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Prequels or Sequels; Which do you prefer - and why?

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The Last Jedi

Han: Hey Lando! You kept your promise, right? Not a scratch?
Lando: Well, what’s left of her isn’t scratched. All the scratched parts got knocked off along the way.
Han (exasperated): Knocked off?!

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Prequels are alot more wholesome.

Peace is a lie
There is only passion…

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I don’t really like either, but if I had to watch one it would probably be the sequels. They’re just a lot more entertaining.

My preferred Skywalker Saga experience:
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX

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I genuinely enjoyed The Force Awakens, which is one more than the number of prequels I liked.

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I think the prequels are a good story poorly executed. And the sequels are a bad story produced excellently in terms of cinematography and visuals. Well not so much bad as rehash and derivative. Only made to make money. When there is no story after Return of the Jedi. They could have had Luke do something interesting or really have gone far out. instead they sort of remade the originals with a new cast and the old cast as poorly managed cameos. All the characters who could have been given a good arc whether Kylo, Rey or Finn, or even Poe were sacrificed so they could shove 9 years of film into a 5 or 6 year window. There was no outline, JJ and Rian didn’t work together on a single cohesive vision at all.

I also think both had great actors who were not used to their full potential.
What do i know though i enjoyed all the films and had a good time watching them except for the Last Jedi. Which i praise for Mark Hamill’s acting, the score and cinematography. Not for the pacing, editing or direction.
With a couple changes the film would be pretty darn good though. I never objected to a dark turn for Luke. It is just poorly built up as a story and the resolution is nonexistent. And never mind wasting 40 minutes on some Casino Planet sidequest. Put Luke on Crait to physically confront Kylo Ren and the first order and cut the casino thing and it is an infinitely better film.

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I love it all. I think the prequels have the better story and the sequels are better on the technical side, but I love both. Star Wars is many things all at once.

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the prequels are bad,the sequels are trash…

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Had the prequels not been so reliant on CGI characters and digital sets before the technology was ready, as well had a tighter script I imagine I’d of enjoyed them a lot more. They certainly had a few good moments but ultimately failed. Although I still like them more than the sequels.

(And the Clone Wars animated series is top notch, finally working my way through it now)

Gone to Tosche Station

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I think the Clone Wars animated series redeemed the prequels in a lot of ways. But its not to everyone’s taste.
There isn’t an animated sequel or Disney plus show to redeem the sequel trilogy, at least in the eyes of the fans. I’ve already said that i liked all the Disney Lucasfilm shows and movies except for Last Jedi. And that is sort of a mixed bag for me. A lot to like and a lot to dislike.
Over all Disney has a better track record than Lucas did post Return of the Jedi.

Honestly i also really enjoyed Rebels. the only show that was a miss was resistence but was starting to finally get interesting before it got the axe. The comic books were or are good for both the prequels and sequels. The video games etc.

Honestly the biggest miss for me is the new Disney Canon novels by Del Rey, other than Lost Stars and Bloodline they are bad, in my opinion. Zahn’s Thrawn books are dreadfully boring, and political. I tried reading Thrawn Treason and i put it down to never pick it up again.

The New Marvel Comics stuff was mostly good. But there are too many titles and a lot of filler.

What does any of this to do with the movies. I see Star Wars as a multi media franchise not exclusive just to movies. I like aspects of both the prequels and sequels but the sequel trilogy has the edge. And honestly i only like 2 of the films of either trilogy when i think of it. Attack of the Clones and Last Jedi are the weakest entries in the entire Saga.

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The Sequels. Even though I felt Rise of Skywalker couldn’t hit the highs of Last Jedi, all of them are better films than the prequels. However, the novelization of Revenge of the Sith is better than both TFA and TROS, but not TLJ.

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The sequels at least have some charisma and energy.

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The Prequels. They feel like Star Wars more than the Sequels ever will. The Sequels are a doughnut nicely glazed on the surface but hardly any taste after you eat more of it. The Prequels have originality, interesting ideas and themes, incredible music, buckets of imagination, subtle and tonal dialogue, inventive sound design, parallels without copy and paste, and most of all a story to tell that’s important. There’s so many layers and new things to discover each viewing. There’s flaws but like the Original Trilogy they’re small and nitpicks compared to the Sequels.

The Sequels are good for being inclusive at least. I’ll give them that. There’s some good things in there and they’re entertaining for the most part but I find that to be only if you don’t see them as a continuation of the first six films and what George started.

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas

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I prefer the Prequels.
It has many nostalgic feelings to me, because i grew up with them.
The story is really interesting and has cool characters.
But in the cinema of Episode 3 i was disappointed.
Because i hoped to see a lot of masked Darth Vader.

With the Sequels i have many problems.
Also the EP7 disappointed me heavily.
I was very fixed on the expanded universe and hoped to see a powerful Luke with the new jedi order on Yavin IV.
Instead we get a weak Luke to see.
For me make the stories of the suequels no sense and they are not canon to me.
Next problem is, that the story is not from George Lucas.
He’s the father of Star Wars and has to me the highest priority, but Lucas plans for EP7 were trashed.
Another problem is that Rey is a Mary Sue, she know how to use the force and is heavily good in the lightsaberfights, so the training in EP8 by luke make also no sense.
Also the Sequels doesn’t feel like that i watch Star Wars.

The Original Trilogy is unbeatable.

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The prequels. I could at least connect the story to the original story, but the sequels just lost me. I felt the RotJ was a good ending.

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At least the prequels were still a part of the original canon. The sequel trilogy was just wrong. Diz was wrong to can the EU.

Emperor: It’s not the east or the west side.
Darth Vader: No It’s not.
Emperor: It’s not the north or the south side.
Darth Vader: Not It’s not.
Emperor: It’s the dark side!
Darth Vader: You are correct!!
Star Wars Gangsta Rap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp-Ys_iFwnM

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I really want to like the Sequels, but even with fan-efforts; it’s always hard to turn my brain off and have fun with (imo) such soulless films. The Prequels had their fair share of flaws, sure. But I can, at the very least, recognize them as Star Wars. A Star Wars that doesn’t rely on nostalgia, or attempts to push an agenda. It’s a shame…

“Star Wars has, and will always be a restaurant.”

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The Prequels, of course!
Also, did they really make Sequel films? I didn’t know that. I thought the story ended with ROTJ…

“Sometimes we must let go of our pride, and do what is requested to us.”
– Anakin Skywalker

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When my friends feel like rewatching a Star Wars movie, I’ve found that I’d much rather put on a prequel than a sequel. So I guess I’d say the prequels now.

Reading R + L ≠ J theories

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Sequels all the way. The will and effort was there to make them a continuation of the OT, and also try to tell their own story, even if they did drop the ball. The unnecessary jarring and disconnects in the Prequels to the Originals is just too much, with a whole bigger much ball being dropped.

Plus, the Prequels just are not fun films to watch. Slow, staid, pedestrian, flat. It is a challenge to even care about many of the characters, evolving nonsensical story, and stupidity of the their decisions. An actual chore to get through them. Sequels are far from being great, but at least they are fun, the stakes feel real, the characters are sort of relatable, and there’s is a decent story in there among the macguffins somewhere, just not executed very well. TROS obviously was that, yet actually as a finale, was more satisfying than the “tick boxing” and then underwhelming WTH turn of Anakin in seconds, in ROTS.
 

Edit: Is there an option for a poll on this thread? Seems like this could be suited to a poll? Plus reasons why one trilogy is preferred over the other in the posts.

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“The Anarchists are right in everything; in the negation of the existing order and in the assertion that, without Authority there could not be worse violence than that of Authority under existing conditions. They are mistaken only in thinking that anarchy can be instituted by a violent revolution… There can be only one permanent revolution — a moral one: the regeneration of the inner man. How is this revolution to take place? Nobody knows how it will take place in humanity, but every man feels it clearly in himself. And yet in our world everybody thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself.”

― Leo Tolstoy

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The Sequels Trilogy. Neither are good, but there at least there are no midichlorians, “chosen one” prophecies which damage what has come before, no Jar Jar, no unbelievable relationship written as a love story, no alterations to the Original Trilogy to “make them fit better” or be more in line with the Prequels, and no huge list of noticeable discrepancies and inconsistencies with the OT. Or the Jedi being written as being stupid or making stupid decisions because the plot has to go from A to B, to get to C or D, where Anakin turns against them in basically two scenes.

Or, as others have said, the PT’s nonsensical story, poor acting (from some good actors), dated visuals, flat direction and pace, with an overall meandering, slog-like feel, to watching them.

The Sequels lack of vision and coherency as a Trilogy really lets itself down, as well as TROS moving out break-neck speed to try and hide its flaws in the plot. But they are more amusing and interesting to watch, or two-thirds of the ST are, and the end 25 minutes of TROS.

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Superweapon VII said:

This is harsh. But fair.

If I had to choose I prefer the Sequels. Why? For the reasons others have already listed, but also because of a number of Prequel fans and their attitude of being unable for others to simply not enjoy them with ridicule or insult. I don’t want to have to watch 100s hours of additional material that somehow make the the Prequels better, or Ring Theory, or Visual Symmetry, or George’s secret genius, or master plan, or that they were “designed to be that way”, or if you don’t like them you are stupid, uneducated or ignorant, or just don’t understand them. Or watch many 2+ hour YouTube videos by one eyed toxic Prequel fans that will enlighten me and make me now enjoy them: I’ve done all those, and they don’t make the Prequels better or more enjoyable.

That is not all Prequel fans, of course. More are respectful, and appear to enjoy themselves without the need to attack others or try and put them down. And like many other fans of Star Wars can laugh at their own favourite film or series shortcomings, or meme jokes. Although there is a number of toxic PT fans out there, who also idolize George to an unquestioning zealot like degree. If something is not about positive about George, or highlights George’s shortcomings (we all have them, even visionary geniuses!), or praises others for their contributions then it is somehow an affront to George, and there is kind of concerted effort to attack it, Threats or abuse like this, or here, and shown here.

The Sequels have their faults. Lack of coherent plan and story, and TROS itself! But I don’t see many, if any ST fans, behaving like some Prequel fans. Maybe I have just been lucky to not have seen any? And respect to the Prequel fans who don’t behave like bullying aggressive dicks to people who think differently to them, or have different tastes and likes.

And finally, the Sequels are more fun to watch out of the two choices.

But I do wonder if those toxic PT fans and their attitudes online have put me off from watching the Prequels again. Or wanting to watch them again. Sorry for the rant.
 

TL;DR = the Sequels. Though if I had a choice I’d watch something else.
 

Juno Eclipse said:

Edit: Is there an option for a poll on this thread? Seems like this could be suited to a poll? Plus reasons why one trilogy is preferred over the other in the posts.

I do not think this forum has the capability to do polls. A pity for threads like this.

The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.

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Let me put it this way, I don’t love the prequels, but when I do Star Wars marathons, I’ll still watch them now and again. I accept that they exist. With the sequel trilogy I’m at the point where I don’t even know if I ever want to watch them again. Especially the last two. I get depressed even thinking about them. I’ve only been able to get myself to watch fan edits the past few times I’ve rewatched them. Part of it is that they’re more cynical than the prequels, but also part of it is the inconsistency.
The prequels for all their faults felt like they had more of a vision behind it. There were some choices that didn’t work, but at the end of the day they felt like one vision. With the sequels you have two movies that don’t even logically go together because they had two directors playing tug of war to cancel each other out. They never committed to one thing and they paid the price for their lack of vision.
Again, there’s plenty of things you can criticize about the prequels, but they at least feel like a trilogy. The sequel trilogy feels like it was compromised.

All his life has he looked away… to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph!