In her debut post, Darcie explores the brilliance of George Lucas’ Prequel trilogy
No matter your view on the Star Wars prequel trilogy, I think we can all agree they are made up of some pretty awesome elements. I am going to explore these elements throughout this post. Personally, I love the prequel trilogy, they are what introduced me to the Star Wars universe and to the space opera movie genre. Because of this I really don’t understand the negativity that surrounds these three films, yes, they have their faults but so do most films as do the original Star Wars trilogy. So, I have decided to share with you five of the reasons I love the prequel trilogy. I’m sure that you will find something you also love on this list.
Lightsaber Duels:
Okay, so the lightsaber duels are sensational. I mean the prequel trilogy take Jedi skills to another level! Lightsaber battles in the original trilogy are nothing more than two people jabbing glowing sticks at each other, but the lightsaber battles in the prequels are EPIC! They use crazy force jumps (why have we not seen these in the sequels?), they use the force to throw things and the lightsaber fights themselves are high intensity choreographed fights. The best lightsaber fights are Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Vs Darth Maul (Episode I), Yoda Vs Count Dooku (Episode II) and Anakin Vs Obi-Wan (Episode III). You can feel the tension and danger in each of these scenes, which makes them even more exciting. I can’t even describe how awesome these fights are, but they make me want to be a Jedi and I think we can all agree that the lightsaber duels alone make the prequels worthy of our attention.
Padme’s Costumes:
Padme is my all-time favourite Star Wars character and she certainly deserves more recognition. During the prequels, we get to see her transform from a Queen to a Senator and her costumes certainly reflected her powerful role. I absolute LOVE all of Padme’s costumes and I wish flamboyant costumes were a feature of the sequels. If I was to list my top four Padme costumes they would be: The Red Queen Amidala dress, the white celebration gown, the blue senate dress and the Blue outfit from Tatooine. No matter what you think the creativity, style and talent that went into these costumes shine through on-screen and reiterate the importance of her character. I will forever want to dress up as Padme every Halloween. All hail the Queen of Fashion and brains.
John Williams Score:
John Williams is one of the greatest movie composers the world has ever seen, his iconic scores are known by the masses. The prequels feature some of his best work, each note, especially in The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith, matches the on-screen images perfectly. The score is so beautiful and full of the emotion that makes watching these movies an emotive experience. Tracks to list to right now: Duel of the Fates, Anakin vs. Obi-Wan, Across the Stars and Battle of the Heroes.
Added Depth to The Jedi Order:
If there was one thing that the originals lack in my opinion it’s narrative background, this is certainly something the prequels make up for. Some may think that the prequels place too much emphasis on politics, but it is usually politics that lead to wars. The prequels add a great deal of depth to the Jedi Order particular; we get to see the Jedi when they are at their strongest, we discover how they are trained and how they are expected to live. We are shown how they are governed and how the council works, I find these scenes so interesting. It is enjoyable to see the Jedi at their full power, Jedi lore is touched upon in almost every Star Wars film but the prequels give us the much-needed foundation.
Story Development:
Without the prequels, we would know nothing about the Skywalker family. The prequels offer a vast amount of insight into Anakin’s past and what led to his descent to the dark side, we learn that he wasn’t always a bad guy which makes Vader’s change of side at the end of Return of the Jedi more convincing. The character development these films provide us with motivations, depth and emotional connections. The prequels show us where Darth Vader, Luke, Leia, Palpatine, Yoda and Obi-Wan all come from and what led to the events of the originals. I love the rich history the prequels provide and the details we learn from watching them only add to the enjoyment of the originals and sequels.
So that is my list of five things to love about the Star Wars prequel trilogy. I could list so many more, but I will leave it at five…for now. I would love to see elements of my list incorporated into any future Star Wars films. The Prequels certainly do not deserve the negativity and my list gives you five reasons why. I hope you enjoyed this post.
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Darcie Gray is a new addition to the Future of the Force roster. She is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves almost every genre of movies. Follow her on Twitter @Darcie_Letitia where she channels her passion frequently!
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Author
Darcie Gray is the Fashion Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being a passionate Star Wars fan, she loves every genre of movies and she channels her passion for film into her personal blog Just Another Film Blog. Follow her on Twitter where she shares her love of film regularly.
