Prequel Flaws

It's maybe too hard to decide. Also each one has different sets of problems. To generalize, the most glaring flaw in each one is bad directing of acting (especially Lloyd/Christensen), I suppose. The plots could've been more logical and respectful of the original trilogy, I also feel. I don't take issue with the story premises, the settings or the politics. I rather like that the story starts out thirty years before the OT. It might be interesting to rank the categories of the flaws, but I'm not going to do that.

The flaws don't ruin the films but Episode II has excessive CGI-action set pieces that sometimes feel impersonal, there to be there, and Anakin is somewhat too unlikeable and different from how he was in I (and the romance with Padme isn't terrible but underdeveloped). Obi-Wan isn't very likeable in I or II.

I mostly liked the political plots.

What some people mentioned above, bad characters. That is the biggest flaw with the prequels. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo have been household names among kids and adults for decades, and that's because the characters are so likeable and relatable in the OT. The first movie of the trilogy is supposed to introduce us to the characters. IV did a great job doing that, but I did a terrible job. In Episode I, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are such dull, lifeless characters, we don't even see much of Obi-Wan, and Anakin is just 10 years old, so we have no idea how he's going to act when he's older.

Another big problem is the dozens of inconsistencies with the OT. Why did "Old Ben" Kenobi never make any mention of Qui-Gon? He never implied that anyone other than Yoda trained him. Why did the pre-Empire Jedi need 20-30 years to be trained when Luke only needed a week? Those are just some of many examples.

Haydens acting was shocking but it doesn't matter who played that role Lucas bad Diolog even Leonardo couldn't have fixed it up.

the fact that it took 3 movies to tell the origins was the MAJOR problem, where as something like batman took just 1 film.

It should have been about Anakins Fall from being a Jedi to a Sith, not how he became a jedi not having him as a Teenager to begin with was problem number 1.

and lets face it those Romance scenes were like something from the 1930s of acting. and the style of Dialog Lucas used.

The CGI thing didn't worry me to much, Jar Jar well lets just say he was NOT funny the entire first film and just so annoying and TOO MUCH of him.

I just watched each night this last week the prequals and a new hope last night, and GOD did I enjoy A New Hope in so many ways. it had been about 5 years since I have seen any of the films, but I decided to put myself in pain and watch the first 2 movies.

the 3rd Movie Revenge of the Sith was much better, because Lucas finally let other people help and take it over, it also was about ONE character. were as the first 2 films you didn't give a crap about any of the,

Which leads to problems with Prequals you know who is gonna live and die so you really don't care for the characters, you know Obi One was going to survive Dath Maul and everyone knew who was gonna die in that fight.

when you watched Return of the Jedi the first time or Empire I bet people thought Han was going to die.

Little Annie was bad in every way. Whiny, irritating, stumble-bum. Largely the fault of script but not entirely. Directing also at fault. Big mistake not making him closer to Padme's age.

Jar Jar was yet another ramping up of Lucas's cute-for-the-kids efforts (R2/Jawas then Yoda then Ewoks) and it finally went too far. The level of Vaudeville shining off Jar Jar was jarringly incompatible with the movie's tone.

They killed Maul too soon. He needed to recur at least one more time. A later fight in Ep2 in which Obi Wan must stifle his desire for revenge and Anakin gives in to blood lust and kills Maul. The lack of a recurring physical threat contributed to the prequel's blandness.

Droid army being funny. Horrible idea. They were idiots. Idiot robots. They also tried to take prisoners when the plot needed them to not shoot to kill as usual. They should have been terrifying.

C3PO. In the OT, he was amusingly neurotic, affable, and useful. In the Prequels he was a stand up comedian sweating in front of a silent crowd. A bad clown.

R2D2 had assorted tech unseen in any R2 unit ever. Unnecessary.

Connecting Chewy to Yoda was a witless attempt at fan service. Dumb and completely unnecessary.

Every political body in the universe collectively vote to lose their power and even applaud. One weak speech from Palp and every govt. is convinced that they should have less control ... just like no politicians ever ever in time. Single most ludicrous element in all the preqs. Don't try to shoehorn politics into your story if you have zero understanding of any politics ever.

Teen Anakin has no sense whatsoever which dilutes the fearsome future Vader. Not a believable connection at all.

Romance was stilted and somehow more wooden than the rest of the script.

Clone Wars ill-defined. Big fight had no emotional connection nor any reason to care. Fun to see but felt significance-free.

cont.-

-cont.

Tuskan Raider massacre happens off camera. Why? You can show Anakin getting butchered in the end but not this?

Jedi far too easily killed when order 52 (or whatever it was) was executed. Made the Jedi seem lame.

Not enough character development for Dooku. He was interesting. Wasted.

Grievous was another wasted character. His origin in Tartakovski's Clone Wars cartoon was excellent. They should have kept the Mace vs Grievous fight for Ep2. But instead he was underdeveloped and virtually invisible with Ewan thrashing about in the obvious green-screen fight.

Mace and Jedi stand there like idiots while Palpatine pirouettes at them, lands right in front of them, kills one, kills another, and then kills the rest of them. Like a bad boxing movie where they take turns standing there taking shots from each other. This movie forced me to watch Jedi ... JEDI!... stand still and let themselves get killed. This could have been such a glorious scene. They could have showcased Palpatine's power and the Jedis' skills. They should have put up a great fight. This was dance-off-bro bad.

Anakin slays the padawans. Didn't jive with the flimsy journey of the character. What were they thinking?

Obi vs Anakin saber fight starts off good for about 15 seconds. Then it devolves into a very bad video game fight. Keeps getting more ridiculous.

We have to listen to a droid doctor say "She died from the lack of a will to live"

Vader sings "NOOOO!" doesn't murder Palp right there.
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That's it. Might have forgotten some things (it has been a long time since they came out). I can sum up what I did like briefly and easily:
All the QuiGon/ObiWan stuff. The Maul fight. The assassination attempt. The Yoda/Dooku fight. Jango ship chase.

I feel bad for Hayden. His acting did improve a bit by the end but the script doomed him.

The biggest flaw of the prequels is that the OT gives a very precise recipe list of what ingredients had to go into making Prequel Soup.

However, when it came to the chef (the same guy who'd written the recipe in the first place!!) actually making the soup, he ripped that recipe to shreds and just chucked whatever he thought tasted good at the time into the pot.

Then when the customer (who'd previously dined copiously on OT soup) came to sample the Prequel soup he took one sip then - BOOM! - projectile sprayed the fishy tasting broth straight out and screamed "Hey, this isn't Prequel Soup! This does NOT have the right ingredients for Prequel Soup... What are you trying to serve me here?!!"

good point