I do not believe i have ever been on a bandwagon since i was a fan of star wars when being a fan was not in vogue or popular.
Lucas is solely responsible for creating devision amongst the fans, and generational groups.
If he had left the movies alone we would not have to waste breath debating over versions.
From 1977-1983 there were only 3 films and that was it you were either a fan or you were not.
I once admired Lucas but that was long ago, and i never gave him undue fan worship or godhood status. He had made some pretty good and entertaining films i found quite a diversion in my youth. whether THX 1138, American Graffiti, or Star Wars. Yes these films had their flaws but they were loved bespite those minor things. They did not need updating for modern audiences. Films are like a time capsule from the time in which they were made.
It would be utterly stupid to add new cgi effects to the wizard of OZ, or the old flash gordon serials. As dumb as adding 90s effects to a seventies movie.
Lucas may have said it himself once.
IF a film does not have likable characters or a good story then why bother?
"a Special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing"
The prequels had a weak story he chose to start with the meat of the story that was the middle trilogy and even he once admitted the other stuff was just backstory.
No amount of special effects whether good or bad will save a movie with wooden unlikable characters we cannot relate to. ILM's advances technically are breathtaking but they are no substitute for story.
Otherwise you have spent millions to billions on a mind numbing cgi wankfest only to be up in the running for technical awards at the oscars.
Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson is guilty of the same cgi sins as the prequels but had likable characters you could relate to and a good story, which among many film fans i know makes them a modern trilogy comparible dare i say it the oot.
The story of Luke Skywalker was rooting for the underdog and the oppressed. the Story of a traditional hero not like today where villains and anti heroes are the heroes of films. Where a creepy youngling serial killer becomes the hero of the saga and dethrones the story of Luke. Where goth crap and dark for darkness sake have taken over cinemas. Where is the hero that kids need to root for in stories, the good fairy story every child needs i think lucas once said.
If you like the special editions and the prequels more power to you. I'm certainly not going to even try stopping you. I paid to see them in theaters each on opening day, and own the dvds. But pretty please cut the crap when you say they are comparable to the oot because lets face it folks that is utter nonsense. They would not have ever gotten made if not for the first trilogy which is the second chronologically.
Lucas should have moved the story forward and stuck to Luke's story. and not waited sixteen years until he was a totally different person causing a broken link in the trilogies.
The whole problem with the prequels is you already know pretty much who lives and who dies and what is going to happen there are little room for surprises. The whole success of the venture was hinging on showing anakin's transformation into vader and showing he was a good man and beneficent before that happened.
Lucas fucked up the turn making it instantaneous instead of the slow seduction hinted at in the oot. Instead of turning from a good man to a bad man you a get a whiny teenage emo spoiled brat you want to punch in the face.
Not only does that turn the vader in the suit into a total whiny bitch, but you also feel nothing for anakin except he got what he deserved. He could have been left to burn in the lava and not a soul would care based on the botched characterization of a classic villain.
The biggest problem for me anakin before the suit and after the suit zero character development.
You never get that he cares for another person (except padme and that only as an object aka selfish). You never see him make any sacrifices for the republic or fighting side by side his fellow common man in the war.
All you get is a selfish ego driven bastard you really wish obi wan put out of his misery on Mustafar.
You do feel bad for obi wan, kudos to Ewan for pulling that off. You do feel as though he loses a brother and a son. someone he loved. Except none of the emotional depth hinted at there was pulled off on screen. Not even in the novels. Completely forgotten.
Hayden Can pull off the angst and the brooding but he is not a terribly good actor. I saw him in Jumper literally one of the worst movies i have ever seen.
His performance there was not great, still not as bad and as wooden as the prequels.
Do i have any ill will towards the guy, none at all.
He is still young and can study and work hard to become a better actor as he grows older.
Maybe someday he will do an awesome movie and great acting and we will look back and remember when, he was in that prequel movie and was all wooden like a stand in for a cgi they would do later in post. LOL.