It is a popular thing today to make fun of the prequel trilogy of Star Wars. Everyone seems to love taking shots on how horrible these movies were. I would like to remind everyone that they where still better sci-fi movies then what was out at the time. Let’s break these down one at a time.
Before we start I want to make it clear. I am a Star Wars fan, not a nut. I don’t collect action figures and I don’t own a Star Wars Costume (although my wife does own one of those $100 light sabers). So I consider myself a little above normal fan, but below uber fandom. For example I don’t read Star Wars novels or go to the Star Wars fan sites. I do however LOVE Knights of the Old Republic (if there are any new Star Wars movies, this is where they need to take place and let Bioware write the script) and anticipating the new MMO. So I sit between the general public and Star Wars uber fans.
Episode 1:
The most vilified of all the Star Wars movies. With good reason because I believe it was the worst of all 6 movies. Although you had the pod race, Darth Maul and the ending battles where very good including the Darth Maul fight. It also had it’s really bad moments (Jar Jar, wise cracking battle droids, bad acting by the kid) it also had it’s high points. So to me the movie is still good. Was it great? No, but what sci-fi movie out could beat it? Matrix was the only competitor that year, and I would not say you could compare those two movies. Every time Episode I comes on I still watch it. So, it was the worst movie in the series, but still is better then most Sci-Fi movies of the time.
Episode 2:
I enjoyed this movie more than 1 and really seemed to be building. I agree that Amadala and Anakin did not have any chemistry, but Obi Wan kept me interested and into the movie the whole time. Yes, Anakin was a whiney brat. Think about it though. In order to have him be corrupted and turn like he did in the third movie they had to have him be a little selfish or he never would have turned. It could have been acted or portrayed better, but I still enjoyed watching the fall of Skywalker. Now how can you not like everything after Amadala and Anakin enter the arena. Everything to me from this scene on is exactly what I want out of Star Wars: action and a sense of fun. If you didn’t like this part of the movie then the child in you is dead. Then the ending…… If you didn’t stand up and yell like a little school girl when Yoda walked into that cave and fought then I don’t want to talk to you.
Episode 3:
My personal favorite of the entire prequel trilogy. Don’t let the ending scene destroy the entire movie for you. The fall of Anakin was brilliant. I love how we see the soon to be emperor just pouring evil into Anakin’s ear the whole movie. The opening was one of the most gorgeous action sequences I think I have ever scene even to this day. I have thought since the beginning that Anakin and Obi-Wan had great chemistry as friends. I believed that these two men where like brothers and had been through hell and back together. Which makes the final battle between the two at the end even better for me. Showing Anakin’s fall so hard to the dark side to save the love of his life that he would kill his children is creepy, but I saw in Hayden Christiansan’s eyes that that’s the moment the good in him died. So he was redeemed in my opinion just on that one scene.
So if you take the beginning trilogy as a whole it was actually pretty good. I highly disagree with the vocal majority that these are horrible movies. Are they the best? No way. Are they movies you would watch over and over again? Because to me that is the sign of a good movie. If you buy a blue-ray movie and watch it once then put it on the shelf and never take it out again was it worth your money? Is that a good movie? Or, when your flipping through the movie channels and you see the prequel playing on a movie channel do you stop and watch. I know I do. Let’s do something fun. I will rank the 6 movies from my favorite to the worst. Let me hear what your thoughts are.
Episode 6 (Yes, Return of the Jedi. Take that Empire nuts. Hehe)
Episode 5 (Only reason I didn’t put it as 1 was Return had the final and best space battle)
Episode 3 (Let the controversy begin. I liked 3 better then 4.)
Episode 4 (Sorry, watching Anakin fall into Vader was better)
Episode 2 (Samuel L. Jackson! Yoda! Need I say more)
Episode 1 (Jar Jar alone puts this at the bottom)
So there you go. I am sure the controversy will begin. Although just like all other movies it is a personal thing. My favorite movies are not my wives. Everyone has personal tastes that are different. I just hate the original trilogy was getting all this hate and I felt I needed to step up and defend them. They were not horrible movies. Just not quite as good as the originals, but still better then other sci-fi movies.
*The following was written by my husband, Chris. He has always been a movie nut and enjoys PC gaming. Currently he is playing Starcraft 2 and awaiting the release of Civ V.
