What do you like about the Prequels?

1. Fights especially Darth Maul acrobatic style
2. Young Obi Wan, Mace Windu and Qui-Gon Jinn actors
3. Pod Racing from episode
4. Some world designs
5. Costumes
6. Natalie Portman
7. Sound and music
8. Ships
9. Double and Purple Lightsaber
10. Padawan hair style

 

My favorite was the 3rd episode, seeing how Darth Vader was born. The first two seem more like a love story. I seen 4,5,6 as a kid and had the Millennium Falcon (I know big deal right, I was about 5 years old). I actually liked the first 3 episodes better, although as people say, the special effects were terrible, lol.

 

The whole Jedi/Sith era in SW history is dope to watch. I can see them do anthologies on the past wars of Jedi/Siths folklore. it went from Jedis/Siths to 3 Jedi's/2 siths to a Jedi and the force. so I would like to see a battle movie of sith/jedi

 

I loved the climactic battles between Obi Wan and Anakin and between Palpatine and Yoda, even though we knew what was gonna happen. lol
It got me thinking though, with all the jedi we now know survived order 66 there was enough to start a new Jedi order and pursue the Sith. There was Obi Wan, Yoda, Kanan, Ahsoka, any more i'm not thinking of? They seemed to make a somewhat hasty decision to go into hiding! dont you guys think?

 

Agreed the Vader transformation was likeable moment

 

I liked the entire story. Very complex and fascinating.

 

Number 1: John Williams
One of the best things in all of the Saga films are the wonderful scores by John Williams. There isn't a bad one in the bunch. Great pieces such as "Anakin's Theme", "Duel of the Fates", "Across the Stars", and "Battle of the Heroes" fill the trilogy. And it tried oh so hard to give emotion in scenes with very little.

Number 2: Many Vehicle Designs
Something I've always loved about Star Wars is the vehicles. And there are some good designs in the prequels, some of which actually top original trilogy designs. I prefer the AT-TE to the AT-AT, the Venator-class Star Destroyer better than the Imperial-class (and to the Resurgent-class from The Force Awakens), and the Jedi Interceptor from Revenge of the Sith is actually my favorite starfighter in the whole series. Plus other cool designs include the Republic Gunships and the Republic Cruiser from the opening of The Phantom Menace.

Number 3: The title of Episode III
I absolutely love the title Revenge of the Sith. It is a nice call back to the original title of Return of the Jedi as well as forming a bookend with that title, it fits within the general naming scheme of the Saga films, and it tells you what you need to know about the film. If I could go back and change things about the prequels, this title would not be one of them.

Number 4: The Design of the Clone Trooper Armors
While the addition of Jango Fett is based solely on fan love for Boba than actual storytelling, I do love how the Mandalorian armor influenced the design of Clone Trooper armor and how in Revenge of the Sith pushed it closer to the classic Stormtrooper armor we know and love.
Actually, I think trooper armor has gotten better with each film: OT Stormtrooper<Clone Phase I<Clone Phase II<FO Stormtrooper

Number 5: Some really cool alien designs
While I may not like all of the designs, there are some pretty cool aliens in the prequel trilogy with the coolest being the Pau'ans. They just look so cool and they aren't pointlessly CG! And it just added a lot to the Grand Inquistor from Rebels.
And I will say this: I don't hate Jar Jar's design. I just hate his personality, his voice, his borderline racist accent, his unfunny slapstick...sorry, need to focus on the good.

Number 6: The Death Stick Joke
While the name "death stick" is a bit on the nose, I will admit that I still get a chuckle from Obi-Wan's use of the mind trick here. And in a trilogy that is nearly devoid of good humor (I mean, it failed to make me laugh at Jar Jar, a character I hate, getting kicked in the crotch!), that's saying a lot.

Number 7: Darth Maul...mostly
Darth Maul is a cool villain that was given the shaft in the worst possible way. I mean, look at him. The amount of cool is amazing. Those horns, those fiery eyes, those tattoos, those black robes, that lightsaber, so much cool! Also, he contrasts nicely with Vader. Instead of a sinister mask, he has (phantom) menacing tattoos. Instead of a big, booming voice, he has a sinister whisper. Instead of brute force, agility. There is a lot to like about Maul. If only he was given a bigger role as well as actual evil acts to sell him as a villain (no, killing Qui-Gon doesn't really count).

Number 8: The Costumes
Wow, the costume work on these films is rather impressive. We see a wide range of clothes from Jedi robes, to nightclub outfits, to royal garb, etc.

Number 9: Anakin's Padawan Lightsaber
This is a wonderful piece of continuity. In the original trilogy, it was a little bit of luck that the weapon Vader used was somewhat similar to the one that used to belong to Anakin Skywalker. But this was drawn from by the prop makers of Attack of the Clones when designing the first lightsaber Anakin built:
Attack of the Clones:

Vader's (Episode III-VI):

It's a nice touch.

Number 10: The Senate Chambers
While there is only one good scene in the entire trilogy that takes place there (the Declaration of a New Order), I do like the general design of the room.

Number 11: Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
While only giving an okay performance in The Phantom Menace (but not shocking as he did barely anything within the film itself), he did do a fine job in the later films. He did a great job portraying a young Obi-Wan. I can totally believe he eventually becomes Alec Guinness. One of the few to rise above the material.

Number 12: Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine
A character that was already fun to watch and quote became even more so. While I do think he played Palpatine a bit too over-the-top for certain moments (the obviousness of his manipulations, especially in Clones was a bit much), but he did have emotion and once the facade of a noble leader dropped, showing his true nature, holy Sith, did he become a lot of fun. I still randomly will extend my hands and scream, "POOOOWWWWERRRR! UNLIMITED POOOWEEERRRR!!!!!!!!!!!" And it is so much fun.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind the acting so much if it was more over-the-top and less...Hayden Christensen.

Number 13: Reversing the capital ship designs
With the Republic being the direct predecessor of the Empire it makes sense that they would use triangular capital ships. Since the good guys are using what will become the general appearance of the villain ships, it makes sense for the reverse to happen. The Rebellion used many round, somewhat organic designs for the larger ships. What does the Separatists use? Round, somewhat organic designs. It's a nice touch.

Number 14: The designs of the battle droids
I actually really like the designs of the battle droids. They have such a cool skeletal look which does work in the concept that they are built for sheer numbers. If only they actually could stand up to Jedi and didn't devolve into comic relief.

Number 15: Cutting through the door in The Phantom Menace
Do I actually have to explain this? It's just cool. "Move along, move along."

Number 16: Revenge of the Sith isn't dark just to be dark
Child murdering aside (and I hate that I have to say that when discussing a film), Revenge of the Sith isn't one of those movies that are dark just for the sake of being dark. The basic tone is justified by the basic story ideas, though there are some problems with mood whiplash through the early part of the film.
Though dark still doesn't equal art or quality.

Number 17: The Battle of Coruscant
This is simply the closest the prequels get to being good. The chaos of the battle, the sheer spectacle, and the fact it is actually kinda fun. Some of the problems of the trilogy is still there, but it is much less irritating. Plus, the Anakin/Obi-Wan/Dooku duel is a MAJOR step up from the terrible duel they had in Attack of the Clones, which is my least favorite duel in the entire series.

Number 18: The Declaration of a New Order
As I said earlier, I do like this scene. Palpatine declaring himself Emperor in all his hammy glory is fantastic, I do enjoy the intercutting between this and Vader tying up the loose threads of the Separatist leaders, and I do think Padmé's line of "This is how liberty dies" to be a good piece of dialogue.

Honorable mentions:
The people responsible for the design work did a fantastic job and put in hard work.
Also, special shout-out to the makers of The Clone Wars. It didn't make my list simply because it is not actually part of the prequels themselves, just a spin-off. It really isn't fair to give the films credit for it in my eyes.

So did I (I was six when The Phantom Menace came out). Will they always be canon to me? Yes. Will they always be nostalgic for me? Yes. Will I always have some affection for them? Yes. Are they still Star Wars to me? Yes. But none of that changes the fact that they aren't good movies. I don't mind talking about the good within the prequels (even if once or twice I see something I disagree with, to each their own), but let's not get into this line of thought as it doesn't really change anything.
Let's not complain about those who don't like the films. Let's just look at what was done well in them. Otherwise, how is this any different from other parts of the internet?

Also, this isn't a personal attack on anyone, just a general statement with no malice or anger of any sort.

It was the novelization for Return of the Jedi, actually.

 

I agree, it would awesome to see a self-contained Jedi/Sith movie that thrusts you right into the middle of a war. Or maybe even a Sith-centric origin story "Darth _____: The First Sith"

 

I first got into Star Wars as TPM came out, and while I was too young to critique the prequels for their storytelling flaws, they succeeded on many other fronts that made me a long-term fan of the franchise:

1) Memorable characters- Even if they weren't presented perfectly, the likes of Qui-Gon, Maul, Jango, etc, were interesting and inspired me to get into EU material.

2) World building- Seeing worlds like Coruscant and Kamino for the first time were something else.

3) Creatures- This is something Star Wars has always excelled at (think Wampaa, Exogorth, Rancor, Sarlaac), and the introduction of Naboo's Fambaas, Kaadu, etc. and the Nexu, Acklay and Reek in the arena are just as memorable to me.

4) The Clone Wars- The prequels laid the groundwork for my favorite era of Star Wars lore: The novels and games that flesh out the war (pre-Clone Wars cartoon) are my absolute favorites: the Republic Commando novels and game redefined the franchise for me by shifting focus from the Jedi-centric storytelling of most sources, while Battlefront was the first game I owned and got me interested in other Star Wars games (JK, KotOR, etc.)

For all their shortcomings, the prequels laid the groundwork that got me interested and invested in the franchise. Maybe it was just a matter of timing, as the movies came out when I was growing up, but I certainly appreciate them for that reason alone.

 

a very belated thank you for jogging my memory.

i bought the paperback for a fishing trip and remember now reading it in the back of the family winnebago.
wow. i've kept a lot of books over the years, but that one fell by the wayside long ago. sweet to be reminded of it, though.

 

For me the best thing that came out of the prequels was Obi Wan as a youngster. Although he lacks a proper background, he is an undoubtfully charismatic character that people will carry with them even after all the prequel-series are bashed into oblivion, so much so he'll probably be getting his own anthology spin-off soon enough. I'm sure a small part in everyone of us secretly hopes for a Maul x Obi Wan rematch!

 

Music. But it was Williams, so, kinda to be expected.

I also like Anakin's story. Not how it was executed, but his psychology, the rare moments where we do understand what he feels, not clouded by Lucas' wooden lines. The scene that springs to mind, for example, is how he gets out of bed after the nightmare he has about Padme, just sitting there with the mechanical hand clearly visible, scruffed hair, sweaty, crying... All while she's sleeping peacefully next to him, as if there is nothing to fear.

And definitely Obi-Wan, from distrust he expresses in Qui-Gon's judgement about Anakin, grief when he dies, taking Anakin as his padawan and givin all he's got to train him... All the way until the end, when he sees what his friend, brother, almost son has done at the Temple. Only to recompose himself and do what he must.

 

Uh... about prequels? Uh...

Sincerely, the Prequels have been the biggest waste of potentially amazing sci-fi contents: the droid army; the clone army; the new planets; the separatists; the Republic; the Jedi Order... The story isn't bad at all, but... the movies simply suck. Or, better: TPM and AotC sucked. They are the worst SW movies, and instead of putting bases for the "future" Original Trilogy, they wasted time in representing something totally minor, like the political discussions, or the awful love story in Ep.2.

For example: what was the purpose of the annoying political subtext? The birth of the Rebel Alliance. Ok, that's fine. But WHERE IS THE ORIGIN STORY OF THE REBEL ALLIANCE? How could Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, senator Ackbar stay quite during the 10 years of Palpatine's race to the absolute power? Why Organa figured out the truth only when the clones killed that Jedi kid in the temple in Ep.3? What kind of politician are you, Bail?!?

The script is totally fragmented and unnaturaly written. Lucas never considered some of the potentially most interesting things fans could have found in the PT. There were no adventure, no fun, no drama. And, with drama, I mean some traumatic event motivating characters' actions, like Han Solo's death in TFA.

So... what I liked? I liked the story, but not the script. I liked the duels (Maul vs Obi and Qui-Gonn; Ani vs Obi - over all). I liked the battle scenes, but the ones from Ep.2 are now suffering for the excess of CGI, which make them look old and fake. I like the second half of Revenge of the Sith, and the outstanding opening battle. But nothing more.

Prequels were bad for the most. The only good prequel (Ep.3) is worse than the classics, and, to me, than TFA. That is, of course, worse than A new hope and Empire (but better than Return of the Jedi), but still a good movie, with no ridiculous love stories or annoying and neverending speeches.

TFA was the adventurous space movie I knew when I was a kid. Very liked it.

 

Don't forget hat for AOTC and all, it was state of the art cgi back then and ROTS had state of the art cgi and so they won't hold up within their limitations as what happens to MOST movies ...

 

I am sure some of this has been mentioned, and honestly I have only watched RotS more than 3 times. I love Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan. The lightsaber battles were exciting. Padme's clothes. The Mustafar duel. Yoda and the Emperor's duel, Yoda was pretty badassed. Mace Windu as a character, maybe because I like Samuel L. Jackson, I don't know. Same with Bail Organa, and his cool vehicle, I like Jimmy Smits anyway. The scenes where the twins are taken to their new homes. I like the Duel of the Fates music. Across the Stars too, even if that love story bit was nauseating. I like the scene in AotC when Obi-wan, Anakin and Padme were chained to the posts and battled the monsters, then the Jedi showed up, even if that movie in general was my least favorite it did have it's moments.

 

But the visual effects of ROTS are very beatiful even now (I think General Grievous is one of the best CGI creature ever made - and one of my favourite PT characters).To me, in AOTC there was too much CGI in too much primary positions: the kaminoans; Dexter; the clones... In ROTS, the balance between CGI and classical effects was better, and the movie is still very beautiful to see.

 

I think the backlash was due to the very last minute additions to the heinous battle thT were made literally weeks to a month before the release of the movie .

 

Background Background

1. young Obi-Wan
2. young Anakin
3. Queen Amidala
4. Anakin's temper
5. adventure

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 27, 2016, Original Post Date: Aug 27, 2016 ---

I also like the landscaping approach in the PT. The OT is more dream-like, and the ST seems more political.

 

When I was a kid I loved the battle scene at the end simply because I had fun watching the huge armies, big space battles and the vicious-looking Darth Maul. I only really saw the battle scene on TV, so basically I liked the movie because I happened to tune in at a moment when strong pacing, conflict and action were present. Hilariously, I grew up thinking the prequels must be good because, due to my limited exposure, I believed they contained more of the adventure-story-goodness of the original trilogy. I thought the prequels were simply more Star Wars, so I looked at them kindly.

 

Wait, what heinous battle additions to where?