3) Some Amazing Action Sequences
Again, it’s both a blessing and a curse that George Lucas put so much effort into how his prequels looked (as opposed to saving his attention for the story). In this case it’s a blessing: the action sequences in the prequels are bursting with energy and ideas, from the visceral pod race on in The Phantom Menace to the blistering battle above Coruscant that kicks off the final movie.
Lucas doesn’t always get it right – the duel between Anakin and Obi Wan runs for too long, while the battle of Kashyyyk doesn’t last long enough – but for the most part he’s as assured with the action as he was in the original trilogy. Attack of the Clones, the weakest movie of the entire saga, at the very least closes with an orgiastic clash between clones and droids that’s as epic as Star Wars gets.
2) Superior Lightsaber Battles
Fact: the lightsaber battles in the prequels are just better than those in the original trilogy. And for all the great and good battles, one stands out more than any as worthy of a singling out.
The lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Maul and Obi Wan Kenobi towards The Phantom Menace‘s climax is a masterpiece of choreography, and a series high-point (so far) for lightsaber showdowns.
After the relatively rough and lumbering lightsaber fights of the original trilogy, The Phantom Menace‘s lightsaber battle is balletic and thrillingly fast-paced. Darth Maul sets the pace with his rapid, violent moves, turning this action scene into a kind of brutal dance to the death.
Amplified by John Williams’ dramatic choral score and Lucas’ composed, unobtrusive camerawork, this is the one that The Force Awakens and any future Star Wars movies have to beat.
