I find it almost impossible, from a filmmaking perspective, to look at anything in the prequels and think it was done better (or not even better, simply “more competently”) than anything in the sequels.

I just don’t… see how the case can be made. The only bit of legitimate overlap between the two is in how inert and pointless Rise of Skywalker is, ultimately. But even then, it’s hard not to say stuff like the cinematography, the editing, the acting, basically everything except the music (and even on that note I’d put at least two of the sequel scores in Williams’ upper half) was done better in Rise of Skywalker. That the film ends up being as bad (or arguably worse) than Attack of the Clones (easily the ugliest film in the entire saga) in terms of quality of storytelling is what really sinks it. If anything, it makes the quality of the craft even more insulting: They spent all that money making it look as glossy and pretty as they could and it’s just a candied turd sitting there.

But yeah, Force Awakens and Last Jedi are, without question, better made films, AS films, than anything in the prequel trilogy, and it’s not even close.