Monday Musings: What I Love About the Prequels

Okay, so I’m going to be upfront about this here: I’ve never been a huge fan of the prequels.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let me explain!

So I was a kid when the original trilogy came out, and to me, it was the coolest thing since pockets. Those films engraved themselves on my young mind permanently, and not much else could live up to them.

So when the prequels came out, I was in my late twenties. I went to the movie theater to watch all three films with my young stepson, and he loved them. He was a kid, and like me before him, they impressed themselves on his awe-struck mind. Me? Not so much. Sure, there were great special effects. Dizzying lightsaber duels. And hello? Darth Vader’s backstory. But no “original” characters for me to connect with. And I was a little too old to get the hots for Hayden Christensen. Well, maybe not, but it just didn’t happen. They just didn’t capture me.

Well, it’s been over 20 years, and I think it’s time for a re-evaluation. I’m determined to love everything about Star Wars, and though I may not have adored the prequels, I thought I’d rewatch them and see what I can find to love.

Here’s what I found:

• Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. If hots were to be had, it’s for this guy. He was perfect as Obi-Wan, right down to Alec Guinness’ accent. I also love that attack stance of his.

• General Grievous. I can’t help it, I get a kick out of this guy.

• Those gold headsets. Anakin and Obi-Wan look like princes with gold headbands. In fact, everything about this world is pristine, slick, and stream-lined. It glitters. It’s a different look from the run-down, cobbled-together look of the Rebellion, and it’s nice to see for a change.

• Padme’s wardrobe.This girl’s got my vote for Best-Dressed out of the entire Star Wars saga. Whether as Queen of Naboo, a Republic Senator, or Anakin’s wife, she’s gorgeous and dressed to the nines. Even fighting and wounded. Even first thing in the morning. Even pregnant. Even dead. GORGEOUS.

• Badass Yoda. CGI Yoda rocks. I loved watching him flit around with his lightsaber fighting Count Dooku, and then Palpie.

• Palpie with a lightsaber. We’re so used to seeing the Emperor just sitting on his throne in his dark hood, cackling, we forget that he’s a Sith Lord with lightsaber skills. So cool to see him batting around that lightsaber against Windu, and then Yoda.

• John Williams’ soundtrack. John Williams is a genius no matter what the trilogy, and we know we’re watching Star Wars with this soundtrack. The choral work in ROTS is wonderful, like a Greek chorus singing the tragedy that is inevitable. Fabulous.

• Revenge of the Sith. Clearly the best of the trilogy. No wincing whatsoever. It’s like the two previous films were throat-clearing, and now we’re finally at the heart of the story. The final battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin is epic, and watching Anakin become Vader is tragic and disturbing. (My only problem with ROTS is the handling of Padme, which you can read about in my Women of Star Wars series.)

So, upon re-evaluation, I have to conclude that I do, indeed, like the prequels. In fact,

Do you have a particular trilogy in Star Wars you’re not a big fan of? Any chance of finding something to love? It’s worth a re-evaluation, because, hey, it’s STAR WARS! Comment below and we’ll talk about!