there's definitely the bones of an interesting story in the prequels
This is what makes them so frustrating - they're not just bad, they're disappointing because AotC especially really does have a good movie in there, it's just buried under 2 hours of "I hate sand" and galactic C-SPAN.
I think Lucas was trying to show a somewhat realistic (in a universe with magic space samurai) fall of an empire--there's more to it than just a bad guy deciding to take over--but his own limitations as a writer and director and his love of special effects spectacles got in his way.
It also didn't help that instead of the Tragic Fall of Anakin Skywalker that we'd been imagining since the reveal at the end of Empire we instead got Whiny Jerk Decides to be an Even Bigger Jerk and Kill All His Friends.
ETA: Which also ends up taking away from the original trilogy in how we perceive Vader and makes his eventual redemption far less satisfying.
AotC especially really does have a good movie in there, it's just buried under 2 hours of "I hate sand" and galactic C-SPAN.
Jessica, your pithy, one-line movie reviews have spoiled me for any others. Pure genius!
Attack of the Clones is a pretty good movie for Padme, who gets to run around shooting things. And then in Revenge of the Sith, she just simpers and cries and dies of a broken heart.
So annoyed at Padme's role in RotS. "Annoyed" isn't actually a strong enough word, but it's morning.
It also didn't help that instead of the Tragic Fall of Anakin Skywalker that we'd been imagining since the reveal at the end of Empire we instead got Whiny Jerk Decides to be an Even Bigger Jerk and Kill All His Friends.
Another really excellent one-line review!!
Unconvincing CGI Yoda vs. Darth Sidious in the galaxy's biggest game of Dodgeball didn't help matters either. They really fell down on making a gripping fencing duel between a normal human-sized figure and one the size of a Yorkie - Sidious had to lean down to make their lightsabers touch. By all rights he should have had both legs amputated at mid-calf after the first rush.
Man, Yoda's first appearance when Luke finds him on Dagobah is hilarious. He's fucking with Luke so much.
Ugh, ping-pong Yoda. Eyes rolling forever.
Hence the Sith Academy fic universe. I wrote my first fanfic for this, back in the 90s.
That was the young Rebecca Lizard's entre into fandom too, as I recall.