The Prequels are 100% Better Than the Sequels; Here's How

[@The_Bros]

Another point that could be added was the fight scenes. The prequels opened up possibilities for much faster and more iconic fights, such as Mual versus Obiwan and Quigon or Anakin verses Obi-Wan. However, the sequels went backward and just made it look like kids swinging a baseball bat. While Ray could get a pass on this for she never got that proper training, Kylo Ren does not get that pass because he's been training his whole life and the fact that he was more sloppy and even beaten by Ray in every encounter was bs.

[@paullangland6877]

What's so funny is that the Lightsaber duels were some of the best parts of the Prequels and in the Original Trilogy. They are my favorite part. The Sequels barely had them and it pissed me off. Yea I got the speech from all the Sequel defenders that supposedly the plot didn't call for them or some stupid excuse like that. In truth I think Disney just didn't care and neither did Darth Kennedy herself. I heard it from people who defended the Sequels by saying the Prequel trilogy fights were too choreographed and looked like an interpretative dance more so than a realistic fight and they claim the sequel trilogy had a more realistic fight. I call BS on that. To me the Prequel fights were more elegant because the Jedi trained in the ways of swordsmanship and even having many different forms and styles to fight with. Also many of the Sith were skilled in swordsmanship since they were trained as well by other Sith, or in a lot of cases are former Jedi who fell to the Dark side like Darth Tyrannus or aka Count Dooku. In a sense the fights do look more elegant, choreographed, and unrealistic because the fights are pretty much a space version of all the Kung Fu/Samurai movie fights we have seen from the Bruce Lee and Kurosawa eras. So the Prequels definitely nailed it with the lightsaber duels and included plenty of them in the films especially Episode 3.

[@mrillis9259]

@@paullangland6877 I feel like your not wrong, I think Episode 4 Obi-Wan vs Vader is the most incredible of all the fights, I know most of why I like it so much is limitations of the time it was filmed, yet I watch it as 2 ultimate masters fight where if either one steps too far the other could finish him in one stroke.

[@paullangland6877]

@@mrillis9259 That's totally fair. That is in a lot of ways a great duel in terms of the story. You're watching 2 of the most powerful Jedi battle is a way they both were evenly matched despite their ages. If I recall that is what drove George Lucas to make the Prequel fights more choreographed and bring look a lot more like the Samurai sword fights from the B&W Samurai films such as the many from Akira Kurosawa's creations. Also when you add some of the force techniques that the Jedi and Sith employed in their fights, I see a little bit of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li style kung fu in the mix. I've realized a long time ago that George Lucas is a textbook example of a cinephile. Everything he's made has inspiration from numerous film genres and classic movies from the 1920's-1970's.

[@thewinterprince1731]

Literally the only positive point I can give Kylo Ren is that he is a perfect example of an "emo wannabe" villain. Unfortunately, I can't actually tell if that was intentional. This sucks because the actor seems like a really cool guy and like he really was trying to do the character justice. Heck, if the goal was "whiner wannabe trying too hard to sound more intimidating than he really is" then he friggin' nailed it. It's just sad that his first giant role was one designed to make him look bad.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@thewinterprince1731 I'm torn. The actor is clearly TRYING so incredibly hard to give a performance that won't work. I can't even say the acting saved it, because it didn't. The better acted he was, the worse his character was, and not the other way around.

[@cheesychi8317]

Obi-wan's "Hello there" is a fanfiction landmark. 100% cemented into my brain

[@rus0004]

He said "Hello there", and immediately I said "General Kenobi" in my best cyborg voice.

[@tatawbr]

I still use this to open meetings in work

[@EnclavegovtofficialUSA]

"You must realize that you are DOOMed" - John Romero

[@BoyKagome]

@@tatawbr You can tell when someone says it if they mean "Hello there." or "Hello there."

[@yeetaludedus4807]

Wacky dialogue, a lot of it is bad & good

[@MarvelandDC379]

Unlike some fans, I didn't mind the politics in Star Wars. If anything I liked them even as a kid. I appreciate that politics were included because I feel like I wasn't being talked down to at a young age dealing mature topics and issues. The franchise is called Star Wars for a reason. Most if not all wars happen because of politics, so there's a bit of realism in there.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

Exactly. George Lucas really knew how to appeal to kids and allow the stories to stick with you and attain new meaning as you grew older

[@peterlewis2178]

That was always one of the big stand-outs to me that made the prequels seem so much better than the OT. The OT was good and fun, but it also felt pretty simplistic. The prequels add complexity to the world, though, which has always been so much more compelling to me.

[@captainhowlerwilson508]

@@peterlewis2178 completely disagree. Just because you have so many themes does not make a certain movie better. The prequels, while having some great ideas had some that were not executed properly, whilst the Originals while simple had plenty of complex things in it within its story from how the world is built up, whilst it had a well executed story that still holds up and has great messages for all ages. Also, I found the political scenes boring to watch because it is just exposition thrown everywhere and stuff that kids just can’t understand. This gets improved in the Clone Wars where it was done in a way that allowed children to understand some stuff.

[@virgogaming6488]

@@captainhowlerwilson508 The prequels have more to chew on than the originals, regardless of execution. It's not just simplistic black and white good vs evil ideology with standard character archetypes like the originals are.

[@peterlewis2178]

​@@captainhowlerwilson508 Well, this turned into a bit of an essay. I guess I'll add a TL;DR if you don't want to read it. I recognize that the prequels are flawed, and far from perfect. I have tons of ideas for how it could have been executed far better. I just disagree about the originals being better for that. On one front, the originals may have been better executed. But I don't think that necessarily makes them better. A well executed but simplistic story can easily be outshined by a complex, sometimes poorly executed story, as long as there is some good execution. And in my mind, the prequels have enough good execution to elevate them above the originals, despite the flaws. My main issue with the originals is their lack of depth. A lot of that is a product of the time, and the prequels definitely suffer from it as well, but to a lesser extent. The characters are decently compelling and entertaining, and the main conflicts work, but there's not really much beyond that. For the most part, the characters are just that: characters. There isn't often a whole lot to them beyond the surface character design, and they don't always behave very realistically. For instance, we don't see Luke struggle with the murder of his only family, it's solely a plot element to kickstart the story, and is swept under the rug immediately. The destruction of an entire planet of people, far worse than any genocide that's ever occurred in real life, is treated relatively trivially, and the characters don't react to that beyond some mild sadness or shock. And perhaps the biggest issue I've always had with it is how Darth Vader was handled. After discovering he's his father, Luke is almost entirely convinced that he should try to bring him back from the dark side. It doesn't matter that he never knew him, that he was indirectly responsible for the family that actually raised him, that he murdered millions if not billions of people. It's somewhat akin to if someone in WWII Germany was trying to kill Hitler, then realized he was his father, and decided he should try to reform Hitler instead. The problem isn't the redemption story, it's the insanely unrealistic and 2 dimensional way that it's executed. And I think that kind of execution and direction sort of applies across the board for the original trilogy. By comparison, the prequels dive much more into the complexity of the world, really fleshing out characters, their motivations, and their reactions. It grounded them for me, and that added realism made them more compelling and engaging to me, whereas the originals were much more so just a fun time in a cool world. TL;DR: The originals are a lot less grounded. Characters and plot are much more surface level, and characters' reactions, motivations, and interactions are much less realistic. The result is that, while the originals are still fun and the characters are compelling, they don't quite feel like real people, which makes the movies less compelling and engaging. The prequels, while flawed in execution, have much more depth in both regards.

[@DanSolo871]

Biggest issue. If you’re Palpatine and using cloning technology to bring yourself back, wouldn’t you want to make yourself look like how you did as Senator and not as a disfigured Emperor? Just sayin

[@JohnCottier]

Hmmm...if only someone had thought of that exact thing and wrote that into an official EU Star Wars story prior to Disney buying Star Wars and declaring it to be non-canon...

[@kaptainsalty7335]

@@JohnCottier foreshadowing is a literary device dictating a warning or indication of a future (or past) event.

[@Tyler_W]

Don't try to rationalize that dog crap story. None of it makes a lick of sense. They made Palpatine an absolute moron in that movie. The only way I can even think of it without getting ticked off at what they did to the legacy of the entire franchise is if I just assume that "Palpatine" wasn't Palpatine. It was just a degraded, insane clone, and the actual, original Palpatine is still dead because Anakin killed him. It was dumb when the expanded universe did it, so of course, that's the element they decide to bring back for Disney canon...

[@broncojuan]

@@Tyler_W I feel exactly the same way with the treatment Vader got in the prequels. They turned him into a winy little crybaby.

[@Redemon-x6s]

He liked his scarred face idk why

[@renamon5658]

Liam Neeson was in the prequel so that's a plus

[@mrillis9259]

I still think he should have fought using only the high guard.

[@kayne8222]

Lmao right! You know who else was in the prequels but not the sequels??? ANAKIN.. way to miss a huge opportunity lucasfilm... 🤦

[@kayne8222]

Lmao right! You know who else was in the prequels but not the sequels??? ANAKIN.. way to miss a huge opportunity lucasfilm... 🤦

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@kayne8222 That was intentional. The sequels were directed by prequel haters. They would've never brought back a prequel actor

[@officialmonarchmusic]

Qui-Gon was awesome

[@pyronuke4768]

The biggest issue with the sequels, in my eyes, is that Disney took them for granted. They went "we got the rights now; we'll make a bajillion dollars off this franchise!" And didn't stop to think things through. Episode 7, while being largely nostalgia bait, was at least a halfway competent movie that got me into the Star Wars craze again. Episode 8 I have a lot of mixed feelings about; there's a lot of stuff in it I really like and a lot of stuff I really don't like. I think Rian Johnson decided to see how far he push the envelope and Disney, rolling around in the profits from Force Awakens and Rogue One, signed off on the script without a second thought. After the very polarizing reaction to Last Jedi (and follow up boycott of Solo) Disney has a massive knee jerk response, let Johnson take the fall for the failure, and tried again with nostalgia bait for episode 9. Except this time most fans could see through the thinly veiled attempt at a sloppy retcon, felt betrayed, and lost all faith in the handling of the franchise; myself included. TL;DR the prequels are a vision with poor filmmaking, the sequels are filmmaking without a vision. Edit: so basically your final point.

[@afterthoughtarchives1035]

I agree with it all, except I don't think Solo failed solely from a boycott; I think some people just didn't know what it was/had just seen a Star Wars movie a few months before. Combine that with the massive budget, because they basically filmed it twice, and it never really stood a chance to be profitable...

[@RoadRage810]

Your TLDR summation is the perfect summary of the prequel and sequel trilogy.

[@yohumanfrisk]

@@afterthoughtarchives1035 Which kinda sucks, because I kinda enjoyed Solo. It's far from a terrible movie, unlike the finale of the sequels.

[@fluffywolfo3663]

@@afterthoughtarchives1035 Solo was... okay. Not as good as Rogue One, and there was a lot to like. Set design is great, I liked Alden Ehrenreich trying to capture Han's (somewhat) unearned cockiness, Donald Glover nailed it as Lando, and it's just... it's _fun_ to watch. (though I do feel like the movie went a little too far at undercutting Han's bravado - let him make claims and have it _work_. Though, credit where it's due, he does manage to pull off a good bluff and win. Might've worked better as a series tbh, but whatev. it's fun.)

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I honestly think the prequels were just great movies in the first place, not "great visions with subpar execution"

[@acrovader]

Amen. Prequels > sequels.

[@thetoondevil]

Surprised it wasn't mentioned, but the prequel trilogy improved light saber duels. Where the original trilogy was still good, the prequels had much better fighting choreography. The sequel trilogy did have some type to their combat, but it was no where near as good as the prequel saber fights.

[@madstachoif5512]

The Prequels made the Originals even better, whereas the Originals made the Prequels even better, like poetry they rhyme.

[@thetoondevil]

@@madstachoif5512 wouldnt be until years later when I got older, but I thought it was kinda amazing how they turned the original trilogy into Anakin's redemption arc. The original films worked fine on their own, but the prequels just changed from a story about rebels to Vader facing his inner demon.

[@Underworlder5]

@@thetoondevil i think that is a major difference between the prequels and sequels. the prequels made the ending to ROTJ more satisfying. on the other hand, the sequels just make ROTJ bittersweet in retrospect. i am fine with a new conflict arising (peace is never permanent, after all), but it did it in a way that rendered the previous movies completely pointless. the empire is back, the new republic collapses, the original heroes regress to their former state, and even palpatine returns. it gives somewhat nihilistic implications when you think about it

[@EnclavegovtofficialUSA]

​@@madstachoif5512 George Lucas was a genius,

[@broncojuan]

Disagree. With the OT there were (was?) emotional stakes involved, with the prequels that only really happened with Darth crybaby vs Obi-Wan, and even in that one it lasted so long you lose your emotional connection. Otherwise all you got was a series of video game duels... pretty to look at, but no emotional stakes.

[@mikeor-]

While I do enjoy Duel of the Fates, I think Battle of the Heroes is superior. Who doesn't think of Yoda vs. Sidious and Anakin vs. Obi-Wan when they hear it? Especially since following this tune we have my favorite linea from the prequel trilogy: Obi-Wan: You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in Darkness! Anakin: I HATE YOU! Obi-Wan: You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!

[@mrillis9259]

I think the KZbin edit from the Obi-Wan show vs Vader is the best recent stuff made by Lukas film. It fits the original 6 movies so well tying together just how formidable both combatants were.

[@kayne8222]

Word. So many hard hitting memorable lines from the preqs. I can't even think of a single line from the sequels and I've seen them many times. You've turned her against me!.. You have done that yourself... Gotta love the prequels man

[@PatoChu]

Just a small reminder that Duel of the Fates also appears on ROTS when Yoda and Sidious are fighting. It also appeared for a slight like 5 seconds in Anakin Vs Obi-Wan

[@emberfist8347]

I still think the best theme from the OT is Across the Stars the love theme between Anakin and Padme that is the series leitmotif. It got so iconic that even SWTOR uses it.

[@joseybennett9786]

Have to agree. I love “Duel of the Fates” but Batle of the heroes is superior in my opinion. Just musically it’s more complex to listen to, and there’s more going on, plus you get some hints of John Williams other sw themes in there. Listening to duel of the fates makes me feel anxious because the song has a constant driving force (no pun intended lol) throughout, that never relents until the climax. but battle of the heroes just sounds so tragic because of what the characters are doing and the betrayal of a lost friendship and brotherhood.

[@markborok4481]

The prequels, like the OT, had something to say. Not just about politics in general, but about the world we live in. “We must keep our faith in the Republic. The day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it.” -- Padme. And of course, her famous quote about democracy dying to the sound of thunderous applause. Then there was the Force, not simply a magic system for geeks to geek out over, but a way for Lucas to express his beliefs about the nature of good and evil, The original 6 movies were about all the ways one could fall to the dark side, and why it was so tempting; the sequels just had mumbo-jumbo about the light side rising to meet the dark side or something like that. Didn't really shed any light on the human condition.

[@preciousotoakhia9789]

Since movies are about fall to the dark side does that mean clones and order 66 are irrelevant

[@brandocalrissian3294]

There was no reason to make this video. I don't think anybody would put the sequel trilogy over the prequels.

[@afterthoughtarchives1035]

You'd be surprised; people in this very comments section seem to think they're better...

[@briscoedaking.]

🙋🏾‍♂️ I do 🤷🏾‍♂️ It’s not by a lot but just sequels/prequels only 1. Revenge of the Sith 2. Last Jedi 3. Force Awakens 4. Phantom 5. Attack of the Clones 6. Skywalker 🤮

[@jamesarnold7253]

I genuinely think I prefer the sequels by a small amount. Force awakens and revenge of the sith are good. Last Jedi is alright. Rise of Skywalker, AOTC and phantom menace are the bad ones. So for me each have one good film but prequels lose by having 2 bad films

[@caninecurry5823]

An those people are proof democracy doesn't work in a population of dumbed down sycophants. The west is definitely in decline.. like starwars under Disney. Force awakens is a cheap rip-off about a Mary sue, the last Jedi was boring an silly, an after wasting 4 hours of my life watching those pathetic attempts at story telling, there's no way I'm wasting time watching the 3rd trash pile. Anyone who thinks the sequels ain't crap should never be listened to or taken seriously.

[@tonyflamingo1657]

@@jamesarnold7253 I do, the prequels suck. The only people who like the prequels are those who were brainwashed to like them as kids 😂😂😂

[@Savvysnek]

I’m glad you mentioned the alien thing, because that’s one of the things that bugged me the most. When they had any aliens on screen, it was always new ones. It’s fine to introduce new aliens, but when you’re not mixing them in with legacy aliens it makes the movies feel like a knock off of Star Wars. It’s just one of countless things that show that the directors didn’t study the Lucas-era movies enough. And so the trilogy just feels like surface level fanfiction.

[@cash5512]

It's not like these aliens are actually important though

[@TerminaUltima]

Also the aliens that were in the sequels looked really boring. I mean some were okay but a lot of them looked all like grey blobs. The prequels and TCW had a lot of colorful and complex looking aliens and cultures.

[@LinkMarioSamus]

Surface-level fan fiction describes most of these legacy sequels though.

[@Mr.Needle-Hamster]

The reason why the prequels and original trilogy work for me was because they were building up to something, like there was an intended goal right from the start. While some of the steps taken along the way were questionable, to say the least, it was at least somebody's vision. The sequels, on the other hand, had absolutely no plan. They were just hastily thrown together without consent. In other words, the story of the sequels went absolutely nowhere.

[@camjohnson5517]

Exactly! Even at the prequel’s worst, they still feel like Star Wars.

[@Jiub_SN]

Agreed. I'd also like to say that the prequels get way more hate then deserved and many of the issues aren't really issues at all. As someone who saw them all as an adult I genuinely like some of the prequel films more then some of the OT, and they all feel like Star Wars. One of the biggest criticism, that the prequels have some awkward dialogue, are also true of the OT, and some of the more awkward scenes are typically involving anakin who is an awkward teenage ex slave emotionally repressed Jedi talking to his first crush. Like OF COURE he's awkward

[@Bifterr]

That fact that this is even a debate is embarrassing the prequels without a doubt is so much better than the sequels 🤣

[@DD-ch8nh]

Fr

[@timewarpdrive77]

People who believe otherwise are just sucking on massive copium because they've got to rationalize themselves acting as if the prequels were the worst thing ever, while the sequels exist

[@Mobius118]

Absolutely

[@largeman2316]

"Grr people disagree with me on the shitty space laser sword movies they are all stupid and i am SMART"

[@girth_goblin]

2/3 of the prequels don’t even function as actual films

[@zagariasbooysen7401]

I have always loved the prequels. I have no problems with them at all.

[@brandonking5111]

just like the simulation.

[@redskull378]

​@@brandonking5111 Wdym by that?

[@brandonking5111]

@@redskull378 it's a quote from a clone trooper.

[@redskull378]

@@brandonking5111 oh ok

[@tristanlanphere7736]

Not even with the dialogue

[@RandomRon005]

Honorable Mention: The Lightsaber Duels In the Original, the duels were basic swordsmanship, but a lot of the duels had story & emotional weight behind them. Some people complained that the Prequel duels felt too choreographed & too much like a dance. My counterargument is it shows what the Jedi, these spiritual warriors, were capable of in their prime. You look at the duels & behind the scenes & you can see a large variety of actual sword techniques & how much time they put into practicing them. On top of that, there was little to no room for error since most of the strikes were actually aimed at the person & could lead to injuries if they messed up. Compare that to the Sequels & you rarely get a basic guard stance. There's little to no swordsmanship technique, no rhythm or flow, it's essentially the equivalence of two kids swinging baseball bats in the park. It doesn't have the story or emotional weight from the Original & it doesn't have choreography of Prequels.

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

In Behind the Scenes footage you can see how hard the Prequel actors had to train for those duels. Do the Sequels have anything like that? No really. I never owned any of them, and haven't seen anything on KZbin yet.

[@CaptainYellow2085]

The lightsaber duel from Phantom is really a thing of beauty. Even watching Yoda jump around is just super fun.

[@cabbage6037]

Yeah, Ewan mcgregor and Hayden christensen both put a lot of effort into training for the lightsaber duels, not to mention Ray park.

[@darthgamer9861]

@@cabbage6037 the whole “prequel fights are too well done” argument is one of those that made me question why people ever took Mr Plinkett seriously

[@orutakawatenga8820]

Yeah, the Prequels felt more lived in than the sequels.

[@PatoChu]

I mean to be fair the prequels take place in the peak of civilization (at the tmee) The OT and Sequels both take place during dark times

[@JoeChill1990]

@@PatoChu nah thats cope, LOTRD is also during a dark times and the literal death of magic after the war of the ring, Pretty lived in tho.

[@KRobinson-ko1ne]

This begs the question: WHY are we still in the dark times during the sequels?! Did the rebels do anything during the Galactic Civil War?!

[@orutakawatenga8820]

@@KRobinson-ko1ne #badwriting #terribaddirecting

[@J1O2C3K4E5S]

@@PatoChuBahaha doesn’t matter.

[@Rouge_Gems]

The Prequel trilogy is my most favorite Star wars trilogy, but i also like Original trilogy.

[@CliffCardi]

The sequels have: “It appears that they fly now.” “THEY FLY NOW?” “They fly now.” And thought George Lucas was the king of wooden dialogue.

[@simpleviewer1334]

THEY FLY now Jet Troopers, Boba Fett, Jango Fett, and Rockett droids: where has your brain been Finn didn't you work for them how did you not know this

[@kenthegamer]

Somehow Palpatine Returned

[@Jiub_SN]

@@simpleviewer1334erm ackshually they never flew ackshually the first order never had flying guys so ackshually that line was perfect and ackshually one of the best lines because it was so true and valid. God I hate the sequels and their fans

[@IGotThisGeorgeLopez1]

We never find out how in the movie , just the Novelization

[@J1O2C3K4E5S]

Like I been saying. The sequels dialogue isn’t very good either. Or do you mean to tell me that ”you’re mama” or ”Somehow Palpatine returned” are otherwise?

[@thewinterprince1731]

The most ironic thing about Palpatine's return in the sequels is that he actually came back in certain Legends stories too, but it was far better written than what we got in the sequels. I have an old comic book taking place after the Original Trilogy in which Luke has struck out on his own (also like the Sequels), but instead of it being self-defeat, it's because he has sensed a looming threat somewhere in the Dark Side of the force itself and he is trying to determine what it is and how to fight it before it consumes the galaxy, but this search is also bringing him so close to the Dark Side that he is struggling not to become evil himself and so has distanced himself from his allies to avoid bringing them harm. Forgive me if I interpret the story wrong from here as it's been a while and the comic was kinda confusing, but as far as I recall, it is revealed early on that the threat is a massive literal storm of pure Dark Side energy roaming the galaxy and capable of consuming everything if it isn't stopped, and due to it being made of Dark Side energy, it is attracted to Luke, the current largest beacon of the Light Side in the galaxy (another reason luke is on the run). Luke can't fight this physically, so he strikes out again to find the source of it, and at the end of the comic, discovers a secret cloning facility...full of sleeping clones of Palpatine, all in the prime of their lives. One of the clones awakens with Palpatines original spirit inside it, having transfered over through the dark side, and explains that the facility was built in secret just in case he ever fell during his reign, and that being in this new body unmarred by old age and Dark side deformation granted him more power and physical prowess than ever before, which also allowed him to create and control the force storm. Luke is able to take him down and bring the entire cloning facility down with him with the aid of Leia, who had been training in the Force herself between the movies and the comic and even had her own lightsaber, and the spirit of Darth Vader, who throughout the story had been helping Luke tame his Dark side and keep the force storm at bay.

[@gabethebabe3337]

Dark Empire is great and I'm glad I didn't listen to the blatant lies about it being bad. Dark Empire has a premise that can easily turn people off, but the execution is so good. Everything has purpose in that story, and Luke and Leia come out stronger for it.

[@simpleviewer1334]

Episode 9 felt like the cocaine drunk version of Dark Empire, Palpatine in Dark Empire actually made sense and his weapons were so much better, instead of just Copy-Paste Rogue one models, he had the Galaxy Gun, Eclipse 2, a fleet that blotted out the sun, world devastators, he felt more powerful despite not physically being so

[@tristanlanphere7736]

I don’t like the sequels but the extended universe in legends is just beyond awful in my opinion and arguably worse.

[@wiredtardis]

The core of the argument of "Well at least the sequels aren't as bad as the prequels" rings so hollow when you look at one area that's central to the culture of Star Wars: merchandise. The prequels may have done damage to the overall quality of the movies, yet the craze was still real enough that you couldn't escape seeing merch of the prequels in the wild whether it was the comics, video games, or the toys, somebody had it. Since the double whammy of EA's Battlefront 2 and The Last Jedi, the brand felt so dead that you'd almost have to hire a private detective to find anybody buying Sequel Trilogy related stuff.

[@afterthoughtarchives1035]

Right? How many millions of people around the world know Darth Maul's face without having ever seeing the movie? That's how powerful the merchandising was back then! Can we really say the same for sequel merch?

[@TerminaUltima]

The main merch I see from the Disney era is The Mandalorian and Grogu. You don’t see much at all from sequels

[@zakdan2254]

I always liked about the Droid Army, that nearly every soldier of them was a droid. There have been so many different Droid designs that I can remember till today. Also is "Revenge of the Sith" just darker than any other movie and feels important, because we see the turn from Anakin to Darth Vader and the Republic to the Galactic Empire.

[@johnwilbur3050]

My girlfriend hates the prequels but even she thinks they're better than the sequels

[@viz4032]

The prequals will always have the high ground

[@andre_santos2181]

You can re-write all prequels almost just like the memes. But the sequels, I think only phrases i use are "every word you said are just wrong", "let the past die, kill it if necessary" and - as a mockery of plothole "somehow Somebody has returned" The prequel catchphrases I use on a daily basis. Just yesterday, I receved my latest blood test and the cholesterol results were on the mininum of the historic series. Immediatelly I said "A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one"

[@tristanlanphere7736]

Thats because the dialogue in the prequels is so awful that it has become memified for how bad they are

[@andre_santos2181]

@@tristanlanphere7736 no. It is because the prequels are brilliant and they reflect the genius of a genius artist, George Lucas.

[@tristanlanphere7736]

@@andre_santos2181George Lucas is a creative genius but a terrible director. He clearly doesn’t know how to fire to to write a film and it shows. Do you actually unironically like the dialogue? The prequels are known to have the bottom tier eat of bottom tier dialogue

[@the_meridian]

I'm an original fan born in 72 and honestly I've come to love the Prequels over the OT. I love their flaws and I love where they nailed it. I include "Rogue One" as a prequel, and I'd probably do a 3-way tie right now for best film: Sith, R1, Empire. I also kind of like "Last Jedi" if I think of it as a Stand-alone, it works very well.

[@palmereldritch_6669]

I'd go Empire, Sith, R1. Great analysis BTW.

[@dmichael1172]

It was Empire, New Hope, R1, Sith

[@fluffywolfo3663]

Respect. Rogue One is hella dope.

[@jenniferfarmer4020]

It goes for me return of the Jedi, empire, and revenge of the sith

[@marcusjackman1487]

Rogue One is underrated.

[@ginak5802]

Tbh I always liked the prequels because they're what I grew up with and got me interested in SW, along with The Clone Wars show. I'd never mention it to anyone because most people would say my opinion is trash, the prequels suck, blah blah something about Jar Jar and Haden's acting. Nowadays you can say you like the prequels and the response is closer to, "Eh I guess they weren't too bad. Now the sequels . . .".

[@XANAX-Pilled]

Anyone I know who grew up on the OT, who is like 40-50, abhors the prequels. You just said it: you grew up with the prequels. We grew up with the OT. The sequels are full of nostalgia for the OT. I think that's that.

[@kayne8222]

I feel that. I was the same age as Anakin in Clones when it came out. I really connected with him. Not to mention Natalie Portman was goddamn beautiful 😆

[@negativeiqpoints396]

@@XANAX-Pilled My parents are the same way. Though they admit that revenge of the sith is a bit better than the force akakens

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I grew up with all six Star Wars movies, and the sequels releasing into theaters. I love the OG 6. The sequels can die

[@MichaelLayne702]

@@negativeiqpoints396only a bit better? Lol

[@gandalfwiz20007]

I really love episode 1. I don't understand why people hate the prequel

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I agree. It's great. Don't let others tell you otherwise!

[@AssassinIsAfk]

Meisa jar jar meisa jar jar

[@gandalfwiz20007]

@@AssassinIsAfk mesa jar jar binks, mesa you humbold servant

[@morganrenders3139]

me also, even jar jar is cool

[@cash5512]

2 out of 3 movies suck

[@lordzykron5518]

I.. Like.. Revan of The Sith more than any other SW movie... And the prequels 5o me are completely on par with the OT... The sequels need to be "Alternate Universed"

[@mando9497]

Agree 100% with this.

[@roninjedi2494]

There are two types of people in this world. Those who don’t like the sequels, and those that like terrible movies. And those two have divided the Star Wars fandom

[@XANAX-Pilled]

Amen, Jedi.

[@thefilthyrhombus3856]

The reality is that despite their flaws the prequels were made to complement the original trilogy. A singular story told through six movies. The sequels were made to replace the original trilogy, that's why nothing in those movies complements the previous, even within it's own trilogy. There were I believe two reasons for this, one Disney wanted to cash in on Star Wars without having to deal with any royalties.* Two the new executives at Lucasfilm wanted to make their own mark on the franchise and thought the best way was to partially erase what George Lucas had done story and character wise and replace it with their own stories and characters (not to mention completely erase what the broader professional fandom had created via the EU, but that's a whole different rant). It was about replacement not complement. * For those who may not know it's very common in copyright law to Include that as long as there is a twenty-five percent difference in an already copyrighted product than royalties don't have to be paid on it. That's why so much of the sequel trilogy resembles things from the OT but are just different enough. The stormtroopers, the x-wings/tie fighters etc. Basically Disney wanted all the nostalgia without the real cost, yes they planned some stand alone movies set during the OT but even then you start to see things like the death troopers and I forget I think they're called scarab troopers in Rogue One? I'm not sure but you get the point. You see this in Marvel Comics also. When Disney acquired Marvel in 2012 they really went hard with derivatives and rebranding. One of the major reasons for this was to avoid royalties.

[@Jiub_SN]

I agree except for Disney being the cause. They wanted to be more in line with the OT for nostalgia, but JJ is what pushed them into remake territory. You can tell that he wanted to remake the OT and that he wanted to be the new George Lucas, and it's all but confirmed that he was the one that convinced Disney to drop Lucas' original plan for the sequels. It baffles me that so many hailed JJ for just remaking the OT when he was the reason those films were so bad

[@thefilthyrhombus3856]

@NotAClanker I would say blame can be split evenly three ways between Disney (or rather Bob Iger), Kathleen Kennedy, and JJ Abrams. Iger, like I said, was primarily focused on milking the Star Wars IP and had the authority to ensure Lucas' ideas were implemented but ultimately didn't because there was slightly more money in it. Also, while Kathleen Kennedy's contract made it near impossible to fire her, Iger was the one who signed off on it being extended twice, or is it three times now? Next, Kathleen Kennedy is the one responsible for hiring Abrams and Johnson and the driving force behind the vandalism that has happened to Star Wars. She, I would argue, is more obsessed with tearing down what Lucas built and reforging it in her image that Abrams is. After all, the destruction of legacy characters has continued long after Abrams has left. Lastly, there's Abrams. I hadn't heard that he was the one to convince Iger and Kennedy to drop Lucas' plans for the sequels, but he does strike me as arrogant enough to believe he can do better than Lucas. Also, I don't think Abrams actually wanted to remake the OT. I think he's just so incompetent that he did it inadvertently. In his mind, he thought he was being original and clever and perfectly crafting a movie that connects to the original trilogy when, in reality, he was just recycling the major story beats and plot points of ep.4 with some of ESB, and leaving all character development and world building to be done by the next guy, who unfortunately was Rian Johnson. A director who is just as arrogant as Abrams and possibly more incompetent.

[@virgogaming6488]

The prequels are the reason why I'm glad to be a millenial. I got to grow up with the 6 movies and Clone Wars before Disney.

[@tristanlanphere7736]

People can just not watch Disney’s content

[@AceSpadeThePikachu]

The prequels were fine works of art that have a number of glaring flaws and dated visual effects. The sequels are a paint-by-numbers colouring book with a bunch of cheap dollar-store Star Wars merch stickers plastered all over them.

[@tristanlanphere7736]

The prequels were not fine works of art, they had a few good things about them while mostly being bad

[@AceSpadeThePikachu]

@@tristanlanphere7736 From a certain point of view.

[@phrog849]

People are told to hate the prequels. Channels like RLM say that even the good parts of the prequels are dogshit. The fact is they were generally good movies, okay at worst, with a few terrible parts. The terrible parts don't have to overshadow everything.

[@afterthoughtarchives1035]

It's true; manufactured hate cannot compare to the genuine article of honest disdain that's caused by an inferior product...

[@tristanlanphere7736]

Not really. There are honestly very few good parts in the three films, from my point of view there are only: duel of the fates, Anakin killing sand raiders, Order 66, Anakin’s rumination’s, Anakin getting diced, and the ending sunset. Everything else is pretty bad. The prequels, as films, taking Star Wars away, are on a critical lense bad films.

[@FormulaProg]

The sequels are just a disaster in every way and even though i have the choice to never see them again, im still mad at just how meaningless they were. No soul.

[@williammatthews693]

I think STORY is the single most important thing the prequels do better than the sequels. All of your other points I agree with as well, but story is what ties it all up in a pretty package. We know why things are happening in the prequels, even if its spoon-fed to us. And the scale. Oh the scale! Like you said, I believe I'm seeing a galaxy-wide conflict with countless parties involved. As for the sequels, all I can say is for a conflict that's supposed to hold the fate of the galaxy in the balance, most of the galaxy sure seems disinterested. Frankly, it seems like most of the galaxy could ignore the First Order and be alright.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I'll tell you part of why the prequels have had a change in opinion. THEY ARE GOOD. People just started realizing that. They looked for the movies we got and not what they expected in 1999 and they opened their eyes

[@tristanlanphere7736]

Nah, on a critical eye, they are objectively bad films. The only thing that changed is that the people who grew up on the prequels and have sentimental value to them have shared they’re appreciation for them. Kids just looked at the fast paced lightsaber battles and were hooked, they didn’t actually care for the quality of the films, and now those same children have grown up

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@tristanlanphere7736 On a critical eye, they are still good. On a critical eye, Plinkett was only ever saying lies or coming up with arbitrary fake rules and explaining how the prequels are terrible for breaking these fake rules. I don't need to tell you that one. People have been tearing those reviews apart for years

[@tristanlanphere7736]

@@officialmonarchmusicno they haven’t. The like to dislike ratio on those reviews and the comments are very supportive of the video. I have literally never heard anybody aside from people who are fans of the prequels criticise those reviews. Critically its only people who grew up on the films who don’t think the film’s are terrible. Lmao what lies and arbitrary rules did he make up? Your literally deluding yourself into thinking the films are good cos you don’t want to admit that they actually suck and you only like them cos you grew up on them. Aside from John WIlliam’s score and the world-building, the prequels are garbage. You can like them all you want btw, its just hard to take people who think the prequels are good films seriously

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@tristanlanphere7736 It's not just people who grew up with it, plenty of people who have seen them as adults like it. Arbitrary rules, round one: Plinkett says that every movie needs to have a main character, unless it's a movie made by... and he goes on to list a couple famous directors. I'm sorry, what????? This is not some kind of universal rule of filmmaking. The ensemble cast exists, but if Plinkett was going to argue against THAT, then why would he provide this list of "exceptions". Having their own style was what MADE these people famous, not the other way around. Besides, plenty of people would count George Lucas in that list. He then proceeds to list why each character, or set of characters, does not fulfill the main character role. Spoiler alert, the Jedi, more specifically Qui-Gon, is the main character until the end of the movie. (When he dies) But how does Plinkett combat that? It's apparently "not the Jedi", because they are on, and I QUOTE, "some boring mission that they don't really care about." This is not true. They do care about the mission, and their mission is to settle the conflict between the Trade Federation and the Naboo, which is what the entire movie is about. Amidala isn't the protaganist either because she's the "queen of some foreign planet". To someone who hasn't watched the movie since '99, and who isn't paying too much attention, and is just receiving their prequel-hate dopamine rush, (I was like that after the sequels first came out, not saying they are good, but I understand the perspective of the people watching this video) it might seem solid. But, no. "Foreign implies she has nothing to do with the story, but it's a false word. The planet she rules is LITERALLY the center of the whole conflict. Plinkett acts like this because he knows you could make a reasonable case for either, but instead, he tries to pretend to be fair by playing "devil's advocate" with Anakin, one of the characters that is nigh impossible to argue as the main character. That way, he can convince the audience of his point, while simultaneously hiding the fact that the only reason his point exists is because HE decided that no movie can have more than one main character unless it's directed by a specific shortlist of famous mainstream directors. This pattern continues throughout the whole review. I promise you that I do have actual evidence to back up my points

[@dzerkle]

The prequels had wooden acting, stilted dialogue, mediocre editing, and too much comic relief. However, the last bit nails it. They had great music, interesting characters, excellent creativity and a spectacular plot. The sequels had good acting, solid dialogue, fantastic visuals, good sound, good editing, high-potential but mostly shallow characters, weak creativity, manic pacing, and a disjointed dumpster fire of a plot. It tried to cover too much ground, especially episode 9. The three movies did not hang together. I suspect that Carrie Fisher’s death contributed to the mess. Episode 8 threw in some creativity in the plot, but it wasn’t enough. Rogue One, on the other hand, is an intensely good movie. It is different than all the others and without their weaknesses. It’s a slow crescendo building up to an explosive climax that leaves you exhausted but satisfied. And yeah. I still say, “there’s always a bigger fish,” because it’s true and useful to keep in mind.

[@MrColuber]

"Episode 8 threw in some creativity" Could you please tell me where it was? Cause I didn't see it.

[@danielz1666]

The characters were so dull in Rogue One. It made the movie so boring

[@virgogaming6488]

@@danielz1666 Its why I don't get the love for it. That director can't do characters.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I didn't have HUGE problems with prequel acting. Most comes in AOTC. I also thought the dialogue was pretty good, and there wasn't that much comic relief. It certainly has nothing on TLJ. I also loved the editing don't get it. Why are the sequels getting praise for the sound? It wasn't bad, but... look at the prequel sound. I don't see how episode 8 was creative. I think while Rogue 1 is a great movie, it is not as good as episodes 1 or 3

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@virgogaming6488 Part of it was that there was another director that hopped in at the last minute. That reshuffled the first act and complicated matters.

[@davidtatro7457]

All good points, the last one being the most relevant of all. It's not just that they didn't make a plan for the storyline of the last trilogy. It's that they did that on purpose. Originally, there were going to be 3 separate writers and directors each doing their own thing. It's hard to conceive of a more stupid way to put any trilogy together, much less the capstone trilogy of the greatest and most beloved film franchize of all time.

[@Jiub_SN]

Actually, they did have a plan. First when Lucas wrote one that they'd planned to use until JJ Abrams suggested they didn't, and second when the plan amounted to Rey being a a solo. Like that was JJs plan. That was all of it

[@Killerfin100]

Great video :) Another massive issue is the total lack of world building. The sequels feel so empty and boring. Compare them to the old EU for example. So much creativity and love went into that continuity.

[@KororaPenguin]

When I first saw AotC in theaters, I mistook one of the Jedi at Geonosis for Nejaa Halcyon, and wondered why the lightsaber was wrong. Then again, I'd had only a cursory look at the Jedi in question, and for Halcyon's appearance I only had his grandson's to go by.

[@timewarpdrive77]

The 2 deaths of main characters in the EU compared to the deaths in the sequels is shocking... EU death: Chewbacca goes out in blaze of glory, sacrificing himself to save Han & Leia's youngest son from an exploding moon. Han is emotionally crippled from losing his best friend, Chewbacca is immortalized on kashyyyk as a hero, and the Yuuzhan Vong are cemented a serious threat. Sequel death: Han solo goes out onto a bridge and is shanked by his emo son. After 5 minutes, nobody cares and leia even hugs rey instead of chewbacca. First order/ren are immediately undermined by the destruction of starkiller base and by ren immediately losing to rey the newbie. EU death: c3po is found mostly damaged by a pair of alien brothers oppressed by a tyranical government. While inspiring them with tales of luke skywalker, 2 agents of that tyrannical force appear and kill c-3po and one of the brothers. After the 2 agents leave, the alien brother goes to grieve his brother and investigate the storyteller (aka c-3po). Inside the battered frame of 3po he finds luke's lightsaber. Armed with this weapon and the heroic stories of c-3po, he's filled with a new hope. Sequels: c3po's memory is wiped and then almost immediately re-trieved. He inspires no-one and is liked by no-one.

[@toumaaizen556]

You forgot to mention the duels in the sequels. In the prequels, the duels were not only fan favorites but choreographed in such a way that it almost seemed like we were watching a real duel between two talented swordsmen. Sure critics and professional swordsmen have pointed out how some moves of the duels would not work in real life but still, everyone agreed that they still made the duel more intense and pleasing. The best example would be the spinning moves which in real life, look cool but are absolutely useless in an actual fight. Still, it was enough to show that this duel was one to the death. Even the scene where Obi-wan and Anakin use the force on each other add to the intensity. The music, the background, the fast pacing/movements, and even the weapons themselves screamed "Only one shall stand and while others shall fall." Then we have the sequels where the duels are literally two kids grabbing baseball bats and smacking them against each other for as hard as they could in hopes the other bat would break. The music is very forgettable, the backgrounds are absolutely garbage on screen(literally, the throne room fight, forest battle, and final fights were all good backgrounds on paper but they were very poorly executed on screen), the pacing was unreasonably slow, and the weapons gave us the feeling that the guys just grab whatever they could are still figuring out how to use it despite Kylo being trained by two masters. The moves were so bad or out of place, it doesn't even take a professional to figure what is wrong with the duels. And what's with force stopping the lightsabers in the middle of the fight? I know they wanted to make the fights intense by adding something to the slow pacing but boy that was a bad idea.

[@AndreNitroX]

Excellent analysis. Many fans like you and me, argued that the prequels may not have been perfect in execution, the overall story and creativity was just beautiful. The sequels never tried to be anything more than cash grabs and they waisted our last bullet, on seeing the original 3 actors mark hamill, Carrie fishcher and Harrison all together again!

[@davidbailey6917]

I completely agree with you on that! I LOVED the prequels!!

[@jarmoliebrand2005]

You missed out on some amazing music when you covered that topic. A lot of different action scenes have great music, but the more emotional pieces stand above all else in my opinion. I know there’s still good in him, Anakin’s dark deeds, Immolation scene, etc. Those pieces are amazing. I can’t think of any sequel music I’d listen and cry over. The prequels have plenty of tearjerkers.

[@fuosini]

the music in the prequels is so good compared to the sequels, one example I can think of is general grievous's theme its played twice in the prequels for both of his appearances but it fits his character so well that just the intro of it alone you can get a good idea of what kind of character general grievous is and is so memorable that i think of it every time I cough. compare that to kilo ren's theme. I didn't even realize he had one, upon giving it a listen its a good theme but the fact still stands that i didn't realize the main antagonist (until an unnamed somebody somehow returned) had a theme is disappointing, while a side antagonist who had 6m 30s of screen time had such a memorable theme that I still think of it when I cough says enough about how the music in the prequels is better.

[@fluffywolfo3663]

It;s true about the politics tbh. While it was kind of a slog and seemed boring on paper in the prequels...it also provided a lot of grounding for the setting. Why does it matter so much that Palpatine is militarizing so much and you see proto-Stormtroopers, who are all these people fighting, why are they fighting, how does Coruscant work? Even if you don't know the specifics, these all make sense. Meanwhile, what's the deal with Hosnia? WHO KNOWS lol

[@XelNaga89]

It allowed for expanded universe to bloom! We got excellent Clone Wars animation, some really good books and masterpiece that is KOTOR 1 and 2!

[@fluffywolfo3663]

@@XelNaga89 And you conspicuously don't see that level of engagement with the Sequel Trilogy era lol

[@officialmonarchmusic]

The politics were great. I don't care what anyone says.

[@Underworlder5]

@@fluffywolfo3663 there were toys put on stores shortly after the movies were made... then production quickly stopped because very few actually got sold

[@CommanderSummit]

The argument for “no aliens” is a massive factor that I don’t like about Andor. Sure, it’s a great show, but I’m one of those people who think that it kinda doesn’t give me the Star Wars feeling. Less aliens is a big reason for that.

[@afterthoughtarchives1035]

Yeah, I gotta agree, Andor doesn't feel "purely" Star Wars to me either. I mean it's better than some other Disney era stuff they've put out, but people are out here saying stuff like "it's saved the franchise," or "It's the best Star Wars has ever been," and I don't get that from it at all... You make a good point; if even one or two of the prisoners had been non-human it would have gone a long way.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I agree. I love the show, but it doesn't ring as "Star Wars" to me, which is honestly fine. I just think it's a mistake to cite it as the role model for future shows

[@jarosbodytko6462]

The only real problem the prequels had was over-reliance on CGI which resulted in poor acting since no one had elements to react to and which also just really showed its age very quickly. But the story was good, the story was interesting. The sequels however looked great but the story was all over the place, disconnected and frankly not as interesting. The sequels just prove how story is the one key element that’s most important. Graphics, set design, music, acting, that is all there to elevate and complement the story, but everything start with story. If that’s bad, than no matter what you do, it will shine through and drag the quality down.

[@afterthoughtarchives1035]

Right, the polish is the main thing on the prequels. Although I will say, some things are off when real people are interacting with fake things, however when it's purely CGI the prequels still surprisingly hold up. For example the fight between the Gugans and Battle Droid in Episode I still looks decent, mostly because you've never seen any of it in real life to compare them.

[@sev3060]

I think that was an inevitable downside of being a first mover. People simply weren't familiar enough with the technology and didn't know how to (re-)act with it. Over the years that became less of an issue. Also the CGI argument only works retrospectively when compared to current technology, at the time of release the CGI was praised. And as a fun fact: The sequels actually used more CGI than the prequels.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I'm curious. I hear this complaint a lot, so I'd like to ask a question. What specific examples that WERE CG in the prequels were things that could've (and should've) been done practically? There were a ton of practical sets, and miniatures, especially in TPM, and I think they only really used CG when they needed to. What didn't they?

[@izzymaedavidson1974]

This is a very fun video to listen to for such a small KZbinr. Do more videos analyzing stuff like this one.

[@General_brasch]

When anakin and obiwan is fighting on Mustafa its actually a slight different of battle of the heroes called anakin vs obiwan playing. Battle of the heroes never actually played in the greatest movie of all time.

[@Tomahawk.01]

Sequel fans: “aT lEaSt ThEy’Re NoT tHe PrEqUeLs” My response: “You’re right. THEY’RE EVEN WORSE!”

[@2002films]

Kathleen Kennedy a failed assistant who couldn't even do coffee right, Was given Star wars and destroyed it

[@do-not-subscribe]

Force Awakens, the Last Jedi, Rise of Skywalker, Solo, Kenobi, Mandalorian, Clone Wars season 7, Rebels, Tales of the Jedi, Lego specials, Rogue One and Andor. All of that is under her lead, but I guess she has destroyed star wars because apparently not one single thing on that list is any good.

[@RoadRage810]

I remember how bad everyone thought the prequels were when they launched. They weren't wrong when comparing them to the original trilogy. The only reason they are held in such high regard now is because they see how bad a star wars movie can be with the sequel trilogy. The prequels had good parts, but overall are still "meh" and get watched once every few years at my house. In contrast, the sequel trilogy was only ever watched once but the original trilogy is in regular movie night rotation. That is not always by my choice, that is the choice of my 12, 10 and 4 year old when it comes time to watch movies even when I'm not here.

[@kepabra3782]

Things I would change for every movie (except 7-9) if I could: 1: I would tone down Jar jar blinks and make him be an actual competent warrior, absolutely remove that fart scene and makee some changes to the dialogues of little Anakin. 2: I would give more backstory to Dooku and remove some bad CGIs scenes such as Anakin riding that weird potato thing, I would also change some dialogues such as the infamous "I don't like sand", and makes some changes to the Anakin vs Dooku duel 3: Make Anakin feel more dubious when entering the Jedi temple in the Order 66 scene, and keep the deleted scenes for the final battles. 4: I would change the entrance of Obi wan entirelhy (that weird scream needs to go, and be replaced for other Jedi trick), and improve his fight with Darth Vader, and maybe remove that creature that resides in the death star. 5: Either remove the kiss of Luke and Leia, or at least have the characters feel weird after it, and give them hints about them being related in the film, also extend the training of Luke. 6: Not have the fricking empire get beaten down by the Ewoks primitive weaponry (arrows and rocks), to have Luke use the force against the Rancor in more ways than a simple rock, and to have a little struggle with Luke with his lightsaber against Palpatine's lightning attack (instead of, you know, fricking throwing his only weapon when standing against the greatest threats of the galaxy). And about 7-9: Not make the main characters of the OG, being such losers that gets underwhelmed by a new generation so quickly.

[@n.b.l.5709]

Liar, the prequels were liked enjoyed at the movies and brought star wars back

[@brianlipiano7113]

got any rogue one enjoyers

[@n.b.l.5709]

@@brianlipiano7113 i liked solo the most out of disneys batch, rogue passed n was decent, just felt unnecessary...i put it 2nd n the vader scene was dope as f

[@officialmonarchmusic]

The prequels are good movies without the sequels. The sequels do not make the prequels good. They just are to begin with, and more people believe that every day.

[@PatoChu]

3:39, yes, March of the Resistance is my favorite sequel score from John Williams And yes, its is already very iconic despite its appearance in the worst SW films. Galaxy's Edge, battle of Takodana, The Last Speech before fighting on Exegol, all had/have March of the Resistance and it made the scene way more epic and exciting. Id say its easily one of the top 10 best star wars scores from John Williams

[@PatoChu]

if still not convinced, search up "Soundtrack 14 The Resistance"

[@mizukisuzushiro6690]

Simple. Prequels have Jar Jar. And Jar Jar is based. Sequels don't have Jar Jar. Very not based. >:(

[@gdragonlord749]

The Clone Wars did fix a lot of what was missing from the prequels. Mostly context from my point of view. COntext like how Anikin really did care for those close to him and the lengths he would go to to do so and his darker side that made its appearance several times in his marriage with Padme. They did love each other, but it could get toxic as well. Also with John Williams. Episode I. Duel of the fates. Best battle music to come to screen. Episode III. Want to see me do it again? Battle of Heros. And I have to say, if I ever write something, fanfic or tabletop campaign, I am basing it on the Clone Wars era as far as I know and am aware, it is the most interesting time in Star Wars history (haven't played the Old Republic games). There is just so much going on that you can come up with a place for just about any type of adventure you wish from smuggling rings, bounty hunting, massive sieges, or playing as a Jedi (granted no Sith vs. Jedi fights which the Old Republic has). Edit: Also, the sequels go against so much pre-established lore in SW that I can not consider it cannon because it breaks that much consistency. Instead, I will keep much of Legends as head cannon because of authors like Timothy Zahn, who brought us amazing concepts like Thrawn, Mara Jade, and even Coruscant while Disney only really gave out Rogue 1 as something good. Also, the Asoka book was never canon because it was produced without Dave Filoni's permission which is a huge problem as he still owns all the rights to that character. Asoka. Far from the first but one of the best female Jedi. And the force is not female. It has no gender. It can't have a gender.

[@VMan29397]

Reason the prequels work is simple. George had the basic framework done for all 3 movies before shooting began on phantom menance. With the sequels its not the case. You can see they were eyeballing it.

[@anthonyvasquezactor]

I haven't even started watching this video yet, and already I'm agreeing with you.

[@UI_Shaggy05]

I think that all true Star Wars fans can agree that the Prequels are 100% better than the Sequels. But in my opinion, NOTHING quite compares to the Originals!

[@IAkaksjdjtjeidi]

PhD in facts

[@UI_Shaggy05]

@falcon3025 If you like the sequels better than the prequels, than you're not a true Star Wars fan!

[@marcoblachut9105]

I'm also born in 72. And I am a really big fan. Äne of course the prequls have their issues but they Fit perfectly into the former canon of what is now legends. Back Lucas cotrolled everything tv at was released weither it fits into canon or not. Then came Disney and destroyed a for me perfect extended universe by declaring their own f...... canon and this is what me bothers most. But this happens when a Trecky like Abrhams thinks tv at he could do a Star Wars movie. Actually knew every old Star Wars fan what happened after episode 6. I don't saß that they should have taken the the Thrawn trillogy as sequels but ignoring the facts of the former canon for me is reason what should be punshed with a lifetime Bahn to Kessel.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I'll tell you what they should have done, MADE LUCAS'S SEQUEL TRILOGY!

[@marcoblachut9105]

@@officialmonarchmusic of course the should have. Actually they should have taken at least a star wars director and not a former star trek director like Abeams.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@marcoblachut9105 I have reason to believe that JJ was actually the one to put George's sequels on the chopping block because he hated the prequels and wanted to make a shameless ANH 2.0

[@virgogaming6488]

@@officialmonarchmusic Letting Abrams direct was a mistake since he didn't respect the whole saga, Rian Johnson did at least.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@virgogaming6488 Letting Abrams direct was a mistake for a multitude of reasons...

[@Trey_816]

Tunes from the sequels I hum: - March of the Resistance Tunes from the prequels I hum: - Trade Federation March - Duel of the Fates - Anakin Vs Obi-Wan - Anakin's Dark Deeds - I'm so Sorry - Across the Stars - Dex's Diner - Anakin's Betrayal - Grievous' Theme - Jedi Temple March/Knightfall - A Moody Trip - The Immolation Scene - Battle of Heroes

[@connerl8449]

I also think the Prequels did a better job with the timeline. Each episode is separated by a few years which adds weight to each film. Each movie starts with how much has changed since last film. But the Sequels all occur over one year, so everything just feels smaller. The movies lack weight and the war feels insignificant. Plus the character development feels marginal, since the movies don’t have time to breathe.

[@tristanlanphere7736]

Nah, tbh ROTS could be the only film in the trilogy and nothing would change.

[@loganbagley7822]

10:36 You forgot the best line in Star Wars: "I don't like sand..."

[@antoniocortes3901]

I'd argue that shows like Mandalorian, Andor or Obi Wan, how great they can be sometimes, also have a lack of aliens which makes the series just feel less like the Star Wars universe.

[@captainhowlerwilson508]

I remember seeing quite a few aliens in the Mandalorian.

[@tristanlanphere7736]

Andor has barely any yet I would say that it is better than any of the prequels and anything else DIsney has done

[@JackoHak]

Can only agree with this. The most important thing about the prequel trilogy is that it was very original and very very different than the OT and how they can stand on their own. Some newly introduced characters had as much importance as the younger versions of the OT characters (Obi Wan, Yoda, Sidious) such as Mace Windu, Padme and Qui Gon. The movies were made in a different era and are set in a different era therefore the main conflicts of the movie feel like a different era. And they only take place around 30 to 20 years before the OT. The sequels however are just a new version of the same conflict that happened 30 years prior, the set of characters is the exact same: Rey is the new Luke, Poe is the new Han, BB8 is the new R2, Snoke is the new Palps (like actually just a clone), Han is the new Obi Wan, Kylo is a wannabe Vader who completely misunderstood his character arch, and Carrie Fischer is basically just reprising her role as Mon Mothma from the Family Guy parody but as Leia.

[@greyhound1758]

In fairness to the sequels, thay have the infamous quote 'Somehow, Palpatine returned'...but my favourite comes from the prequels...'Yousa in big doo doo dis time' 😂

[@KororaPenguin]

That latter quote is what many fans have to say to Mickey Hawkchow.

[@terriblecertainity]

the politics part is the worst mistake of the sequels. While I was in cinema for episode 7, I had NO idea who is fighting who and why. Going from episode 6 to 7 just made zero sense in universe. It's just a reboot. 7 was the last time I spent money on Star Wars

[@EntrEsprit]

I always use those arguments when trying to prove why they're better, i don't get how there is a debate, one trilogy is telling a story, other trilogy tries to overlap its vision of the story every new movie and in the end accomplishes nothing

[@tristanlanphere7736]

As film’s on theyre own tho, I would say that the sequels are better made films

[@EntrEsprit]

@@tristanlanphere7736 as a standalone movies i can definitely see that argument, from a technical standpoint at least, they are better acted, there's no cheesy dialogue, and goofy scenes. However i would still take any prequel over Rise of Skywalker because the story and the writing was too much of a mess

[@tristanlanphere7736]

@@EntrEsprit Rise of Skywalker for sure, but imo last jedi and tfa are objectively better films than the prequels

[@jasonleetaiwan]

The sequel trilogy isn't Star Wars. They are fan made films with directors that don't understand the Star Wars universe. It's like they think they can get away from CGI and we will like it. The sequel trilogy was written by a board group saying what works and what does not work. They don't understand what was good about the prequels which was world building. The Sequel trilogy didn't have that and have much of that and had contemporary politics in it. There's no reason to even consider the story in the sequel trilogy as even being canon.

[@applehead4906]

Here’s one of the reasons why the prequels are better: Jar Jar Binks. He solos any sequel character. Jar Jar Binks v. Rey: Jar Jar Binks Extreme Mega Negative Diff Jar Jar Binks v. Kylo Ren: Jar Jar Binks Extreme Mega Negative Diff Jar Jar Binks v. ANYBODY ELSE IS EXTREME MEGA NEGATIVE JAR JAR BINKS WIN

[@Jared_Wignall]

The Prequels were enjoyed by most people when they came out. It was only as time went on that the loud minority went on rants about how the Prequels are bad and the RLM videos are just a bunch of nitpicks disguised as legitimate critiques. Growing up seeing the OT on VHS and then seeing the Prequels in the theater, I love the 6 Star Wars movies made under George Lucas’s direction of how the story would go from beginning to end. What Disney has done with their ownership of the franchise is not at all Star Wars. It’s corporate fiction where they have people come and make films that don’t really know much about Star Wars and don’t exactly want to know about it either. The sequel trilogy idea died once it was agreed not to follow George’s outline from beginning to end. I always believed that the Prequels would be looked at more fondly by some of those who were railing against them for some years, it just happened a bit faster due to people being unhappy with what’s been released under the Star Wars name under Disney’s ownership. Because of this, people claim it’s revisionist history for people to say the Prequels are now good because of the new movies. Again, I was always confident that the Prequels would age quite well with those who weren’t fond of them initially and were vocal about their dislike of them. They may not enjoy them over the OT, but they’d like them enough where they wouldn’t just hate them for not being what they wanted them to be, which I think is part of why some disliked them initially.

[@rebbeccahoneycutt7941]

I always enjoyed the tumble off the 'potato monster' it's hilarious

[@jessielakes8118]

Absolutely agree. The sequels, possibly save episode 7, should be considered non-canon, it should be thought of as if they never happened. just like other timelines and TV shows and movies, they are considered to be non-canon like they didn't happen. No explanation beyond that needed

[@tristanlanphere7736]

Non-canon? Whether you like it or not, that is never going to happen

[@jessielakes8118]

@@tristanlanphere7736 Whether it is going to happen or not doesn't change the fact that it should happen

[@lisdispera4871]

SEQUELS? Was there ANY sequence? Anakin brings balance to the force. The end.

[@stiqqy8821]

revenge of the sith is the best star wars movie, they had the best lightsaber duels, the most diverse cast, a poc master jedi in mace windu, aliens, the clone wars and clones were incredible editions, the amount of lore in that era is fucking amazing, the prequels had bad writing but the actors were great, ewan and hayden were iconic, ahmed best was great as jar jar, the amount of great acting from ian mcdiarmid acting as chancellor and palpitine in 1 trying to manipulate the jedi and seeing how he came to power and the grooming of anakin, the prequels made star wars feel completely huge and had the best music, the duel of the fates, the anakiin vs obi wan battle, qui gon jin. There's so much to love and so much star wars history that has been made, the clone wars, bad batch, tales of the jedi, so many comics about the different jedi in the order, seeing how yoda became the failed grand master and seeing how the jedi fall because of their arrogance and dogmatic views, the tragedy of anakin is one of the best moments in star wars. im a prequel fan and i enjoyed TFA, but the last jedi and rise of skywalker completely ruined the potential of the sequels, i believe kathleen kennedy is to blame. the sequels just rehashed the OT and was disjointed as rian johnson threw out every idea jj had for the trilogy which could've saved it, the music is meh, kylo is a great character but they just made him a weaker anakin, luke's character was completely ruined, marey sue's character is completely garbage, just a self insert, she had no character development or training, luke had failures and the perfect hero's journey, lets not get into the race bait with finn being a jedi and being shoved to the side. the choerography in the sequels was awful, so many mistakes, boring story, "somehow palpitine returned" is one of the worst plot points in the world, the rehashed death star and getting rid of the ilum which was the kyber crystal home, the prequels we're completely different, it felt refreshing, the difference in tone, the politics, it was so intrigueing and seeing how anakin became vader and how obi wan had to mentor his little brother after the father died on naboo but he wasn't ready, disney clearly hated the prequels, how coudl you not have obi wan's ghost? the sequel's wasn't even memeable,

[@tristanlanphere7736]

Yeah but the dialogue, pacing issues, mostly unconvincing CGI and connection to the other 2 films would bring it down to a 5/10 imo

[@brandonpierce8799]

For me the prequels were my entire childhood and I never stopped loving them for a second, warts and all.

[@BoyKagome]

I never even quote the sequals beyond "that's not how the force works." ...But I say "Hello there." all the time.

[@Michael_Afton40]

Those who put the sequels over the prequels are either feminists or simps

[@luispietruck2877]

The prequels were the peak of Star wars, change my mind

[@guyincognito1406]

Sequels were 2 directors fighting at spectacular budget.

[@jamesbellefeuille2926]

The sequels were a trilogy in name only. The tug-of-war between Abrams and Johnson without oversight is more damning than even the individual flaws.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I don't even see how they were fighting until episode 9. People like to give JJ too much credit and say a sequel trilogy that was all him would've been good. I disagree. Better, yes. But good, NO!

[@virgogaming6488]

@@officialmonarchmusic Rian wanted to do his own thing for episode 8 and wouldn't follow up on JJ's plot threads. But I don't blame him for blowing off episode 7 since there is a lot wrong with it as a foundation. Wiping the slate clean of it was the only way to make a coherent standalone.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@virgogaming6488 JJ didn't even have plot threads. The only reason he reversed TLJ in his episode was because of the audience reaction to it. Up until that point, he was praising the movie, saying he was jealous of Rian and all that.

[@virgogaming6488]

@@officialmonarchmusic JJ clearly had an idea of where he thought 8 should go, its rumored that he gave Rian outlines to follow which Rian threw out. Also the ending of TFA was changed from Luke levitating boulders to a scene with missing effects for Rian's movie.

[@210_Ren]

I’m so glad my generation loves the prequels (ngl mostly cuz we grew up watching clone wars) I can’t go a day without someone referencing them or quoting them in conversations

[@taunttitan1714]

100× better than the sequels Nah man you're dead wrong and couldn't be further from the truth The Prequel Trilogy is Infinitely better that the lore destroying God awful abominations that are the sequel trilogy there is literally nothing good about the Rey Trilogy and I mean absolutely nothing

[@KylePhantomK94]

You are correct!

[@dgrhm08]

"Now this is podracing!" The prequels were plot heavy, but still felt like Star Wars. The sequels were indifferent to everything that came before. The Clone Wars animated series really adds to the prequels.

[@KororaPenguin]

And _Attack of the Clones_ also added new significance to Tahiri Veila and Anakin Solo: She was raised by Sandpeople, and he was both grandson and namesake of a spirit of vengeance in Tusken mythology.

[@IARESMART8]

I'll admit, you make some decent points, but why do we have to compare these? both trilogies have their own strengths and weaknesses, just like the original trilogy. Also I bet that in a few years time, the sequels will become appreciated by the kids who grew up with them just like what happened with prequel fans. So I wouldn't say one is objectively better than the other, they both are good in their own ways. Different strokes for different folks as they say. Anyway still a good video, keep it up

[@thomas-gy1vb]

The prequels were always my favorite Star Wars films. You hit it all on the head. Don't forget the Pod racing! That not only made the film more interesting, but it spawned one of the best racing video games of the Era! Prequels also had Natalie Portman. That's important.

[@afterthoughtarchives1035]

Indeed, Natalie Portman makes a big difference!

[@miraigaming1218]

I love the boldness of this title 😂😂

[@JohnMcDusty]

I'm your 600th subscriber! Love your videos!

[@jbill4949]

The sequels are garbage. It would be better if they were never made. The prequels aged decently, and I think they were done well.

[@Gen-ZChristian]

I vote we strip all sequels and sequel like aspects from the canon (for rebels just take out the references), and let’s start new!

[@jenniferfarmer4020]

Bro don't even know what Rey's theme sounds like😂

[@afterthoughtarchives1035]

Who said that? I said it was the only song from the trilogy I DID remember, it was Kylo Ren's theme I couldn't pick out of a lineup...

[@Keenan_G]

People who think the sequels are better just because the prequels “were bad” have the same energy as someone who would prefer wallowing in a vat of poo over unclogging a toilet. Sure, the sequels were worse than the originals, but the sequels are AWFUL.

[@emkalina]

I would add one major thing: the characters. sequels have one barely human character of Kylo and in the final movie Rey begins to pretend to be human but that's all. Finn and Poe are cardboard cutouts and Hux is a caricature hate prequel Anakin or love him but he was a human person witch clearly defined character, goals etc.

[@ultimate_pleb]

i actually LIKE the idea of discussing the taxation of trade routes on outline star systems it fleshes out the world building and gives a REASON as to WHY everyone is fighting besides just (insert powerful dark side user here) is being bad and the good guys need to stop them

[@tristanlanphere7736]

Bruv, no. It’s BORING to most people and its a big reason to why the general public dislike the prequels

[@guillaume1141]

It’s feel like the makers of the sequels didn’t want it to look like the prequels at all, less cgi, not the same planet, not the same music, not the same species. That’s ridiculous because it’s just not work with a lot of the fanbase

[@p5ychojoe138]

I never thought those creatures anakin rode on naboo as "potato" like. They always reminded me of ticks.

[@Probably_Deadpool]

I actually do find Kylo Rens theme memorable as well as his character, and I liked Finn in the first movie. Despite all that I agree 100%

[@Djhunnwell]

This is like saying ice cream tastes better than poo

[@theguybehindyou4762]

At least the prequels are coherent and make sense.

[@Knightmessenger]

Even people who didn't like the prequels liked the clone wars. Because the prequels had interesting concepts, characters and world lore. No spinoff series can redeem the sequels without retconning them. Because the characters are in the wrong story. Disney 7-9 is simply not what happened after Return of the Jedi. You can't make an effective story about that era when the basic premise of the empire magically coming back doesn't make any sense.