Many critics also gave the Prequels a tough time, for a long time. Lucas even game them “they don’t understand the films” before George switched that same argument onto the fans later on.
From the Phil Tippett on the Special Editions: “They’re shit” + £2b for George to direct the Prequels thread:
Some reviews of 1999’s The Phantom Menace - from around the time of release…
- www.nytimes.com/1999/05/19/movies/film-review-in-the-beginning-the-future.html & https://archive.is/xBuLk
- www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/star-wars-phantom-menace-review-752675
- https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-1117499730
- www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-101886
- http://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9905/13/review.phantom.menace/
- www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-18-ca-38249-story.html
- www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/movies/reviews/phantommenacekempley.htm
- https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,990986,00.html
- https://www.salon.com/1999/05/19/star_wars_2
- https://nypost.com/1999/05/18/mechanical-says-jonathan-foreman
- https://nypost.com/1999/05/18/sexless-says-thelma-adams
- www.theguardian.com/film/1999/jul/16/11
- www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Force-Wavers-in-Phantom-Animation-amazes-2765274.php
- https://slate.com/culture/1999/05/dark-side-lite.html
- www.villagevoice.com/1999/05/18/all-droid-up
- www.indiewire.com/2013/03/read-eli-roths-unearthed-scathing-1999-review-of-star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-100146
- www.chicagotribune.com/ct-xpm-1999-05-18-9905180282-story.html
- https://web.archive.org/web/20010806145242/http://www.film.com/film-review/1999/11853/27/default-review.html
- https://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/64/
- www.decentfilms.com/reviews/starwars1
- www.ew.com/article/1999/05/21/star-wars-episode-i-phantom-menace & https://archive.is/CIyl8
- www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-1999
- www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/star-wars-episode-phantom-menace-review-daring-beautiful & https://archive.is/iCalh
- www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/07/26/the_phantom_menace_1999_review.shtml
- www.reelviews.net/reelviews/star-wars-episode-1-the-phantom-menace
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0120915
LetterBoxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace
RottenTomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_episode_i_the_phantom_menace
MetaCritic: www.metacritic.com/movie/star-wars-episode-i---the-phantom-menace
ICheckMovies: https://icheckmovies.com/movies/star+wars+episode+i+-+the+phantom+menace
Some reviews of 2002’s Attack Of The Clones - from around the time of release…
- https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/parents/moviesguide/archive/20020524a.html
- www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-wars-attack-clones-review-752674
- https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones-1200549814
- www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones-97836
- https://edition.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/15/ca.s02.review.clinton.star.wars/index.html
- www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-attack-of-the-clones-review-20151202-story.html
- www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/features/starwarsfeature.htm
- www.ign.com/articles/2002/05/14/review-of-star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones
- www.salon.com/2002/05/16/attack_clones
- https://nypost.com/2008/08/10/send-in-the-clones-2
- www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/empire-original-attack-of-the-clones-review
- www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/may/10/artsfeatures
- www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Just-another-Clone-Episode-II-trumps-2835067.php
- www.slantmagazine.com/film/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones
- www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/starwarsepisodeiiattackoftheclones
- www.myreviewer.com/DVD/38087/Star-Wars-Episode-II-Attack-Of-The-Clones-2-Discs-UK/38135/Review-by-Jitendar-Canth
- https://observer.com/2002/05/an-old-dog-no-longer-barks
- www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050501750.html
- https://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/6012
- https://decentfilms.com/reviews/starwars2
- https://ew.com/movies/2002-rewatch-star-wars-attack-of-the-clones
- www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones-2002
- www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-clones-review-pleasant-surprise/
- www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/films/reviews/n_s/star-wars-episode-ii.-attack-of-the-clones.shtml
- www.reelviews.net/reelviews/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0121765
LetterBoxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones
RottenTomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_episode_ii_attack_of_the_clones
MetaCritic: www.metacritic.com/movie/star-wars-episode-ii---attack-of-the-clones
ICheckMovies: https://icheckmovies.com/movies/star+wars+episode+ii+-+attack+of+the+clones
Some reviews of 2005’s Revenge Of The Sith - from around the time of release…
- www.nytimes.com/2005/05/16/movies/some-surprises-in-that-galaxy-far-far-away.html
- www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/star-wars-revenge-sith-review-752673
- https://variety.com/2005/film/reviews/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-2-1200526059
- www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-105698
- http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/20/review.sith/index.html
- www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-revenge-of-the-sith-review-20151202-story.html
- www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2017-2005May18.html
- www.ign.com/articles/2005/05/11/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-2
- www.salon.com/2005/05/18/star_wars_iii
- https://nypost.com/2005/05/16/lucas-strikes-back-at-last-as-thrill-ride-sith-fills-the-darth-dearth
- www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-sith-review/
- www.theguardian.com/film/2005/may/13/starwars
- www.sfgate.com/movies/article/When-Sith-sticks-to-Darth-it-s-brilliant-When-2634181.php
- https://slate.com/culture/2005/05/later-vader.html
- www.slantmagazine.com/film/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith
- http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/20157
- www.scifimoviepage.com/revengeofsith.html
- www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2005/05/18/sith-the-promise-fulfilled/fa4fca80-6aa1-44a3-a80e-de41899e8b2f
- https://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/11989
- https://decentfilms.com/reviews/starwars3
- https://ew.com/article/2005/05/18/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-sith-3
- www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-2005
- www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-sith-review-disappointing-slab &
- www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/05/09/star_wars_episode_3_2005_review.shtml
- www.reelviews.net/reelviews/star-wars-revenge-of-the-sith#
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0121766
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith
RottenTomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_episode_iii_revenge_of_the_sith
MetaCritic: www.metacritic.com/movie/star-wars-episode-iii---revenge-of-the-sith
ICheckMovies: https://icheckmovies.com/movies/star+wars+episode+iii+-+revenge+of+the+sith
It is difficult to describe the sheer hype and marketing campaign around The Phantom Menace in the years leading up to the actual release of the film. It was almost as if the film was just a byproduct of the whole campaign.
A lot of companies invested a lot of money into Star Wars licensing and deals on the back of these hotly anticipated new Prequel Trilogy films, which only added to the hype and marketing campaigns and never ending merchandise and tie-ins. And they obviously didn’t get their money’s worth in a lot of cases. I think I remember at the time George coming out “they don’t understand the films”, and “bold and stylistic choices” shortly after that corporate backlash and under-performing merch sales of TPM. Though he did still have a further two films to make.
I think most fans, and even the harsher critics, thought TPM was a blip, a misstep. That Lucas would correct the shortcomings and issues in the next film. Ooops!