What’s weird is that despite all of the constant bashing of the PT I always see on sites like this, the critical ratings towards them have actually been mostly mixed to positive. If they really were that bad, then they wouldn’t have a 6.5, 6.6 and 7.6 rating on IMDb.
I expect that most people think that Star Wars is lightsabers and special effects, which the Prequels did have. Also, most people tended to view the prequels more favorably in the theater on first viewing (when the effects were better integrated on actual film), and that’s probably where the bulk of the good ratings originate.
But how could they have stayed in that range after a whole 12 to 18 years?