PT Initial reactions to the prequels?

Hi, i remember a post on this forum where were compared the modern (haters) press about PT with the old (post 2000) articles (not haters). Can you link it? thank you.

 

I thought Anakin was going to save Shimi because he said it in TPM.

That was a shocker for me.

 

TPM - Ecstatic. I was 12 and already a big SW fan. seeing it in the theaters was a huge thrill. loved obi-wan and qui-gon kicking butt and taking names, the podrace, maul, upgraded saber fighting. i was blown away and quite oblivious to the backlash. still like the film, despite its flaws.

AOTC - Disappointment. i specifically remember walking out of the theater being pretty bummed out. i had read the novel before seeing the film and just wasn't sold on Anakin and Padme's relationship. those feelings carried over to the film and were solidified by the awkward script, acting, and excessive cgi/green screen. still my least favorite of the prequels - at times painful to watch

ROTS - Indifferent. when i went to see it for the first time in the theater i still had the bad taste in my mouth from AOTC. so much so that i probably hampered my ability to enjoy the film by focusing on the similar aspects i'd disliked - script/dialogue, acting, cgi (though less so). I knew afterwards that i'd liked it more than AOTC, but it wasn't a redemptive moment by any means. there are certainly aspects i appreciate about it more now, particularly Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid's performances.

 

TPM: I walked up to the back of the theatre (as I always do) just as the last trailer finished and the title card came up, I tripped on the last few steps head first hitting the floor and smashing my glasses, embarrassed and hoping no one saw I quickly went to the seat.. in my effort to play things cool and not be out of step and be un-social and awkward I stayed in my seat.. my glasses were un-wearable, the screen was just a blurry light, I sat through the whole movie hearing everything to bits of light moving about... Not the best way to see the movie to say the least....

AOTC: Just before I went to see the film I went to my grandmothers house (after I finished a 8 hour shift) two days before she had gone into hospital unexpectedly and I was helping out by going there to feed her animals (my turn).. I was starving and saw some Brownies in the fridge that my gran had made but that were obviously going to go to waste, so I ate them.... Half hour later and I'm sitting in the back of the theatre watching the trailers before the movie starts... and I start to feel weird... I ended up seeing a movie in 3d before that was a thing, with lightsaber wielding rabbits and frogs jumping out at me and dancing around the theatre... and all other kinds of stuff.... needles to say I needed to see it again....

ROTS: Was very excited to see this movie and was enjoying watching the first ten minutes (once again at the back of the theatre) until I was distracted, it was a late night screening only half of the seats were taken up and I had the entire back row to myself and the girl I was taking on a date for the first time..... she was also excited but in a different way.... good thing there was no one else on the back row.... which FYI I should mention what a great job the staff do in the theatre I go too, people are always down on cinema staff but that floor was spotless clean.... well it was..... from time to time I quickly peeked my head over the top of the seats to get a glimpse of what was going on, but it wasn't much use... Eventually we resurfaced just in time to see Anakin burn.... Quite romantic...

 

ROTS was the only SW movie that I saw in theaters, and not for being too young in the times of the first 2 Episodes (all the opposite) but only because I loved AOTC no matter that I didn't see it in theaters. I become fan of SW because of the prequels, they made me like the OT too . I wasn't interested in the story till I found that Darth Vader is tragic hero, not so cartoonish villain, so I was interested in his story. Anyway, I don't remember much of my first viewing of TPM: I like it , but I was not impressed, I appreciated the qualities of the movie later. I really liked AOTC, it is still my favorite SW movie and I liked the young impatient a la James Dean and a little weird Anakin. Not to mention how beautiful is every shot in this movie, I could watch it over and over.
Now to ROTS. It was absolute hit in the theaters of my country so I remember that I and one of my friends have found tickets the last tickets for some late hours (at least 2 weeks after the premiere were passed, maybe more). The theater was so full and we were in the first row. It was even more surreal than a 3D view, because there is nothing between you and the screen. When the fight in Mustafar began, believed or not, most people in my row lifted their legs because it was like the lava was under our feet. So it was unique experience to watch it, apart from the fact that it was more than brilliant movie, Still I prefer the slower pace and the layered mood of AOTC.

 

Tonyg I agree, I enjoy Ep. 2 better than 3.

 

"HOLY **** COOL ACTION COOL LASERS WOW FIGHT SCENES I LOVE IT"

Then I grew up. Now it's "Wow this is an artistic masterpiece on a scale I can't even comprehend. Oh and also HOLY **** COOL ACTION COOL LASERS WOW FIGHT SCENES I LOVE IT "

 

I never saw the first two in the theater. I ended up seeing ROTS twice in the theater. Enjoyed it immensely. I consider Revenge of the Sith a great movie.
My initial reaction to TPM and AOTC were they were enjoyable. I was just happy to see more Star Wars movies.

 

I remember going to the theatre to watch these films as a kid. My younger cousins enjoyed them as I think it appealed to what they already knew with the amount of CGI in the film and I remember not hating them. I think they all had great potential but were overshadowed by the ambition and lack of focus on the story line. BUT I have come to appreciate them.

 

When I watched the prequel trilogy the first time, i completely loved Padme, and always played as her in lego star wars

I still love Padme

 

I saw Ep. 3 on opening day when I was a kid and I loved it. I saw it at least three more times after that, probably more, I can't remember the exact number since ROTS came out so long ago.

 

My initial reactions to THE PHANTOM MENACE and ATTACK OF THE CLONES mostly just consisted of disappointment. I didn’t necessarily hate them at first, but I was pretty bored during large chunks of them. I liked the three-way lightsaber duel in THE PHANTOM MENACE and it was alot of fun seeing the last 40 minutes of ATTACK OF THE CLONES on a big screen, but aside from that, the films just failed to engage me.

I did really like REVENGE OF THE SITH when it first came out, and, while I still think it’s by far the best prequel film, I've noticed things on subsequent viewings that do really bother me. I do think Lucas does a pretty good job of handling the spectacle, epic scope and grim tone of that movie, it does have a pretty good storyline (at least on paper), it has some excellent scenes (particularly the opera house scene), and fantastic performances from Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid, but alot of stuff just doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. I think perhaps the biggest problem is that Anakin Skywalker just doesn’t work as a tragic character, since we never really see a fall from greatness, or even goodness, for that matter. We just see a fall from louseness. There’s some other problems with that movie, but I’d be willing to overlook those flaws if Anakin’s character had been better-handled.

Subsequent viewings have really only highlighted and crystallized the flaws of all three movies, as well as cause me to notice things I hadn’t initially thought of.

 

So I had just come off of seeing the OT for the first time.

TPM - I was just blown away. I thought my brain had hurt from awesomeness after the OT, but Duel of the Fates BLEW ME AWAY! Liam Neeson was also very comforting as a mentor figure, and I thought Padme was cute

AOTC - Star Wars AGAIN exceeded my expectations. The Battle of Geonosis, Jango Fett, PURPLE LIGHTSABER, Yoda fight scene, the always-charismatic Christopher Lee as Count Dooku - wow. This was my favorite movie for many years, even after ROTS came out!

ROTS - What can be said that hasn't been? At that point I had a fanboy wishlist of things I wanted to see happen: Yoda vs Sidious, Mace vs Sidious, a giant battle, and more mind-blowing effects and story. And boy did it deliver.

THIS is why people! This is why I love the prequels so much! When I first watched them I was young so I had no misconceptions, no thoughts of what SHOULD happen - basically what A Chorus of Disapproval does. And Star Wars blew my young mind away!!!

So many memories in those 3 movies - playing with the Lego sets with my siblings, re-enacting the lightsaber fights, playing the video game, debating character power levels with my friends; those were the best days to be a Star Wars fan!

 

I saw every PT film at the theaters and loved everyone of them. It's been a while since I've watched them so I might go back and watch all 8 movies sometime soon(just not all in one night).

 

Initial reactions? Hm, let's see...

TPM: "This is kind of strange, but really good. It feels more cartoony than I expected, but it's REALLY cool to finally see how it all began! Qui-Gon is a nice addition to the Saga. I can't wait to see a grown up Anakin in the next one!
Oh, and Coruscant rocks!"

AOTC: "A-MA-ZING!! This is absolutely gorgeous! Anakin and Obi-Wan is a great duo, the action scenes are spectacular, the drama on Tatooine... Epic!
Wait a minute - Dooku shoots Force lightning? And Yoda repels it with his hand?
Jaw
Dropped!
This is all so exciting! Gimme more now, damn it!!"

ROTS: "Now, THAT was drama! A classic tragedy worthy of the ancient Greeks! There's a surprisingly heavy emphasis on the personal story, or perhaps surprisingly little political intrigue. Also, no big landmark battle, but bits and pieces of many battles instead.
Anyway, a beautifully directed and incredibly sad and impactful movie. Finally, the story's come full circle. Now, I know how it all went down. The Saga is complete.
That feels wonderful and terrible at the same time. The journey is over. No more Star Wars "

 

TPM
Mostly I was surprised at how many story and character parts were at work in this film. I guess I expected some rote blockbuster, so all the politics and 'downtime' came as a pleasant surprise. Also there was something very serene about the intro sequence with the two Jedi travelling through space and carrying out a routine task, it really felt like I was just thrown into this lived-in world. I still think it's the best opening sequence from all the movies.

ATOC
Speeder bike chase felt really cartoony and lame. Especially Anakin jumping like 20 stories and landing on one. The romance felt a little awkward but I ended up really liking it because of how it compared to the larger story - there was something really tragic and fleeting about Padme and Anakin enjoying each others company and getting to know each other more after all these years, yet it's set against the backdrop of a crumbling republic. Obi-wan's journey was very noiry detective-like, which I loved, and the visuals of Kamino were so beautiful and alien. At this point I was really surprised that a movie like freaking Star Wars could be so... experimental?

ROTS
At this point I was just fully onboard with Star Wars and ended up loving every bit of ROTS and how the plot lines wrapped up. Padme on Mustafar trying to talk Anni around made me cry. Order 66 was like a bomb drop. All the battles and locations had good variety. It was glorious!

Overall what took me most was how Star Wars was not like a typical blockbuster and actually had a lot of character moments and the story was way more complex and subtle than i presumed

Bare in mind I was lucky enough to watch these for the first time on bluray within a few days of each other. No waiting years in for cinema releases, can't imagine how horrible that wouldve been

 

Waiting in lines is what enhances the experience! Did so for AOTC & ROTS.

TPM i saw the day after with family and didn't have to wait in line much. I enjoyed it immensely...Star Wars was back! After seeing it a few times that summer, i just couldn't rank it close to the OT with its corny lines/Jar Jar/ and young Anikan kiddish comments.
I do love all the rest of it especially the lightsaber battle. And who could forget the marketing blitz!! Taco Bell was fun to visit during summer of '99.
AOTC i saw at midnight. Loved it. Walked out wondering what was going to happen in Ep. III. Loved Padme in her tight jump suit, tons of Jedi on screen fighting, mysterious Dooku and more so Tyranus, the Clone Wars!
Saw it a couple more times later. It fails in some areas as the writing and blue screen acting was bad. Overall wish the Seperatist had more human leaders who weren't cartoony or as greedy.
ROTS i was like second in line the evening of the first day. Loved it and really thought it had everything. It was thought of as my favorite for some time. Saw it a couple of times that summer.
Now i feel ROTS is second behind ESB. AOTC is slightly ahead of TPM.

So glad i was able to experience the marketing, the buzz, the action figures and expectations, the rumors, these boards!, the fans and a new Star Wars trilogy. Enjoyed every minute of it.

 

I stand by my opinion that AOTC is the best Star Wars film. I felt that way in 2002, and feel the same way today. I love that movie's variety of visual styles, from the Blade Runner esque seediness to Coruscant to the sterility of Kamino, to the classically martian landscape of Geonosis. All of it was so cool. In many ways, it was the perfect synthesis of George Lucas's film and literary inspirations. It had shades of film noir, suspense, classic 1930's sci fi, war films, 1950s greaser culture, and Anakin's teenage/young adult adventures throughout mirror George's life in Modesto, California in the early 60s. To my mind it's one of his most personal works, and a celebration of science fiction. Furthermore, it gave birth to both Clone Wars shows. By pairing AOTC with TCW (which satisfyingly filled a couple of missing plotholes), IMO you get the best Star Wars canon ever committed to screen.

 

I was eager to see TPM. Went to see it when it first came out. I didn't like it very much. I liked Qui-Gon and didn't mind the political plot, but I didn't really like the pod race, Jar Jar, or Darth Maul. I didn't bother to go see the other two. Fast forward to late 2015: my daughter expressed interest in TFA so I figured she needed to watch all the other movies. We watched them in this order: IV, V, I, II, III, VI. To my surprise, I really liked AOTC, particularly the Kaminoans and the overall imagery of the movie.

I loved ROTS. Loved it. Darth Vader was my favorite character in the OT but I guess I hadn't paid too much attention to info about the prequels for many years, because I didn't know how he lost his limbs or ended up in the suit so it was all new to me, even though I'm old-ish and saw ESB and ROTJ in the theatres when I was a kid.

I enjoyed the majority of the characters, and found Padme & Anakin's story to be compelling (I also read the novelization and thought it explained the plot points better, but I still enjoyed the movie). It was one of those films that really stuck with me for a variety of reasons and it rekindled my love of all things Star Wars.

 

I saw them all on DVD about one year after the originals and I instantly loved them! I wish I was able to see them in theaters...

I can't really remember my exact thoughts as I was really young but I do remember that I watched them over and over and over again, though TPM less so. It used to be my least favorite of the films for a time but it's slowly risen to the top as time has gone on. The prequels were definitely the films that pulled me into the saga and caused me to look at the OT from a different perspective.

 

TPM: Liked it.

AOTC: Loved it.

ROTS: Seen better.

 

These views are not remotely how I feel about the films now. However...

The Phantom Menace: I was four. I don't remember my first viewing, to be honest. I do remember waking up early Saturday morning the weekend it was released and, while looking for the comics in the paper, coming across an article on the film with a picture showing Obi-Wan dangling off that pipe over the bottomless pit, with Darth Maul menacingly standing above him. I had to see it again, so I shook my dad awake to take me to a matinee. I was in love with the film at that age.

Attack of the Clones: Seven years old. I loved the film when it came out, but I do remember it being my least favorite of the five. I vividly recall feeling extremely tense during the scene where Anakin and Padme are taken into the arena to be executed, and reminding myself over and over, "They can't die, Luke and Leia aren't born yet, they can't die, Luke and Leia aren't born yet..."

Revenge of the Sith: Ten years old. I saw this at midnight, heading straight to the theater after my brother's kindergarten graduation ceremony. Revenge of the Sith was my favorite film in the series for a solid few years after I saw it. Out of the whole experience, the things I remember most are: nudging my mom to tell her the opening scene looked just like the last shot of the Clone Wars micro-series (she immediately shushed me), crying during "You were my brother Anakin... I love you!", thinking Darth Vader's voice sounded ever-so-slightly off from what I was used to, and leaving the theater feeling really ecstatic but also kind of sad that I'd seen my last ever new Star Wars movie. I think I Googled "Star Wars Episode VII" at least once a month from then until October 2012.