" so much as the use of CGI where it wasn't the best tool for the job and particularly using CGI (including where they used physical models combined with the completely artificial effects) to create hugely elaborate environments without convincingly placing the performers within them.
Kids loved the phantom menace back in 99. And the only time people complain about cgi, is when it's in the Prequels, and not then, when they first came out, when even the harshest critics of the films still praised the visuals, but now... today. They'll praise the cgi in any other movie, only to (ironically) point at the mostly practical special effects of the prequels and say "CraP CgI EvErywHere!" I have seen it so many times.
Even though the days of camping out in line for tickets are largely over, lets go back to the 80's and 90's.
If people are waiting for days in line for...
Football game tickets? Ok, that makes sense. They game is guaranteed to be exciting, and if it's something like a championship, or even superbowl, that's once in a lifetime. Those tickets WILL sell out.
Concert tickets? Ehhh, similar to the football game, and the tickets will sell out. I wouldn't personally camp out in a line for a concert, but I still understand.
Movie tickets? Movie Tickets?!?!? Why? So you can claim to have seen it on opening night, and not the next day? Or the day after that? For crying in the mud, I have a hard time feeling sympathy, for someone in their 20's or 30's, who camped out for days to weeks to see Star Wars a day or 2 sooner than he could have without all the trouble. If that person was disappointed, they were pretty much begging to be.
Unlike the football game or the concert, a movie is not a single, live event. It's going to be sitting there waiting for you every day for the next 3 months!
...sorry for the rant...and to anyone who has camped out for weeks for movie tickets...
Even though the days of camping out in line for tickets are largely over, lets go back to the 80's and 90's.
If people are waiting for days in line for...
Football game tickets? Ok, that makes sense. They game is guaranteed to be exciting, and if it's something like a championship, or even superbowl, that's once in a lifetime. Those tickets WILL sell out.
Concert tickets? Ehhh, similar to the football game, and the tickets will sell out. I wouldn't personally camp out in a line for a concert, but I still understand.
Movie tickets? Movie Tickets?!?!? Why? So you can claim to have seen it on opening night, and not the next day? Or the day after that? For crying in the mud, I have a hard time feeling sympathy, for someone in their 20's or 30's, who camped out for days to weeks to see Star Wars a day or 2 sooner than he could have without all the trouble. If that person was disappointed, they were pretty much begging to be.
Unlike the football game or the concert, a movie is not a single, live event. It's going to be sitting there waiting for you every day for the next 3 months!
...sorry for the rant...and to anyone who has camped out for weeks for movie tickets...
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