I do think people don’t give the prequels enough credit. They’ve given me a lot of material to work with in writing academic papers for my film major, and while the crux of film studies and theory is over-scrutinization and analysis of what is essentially entertainment, there is a lot of stuff in the prequels that I’ve found has been significant and/or subversive to film form, production, and storytelling. Not in the context of Star Wars for original trilogy fanboys ofc, just in the context of film history. Obviously only in the last 20 years, and much quieter than the original’s immediate cultural phenomenon status.
Well it may be subversive to avoid giving your actors direction, or sets, or making concept art and models before the script is finished… I don’t see it myself. Entertainment doesn’t have to be massively intellectual, but it’s not always an exercise in blowing millions on a slapped together project; most cultural touchstones are a bit more meaningful and well planned. The cultural status of the PT is questionable at best. People know Jabba the Hutt, Princess Leia, Lando, Chewbacca. There isn’t anything to be said about Mace Windu, The Trade Federation or Little Ani…