sum1

Much to my chagrin too!

In my opinion, the prequel trilogy seems informed by an entirely different mindset from the OT. There are so many differences. In particular I find the later two prequels to be lacking the sympathetic humanity of the OT. The Phantom Menace is a bit better. I feel it's mid-ground between the OT and the other two films. Still having the problems of the prequels, but with more real humanity and feeling and with more of a general Star Wars feel. Plus Liam Neeson did an excellent job there and Padme was better there than in the later two films. The visual style of TPM was more vital too. The look of the later two prequels is a bit washed-out, which affects how the films feel. TPM still doesn't feel to me like a real Star Wars film, but there are things I like about it, which I can't really say for the later two. Of course, it has lots of Jar Jar, but I think there are worse things in the prequels than Jar Jar. The portrayal of Anakin is the element in the prequels I have the most trouble with and while I'm distinctly unimpressed with the Jake Lloyd version it's the Hayden version that I'm most bothered by.