I would think the main reason the prequels are hated around here (or at least just strongly disliked) is that they are the films we got when we could have had something awesome.

We never go the clone wars, we got a skirmish or two. We never got to see Anakin looking forward to his son and wanting to give him his lightsaber when he got old enough. We never really got to see 3PO using Bocce to program binary load-lifters. The lists have been compiled in numerous places elsewhere in this site.

Instead, we get a slave issue that never gets resolved, disposable villains and a central love story that involves the princess character falling in love with a psychotic murderer.

My good friend Warbler said it best with: *sigh*