PT What do you LIKE about the prequels

What do I like about the Prequels? So many things.

One major reason I like to prequels is that we get to see a populated, functioning galaxy. The original trilogy takes place in largely unpopulated isolated settings. There is almost no one even on screen besides the rebels and the empire with the exception of a few nondescript inhabitants of Cloud City and the aliens in the Cantina. The Galaxy seems empty in the Original trilogy. In the prequels, we see worlds full of inhabitants, cultures, political structures, etc. A galaxy that actually feels like more than a backdrop for a story that has no meaning beyond that to the main characters of the movie. It is actually possible to imagine life on these planets that extends far beyond the lives of the main characters.

For example: On Tattooine, we get to see of various groups of inhabitants of the planet, their residences and how different groups on the planet relate to one another. We get an understanding of how the planet works. We can see that the Hutts have control over the planet, and their influence over the inhabitants of the planet, as evidenced by Watto's apprehension of dealing with them. We can see that the planet is largely uncivilized, as the Republic is absent of the world and beings overpower one another and sell other beings as property. We can see the relationship between the primitive Tusken Raiders and the more advanced inhabitants such as moisture farmers in Episode II. The worlds are structured in such a way and their residents are given detail to a degree that each world has a character that can be intuitively understood in much the same way that we abstractly grasp various parts of the Earth. Even if we haven't been to certain parts of the world, if we have seen and heard enough about them, we have a mental model and a certain understanding of the definition of that place.

I have a lot more to say about worlds in the prequels, and several other aspects of them and why they are actually great movies.

 

That is a well presented post even if I disagree with parts of it.

 

What the..??

 

Deleted by BAZ- Inappropriate Sexist Comment repost

How classy.

 

Indeed.

 

Sorry, Baz. My disgust got the better of me. I should have just reported it.

Edit:...Now, back on topic:

There's a lot I like about the prequels, but Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and the operatic-level sense of tragedy in ROTS would be at the top of the list!

 

well here are 11 good things that Doug Walker AKA Nostalgia Critic likes about the PT,

I say likes, as he even manages to criticize even when making the good points. A kind of back handed compliment

anyway here it is




Note: minor language, probably NSFW, usual NC type humour etc

 

Like Falconer13 said, one of my favorite parts of the prequels is the tragedy feeling towards the end: the movie you see up to the death of Mace Windu is a completely different movie from the moment Palpatine tells Commander Cody to execute Order 66. From that moment to the end of the film is the strongest part of Star Wars, ESB's final act not withstanding.

Darth Maul is very cool, yes, and he opened the way to what I consider the strongest overall arc of TCW (maybe that's not including some of the Lost Mission stuff, but whatever).

I also love Christopher Lee in the prequels (and always, but that's not the point) and I truly, truly wish he had been given more to do. I don't even like his EU material: too much cackling villainy, not enough Christopher Lee.

TPM as a whole has the best visual ascetic of the Saga IMHO.

I actually enjoy Jango Fett more than Boba, although I can't say that having the original stormtroopers all be clones of Boba Fett's genetic father wasn't a little much.

Finally, I think that the prequels have a better sense of...playfulness, might be the right word, than they're given credit for. Examples? Yoda prepares to battle Palpatine, Royal Guards move to stop him, and he waves his hand and slams them against the wall. The whole sequence rescuing Palpatine in the opening of ROTS. And poop jokes with Jar-Jar! Those are hilarious!

 

Continuing from my last post, one reason I find the prequels so interesting, because of the immersion into fictional worlds they allow. Of course we are talking about fictional worlds, but as I see it, one characteristic of a work of fiction that is well done is development of depiction of reality within its fictional worlds to such a level of depth, that we are actually able to imagine living in the fictional world if it existed. This immersion, the ability to actually explore these worlds, and the lives of the people within them is taken advantage of successfully by the Expanded Universe.

In particular, the expanded universe did a fine job of exploring the clone wars, and the various components of it. (Note: I am not talking about the TCW 3D cartoon series, or any material derived from TCW. I am talking about the Clone Wars Multimedia Project and its derivatives) At one level, we have depictions of the events that took place in the clone wars. In various novels, comic books, video games and short stories we get to see glimpses of a war on a galactic scale. We can see who the key players in the war are, and how these players relate to each other within their own organizations, as well as how they relate to the inhabitants of various planets. These inhabitants either play supporting roles for the Republic or CIS in the war, or have to cope with the war being fought on their home planet. We can see the various attitudes these people have toward the war, and how they see the galaxy and the various political affairs of the galaxy from their point of view on their own planet, nothing in comparison to the entire galaxy, but everything to the person.

Beyond giving us another reference point for viewing typical life on a variety of planets in this fictional galaxy, we get a look at other individual lives, and how they relate to groups much larger and powerful than that single person. We get a picture of clone soldiers, created by other beings to serve them as soldiers. The complexity of the issue of creating sentient beings to live, fight, and die for other beings is an issue that causes much philosophical and ethical thought, and in itself is a source of much to discuss. Beyond the ethical concerns, we can see how these identical beings view their role from their own perspective, and see what day to day life is like for them.

Among other groups explored are the Jedi, politicians, and the various organizations and species who comprise the Separatists. We can also see how worlds are used and manipulated by each side and their various sub groups who searching for leverage and advantage in a Galaxy wide struggle. We can see even within each side how different groups relate to one another, including how the Jedi relate to the Senate. Breaking the sub groups down into individuals, additional complexities arise as individuals collaborate and conflict with one another, each trying to uphold the ideals they follow, or their own interests.

In my next post, I will add some thoughts on the overall story of the prequels.

 

The Story of the Prequels and the Story of the Original trilogy, Part 1

There are some great posts on this website already about the story of the Prequels. I think they were by Pietts Hat (I think I got the name right) and a couple other posters. I will post some thoughts on the story, and I will post a link to some other posts about the story of the prequels if I can find them.

I am writing about what I like about the prequels somewhat out of frustration with the current popular opinions about the Prequels, and Disney distancing Star Wars products from the Prequel Trilogy. It seems that people highly exaggerate the flaws of the Prequels and ignore the good aspects of them, which, in my opinion anyway, outweigh the negatives. This post is in no way meant to tear down the Original Trilogy in a similar manner, but I would like to point out some flaws of the trilogy, and then describe what I like about the story of the prequels. Consider this post as trying to achieve a balance, rather than trying to shift the balance of opinion to the other opposite extreme.

The story of the prequels, on its own, is far more interesting than that of the original trilogy on its own. The story of the Original Trilogy is much enhanced with the prequels, but without the prequels, is much less meaningful.

The story of the originals, on its own, seems shallow, and what happens from one scene to the next has little meaning for the overall story. There doesn't seem to be as much momentum carrying one scene to the next. For example, in Episode 4, events that should be of significant importance to the main characters, the death of Luke's aunt and uncle and the destruction of Alderaan have no effect on the main characters. Luke sees his dead aunt and uncle in one scene, and by the next, they are forgotten and never thought about again. Alderaan is destroyed while Princess Leia watches, and receives only a passing mention by a rebel leader later on. The heroes continue on with their adventure through the film, and many events of the story have little meaning to the overall story. Luke gets attacked by a Wampa, recovers, and is back to normal a scene or two later. Han is saved from Jabba's palace with no loss of life to the heroes, they go right back to leading the rebels. Most events of the stories have little to no meaningful impact on the characters.

The story line in the Original Trilogy that carries over from one movie to the next is the story of Vader's redemption. This story has much more weight when we see Anakin's story in the prequels. Many critics of the Prequels complain that Anakin was whiny and immature. I think the Anakin shown in the prequels, with all his flaws, adds believability, humanity, to the character. We can see that Anakin didn't just become evil on a whim, he was a person with a complex, troubled past who never fully overcame his flaws and weakness.

Compare the lightness of the Original Trilogy with the Prequel Trilogy, where many events are interconnected, and have consequences for the characters and story.

One example of a continuous story in the prequels, where a continuous sequence of events drive a story to its conclusion.

Anakin Skywalker for one, has a continuous story arc, where each event along his journey leads to the finale of Episode III, with his final shift to the dark side. The continuous story is one of Anakin's attachment and inability to accept loss. This begins in Episode I, where he leaves his mother to travel to a distant world, where he is seen as an outsider whom the Jedi view with distrust. In Episode II, he reunites with Padme, who herself, has had little personal life and is lonely. (I can't remember if it was a deleted scene or part of the main movie, but Padme talks about her continuous service to Naboo and a desire to have a personal life) Anakin loses his mother in this movie, and sinks further into his worry and fear of loss. Anakin and Padme try to use each other to make up for what is lacking in their lives. In their weakness and immaturity, they begin a relationship that cannot last. When Anakin learns that Padme could die in childbirth, his inability to cope with loss, his need for Padme's companionship, drives him to extreme measures to ensure that he does not lose her.

In this moment when Anakin submits to the Sith, every past action, the coldness of the Jedi, the losses Anakin has experienced, his fear of future loss, as well as the schemes of Palpatine, drive the story to its end. Palpatine's destruction of the Jedi, and Anakin's turn to evil is the culmination of nearly every event from the previous moments on film.

In contrast, the finale of the original trilogy, is not the conclusion of events of that trilogy, because so many events are unconnected to the ultimate conclusion. Luke has always been good. He is less whiny in Episode VI than in Episode IV, but ultimately, he does not change. The rebel alliance wins its war with the Empire, but this war is simply assumed to be happening from the start of Episode IV. Backstory behind the war isn't given, we don't really see who the rebels are and why they are fighting the empire. The relationship between the two sides doesn't change over the course of the story, and the battles in each movie have little effect on the battles in the next movie.

The characters, and their relationships to each other, with the exception of Vader, are mostly static over the course of the trilogy.

 

Wow, I think you totally nailed the feelings I've never been able to articulate before.

I always felt a bit guilty about preferring the PT, because although I've always defended them as under-appreciated artistic and literary masterpieces, I have also internalised the OT-pedestalisation a little. So I've always thought that the guilty-pleasure preference I felt for the PT was just me being contrary (or really shallow, because Liam Neeson).

When I tried to figure out why, I always thought that I just subjectively found the PT characters more compelling, but I never went deeper than that. You are absolutely right that the progression of little and large events and the impact they have on character development is much more in-depth in the PT than in the OT, and I think that is why I've found those characters much more compelling. I feel for them to an extent which I find hard to do in the OT. The PT's main protagonists change significantly over the three films, and the experiences, losses, triumphs etc that they undergo affect them. This happens primarily with Anakin of course, but also Obi-Wan and Padmé.

 

What I love about the PT?
Well I do love the presentation of the alien races. The Neimoidians, Techno Union members. Not sure of the names off hand but Wat Tambor was my favorite of that species. I also loved the Pa' Un and many more. The aliens really brought more to the SW universe where the OT lacked in. I do love the aliens that were in the OT, but the PT brought them more to life to me. I loved the Anakin and Padme relationship. It showed how 2 people who were unfamiliar with love can find it even in the most dire circumstances. I enjoyed the fall of the Republic and Rise of the Empire. It was nothing like I ever thought I expected it to be, but surpassed my expectations big time! The planets and environments were breathtaking in scope and size. Coruscant was nothing less of gorgeous as it should be. One part of the PT that I always put above the rest is the battle of Coruscant. When Palpatine was help captive in the Invisible Hand, the outside scenery was just great. I loved watching all the ships in the background battling it out and how close it was. That is what I always thought the space portion of the battle of Endor would look. But I still love the battles of Endor and Coruscant just as much I love all the aspects of the SW universe.

 

Most of it.

 

Mual. The Duels. Young Obi-Wan. palpatine. Grievous lighting up 4 sabres (looks and sounds incredible). Tarkin. Maul.

 

Dooku. The score of TPM. Seeing more of the interior of a Correllian Corvette. The first minute of the Battle of Coruscant, before Hayden says anything. The decor of the Chancellor's office suite. The clones' accents. Sebulba.

 

I won't doubt that its been said before but, everything. With the exception of the love scenes in AotC.

Less love and more War.

 

One thing I am kind of surprised that I didn't add to this was the costumes of the PT. I loved the work they did with the wardrobe and costumes. It really gave it a regal and classy look for the people involved with the republic as well as other species from different worlds like Kamino and Utupau. I used to make my own clothes, well pants anyway. Like the ones in my profile pic. I made those over 20 years ago and still own them. That is what I really liked about the PT costumes is that they were very baggy in nature and all my pants I made were baggy too. When I seen the senators and such walking with robes and their regal attire it always gave off that "floaty" effect to them. Just one of the many aspects of the PT I really loved. The OT did this well too. The OT costumes were more uniform in nature. That is why I liked the costumes for Vader, Sidious and Leia. Leia though, was sometimes uniform or sometimes extravagant. Which to me worked out great too.

 

Too long of a list and too lazy to write it all. I like 99% of the PT.

 

Everything. I loved all of it. The only thing that I didn't like that much was Anakin.

 

So glad to see this thread! All I hear is bad stuff about I-III. But there are so many great things as well, no matter WHAT anyone says! I usually only watch the saga about once every 6 months (used to be more, but it's hard now with two toddlers), but when I do I always react thinking "I'm really enjoying this!"

First of all, I will say that I love the blu-ray versions, and these are the versions I will be referring to when listing my "likes."

TPM:
1. The Blu ray transfer has given the film such a cleaner, better look.
2. The pod race stands as one of the classic SW action sequences. Exhilarating!
3. The best coreographed lightsaber duel in the saga!
4. Qui Gonn Jinn
5. Awesome introduction to Coruscant for the saga
6. Blu ray version CG Yoda. Probably IMO the single best improvement to any of the prequels with this version.
7. Learning about Anakin's origins, and getting to know his mother.

AOTC:
1. The blu ray transfer has taken a film that had a bit of a fake, glossed-over look and imposed a teal hue, which IMO added a sense of grittiness to things and made scenery seem a bit more realistic.
2. Yoda in a lightsaber duel!
3. The whole subplot and events of Obi-Wan on an investigative mission
4. The Kamino cloning facility stands on its own as one of the great envoronments in SW.
5. We finally see an army of Jedi, in numbers we've only before HEARD about.
6. The first (well put together) battle of the Clone Wars (which BTW looked exactly how I always imagined).
7. Amazing JW score
8. Coruscant speeder chase

ROTS:
1. An exciting, explosive opening scene to the film
2. Faster pace and more humor/comradery between Anakin/Obi-Wan
3. Great (read: much better) performance from Natalie, particularly on Mustafar
4. Obi-Wan/Anakin Duel
5. Finally seeing Kashyyyk
6. Continuity tied up nicely at the end
7. An overall great feel of classic space opera/tragedy.
8. The "ruminations" scene, showing Anakin making his choice, with the atmospheric music-in many ways the turning point of the saga.

 

The same thing I like about the OT.

It's all Star Wars. It's all from the genius mind of George Lucas.

 

I love the prequels, except for the Pod race. It lasts far too long. At the end of lap two I was thinking it was nearly over, then I realised that there was another whole lap to go. And to think it used to be even longer before they cut it down!