Is the PT really all that bad?

To be fair, Han doesn’t say he doesn’t know about them. He’s pointedly asked whether he “believes in” them. He doesn’t. He’s fully aware of what both are and thinks it’s a bunch of nonsense.

As a rugged individualist, he doesn’t like the idea of anything dictating his ‘destiny’ - implying he’s not in total control of his own fate. So he refuses to acknowledge the concept of the Force. It’s incompatible with his world (galaxy) view. It makes perfect sense for the character and isn’t really a contradiction.

EDIT: What @NotQyteNeo said

 

Han was a draft dodger until it caught up with him clearly

 

Even though I love the OT, I do think the PT had a more ambitious story on a macro and micro level.

The PT macro story was executed well by Lucas as it really opened up the SW universe after the OT. The rise of Palpatine, The Jedi Council, The crumbling of the Republic and the eventual cue by the Empire/Emperor. That is good stuff.

The micro story of how Anakin eventually turns to The Darkside doesn’t work for me as I never totally bought that arc. The PT lacked the heart of the OT when it came to the characters and drama, and the humor seemed forced.

So the PT is a mixed bag for me. If I watch it in the macro context, then it works for me in that respect. If I watch it on a micro level, it just doesn’t resonate with me.

 

I personally like the PT. It has very interesting aspects and previously unexplored ideas. The only thing that I really don't get is Anakin and Padme's relationship. I know that if I looked, I'd find things I didn't like, but many things that bother other people about the PT don't bother me.

 

AOTC and ROTS are "unwatchbles" movies in my opinion. I watched them 2 or 3 years ago to show the movies to my wife and even her complained about Anakin's character. So I dont know if I will watch them again...

But, TPM I like....most of the parts. The movie has a lot of good stuffs:
- Great soundtrack (the best of the PT era);
- Great visual effects;
- Maul;
- Watto;
- Pod Racing looks amazing;
- Queen Amidala's wardrobe;
- Nubian starship;
- Naboo Starfighters;
- Battle droids...

Even Jar Jar does not bother me too much.
I can say that I like TPM despite his flaws.

 

*taps into mic* Is this thing on?

Alright, I gotta say that TCW have vindicated the prequels into my eyes at a certain extent.

They have certain flaws but from a holistic perspective, they make sense. Of course they have a lot of execution problems, certain bits of fan-service and chemistry issues between the main romantic couple but I can live with it.

I did of course a marathon before TLJ premiere and a lot of things of the movie made sense thinking about the prequels storyline.

But I have to admit my first contact with Star Wars was through Episode I and it didn't make a really big impact on me. Of course I loved playing the N64 podracing game with my cousins, but other than that the movie was just OK. Same with ROTS - I skipped AOTC lol - but it was just like watching any other random blockbuster.

But hey the soundtrack is awesome. Duel of the Fates and Across the Stars are easily some of the best John Williams works.

 

TCW highlights a lot of the issues with the PT and makes them better for it. It has the time to actually explain the nuance of things. Lucas tried to do too much with too little time. He's not that good of a film maker to pull that off. Very few are. And when you lack the deftness in film making of say, a Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Paul Thomas Anderson, Guillermo del Tor etc (and even they aren't immune to failings), trying to tell a story this grand alone is not a wise choice.

 

The many reasons I love the prequels is laid out beautifully in this video.

 

TPM is quite okay, it is better than all the other prequels for sure.

--- Double Post Merged, Feb 4, 2018, Original Post Date: Feb 4, 2018 ---

I also think ROTS is amazing and I absolutely love it but I don't think it is a very good movie. Those two things can be separate you know TPM is in terms of movie-making the best of the three, even though for me it is not the most enjoyable one.

 

I definitely think the PT is getting a re-evaluation after TLJ, and I think many will realize it wasn’t as bad as remembered. Yes it has its flaws, but I think fans will appreciate the whole story and narrative Lucas was trying to tell compared to the ST where you have 2 directors/writers with 2 distinct visions.

 

I think when it comes to, well, pretty much anything that the most important aspect is not what they tried, but what they succeeded in doing. The Prequel Trilogy has ambition in spaded. But I don't think it succeeded in that ambition. Now, do I think they're as bad as people say? Not at all. I think Attack of the Clones is a legitimately bad movie, but The Phantom Menace's biggest sin is that it's kind of unnecessary, and I actually rank Revenge of the Sith pretty highly in my Star Wars rankings.

 

While I agree with most of your post, I think it succeeded in telling the story arc of Anakin Skywalker 1-6. So in that respect, the PT is not an add on to the OT, but now an extension to the narrative.

The jury is out on whether the ST fits in with the 1-6 story and succeeds in making the story 1-9 now. Or will it be just an added on story of 7-9 to 1-6 and you can take it or leave it. That’s where I don’t think fans appreciated what Lucas did with the PT. And I say this as no PT apologist as I have many problems with the 3 movies, but I have come to appreciate it more since the ST.

 

I guess? My biggest issue with Anakin's Arc is not that it isn't told thoroughly. My issue is that I don't like it at all. I mean, he's essentially made into space jesus, then episode two is just him being incredibly angsty, and then we have episode three, which I actually like because it sets up an actually good fall arc. I'd rather have something ancillary than something I think is bad.

 

which is why TPM is actually superfluous to the story and probably should have been omitted and the PT starts right around AOTC, features more of the war...then he becomes "vader" at the end/beginning of ROTS and has time to really play as Vader

 

Oh I see. You wanted the story to be rushed so you can see Anakin be Vader for most of trilogy.

 

WATCHED AOTC 2 DAYS AGO PREQUELS AIN'T SO BAD

 

They are fine......unless you ask people on originaltrilogy.com.

 

I have to disagree with you about AOTC. I like ROTS but like @Messi, personally like TPM over AOTC. I personally think AOTC is the worst of the PT. I literally have to press "skip to the next chapter" on my remote on every Padme and Anikian scene. I can actually watch TPM all the way through without skipping scenes. Jar Jar doesn't bother me and I get why people hate him, but I personally find him just as annoying as 3PO in the OT. Even as a kid, I was annoyed by 3PO.

--- Double Post Merged, Feb 6, 2018, Original Post Date: Feb 6, 2018 ---

That was awesome. I never seen that video before. I wish the part where Obi-Wan said "he isn't dead, not yet" would of got to a the flash back of him falling off the cliff into the lake in Episode 2.