Once I started seeing people get nostalgic regarding the prequels (1/2/3) I knew the franchise was officially going down the tubes. Perhaps they only seem better now by comparison + the lack of glaring political and social propaganda.
For all the prequel apologists- despite some solid moments, those movies are pretty awful. Lucas and the powers that be squandered the opportunity to tell a fantastic story (a compelling three movie arc focusing on Anakin's transformation into one of the most iconic characters in film history) and ultimately did a MAJOR disservice to the franchise in almost every creative aspect.
The original trilogy (4/5/6) were a major touchstone in both film-making and the popular consciousness. The prequel trilogy-- not so much. Just try to imagine the same movies (the prequels) but as part of a new intellectual property/potential franchise. They would have more than likely universally flopped both creatively and commercially.
For all the prequel apologists- despite some solid moments, those movies are pretty awful. Lucas and the powers that be squandered the opportunity to tell a fantastic story (a compelling three movie arc focusing on Anakin's transformation into one of the most iconic characters in film history) and ultimately did a MAJOR disservice to the franchise in almost every creative aspect.
The original trilogy (4/5/6) were a major touchstone in both film-making and the popular consciousness. The prequel trilogy-- not so much. Just try to imagine the same movies (the prequels) but as part of a new intellectual property/potential franchise. They would have more than likely universally flopped both creatively and commercially.