No one ever said that the prequels were better. Were they supposed to be? Lucas had second thoughts about creating them and finishing what he began, but eventually realized that the audience was still voracious for lightsabers and Wookies when Star Wars fever re-emerged in the 1990s. The guy wanted to fulfill his creative destiny, one that would tie the knot on a story that he created. It’s not like he pulled a Joel Schumacher and trashed someone else’s series.
The prequels did some things right. Aesthetically, they are wonderful to look at, with the cityscapes on planets like Naboo and Coruscant being rendered in stunning displays of visual effects. It’s commonly thought that the prequels had too many computer-generated visuals compared to the mostly practical filmmaking of the originals, but it was necessary at that point in time. When “Episode I” was released, it had been more than half a decade since “Jurassic Park” changed the game. Computers had developed to the point where creations could be breathtakingly real. A trio of Star Wars films made by hand would have looked simply outdated.
Nostalgia can be a powerful and meaningful emotion, but sometimes blinds us. Elements from the original trilogy are considered iconic, but the prequels bring a little innovation to the table as well. They feature John Williams’s tracks, like Darth Maul’s theme, that can stand alongside the tunes that defined the Imperial Empire. Darth Maul is as intimidating a villain as Vader, if not more. Anakin’s transformation to the Dark Side is a remarkably compelling narrative overlooked because of Christensen’s relative incompetence in portraying The Chosen One.
Don’t see this the wrong way. I don’t think the prequel trilogy is better than the original trilogy. I just feel that they are tossed aside carelessly, when they should be celebrated.
If the reaction to the trailer release for 2015’s “Episode VII: The Force Awakens” (to be followed by “Episode VIII: The Force Falls out of Bed” and “Episode IX: The Force Drags a Comb Across its Head”) is any indication, people are hyped for a return to the galaxy far, far away. The world loves Star Wars. End of story. Let’s embrace it, not endlessly criticize the man that brought it to us.
Debate time. Here comes the nitpicking. All rankings based on personal preference.
SPOILER ALERT: Here come the spoilers.