With The Force Awakens getting ever so closer, as a Star Wars fan it is hard to contain my sheer excitement of returning to the galaxy far far away. However, with this promising new trilogy on the horizon it is hard to forget a similar promising trilogy that landed several years ago. Yes that's right, the prequel trilogy. The films that caused an uproar in the Star Wars fanbase and were full of bad CGI, gungans and disappointment, it has divided many fans and has left many skeptical of the upcoming films. From the heavily disappointing Phantom Menace to the extremely uneven Attack of the Clones and finally, the one that wasn't so bad, Revenge of the Sith the prequels unfortunately did not match the original trilogy in story, characters or authenticity. However, were they so bad after all? Despite it's many flaws, the prequel trilogy has a few aspects that mate it a lot less unbearable so now it's time to look at what they got wrong but also what they got right.
What They Got Wrong:
1. Anakin Skywalker
The original trilogy gave us one of the greatest baddies in cinematic history, Darth Vader. So naturally in a trilogy that explores his past and his road to the dark side fans were expecting the tragic tale of a troubled young jedi. What we got however was the tragic tale of a whining brat with questionable acting skills. Hayden Christiensen did not give us the portrayal we expected and his dialogue and development up until Revenge of the Sith was just bland and mundane. Maybe a more convincing actor could have gave Anakin the portrayal he deserved but even then, could they have conquered that ghastly dialogue?
2. The Romance
Speaking of ghastly dialogue, none was more cringe-worthy than that between Anakin and his lover Padamé (Natalie Portman). The original trilogy gave us a convincing and playful romance between Han and Leia, inspiring cosplays and Family Guy parodies everywhere. The prequels however, especially Attack of the Clones gave us one of the worst onscreen romances ever. The characters have no chemistry at all, Anakin at times just looks like a pervy stalker, and even Natalie Portman's acting skills could not have saved this doomed romance. At one point, Anakin even makes conversation about his reasons for hating sand..
3. Killing Darth Maul
Perhaps the greatest asset of The Phantom Menace was Darth Maul, the new sith apprentice that dominated the film's advertising and *SPOILERS* kills Liam Neeson. So naturally when you've got such an intimidating and cool villain the smart thing to do is keep him around for as long as possible to give him time to develop and display his skills. George Lucas didn't seem to think so though and killed off Maul in the climax of episode 1. Now I know Maul was brought back in the extended universe but that's just not good enough, if he had have made further appearances in the films he could have given Obi Wan motivation after slaughtering his master, reflecting Darth Vader's role in the original trilogy. Instead, he was sliced in half like a bread roll and neither him or his double-sided light saber were seen in the films again.
4. Nute Gunray and the Trade Federation
The Neimoidian leader of the Trade Federation, the baddies who opposed the Galactic Republic, was far from villainous. Nute Gunray was neither clever or intimidating and was more or less a racial stereotype and offered nothing to the franchise. I'm not sure if Lucas intended these to be comic reliefs because neither Gunray nor his associates are funny, but one thing is for sure and that is that they are the second most annoying species in the prequels, next to the Gungans. Gunray was one of the weaker characters of the trilogy and if the Trade Federation had have been run by a better villain (perhaps someone similar to Grand Moff Tarkin) then maybe they could have been taken more seriously.
5. Jar Jar Binks
Ok, what was George Lucas thinking? Honestly, not only the most annoying character of the franchise but possibly of cinematic history itself, Binks was one of the major causes of disappointment among the fans. Although he only appears prominently in The Phantom Menace (thank God), his constant jabbering and idiocy is almost unbearable, like we get it, he's supposed to be a comic relief, but the only laughs he's getting are from George Lucas as he rolls in the cash from his prequels. Hopefully if he ever decides to remaster his prequels he'll cut this irritating Gungan out and replace him with some CGI rocks or something.
What They Got Right:
1. The Jedi
The Jedi were but a myth by the time of the original trilogy and the prequels definitely did them justice. From the more prominent Jedi like Obi Wan Kenobi and Samuel L Jackson's Mace Windu to the more obscure ones like Kit Fisto and Ki Adi Mundi, the midichlorian-filled knights were skilled in the force and in battle. Their arena battle at the end of Attack of the Clones is one of the most iconic scenes of the prequels and certainly allowed the Jedi to display their renowned skills.
2. Obi Wan Kenobi
Ewan McGregor is one of the most talented actors of his generation so he was undoubtedly one of the best choices to play Obi Wan. Instead of trying to out do Alec Guinness' original performance, McGregor instead channels Alec Guinness and does a great job as acting as Anakin's mentor and voice of reason much like he did with Luke in A New Hope. His transition from padawan to mentor is one of the best developments of the trilogy and if not for his story line in Attack of the Clones the film would have been just Anakin talking about sand and stuff.
3. Pod Racing
The Phantom Menace was, for most of it's part, boring. It failed to match the action of the original trilogy and was slow and monotonous to watch. One highlight of the film however was the pod racing, the fast pace sport that was Naboo's answer to Nascar. The pod racing scene was fun to watch and was one of the few times in the prequels where we actually root for Anakin and want him to win. A blend of action and humour made the pod racing scene one of the most memorable of the prequels.
4. The Clone Army
The eponymous clones from the second prequel film, these guys were cloned from the DNA of bounty hunter Jango Fett (Temura Morrison) to fight for the Galactic Republic. Their armor foreshadowed the storm troopers of the original films, only the clones could hit their targets, and despite them being clones they do display individual characteristics at certain points in the trilogy. Contrasting to the rather comedic droids, the clone army were both cool and intimidating whether they were fighting for or against the Republic.
5. The Baddies
Apart from the previously mentioned Nute Gunray, the prequels had some pretty great antagonists. Darth Maul, despite his small screentime, was intimidating in both design and personality and was without a doubt the highlight of the prequels. However after his demise it was interesting to see what other villains would arrive to the franchise. Attack of the Clones saw the introduction of Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), a new sith apprentice and Jango Fett, a bounty hunter. Both were sinister yet likeable and the latter brought back everything we loved about his son Boba from the original trilogy. Revenge of the Sith introduced General Grievous, although for most of his part he was a bumbling cyborg with asthma, he became a fan favourite after his iconic battle with Obi Wan Kenobi where he utilised four light sabers. Last but not least, Ian McDiarmid's Palpetine. One of the only returning cast members from the originals, Palpetine was maniacal and psychotic and McDiarmid managed to bring back everything we loved to hate about him after all those years.
Despite its many flaws, the prequel trilogy had a few beacons how hope that made it that little bit less shit. Although no amount of pod racing or jedi battles will erase Jar Jar Binks or Hayden Christiensen's acting from our memories, they do give some positive aspects to the trilogy. However, with the next installments in the hands of JJ Abrams and (thankfully) not George Lucas, there may be some hope for them. Whatever happens, I'll just be happy once there are no Gungans present. I hope you're all as excited for The Force Awakens as I am, until next time may the force be with you.
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