Agreed. I like TFA a lot, but it's not the best SW movie ever made.
And disliking the PT is not without reason. Anakin's character was so poorly developed and written (like most characters in the movies, except for Palpy). Adult Anakin (who is completely different from child Anakin) just has NO ARC: he's a grumpy murdering psychopath in AOTC and he still is when ROTS is over.
All the "reasons" you give for murder 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. are basically irrelevant. Because no matter what these so-called 'reasons' are, his behaviour is always the same. Anakin has just one way to react to things he doesn't like: kill, kill, kill. That never changes, so Anakin is a static figure in these movies and has no more depth than say a Boba Fett. For the "hero" of three (even six?) movies, that's pretty horrendous.
This is why I dislike the PT:
1. The characters are flat and have no arc
2. Crucial plot points are delivered the most horrible way (the political drama is terrible and often stupid, the detective story of OB1 in AOTC is a pretty dumb detective story (he doesn't even find out who ordered these clones), the love story between Anakin and Padme is badly written and totally uninspiring/unromantic) and the Anakin's "fall" is one of the worst written scenes of the entire saga.
3. Whatever's going on most of the time, doesn't make any sense.
All I want to say: the dislike is not unfounded.
Well, it is because the comparisons are made. Like with the PT there are people who like and dislike the movies.
Some SW fans hate TFA and they are totally entitled to. I even understand their gripes, but to me the good by far surpasses the complaints about originality.
And I think one can discuss why movies are good or liked based on how they are made. Not just based on 'I like clones', 'flash lightsaber fights', 'cool costumes'.
In essence I found the characters in TFA much more REAL characters than in the PT. in the PT th characters were flat and had no arc. In TFA the characters are fresh, lively and have an arc, you see there's a lot going on emotionally (conflicted, struggling, clever, funny, gentle).
And when it comes to the story: TFA is pretty simple but you get what's going on all the time.
The PT tried to be complex, but very few people got what was going on without a lot EU to back them up. Plus, I felt, a lot of that complexity was a lot of smoke and mirrors. For a political drama is was as far removed from movies like 'All the President's Men' or 'House of Cards' as Tatooine is from the center of the universe.
So for me PT failed in being the fun space adventure with likeable characters, like the OT was. And it failed horribly in trying to be an intellectual political drama. Or even a personal drama, since Anakin was so poorly developed.
I think TFA in that sense is why millions of people like the OT: a fun space adventure with likeable characters.
Gollum by far outshone JarJar.
And I'll be the first to give Lucas credit for totally revolutionising the entire visual effects industry. He is the great master.
But... I do find his attention for effects in TPM to be a lot greater than his attention for story. He kinda went against his old credo that effects were a tool for story. In the PT he fumbled the story aspect and all we got was effects. But without meaning, without life. Others carried on his legacy better.
Originally posted by queeq
Cool visual effects? 😉
Well I mean they're okay I guess. Marvel has them thoroughly beaten in that department though so I'd rather just watch one of those.
Let's say I'm a Star Wars fan interested in seeing how Luke and the others helped shape the galaxy they saved. What does the film offer me?
Originally posted by Darth ThorAnd you guys wonder why the prequels keep being dissed. FFS Darth Thor LET IT GO. I'm TRYING not to keep ripping the PT but you just can't stop yourself from throwing them back in this.
But not the kind of visual effects that would change the special effects industry, like say... Phantom Menace 😉
Originally posted by AuraAngel
That sounds very vague.
Well, it's not. This a SERIES, there's gonna me more. We get an outlook who's gonna be taking us into the future, but we don't know where we 're gonna end up.
And I don't think it works to look at an episode 7 of a series and say: this is what I want to see. Then, if you don't get what you wanted, you'll always be disappointed. Rogue One will surely be the biggest disappointment ever, because there are no Skywalkers in that one. Doesn't mean Rogue One is gonna be crap.
SW is just an adventure film. Just sit back and if you are entertained, then you had a good time. If you don't like it, you're entitled to.
I think it was fun. I, and obviously a lot of critics and a lot of viewers, enjoyed it. Although it's not perfect film, it sure is good popcorn entertainment. Worthy of a second, third and even more viewings. And for me, that means quite a lot.