Stop Rewriting History and Pretending Like You All Didn’t Also Attack the ‘Star Wars’ Prequels
Low rise jeans are in fashion, the United States has begun another pointless war in the Middle East, and there’s an insane tech bubble making some grifters seriously rich. No, we’re not in the noughties, but we are increasingly nostaglic for everything about that decade, including apparently the Star Wars prequels.
Once much maligned, Episodes I, II, and III are now being used to bash the Disney iterations of the famous galaxy far, far away. This will be surprising to older fans of the franchise, especially those who remember the absolute vitriol aimed at The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. To put it frankly, if social media had been as developed, reactions from trolls and overly online Star Wars fans would have led to a lot of bans.
The facts are all there to see. Jar Jar Binks was criticized so heavily and aggressively by reviewers and fans alike that voice actor Ahmed Best considered taking his own life. It was a common joke that the political machinations showcased in the first three movies made them unwatchable. Community even had a subplot where Abed, the stand-in for creator Dan Harmon’s ideas and generally the character who is most knowledgeable about pop culture, hated The Phantom Menace so much that he stood outside the theatre and refused to let others watch.
Of course, part of this is the proliferation of social media and the ability of all opinions to be given a platform, whether they are deserving of one or not. Even if most people agree that in I – III the dialogue is stilted, and CGI is rough, and the romance is deeply lacking tension and sense, a band of people who love well choreographed lightsaber scenes and Ewan McGregor will be able to find each other and amplify that opinion. And part of it is just good old fashioned nostalgia.
Whatever your opinion on the best era of Star Wars, there’s one thing everyone can agree on: Darth Maul’s double lightsaber reveal makes Episode I worth a watch alone.
(featured image: Disney+)
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