I saw TPM 15 times in the theater, and all the others about 5 times.

These movies are by far my favorite fantasy movies, as they feature Zen Buddhist philosophy, lots of humour, mind-blowing visuals and things no one but G.L. could have come up with, boundless creativity in every single frame, genius…genius music by the great John Williams….and an endless list of fantastic characters.

I also agree the ROTS is the best and most emotional of the bunch!

It’s the ULTIMATE SW movie!

I can’t wait for them to be released on Blu-ray!!

I think the visual effects are for the most part top notch and hold up very well.

Thank you George Lucas for giving us, the true SW fans the most awesome movies ever!!! Love you all!

I’ve seen the original series when I was a young kid, I liked them but nothing more. When the episode I came out I was 11. I went to see it and I really like it. Then I saw the other two and I thought they were good too.

Then last week end, someone lent me the 6 movies, so I watched them, from I to VI in a row. I didn’t remember much of any of them so it was a bit like a new experience…

And boy does the sequel suck! Wooden acting, hilariously stupid and cliché dialogues, non-existant plot, completely incoherent characters (Han Solo, who in the space of 2 hours goes from mercenary to boy scout who sacrifices his life and loves to accept medals), and I’m afraid (though its not Lucas’ fault) ridiculous special effects. To the point that they distract from the movie itself (I don’t see “Yoda”, I see a green foam puppet that hops around). And Alec Guiness who’s so obviously not involved in the movie that he pays attention to make every line he utters the most ridiculous possible, so every one in the audience is sure to notice that the writing is pathetic…

To be sure, the prequel isn’t great either, but I can’t see anything that you can reproach to it that you can’t reproach to the original. Bad humor, check; bad acting, check; cliché characters, check. However it has some good points the original certainly don’t have: realistic political plots which make SW a “real” world. Good special effects (so you don’t have the impression of being in a Disney attraction every time someone is in a spaceship and there’s a video in front of them).

All in all, I don’t really understand the obsession with SW. But I’m sure of one thing: The people who are disappointed with the prequel:
1. Haven’t seen the sequel in a long, long time. They imagine them, not remember.
2. Love the expanded universe, and don’t realize that the EU is NOT the original movies.
3. Have bad taste.

For my part, I mainly liked Eps.II and III; though Ep.I was mostly an unfocused jumble of story ideas (some good, some not so good) that seemed to show that Lucas wasn’t sure where or how to begin to PT, even it had its moments. And it bears repeating that Eps.I-III pulled in a total of over $1 billion in domestic box office alone, and while I and II got mixed reviews from critics, III got praised by many respected critics who had hated the previous 2 entries, so it’s just possible that the prequels are NOT as universally despised as many people claim. If you don’t like them, just don’t watch them.

Just my $.02

I recently became a step-father to a very bright eight-year-old, and have enjoyed experiencing the STAR WARS universe with her and her mother. We’ve kept her away from ATTACK OF THE CLONES and REVENGE OF THE SITH for now, but she already knows what’s coming and understands the broader narrative arc. She even knows about Mara Jade and Jaina and Jacen Solo. She adores the original trilogy, and is equally pleased with PHANTOM MENACE.

Having watched all of the movies countless times during the past year, I have to confess that the prequel trilogy really holds up under repeat viewings. I know that many people hated Jar Jar Binks, and I personally objected to the ways that his character seemed to tap into African American caricatures from early 20th century film. But my stepdaughter is oblivious to this celluloid history, and she loves Jar Jar. She also enjoys the much-maligned battle droids and — of course — the comic banter between C3PO and R2D2.

The animated CLONE WARS series has done a great job of blending the spirit of the original films with the characters/locales of the prequel trilogy.

I will go further out on a limb and argue that the very best STAR WARS movie is the sixth film: REVENGE OF THE SITH. Anakin’s transition into Darth Vader, the fight between Mace Windu and Palpatine, the beheading of Count Dooku (sp?), and especially the implementation of Order 66 are simply wonderful scenes. The previous five films were just a build-up for what Lucas pulls off in the sixth film.

The dust has settled, and I’ve been following STAR WARS for more than three decades. First as a kid, then as a teenager, and now as a parent. I’ve read some of the comic books, and close to a dozen of the novels in the extended universe. My verdict is this:

The original trilogy was great. The prequel is even better.

So there!

The biggest reason the Prequels wouldn’t have that magic was it was missing those great characters from the Originals. You just can’t beat Luke, Leia, and Han, every kid could relate to them in some way, and you cared about them as to what happened next. The Prequel characters are just there to tell the backstory, as the story override any creativity Lucas could have went with them. He had to tell a story about the Jedi vs Sith, and in that process you lose key regular guys like Han Solo and Lando Calrissean. Just think of doing a backstory on Doc Brown and Back to the Future, and not having Marty McFly, you would lose that chemistry.

The final reason the Prequels would never be as great as the Originals is that Lucas was past his prime when he made them. When he made Star Wars, he was a struggling director without any kids. By the time he made Jedi, he was a CEO and just adopted a baby, and I believe he never had that fire to make a great movie ever again, as it is very rare that directors keep churning out great movie after great movie. Spielberg is a rarity these days as he seems to be the only one who has stayed on top since his younger years.

I don’t hate to the Prequels, nor will I ever love them for the reasons stated above, but for anyone to think they were ever going to match the originals, that just never happens in movies, you can’t strike lightning twice. They have their moments, and they are part of the story now, but Star Wars will always be remembered for the first two movies that are utter classics: Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back.

What you just wrote is beautiful! I cannot agree more…

You’re not the only one that sees them all as one interconnected thread. Turn off expectation and receive what is given indeed!