Re-watching the prequels

[Fishtalk]

ROTS does improve with repeated viewings, but PM and AOTC definitely do not. Re-watching them is just twisting the knife further. I actually decided to give AOTC another chance last week, I'd had an impacted wisdom tooth removed and was high on pain killers and the after effects of the anesthetic, and guess what? It was still ****.

 

[sith-smith]

I don't think the PT are all bad.

I think there's the basis for 3 great movies which show really well what happened 30 years before EP IV.

I liked watching the rise of the Palpatine and the gradual fall of Anakin, the basic idea for both those story lines were good.

I just don't think they were made well. My main issues are


1. The need for a kiddy friendly 'comedy' character aka. Jar Jar Binks. The voice, the walk the stupid actions.... :twisted:

2. Too much CGI made the film look very fake, almost computer game like

3. In many places, the storyline was annoying, confusing, pointless and boring. Maybe something more interesting than trade routes? too many long boring meetings discussing politics. Why the hell was Anakin in AOTC so obsessed with Padme...where had that come from? Why did she fall for him...he was a complete twat for the majority of the movie (I recommend watching Red Letter Medias review of all 3 movies...particular the bit where he goes through Anakin's character in AOTC)

4. The acting/dialogue was problematic to say the least in many places

5. I liked the references to the OT. But somethings were just not right and didn't link to the OT at all well. R2 flying?

While there was a lot I liked, the above points were for me considerable and greatly detracted from the quality of the films.

 

[stratpack]

I agree the acting is sub-standard but I blame George Lucas for that. Actors who have appeared in the SW films (even the classic trilogy) have always complained that he doesn't actually tell them what he wants, Ewen McGregor has been the most vocal about it in recent years. That coupled with standing in front of a green screen 80% of the time probably didn't help things. Perhaps it showed more with the less experienced actors like Hayden Christensen and Jake Lloyd.

Its frustrating looking back, I enjoyed them because I took the view that any SW was better than no SW. There was a lot of eye rolling though!

The prequels might have been better if George had kept a producers role and let others write the script and do the directing. Ironically, this new film seems to be giving fans more of the kind of thing we want and he isn't even involved any more.

 

[weasel]

5. I liked the references to the OT. But somethings were just not right and didn't link to the OT at all well. R2 flying?

And the fecking Metachorians! :roll: :roll: :roll: :twisted: :evil: :evil: :twisted: :evil: :evil:

I agree with everything you've said, although I suspect I hate the prequels a lot more than you do. A lot LOT more.

 

[sith-smith]

Ha! I get the feeling you do.

I see them as a wasted opportunity more than anything.

I just hope EPVII won't be!

 

[naughtyjedi]

i would recommend watching TPM, AOTC, The clone wars movie, then the clonewars series (maybe the cartoon one after as it leads directly into the events of ROTS) then ROTS. If you watch them that way, you get a much better telling of Anakin's story.

 

[Grant_C]

You all need to watch The Phantom Edit and Attack of the Phantom with the editors commentary on.

Its fantastic insight into the issues with the first two films. Its also a masterclass in the art of editing.

Its also gives a sense of closure to those of us who still struggle the prequels.

PM me for more info.

 

[edd_jedi]

Just watched AOTC. It's a good job I decided to watch them all again, I think I've only seen the prequels a couple of times each so had forgotten a lot of them. I also had them mixed up as I thought AOTC started with the space battle, that must be ROTS.

Again I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The story isn't terrible, this one is actually a really good action movie in parts if you forget it's supposed to be a Star Wars film. The CGI lets it down again, looks comical in places (like a computer game as some have mentioned.) Anakin is annoying, but I guess he's supposed to be a moody teenager and was probably directed to be that way ("it's not fair"!)

The main thing that bothered me about it (and same goes for TPM) is all the lame in-jokes they attempt to make, they're just trying too hard. Like Yoda saying "around the survivors, a perimeter create." :roll: or Yoda's lightsabre battle at the end. He's trying to impress an audience that don't need impressing. And I'm worried the new films will do the same - we're not stupid, we don't need ridiculously obvious gags to tell us it's a Star Wars film.

I really must watch these fan edits as I can imagine they improve them both no end.

 

[theforceuk]

If you sat through the entire 2 hours of AOTC then you can't have seen it more than once. The CGI is poor, but as I've said previously it's no worse than the poor rubber masks or matte paintings that worked so well in the old films, just my opinion. :roll: It's by far the worst one for me, but that said their's some good moments when Anakin kills all the sand people and the Vader music kicks in when he tell's Padme.

I remember coming out of the Cinema and thinking the Yoda battle was cool.

Also I don't need some fan boy's to tell me how bad the new ones were or re-edit them to make them look good. The one thing that GL is good at is editing a movie.

 

[x-pack]

Edd - I too think Euwan McGregor is a decent actor but wrong for Phantom Menace. However I would say that I quite liked the more mature Euwan OB1 in ROTS. Considering he was following in Alec Guiness' footsteps AND it's such a damn awful script, he didn't do a bad job IMO. I don't feel as though his take on the character was insulting to the original.

ROTS is my favourite prequel. It's got to be the least stupid and annoying of the lot, right? ...if you take out all the parts with Anakin, Padme, Jar Jar and the ridiculous Droid Army :?

 

[edd_jedi]

I watched Revenge of the Sith last night to finish off the prequels. I was surprised to dislike this one the most, as most people seem to think it is the best one. I think it's biggest problem is how unbelievable many parts are, for example the emperor killing three of the Jedi's that go to arrest him in about 2 seconds, they don't even try to defend themselves! Yoda again looks ridiculous leaping around, and despite most people thinking he's a great actor I thought the Emperor was also crap, he looks like a ridiculous old man waving a lightsabre around and his stupid voices and faces are really annoying. Anakin's 'struggle' with the dark side is also completely unbelievable, makes no sense whatsoever. No need to mention the "Luke, Leia" and "Noooooo!" bits, utter cringe.

Overall, I think they were a big missed opportunity. The story isn't terrible, it's just let down by a combination of terrible CGI, poor acting, too many references and in-jokes to the OT, and too much attempted humour. I think a decent editor could make a good 2-3 hour film from all three movies.

 

[weasel]

I think a decent editor could make a good 2-3 hour film from all three movies.

Do the credits take that long?

 

[BlueDog]

Do the credits take that long?

:lol:

 

[edd_jedi]

Haha yes good point! I spent most of the film thinking that scenes added no value to the story and could either be dropped completely, or shortened.

 

[x-pack]

I actually really liked TPM when it came out. The sea monsters, pod race and 3-way lightsaber duel at the end were superb. As for Jar Jar, he was irritating, but I didn't hate him.

Get out!


:lol:


:wink:

 

[SublevelStudios]

I tried to watch them with my 6 year old son when they were last on TV, Saturday afternoons I think.

Even he didn't like them. He didn't find Jar Jar at all amusing, got bored with the plot and didn't warm to any of the characters, with the exception of R2.

I think they're all dog ****, not one thing do I like about them. They're a soul-less, corporate exercise in how marketing departments can make a movie.

Lucas was micro-managing the whole thing, he'd completely lost what a lot of Star Wars was all about - magic and myth - and he tried to explain it all away. Showing Vader as a boy removes any fear or mystery that character ever had. And giving an explanation to The Force? Utter bollocks, all of it.

Now, with Disney, we at least have some new creatives onboard.

And the one good thing about the prequels? At least Disney know what NOT to do with any new films for fear of killing the franchise dead for good.

I can't wait for TFA, and even more so ROGUE ONE.

 

[edd_jedi]

he tried to explain it all away. Showing Vader as a boy removes any fear or mystery that character ever had. And giving an explanation to The Force?.

Yep that's exactly it mate, and it's not just Lucas, most films I've seen from the last decade have been the same. They assume the audience are complete morons and need every detail not only explaining, but visualising. Nothing is left to the imagination any more.

 

[tiefighterboy]

I have said it many times before.... I fell asleep watching AOTC...............****ing boring movie.

 

[db94]

Been years since I watched any of the shitquels but no way I could fall asleep - too busy shouting swear words and shaking my head

 

[_Lee_]

I think they're all dog ****, not one thing do I like about them. They're a soul-less, corporate exercise in how marketing departments can make a movie.


Now, with Disney, we at least have some new creatives onboard.

And the one good thing about the prequels? At least Disney know what NOT to do with any new films for fear of killing the franchise dead for good.

I can't wait for TFA, and even more so ROGUE ONE.

Are you serious? You really beleive Disney give a flying **** about Star Wars?? Do me a favour. They are in it for the money, which has been proven by the absolute shite they have released with regards to merchandise. The market has been so oversaturated by them already and TFA isnt even on the big screen yet. Still when you have people who will pay £150 for a remote app operated toy then they know the suckers are out there. Yeah i know Lucas did it in the good ole days, but Disney will milk it.

I get it about the prequels, and i myself find them hard to watch (AOTC especially) but lets not go kissing Disneys arse-lets not forget that Lucas gave us Star Wars.