My Thoughts on the Star Wars Prequels and Special Editions

      This is a really controversial subject among nerds everywhere. To many “Star Wars” fans, the prequel trilogy, and the new special editions of the original trilogy, represent George Lucas’s greed and inability to settle on one single concept or story. The prequels ruined the franchise, with horrible acting, a bland script, and of course, the ever-annoying Jar-Jar. At least, that’s their opinion. My opinion is a bit different.

      When I saw the original trilogy, back when I was, like, six, I watched them alongside the prequels as well. The first Star Wars movie I ever saw was Episode IV, but the second movie that I saw was Episode I. Unlike most SW fans, the entire saga holds immense nostalgic value for me. Looking back, sure, the prequels were not as good as the originals, but they still hold up remarkably well. When I first saw Episode I, I had no idea who this Anakin kid was, or what he would become in later movies. Only when I was a little older, and I had seen more of the movies, did things start to click.

       Maybe it’s because I grew up with the prequels as well as the originals, but I don’t think the prequels are nearly as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Sure, looking back, Jar-Jar is annoying as hell, and the dude they hired to play Anakin in Episodes II and III was an awful actor, but the story and effects, and the world that Lucas has created, shines through in the best possible way. The monsters, space battles, and epic lightsaber duels captivated me when I was very young, and now that I’m older, I’m able to understand the surprisingly deep story, and notice the subtle references the newer movies make to the older ones. They truly hold up well.

       Now, part of that is because Lucas has released these newer, enhanced special editions of the original trilogy. I definitely agree that Greedo most certainly did not shoot first, but otherwise, most of the changes are truly made for the better. They let the saga expand to a new audience who wasn’t around back when Lucas and the crew had to rely on puppets, models, and stop-motion. They let the prequels flourish and connect with the originals.

       So even though the prequels and remakes get a bad rap, I actually think they’re quite good. Of course, that’s just my opinion, but I don’t mind the changes, and besides, it’s Lucas’s work. He can change it however he pleases.