Fans who grew up with the OT-Do any of you actually prefer the PT?

I was 12 when ANH (simply called Star Wars in those days =) came out, and while I think TESB to be the better film, ANH is my favorite.

It's my opinion that the entire franchise was mortally wounded with the loss of Gary Kurtz. Aside from the Emperor/Vader/Luke scenes in ROTJ, it's an embarassing follow-up to TESB, and whatever it was that went wrong at that point has multiplied in Episodes 1 and 2.

I like AOTC because it is the story I wanted to see since Obi-Wan told Luke about his father out beyond the Dune Sea. I don't hate TPM, but it offers nothing to me - even Darth Maul is a mere shadow of the truly badass Vader. [for those wondering, look at Maul - he glowers a lot, says perhaps two things and kills one person- compare Vader who chokes and kills with his bare hands (and without as well), kills Luke's dad, his best friend Biggs as well as Obi-Wan. Vader threatens young women, watches idly while a planet is destroyed, you get the idea].

However, just having watched eps. 4-6 back to back last night, I feel that GL has painted himself into a corner with the PT -- rule of 2, the infrastructure of the Jedi order as compared to "following old Obi-Wan on some damn-fool idealistic crusade". Also, it was far easier to identify with Luke before we found out he's the son of the Messiah - before the PT one could imagine one's self becoming a Jedi simply by being strong with the Force and a lot of discipline, instead of passing muster with the council to become a member of an exclusive club. And the rule of 2 simply drives me nuts, considering that the Emperor wanted to turn Luke and presumably survive the process and also keep his current apprentice, and that having only two bad guys worthy of combating Jedi makes for very boring action.

I understand it's GL's vision and all, but it's not turning out the way I had desired it to, and I find myself deconstructing the films now to amend the differences in vision as opposed to sitting back and enjoying.

There. That's about 2 pennies worth of words.

 

Doarnyiarn - It's nice to know someone appreciates what Kurtz had done. When you lose all your checks and balances and get total control and power without someone saying "no" to you then you go bonkers without anybody stopping you.

 

I grew up with the OT, but I think I prefer the PT. But I'm not sure.

ESB has never really excited me as it seems to excite most fans. And ROTJ was great when I was 10 in 1984, but now it's pretty lame.

ANH is the only movie from the OT that still really excites me. TPM has grown on me TREMENDOUSLY. I love watching it now. And AOTC continues to give me goosebumps -- it's my favorite of the series so far.

 

OT all the way!
-The stories are far better, less contrived.
-Better characters:
i.e. Han Solo/Harrison Ford "scoundrel" element. Even a character like Lando.
That being said, the PT REALLY needs a charsimatic character. So far, they're wooden beyond words.
-Better direction.
-Stormtroopers
-Darth Vader
etc, etc, etc.

What's better about the PT? The obvious: lightsaber battles and the swooping visuals.

However, all that ILM wizardry cannot mask bad acting, hollow characters and insipid plot lines.

 

LOL Avid_Prequels_Fan
Actually this icon is the only one which I could select, there are no beautiful blondes in SW saga...

I have really high expectations for EPIII and maybe it is going to be the best and no doubt biggest of all SW film. But it is hard to explain - I know I'm still going to love ANH most. I just remember the feeling when I watched ANH for the first time; how deep influence it had on me, how fascinated I was. I have been a SW fangirl since that.

 

The magic of the OT is the reason we're all here in the first place.

Um, no..Actually AOTC brought me here.

Count me as raised on the OT (saw all of them in the theatre first run - I'm 33), like the prequels better. It doesn't spell things out for you, it has politicaly intricacies and absolutely STUNNING cinematography.

My rank:

AOTC
ROTJ
ESB
TPM
ANH

 

What I like about the new trilogy( as with OT) is the anticipation. I'm always disappointed with the films and end up re-watching OT. But nothing beats the fan excitment and speculation.

And soak it up, because this is it.

 

Short answer: Yes.

Reason:

Being born in '79 I grew up with the OT, I had all the action figures and always loved to watch the movies. Then as I went through my teen years the interest kinda dropped off, sure it was still cool, but new things like the Star Trek movies and stuff kinda grabbed my attention more. But ever since TPM came out, I've been hooked. The PT has given the OT a new dimension, a new reason, and just makes the whole saga all that more great. I loved TPM and AOTC, they were the first movies in years where I actually left the cinema with a huge smile on my face. And thats the only reason I need.

 

My list runs in this order:

1. ESB
2. TPM
3. ROTJ
4. AOTC
5. ANH

I have two OT films in the top 3. So far, it looks like I prefer the OT! We'll see what happens once Episode III is released.

 

right now I prefer the PT over the OT, but that is because I do not own a VCR only a DVD player, therefor I cannot watch the OT (I have both the original version and the special editions of the OT of VHS).


Overall....its hard to say, the fights have been MUCH better in the PT, the story lines MUCH better in the OT....The PT is even finished yet....my verdict...a TIE, at least until Ep III comes out

 

I am in my 30s and all I can say that I love both OT and PT. I would not list them in any order but I do have my personal favorites that I tend to watch the most AOTC.

 

zacparis, your post reflects my feelings exactly.

Bravo!

 

I'm 28 and I hate the prequels as much as I love the originals.

 

order:

Empire
Clones
Hope
Menace
Jedi

--------------------------


i never even thought of thinking of the movies as "pt and ot" until i started browsing starwars forums(as soon as i saw AOTC i went Pink Panther on the "Syfo-Dias" thingy & discovered the internet)

 

order:

Empire
Clones
Hope
Menace
Jedi

This is the same as my ranking on page 1.This is the correct order-all other opinions are moot.

Nice to see my little thread still going strong almost 2 months after I started it.

 

The OT are magnificent no questions about it.


The PT have been tainted by bad directing, bad dialogue and Luca()'s lust for more $$$$.

Here's my list:

1.ESB
2.ANH
3.ROTJ
4.TPM
5.SW holiday special
6.AOTC

 

I prefer the OT.

ANH's the best, Empire second, the others all highly enjoyable for various reasons.

A few wooden lines and some cringeworthy acting have never ruined a Star Wars film for me yet.

 

usually when i feel like watching star wars nowadays i put on either clones or tpm. maybe it's cuz they're on dvd, or maybe it's cuz i haven't seen them a billion times.

they're all good to me.

i was born 2 years after ANH came out, so i've had my whole life to get to know the OT.

 

The OT will always have my heart because I grew up watching those films. No films have or will ever have the impact they did.

I am grateful for the PT for sparking my Star Wars flame once again.

 

I prefer the OT by far. I wasn't even the one who wanted to see Star Wars as a kid. I was more of an "outside all the time, didn't watch much TV" kind of kid. I was pretty much clueless that Star Wars was even coming out. It was my dad who wanted to see it and took the family. I was just totally blown away just like numerous others talk about on these forums everyday. When TPM came out, I was hoping for the same thing, but it didn't come close. I enjoyed the film, but it wasn't the same. No sense of wonderment, no antcipation to rush back and see it again, no smile plastered on my face - just the idea that it was a good movie, now let's move along. My initial thought was, "Oh well, I'm older now. Obviously it's not going to affect me the same way as it would if I was a kid." I held on to that notion until I saw LOTR:FOTR and I got the same sense of wonderment and inexplicable smile that I had gotten from the OT. I was thrilled to know I could still be moved by a movie that way, but it also illustrated to me just how much the PT kind of let me down. Now obviously my expectations for TPM and LOTR were polar opposites (I had no urge to see LOTR, I was dragged to see it), but it doesn't change the fact (for me) that TPM did not was just a good movie that didn't have the magic of the OT. (I enjoyed AOTC much, much more and got some of that wonderment near the end, but an hour's worth in one movie versus three entire movies is hardly close).

 

I was just barely old enough to ROTJ in its first-run in theaters. I grew up on the OT for my entire childhood. Generally, I love all the movies, and don't make huge distinctions between any of them -- to me TPM and AOTC are just as much SW as the OT, and quality-wise, all five movies are pretty close to one another.


If I rank my favorites, it'd probably go like this: ROTJ, AOTC, ANH, TPM, TESB.


I've loved the prequels so far, can't wait for Episode III.

 

The prequels are alright. but can't be compared to the OT.
1.Kenobi has been diminished as a character, and looks like a liar.
2.Midichlorians have destroyed the fun and mystery of the force.
3."Chosen one" and "there was no father" has only cheapened the story, because it is uncreative and a ripoff of countless stories.
4.Person to person dialog in the PT is pathectic campared to the OT. Technology can't replace good acting.
5.The puppett in ESB still looks more real than the latest additions.
6.Way to many new characters had way to much screen time, like Qui-Gon Jinn who was never supposed to discover Anakin. I't was Obi-Wan who was supposed to find Anakin.
I could go on and on about the reasons why the OT is far better than the PT. Lucas has overwritten the PT, and it is obvious to me that if he kept it simple it would be more enjoyable and believeable.

 

I'm 29, and I've lost count of how many times I've watched the originals.

I do really like the prequels, but I would have to say that the originals hold a place in my heart that the prequels will probably never get.

Is it because of bad acting? Bad directing? Too much CGI?

No. It's the simple fact that I grew up watching the OT, from the time I was 3 until the present. I've collected the figures since I was 4. Star Wars was always a huge part of my childhood.

There is no way that anything that I see today can have the same resonance with me as the original SW films did. Even if they are techinically better films, they just aren't the same. I don't think I am capable of making an unbiased evaluation of the OT vs the PT. I suspect I'm not alone in this, but I'm not going to project my belief about this onto everybody else.

So my list would have to be, in order:

ANH
ESB
ROTJ
AOTC
TPM

I do think that ESB is, in pretty much every aspect, a "better" film than ANH, ANH is still my favorite. ;-)

 

Empire STrikes Back- By far the strongest SW film top to botom.....I was in elementary school when this came out and I remember being being absolutely blown away by Vader's revelation....

A New Hope- You always remember your first and this was nothing less than a roller coaster ride....


a distant third:

Attack of the Clones- visually stunning, exciting action sequences, and for the most part a fascinating plot... However, I really think Sam Jackson and Chris Lee were a bit underutilized; Hayden and Natalie are average actors at best; and as far as dialogue goes I pray Lucas finds a better writer....



Descending further down the SW hierachy...



Toss up- Jedi and TPM... Both are pretty much hit and miss as far as what I find positive and negative in them...

 

i love them all.but i think after watching TPM a few times it gets a bit boring.but the rest super.ANH is my number one by a tiny bit though