PT Many fans are starting to re-evaluate the PT after the ST

I've been saying for years that the PT was misunderstood by the fans, and the focus by them was on the wrong things. Now this is not an ST bashing thread, as that is not what this thread is about. The only reason I bring up the ST is that it has made many people I know go back and rewatch the PT and some are re-evaluating it.

The first thing that many of them say is the World Building in the PT. That was probably the most underrated aspect that fans just didn't give enough weight to back in the day. The world building really makes the story bigger and gives a context to the universe.

The 2nd thing is the arc that the PT gave the 1-6 story. You now see Palpatine's rise and fall, you now see Anakin's fall and redemption, as I believe it makes ROTJ a better movie too.

The 3rd thing is the attention to technology. Lucas showed how everything evolved from Episode 1 to 6, with little details like Obiwan ship couldn't go to Hyperspace on it's own in Episode 2, as not all ships had that technology yet. Or how certain ships evolved in their design as they didn't all look the same for the 6 movies.

Many fans focused on Jar Jar, the romance and Little Ani for years, and those same fans I know (who were critical of the PT back in the day) have more respect for the movies now and understand what Lucas was doing in terms of being original and moving the story forward. Sometimes things in our society get a 2nd look and the ST enabled many fans to go back to the PT with different eyes and a different context. I personally believe the PT is looked at much more positively in 2020 than it was in 2005 after ROTS. I'm glad that George is finally getting the credit he deserved back then.

 

Blockbusters have lowered in quality and now the PT doesn't look as bad.

 

The PT was always good.

 

Yep, always loved the PT, and I appreciate it all the more these days.

 

I've always loved the prequels mainly they were my childhood star wars. Peak figure collection and Ep 1 was the first one I saw at the cinema. Id watched OT multiple times at this point but there was something about seeing it on the big screen. Big reason why Ep1 is actually my favourite of the saga.

My older brother has always disliked the prequels as he was mid teen when he saw Ep1 and beyond and so didn't have that emotional connection and just saw them as a huge step down from OT.

Now he's watched the ST he's realising the prequels are far from bad movies and especially not bad star wars. ST definitely helping to give prequels a new perspective I think for a lot of people

 

You make some very good points, and overall, I agree with the impression that the PT is looked at much more positively nowadays.

However, I would also add another factor: the change of generation. People who were kids when the PT was released (and enjoyed it) are now in their late teens/20s/30s... and therefore are much more vocal online about their love for the PT/hate towards the ST.
20 years ago, most of the hate towards the PT came from people who enjoyed the OT as kids and were in their 20s/30s when the PT came out.
(And at a certain age, you just don't care that much about the "silly space films" that much anymore, so you don't post online all the time).

I'm pretty sure that the ST will be viewed much more positively in about 20 years by people who are now kids and have watched the ST without all the cynicism grown-up fans have.

Ultimately, I agree with Lucas. Star Wars is meant to be watched by 12-year olds... or people who can go back to that mindset while watching the films.
If you approach them with the adult "nowadays-everything-is-****-back-when-I-was-a-kid-everything-was-much-better" attitude you just can't really enjoy them..

 

I really don't blame them for the reevaluation.

There's still those that say the ST's still better than the PT regardless, and even while I usually don't agree with their reasons, there's nothing wrong with having an opinion.

Just be civil about it.

 

I will even go as far to say that the PT makes the OT better. That's pretty astounding because I thought the OT was perfect before 1999. The PT definetly made ROTJ a better movie because the last hour is the culmination of 6 movies with The Emperor, Vader, and Luke. When you watch it in 1983, it was all about Luke and his decision to throw down the saber that shocked people like me in the theater. But if you watch it now, you understand Luke, Vader AND The Emperor's motives as this all plays out. You understand why The Emperor wants to replace Vader with Luke, just like he wanted to replace Dooku with Anakin. The Emperor wasn't boys with Vader as we all thought in 1983, he is just looking for his next young Apprentice. You understand Vader's motives as to why he saves his son, and it makes sense why he is torn the whole movie as even The Emperor senses it.

There are so many things from the PT that makes people re-evaluate the OT now, but in a good way as it doesn't lesson 4,5,6. Lucas doesn't get enough credit for really crafting the 1-6 story that has many narratives/arcs. The Jedi, Padme, Anakin, The Republic, The Emperor, Luke, Leia, as they are all a piece of the puzzle that shaped the galaxy. Every person played their role in the downfall of the Republic, the downfall of Anakin, the rise of Palpatine, and the redemption of Vader through Luke and Leia. It's a darn good story if you really think about it, and I just think that got lost on so many fans back in the day. The Disney movies made them look at that 1-6 story and atleast respect what Lucas did. They will never like certain things that have been debated for the past 20 years, but I think they understand why Lucas did what he did now. And I'm happy that George is finally get some due in that respect.

 

Just on a technical level of storytelling, the audience can at least figure out what Lucas is trying to get across even at his absolute worst. That goes for OT and PT. With the ST... there are some things that just make me scratch my head and think, "What am I supposed to be getting from this?" And then when you factor in that the ST films (same as the OT and PT) are meant for 12 year olds... What are kids supposed to get from the ST?

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. For whatever reason fans took the good things about the prequels for granted. As if it should have been an automatic or anyone could do it. The ST forced them to stop taking those things for granted. Also, as Rick Worley has pointed out, fans stubbornly viewed the PT as the second trilogy when they were supposed to view it as the first. One of the coolest things about my experience watching TPM in the theater in 1999 is that it felt like I was watching a movie that had been made many years ago but I had missed out on them.

 

I think there's something to be said about the fact that there's now three trilogies to compare. During the early 2000's, the only thing we could compare the PT to was the OT-so it's natural to judge something more rigidly when its going up against only one other example. But now, there are three trilogies, each with their own tone, aesthetic and sense of focus. So now the comparison is very much expanded, and can go in several different directions. I feel this is one of the ways people's opinions of the PT could be shifted-especially when considering the way many fans seem to have reacted to the ST in general.

 

I'm sure for a lot of fans, nostalgia plays a part in rewatching these films and comparing them. But I also think sometimes, something is just bad, and it stays bad, regardless of the times. I'm reminded of The Jungle Book. Remember that ending where Mowgli goes with the girl to the man village, and Baloo has to let him go even though he wants him to stay, and it's this rather bittersweet ending about letting go and growing up?

Then The Jungle Book 2 happened and Mowgli's back! And he and his girlfriend and Baloo have a happy ending where they're all friends together dancing in the jungle, totally erasing the point of the first film.

I don't think 20 years is going to make that into a good ending. Same thing for the ST.

 

I agree the worldbuilding is gorgeous. I appreciate watching the PT films and the effort Lucas put into making the galaxy look completely different pre-empire. New planets and new creatures mixed very well with the old ones. This is probably weird of me but I loved the look of the Nexu. "Bad kitty" was my absolute favorite of these films. So much so that I have been thinking about digging up that series where Jacen Solo's daughter has one for a pet and reading that for the first time.

The OT makes me laugh, cry, scream and shout but nothing can compare to the emotionally tragic story of Anakin Skywalker in the PT. My daughter was barely 2 when TPM came out and I think being a new mother made the experience so much more emotional for me. I cried when he left Shmi. The courage he had to leave her, and the courage she had to let him go. So powerful. His nightmares in AOTC and the tragedy of Shmi dying in his arms was so much worse. I don't think anything else in the film hit me as hard. ROTS is absolutely the best Star Wars movie ever made, I agree with you there. I am usually not a glutton for punishment but I always seem to pick ROTS when I want quick shot of Star Wars even though it wrecks me. The whole of Anakin in the PT makes it so much more rewarding at the end of ROTJ when Luke proves to be right, proves that Padme is right about him.

 

my son is ten... the ST is his star wars.. five for TFA like i was for star wars in 77 he seemed to get a lot of out of it ..now its just fortnight I've got to worry about..

 

I won't let my daughter watch these films. I don't need her watching the young female protagonist keep forgiving the evil male character in hopes that he'll become a better person. "If he keeps hitting you, just stick by him. He'll get better." Nope, not a positive message in my book.

 

so a scantily clad leia in rotj didn't feed adolescent thoughts... Rey is arguably the strongest female character in the saga and Guidman edit: Disallowed word ... Good wins in the end that's what matters and as we see in the OT forgiveness in important otherwise its eternal war
funniest thing is its other critics argue from the other side that it's too Liberal, inclusive etc.. can't win.. well it did in my lads heart.. he loves it all
oddly enough.. in PT days i wonder how people would have reacted to baby yoda.. my son adores him too

 

sorry for the disallowed word.. i was just trying to say there were many less than progressive fans who disliked such an obvious female powerful lead.. obviously not inferring anyone who dislikes it on this thread have that motive

 

This is an interesting post. I think the old saying, "Don't wish for something because you just may get it," is what transpired over the past 5 years. All I heard from my friends in 2012-13 when they were making Episode 7 was, "No politics, real locations and less CGI, and movies that feel like the OT." Now they are complaining, "Where are the politics? Another desert planet? That's the same story as the OT?"

The ultimate Irony. That's what made many of them re-evaluate the PT.

Maybe Lucas is the real Phantom Menace? He sold to Disney, knowing that those fans that turned on him would than come back after 7,8,9? LOL

 

I know, right!?? I heard the same several years ago, from several of my friends who disliked the PT...let alone the multitudes on this forum!

 

I call it the Batman Returns-Alien 3 effect.

A daring, idiosyncratic sequel to beloved pop art is released. Many fans hate it (for both justifiable reasons and/or personal tastes.) In the wake of the backlash, the studio panics, releases corporate-concocted pap, and sends out its carnival-barkers to proclaim, "Is this what you want?" Most audiences scream "Yes!" and celebrate. And finally, with a bit of time and reflection, many of the same people end up lamenting, "On second thought...maybe that's not what was needed..."

The result? A reappraised sequel. Not necessarily embraced, but certainly respected.

 

I think r/prequelmemes went a long way towards making older millennials and gen-x realize that the PT had a lot more going on than they realized. You don't get that level of meme worthy material unless the whole project is thematically and stylistically coherent, while still having a complex narrative that can consistently deliver payoffs, which most modern franchises struggle to achieve. For example, consider Jurassic Park. The first film is a meme gold mine, but subsequent entries were not stylistically/narratively consistent, and they're not that memorable.

 

Yes, if nothing else, we can be sure the ST has softened opinions on the PT in general. There was an immediate rash of reevaluations among critics after TFA, but they weren't always in the PT's favor at all. Then came TLJ...

Plus, there's the Millennial/Gen Z nostalgia factor. But that was always only a matter of time. The Gen X "Fanboys" "Jar Jar blows" set can't dominate the Star Wars fan landscape forever.

 

Spot on. That was acutally my major complain with Ep VII when it was released: the apparent grooming of the PT haters with their marketing around Ep VII concearning CGI and real sets and the Design work for the movie which was pretty much OT 2.0.

Those Fans celebrated the "return" of SW when they saw the Ep VII X-Wings, TIEs and the Falcon. And now...they are unhappy with what they got when it was what they were asking for. I liked the new evolved McQuarry like X-Wing Design but would have loved for some more daring designs too. Specially Ep VII is lacking in that for me. But I've made my peace with it after Ep VIII was released with way more new designs (loved the bombers at the beginning and Kylos new Fighter).