Of course they aren’t terrible. They’re just terrible compared to the originals.
Pretty much my opinion. I’ve seen a lot of movies. They aren’t great by any means, but they aren’t that bad either compared to some out there. They are fun to watch, but when you dig below the surface, their failings are easy to see. And what have many Star Wars fans spent decades doing? digging. So we are more painfully aware of the flaws than most people. The casual viewer is not going to see all the flaws we do. All three of the PT were huge blockbusters - record setters in ticket sales. They were hugely popular movies. Bigger in some ways than the OT. They just don’t have the staying power because they are flawed and those who love the OT have various views on the level of bad those flaws drop these films to. They are Lucas at his worst, which I think is better than many other directors at their best.
I disagree.
You don’t have to dig or even dust the surface to see the flaws. They aren’t fun to watch. I mean, there’s nothing there that I enjoy. And I’m not alone.
They only did so well because the OT is so loved. Their success at the box office has nothing to do with the quality of the films. They retain a following because Star Wars is the most popular thing on the planet and most people are sheep and the brand is their Shepard.
Grumpy mid-day rant over. 😉