Star Wars Prequels

[GeddyRulz]

[workingcinderellaman]

[Jack Aubrey]

QUOTE (Alex @ Apr 21 2010, 02:37 PM)

QUOTE (Alex @ Apr 21 2010, 02:36 PM) QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ Apr 21 2010, 10:21 AM) The prequels suck and Lucas' re-working of the OT sucks for the most part. Han. Shot. First. Un-doing that takes away his edge. On the weekend around the nerd area of downtown (game stores, board game places etc.) I saw a guy with a shirt, in Star Wars font, that said "Han Shot First." It was awesome. LOL Here it is.   http://johngushue.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/19/han_shot_first_tshirt.jpg Cool! I might get one!

[Rushman14]

[theredtamasrule]

[Ancient Ways]

Ambivalent here. I enjoyed parts of them but I'm not sure what is worse: Jar Jar or the fact that one of the baddest villains of all time got that way because he was a pu$$y-whipped little bi+ch.

[Soni]

I thought they were good, though not as good as the original movies, I&III were good but II sucked big time!

Have you noticed that the detractors of the new trilogy are people who grew up with the old movies?

[JohnRogers]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

You're being nice. It's a piece of shit on its best day. I suppose there are few good parts like Kenobi & Qui-Gon vs Maul and maybe something else that I'm forgetting. But a burrito is also good before you drag it through a sewer. I mean, you wouldn't eat that burrito anymore would you? :hail:

[YYZumbi]

I like all 6 episodes that Lucas made. It´s all one whole story that explains how Anakin Skywalker becomes the evil Darth Vader. I have seen episode 1, 2 and 3 as much as I have seen 4,5 and 6. (I most of the time see them all during a marathon when Im watching Star Wars, starting with episode 1.)

 

It´s some really nice saber battles in episode 1,2 and 3.

 

The Force Awakens on the other hand.....there we have a real shit movie that should never have been made..... Just poorly written and bad actors (except for the original Star Wars actors ofcourse). You can see that its Disney that have made the movie and not the genius George Lucas.

[JohnnyBlaze]

I like all 6 episodes that Lucas made. It´s all one whole story that explains how Anakin Skywalker becomes the evil Darth Vader. I have seen episode 1, 2 and 3 as much as I have seen 4,5 and 6. (I most of the time see them all during a marathon when Im watching Star Wars, starting with episode 1.)

 

It´s some really nice saber battles in episode 1,2 and 3.

 

The Force Awakens on the other hand.....there we have a real shit movie that should never have been made..... Just poorly written and bad actors (except for the original Star Wars actors ofcourse). You can see that its Disney that have made the movie and not the genius George Lucas.

 

http://dumbguzzler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/lucas.jpg

 

http://lucianogalasso.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/john-salley-holding-george-lucas.jpg

[YYZumbi]

I like all 6 episodes that Lucas made. It´s all one whole story that explains how Anakin Skywalker becomes the evil Darth Vader. I have seen episode 1, 2 and 3 as much as I have seen 4,5 and 6. (I most of the time see them all during a marathon when Im watching Star Wars, starting with episode 1.)

 

It´s some really nice saber battles in episode 1,2 and 3.

 

The Force Awakens on the other hand.....there we have a real shit movie that should never have been made..... Just poorly written and bad actors (except for the original Star Wars actors ofcourse). You can see that its Disney that have made the movie and not the genius George Lucas.

.

 

Your point is...?

[YYZumbi]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

You're being nice. It's a piece of shit on its best day. I suppose there are few good parts like Kenobi & Qui-Gon vs Maul and maybe something else that I'm forgetting. But a burrito is also good before you drag it through a sewer. I mean, you wouldn't eat that burrito anymore would you? :hail:

 

To be honest its people like you two that made Lucas sell the Star Wars rights to Disney. He got tired of people complaining on his work. And I can understand him...

[JohnnyBlaze]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

You're being nice. It's a piece of shit on its best day. I suppose there are few good parts like Kenobi & Qui-Gon vs Maul and maybe something else that I'm forgetting. But a burrito is also good before you drag it through a sewer. I mean, you wouldn't eat that burrito anymore would you? :hail:

 

To be honest its people like you two that made Lucas sell the Star Wars rights to Disney. He got tired of people complaining on his work. And I can understand him...

http://www.taleas.com/images/memes/the-dumbass--is-strong-with-this-one.png

[YYZumbi]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

You're being nice. It's a piece of shit on its best day. I suppose there are few good parts like Kenobi & Qui-Gon vs Maul and maybe something else that I'm forgetting. But a burrito is also good before you drag it through a sewer. I mean, you wouldn't eat that burrito anymore would you? :hail:

 

To be honest its people like you two that made Lucas sell the Star Wars rights to Disney. He got tired of people complaining on his work. And I can understand him...

.

 

Can you stop posting pictures all the time and say something instead! So damn annoying!

[JohnnyBlaze]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

You're being nice. It's a piece of shit on its best day. I suppose there are few good parts like Kenobi & Qui-Gon vs Maul and maybe something else that I'm forgetting. But a burrito is also good before you drag it through a sewer. I mean, you wouldn't eat that burrito anymore would you? :hail:

 

To be honest its people like you two that made Lucas sell the Star Wars rights to Disney. He got tired of people complaining on his work. And I can understand him...

.

 

Can you stop posting pictures all the time and say something instead! So damn annoying!

[YYZumbi]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

You're being nice. It's a piece of shit on its best day. I suppose there are few good parts like Kenobi & Qui-Gon vs Maul and maybe something else that I'm forgetting. But a burrito is also good before you drag it through a sewer. I mean, you wouldn't eat that burrito anymore would you? :hail:

 

To be honest its people like you two that made Lucas sell the Star Wars rights to Disney. He got tired of people complaining on his work. And I can understand him...

.

 

Can you stop posting pictures all the time and say something instead! So damn annoying!

.

 

...

[goose]

First off, I'm not a huge fan of the original trilogy. I like it, I just don't think it's the greatest thing ever. With that said, the prequels are horrible. Especially <i>The Revenge of the Sith</i>.

 

I'll watch any movie from the original trilogy again. The prequels, no way.

 

Oh yeah, one thing that George Lucas got right - casting Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's the only thing worthy of being compared to the cast of the original movies.

Agreed. McGregor is great, Sith is too heavy-handed, and as a collection, the prequels stink.

[workingcinderellaman]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

You're being nice. It's a piece of shit on its best day. I suppose there are few good parts like Kenobi & Qui-Gon vs Maul and maybe something else that I'm forgetting. But a burrito is also good before you drag it through a sewer. I mean, you wouldn't eat that burrito anymore would you? :hail:

So I watched the prequels recently with my daughter and if you take out Jar-Jar from Phantom, it's not that bad of a movie. I thought episode two was worse because of the horrible love affair between Anakin and Padme. Qui-Gon is my favorite Jedi and the light saber fight at the end was pretty cool.

 

The biggest problem I have with Episode One is that it's irrelevant to the main storyline. They wasted an entire movie about Anakin as a child. IMO, Episode One should have started with Anakin being Luke's age in Episode 4. The love affair between him and Padme would have been better if he was her age and acted more like an adult instead of a petulant child. They created so many flaws in ANakin's character that it was completely unbelievable that anyone would fall in love with him.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

May 19 marked the 10th anniversary of the geekily over-anticipated Star Wars prequels. I almost don�t have the energy to write this, as I�ve spent waaaay too much online time during this past decade pathetically �defending� the integrity of the new trilogy amongst all the snarky hate and cynicism, partly simply sharing my enthusiasm for the films and partly as a reaction to the criticism with annoyance; but I also feel a bit neglectful letting the film�s first decade go by without a few reflections.

 

I grew up with Star Wars, not unlike most youngins (notice my refrain from using �youngling�) in my age group, give or take five or so years either way. In fact, I was probably the perfect target for Lucas�s story-telling and money-making intentions; a 7-year-old-boy with an allowance and a kind father, willing to take him to both the cinema and the toy store on Saturdays. I was still young enough to play with things like �action figures� and big-eyed enough to be wow�d by the characters, the effects, but old enough also be moved emotionally. (I cried when both Yoda and Darth Vader died). For the duration of my formative years, Star Wars was a key presence in my life and in American pop culture in general, no matter your age. You simply couldn�t avoid it and thankfully most simply didn�t try to. The first film in 1977 was in the early days of what would become summer blockbusters, Jaws two years earlier being considered the impetus of this phenomenon. The release of each new Star Wars film eventually became increasingly bigger �events� and not merely a normal movie release, at least by the standard at the time. Now it seems each inept summer film is a red carpet event. Thanks to Lucas�s creativity and imagination, each film also ensured kids cool new cinematic locales (desserts, ice planets, and forests � oh my!), new characters, ships, adventures, and � yes � killer toys. Christmas had thusly been re-scheduled to the third week in May every three years and that was just fine by me.

 

But eventually it ended. May 25, 1983 marked the end of the Star Wars saga, though jibber-jabber in sci-fi magazines throughout the years suggested there would be more films down the line, prequels and even sequels, according to Lucas. The �when� part of that promise came as a non-specific guarantee and I found myself bouncing from one hopeful year to the next; eventually realizing I�d star-gazed straight into adulthood while waiting. After all, within a year of the final Star Wars film, Lucas had another hot property on his hands with Raiders Of The Lost Ark and a myriad of promised sequels, as well other production projects and the development of Skywalker Ranch in the �to do� basket, none of which directly involved Star Wars prequels or sequels. The subject would come up in interviews and biographies quite regularly, but Lucas said he was waiting for the technology to reach a certain level where he could tell the stories the way he�d always imagined them and having an ironed-out means by which to do so. That, in 1986, was code for �not anytime soon, lad.� May 1983 had quietly marked the end of an important part of my childhood not fulfilled as satisfactorily by Indy Jones or Steven Spielberg, let alone Howard The Duck or Preston Tucker.

 

Fast forward to 1999 to find this particular wide-eyed boy now pushing 30-years-old, married, with a son, a mortgage, and a student loan payment. A lifetime had passed since Return Of The Jedi and the enthusiastic youth had grown up, more or less. Two summers earlier I�d almost accidentally learned that the first new Star Wars film in 16 years was finally underway, filming somewhere; but in the midst of my now-adult life, while intrigued, it simply took a back seat to everything else and I phased in and out of disinterest. By August 1998 the movie�s odd title had been released to my curious observation and some between-friends-type chatter, but it wasn�t until November that year when the first teaser trailer aired that it all clicked with my inner boy from 1977. I remember getting that first deep spine tingle as images both new and familiar chaotically danced before my eyes in scenes so quickly cut together that you almost gasped trying to make sense of it all. Characters I�d never before seen mingled and interacted with the first new images of R2-D2 in nearly 20 years, and all of this under the auditory canopy of my generation�s all-too-familiar John Williams movie anthem. It was almost a religious experience. My God, I realized, there�s a new Star Wars film on the horizon. Merely hearing whispers about it off and on for so long almost hadn�t made a cumulative impression, but seeing the movie trailer left me a grinning and suddenly under-developed 29-year-old.

 

After the trailer, it was a media pandemonium the likes of which the film industry hasn�t seen since, nor likely had anything approached it prior; thus sealing to a certain degree the fate of the film. It was the subject of magazine interviews, covers, comic conventions, the nightly news, etc. Everyone from Tom Brokaw to a nomad riding a camel in the Middle East appeared to now be aware that a new Star Wars film was opening, it was that unavoidable. With the advent of home viewing and video cassettes, the original films were now a rite of passage for young children and my son was no exception. The anticipation for the new films to match or even exceed the reverence felt for the first three was enormous and built with each news story covering the release of The Phantom Menace.

 

My expectations were a bit more grounded and I believed that satisfaction was reasonably attainable, given one key element: it simply need only look and feel like a Star Wars film. I�d accepted that this was going to be virgin territory, with new actors having to play hallowed roles, a few exceptions aside. Maybe that would work, but maybe our minds were irreversibly centered around Alec Guiness and David Prowse, not Ewan McGregor and Jake Lloyd. I�d realized that Harrison Ford wasn�t going to be in this picture, period, no matter how much I�d miss his swagger. I�d realized that the events of this film took place decades before the original films, when the story landscape of the Star Wars universe was more peaceful; less obviously evil -- blacks and whites traded in for shades of grey. For example, imagine the differences watching a movie about the United States during the roaring 20s and then again during the depth of the Great Depression a decade later and note the tonal differences; so I knew that details such as color were going to be different this time, more vibrant and less bleak this go �round. I�d realized that what pushed the boundaries of effects and visual technology in 1977, 1980, and finally in 1983 were different today and that computer fx would bring a completely new perspective and look to Star Wars, if only because it now could! Camera motion and panning alone were going to be more active and less static, simply due to the first film�s limitations. Plastic models didn�t need to float on wires exclusively anymore and the reverence for the original films ought not predicate that it should, not when the ability of filmmakers to approach the medium much more kinetically existed. It�s the very reason Lucas had waited to make the films to begin with. I realized that alien life forms were now achievable entirely as computer creations and not simply as marionettes, hand-puppets, or midgets in rubber masks, so I knew to expect all of these boundaries to be stretched beyond what I was already familiar with.

 

What was most important to me was that it retained the character and charm of the original films because I�d realized the look wouldn�t be the same. I�d left home and grown up. Returning home the same way would be impossible and an unfortunate expectation a decade-and-a-half later. That�s simply the reality of life. The old house now had yellow vinyl siding and not the old faded clapboard veneer that required painting every five years. Dad had put on that family room addition back in 1993 and our old dog Barley had died and the family now had two cats instead. But the memories and the thrill had less to do with the veneer and more to do with the smells wafting in from the kitchen on a Saturday morning. It was in these almost indescribable senses that my love for the original films could be matched by the new ones.

 

This was the success I found 10 minutes into The Phantom Menace. Beyond the instantly gratifying and exciting opening, which remains identical in all six films, the movie got underway and I slowly began smelling bacon and biscuits cooking in the kitchen, my expectations tempered by the things I�d spent some time thinking about and adjusting to prior to simply dropping myself into my seat demanding to be lovingly caressed by my memories. I was actually able to go back and revisit this world and feel the familiarity, all while being stimulated with the variety of new places where the film took me, both in terms of story and actual locales. I never thought for one minute, wow, this just isn�t Star Wars.

 

This was a process repeated in the second and third installments as well. Over roughly seven or so total hours I�d gone to new places I�d never imagined, been re-introduced to characters I loved, and at long last had a light shone on the previously vague origins of characters whose inceptions I�d wondered and day-dreamed about as a child in ways that both thrilled and moved me. I�d left myself open to George Lucas�s interpretations of the events. I was quite alright with that because he�d created these characters and frankly I didn�t want someone else�s interpretation of events. Even when I disagreed with him, I went along because it was his story to tell, not my expectations to thrust upon him.

 

But I don�t think that most folks were looking at it that sublimely or patiently. I think most of the older Star Wars fans had come to expect George Lucas to make a film for them that matched their level of adulthood at 27, 30, or 35 � much like the new Star Trek film had boldly grown up where no previous installment had grown up before it. Not that that�s invalid or unfair, but it simply wasn�t what Lucas set out to achieve, so there was a fundamental disagreement from the outset. While the original trilogy appealed to folks of all ages because the movies were undeniable popcorn fun, they had an incredible and specific appeal to children, of which I�d been one. That the prequels were also geared that way left a sour taste in the mouths of these former children expecting less childish ways. That the protagonist wasn�t a whiney nearly-adult 20-year-old as Luke had been, but, instead, truly a child of nine didn�t help this either.

 

Of course this is just the tip of the dissatisfaction iceberg that would ultimately sink this titanic trilogy in the hearts and minds of many fans. The internet now afforded defenders and bashers a free and (generally) healthy forum to debate all of the films in their minutia for as long as one could keep their fingers and minds nimble. And bash it and love it we all did, from the acting to the script, from the computer-generated fx to the score.

 

Ultimately the Star Wars prequels were incredible successes financially, from the films to the swag. Despite the unexpected-though-inevitable-mixed reaction to the Episode I, the films remained critic and fan proof. Folks who�d spent their time lambasting the first prequel took their dutiful place in line for the premiere of the second one. When that went over no better, they bashed it too and then took their place in line for the last installment; the only thing stalling their continued hypocrisy being that Lucas stopped making more films, or it might still be a natural three-year event, not unlike the sea turtles coming ashore all at once to regularly lay their eggs. Even their own hatred couldn�t quell the bitter fan�s insatiable curiosity, much to my amusement. If I�d a dollar for every disgruntled fan who began an internet diatribe on rottentomatoes.com or some similar place with some variation of �I�ve seen the film six times now and I hate it more each time,� my wallet would be as fat as at least Josh Lucas�s, if not George. Of course most of us don�t intentionally spend our money on things that make us progressively miserable without either attaining the reputation as a liar or, at least, a masochist; but that�s not my burden to bear.

 

Ten years later the prequels are much as they were then, the object of snicker, ire, and disappointment � although I�ve heard the comments arise of late that sound a bit like this: �I watched (pick one) for the first time in years now and it�s not as bad as I remember it being.� That�s not much of a compliment, I realize, but it�s progress. Surely the films won�t be remembered with the reverence of the original trilogy, at least not until all six films are in the hands of those who weren�t around to see any of them in the theater and then, who knows? I know that much like I loved the original films as a seven-year-old, my son at three, six, and nine-years of age had an affinity and an excitement for the prequels. I think that was George Lucas�s intention to begin with. What pisses us off and what we struggle to fathom is that Lucas might�ve made the new films not for his adoring and lifelong fans, but for people who weren�t even alive to watch the first films. For better or worse � oversight or not -- that�s what he did. That I was able to remove myself from the tide pool of adult-headed expectation and give my perception over to the creator of the series was to my fortune most times. Because of that I was able to see and view the films on a level that some simply couldn�t get past or, maybe more accurately, simply resisted.

 

However, I�m not a moron; I understand the gripes and the misgivings. I even share a number of them. For instance I didn�t drink the Jar Jar Kool-Aid, even though I didn�t despise the character. At best he was grossly overused and this was because he was Lucas�s new creative achievement � this all-CGI character that would appeal to kids and make adults laugh in a C-3PO kind of way, etc. Well, this didn�t entirely work out and I think Lucas�s stunted adolescence (in a Michael Jackson sort of way, minus the pedophilia � I hope) combined with a lack of editorial balance (in a Prince sort of way, minus the cool symbol) made the character far too much of an �ok� thing, instead of the perfect amount of a brilliant thing. This completely hands-on approach by Lucas was his biggest mistake and the most cavernous difference between the trilogies. That he had to direct every film and be involved in every aspect of the decision making failed to allow more sane (or at least opposing) heads to prevail at times. I mean, who tells George �no?� I think he needed to be told to �delete that� far more often than I suspect actually occurred. If it was clever and witty or cool to Lucas, it remained, no matter how lame it actually was.

 

But I also don�t feel this editorial stranglehold killed any one film, let alone the overall impact of the films as a prequel trilogy. Quite the contrary. Lucas�s over-the-top childishness was, at worst, a small series of petty annoyances. No three-second-long scene of Jar Jar stepping in feces or cringe-filled moment of Jake Lloyd gleefully screaming �yipeeeee� ultimately detracts from the friggin� brilliance that is the three-way light saber duel at the film�s conclusion; or how this scene was dramatically and thrillingly cut together with three other action sequences. Nor do they cut into the scenic thrill of the pod race sequence or the sublime snake-oil charm of Ian McDiarmid as the soon-to-be Emperor. At the end of the day, Lucas knows how to tell a story; especially his story. The fact that he did three back-stories this well � stories whose conclusions we already knew � and maintained the excitement and tension that he did is almost a small miracle. One prequel is difficult to pull off, let alone three of them over six years.

 

Ten years later I�m left with great satisfaction and pride in the Star Wars prequels, as both exciting films worthy of the original trilogy -- and even surpassing them in some though-not-all respects -- and as a fun time spent by me as an adult, still able to appreciate new Star Wars over a nearly 30-year-span of time. For instance, while generally unspoiled for the first two films, I spent nearly two years during the filming and editing of Episode III geekily tracking down plot details, pictures, and on-set reports that were both released and leaked. It was an incredibly thrilling time to be a fan, enjoying the setting suns on the Star Wars saga as I never imagined in 1977 that I�d still be doing in the spring of 2005. And that six-year journey of its own began in May of 1999 with a fondly-remembered Episode I; a film so smothered by the hype that it was doomed to disappoint.

 

In my best Yoda, I encourage you to let go of your anger. After all, anger leads to hate�hate leads to suffering. Star Wars is intended to be fun. I�m not sure about that crying in baseball thing, but there�s no suffering in Star Wars.

 

Unlearn what you have learned.

 

I realize how old this is, but it's awesome. I wholeheartedly agree.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I like all 6 episodes that Lucas made. It´s all one whole story that explains how Anakin Skywalker becomes the evil Darth Vader. I have seen episode 1, 2 and 3 as much as I have seen 4,5 and 6. (I most of the time see them all during a marathon when Im watching Star Wars, starting with episode 1.)

 

It´s some really nice saber battles in episode 1,2 and 3.

 

The Force Awakens on the other hand.....there we have a real shit movie that should never have been made..... Just poorly written and bad actors (except for the original Star Wars actors ofcourse). You can see that its Disney that have made the movie and not the genius George Lucas.

 

I want to ask "you're joking, right?" But somehow I know you aren't, in which case I'm sorry you hate seven, seeing as it was made as the ultimate crowd pleasing movie attraction that was supposed to be liked by pretty much everyone and get everyone back on board for a new Star Wars trilogy. I was certainly skepticle for a very long time and very angry that Disney bought SW (still kind of am actually), but I can't see anything but perfection in seven's writing and execution, the hype and promotion included.

 

I'm also not really sure how you could say Mark Hamill (being one of the originals) was particularly better than any of the new actors in that movie acting wise, seeing as he was in it for all of one minute. Really, the only actor in that movie I find debatable is Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, and he could certainly be much worse.

[goose]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

You're being nice. It's a piece of shit on its best day. I suppose there are few good parts like Kenobi & Qui-Gon vs Maul and maybe something else that I'm forgetting. But a burrito is also good before you drag it through a sewer. I mean, you wouldn't eat that burrito anymore would you? :hail:

So I watched the prequels recently with my daughter and if you take out Jar-Jar from Phantom, it's not that bad of a movie. I thought episode two was worse because of the horrible love affair between Anakin and Padme. Qui-Gon is my favorite Jedi and the light saber fight at the end was pretty cool.

 

The biggest problem I have with Episode One is that it's irrelevant to the main storyline. They wasted an entire movie about Anakin as a child. IMO, Episode One should have started with Anakin being Luke's age in Episode 4. The love affair between him and Padme would have been better if he was her age and acted more like an adult instead of a petulant child. They created so many flaws in ANakin's character that it was completely unbelievable that anyone would fall in love with him.

That's a good point. Of the three prequels, Episode One has become the most tolerable for me, probably because it is pretty much a stand-alone, story-wise. As for Episodes two and three, an adolescent Anakin just isn't very interesting to me, and the romance with Padme really bogs things down. And the story of Anakin's transition to Vader doesn't really reveal much we don't already know. There are great moments with Obi wan and characters like General Greivous, but mostly I find myself wishing they'd just get on with it.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Phantom Menace is nearly unwatchable. I tried again tonight but I wanted to throw a boot through my television before the pod race.

You're being nice. It's a piece of shit on its best day. I suppose there are few good parts like Kenobi & Qui-Gon vs Maul and maybe something else that I'm forgetting. But a burrito is also good before you drag it through a sewer. I mean, you wouldn't eat that burrito anymore would you? :hail:

So I watched the prequels recently with my daughter and if you take out Jar-Jar from Phantom, it's not that bad of a movie. I thought episode two was worse because of the horrible love affair between Anakin and Padme. Qui-Gon is my favorite Jedi and the light saber fight at the end was pretty cool.

 

The biggest problem I have with Episode One is that it's irrelevant to the main storyline. They wasted an entire movie about Anakin as a child. IMO, Episode One should have started with Anakin being Luke's age in Episode 4. The love affair between him and Padme would have been better if he was her age and acted more like an adult instead of a petulant child. They created so many flaws in ANakin's character that it was completely unbelievable that anyone would fall in love with him.

That's a good point. Of the three prequels, Episode One has become the most tolerable for me, probably because it is pretty much a stand-alone, story-wise. As for Episodes two and three, an adolescent Anakin just isn't very interesting to me, and the romance with Padme really bogs things down. And the story of Anakin's transition to Vader doesn't really reveal much we don't already know. There are great moments with Obi wan and characters like General Greivous, but mostly I find myself wishing they'd just get on with it.

Don't get me wrong, Episode 2 was crap too.

But here's the good and bad with Phantom Menace IMHO...

 

The Good...

- Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson. Good actors rarely are bad no matter how bad the movie is. That duel towards the end with Maul was exciting and fun.

- the use of R2 & C3PO

- soundtrack

 

The Bad...

- Jar Jar. That's a given.

- Little Anakin actor. He's as annoying as Jar Jar in his worst scenes.

- midi-chlorians

- Anakin's mum and her role in the story. "Okay, you're my only son and you were immaculately conceived but you wanna become a Jedi. I'll likely never see you again. See you."

- Darth Maul. About as important as Bane in George Clooney's Batman & Robin. Outside of the aforementioned fight scene that I liked with Qui-Gon & Obi Wan, he's absolutely useless with no character development

[goose]

- Darth Maul. About as important as Bane in George Clooney's Batman & Robin. Outside of the aforementioned fight scene that I liked with Qui-Gon & Obi Wan, he's absolutely useless with no character development

Which is really a shame. He's like the Boba Fett of the original three, just a tremendously cool looking character that was ignored for some reason.

[goose]

- midi-chlorians

- Anakin's mum and her role in the story. "Okay, you're my only son and you were immaculately conceived but you wanna become a Jedi. I'll likely never see you again. See you."

 

Yeah, that whole thing was unnecessary. Science-a-fying the Force made no sense, and I don't know what was achieved by adding an immaculate conception.