The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker may have both split opinion straight down the middle for very different reasons, but most Star Wars fans still believe that Episodes VII, VIII and IX are vastly superior to the Prequel Trilogy.
The Phantom Menace was the single most highly anticipated move in history when it hit theaters in the summer of 1999, but that enthusiasm almost instantly evaporated. Gone was the sense of scale and awe-inspiring wonder that had characterized the classic originals, replaced by wooden acting and unconvincing CGI at the expense of the tangible practical effects that had always been a key part of the franchise’s appeal, while the mythology creaked under the weight of Midi-chlorians and Senate machinations, and that’s without even mentioning Jar Jar Binks.
It turns out that the Prequel Trilogy has one major supporter, though, with Kanye West adamant that the maligned series of films is much better than anything that’s come out of the Disney era. The musician, who’s still technically in the running to become President of the United States, clearly prefers the movies that George Lucas had a direct hand in, recently saying:
“This is about to make me mad, right here. The first time you’ve seen me get mad in an interview. They said George Lucas’ prequels were worse than the corporate-made Disney Star Wars. Like Revenge of the Sith? We saw how Darth Vader was made. Like, I watched that ten times during COVID. ‘Don’t jump Anakin, I’ve got the high ground!’. I’m saying the prequels are better than anything, and I’m sorry Disney/Star Wars design team, no man, this is George. This is his baby. That thing was set in his heart to show us as children to show us The Hero’s Journey.”
In terms of the critical consensus, The Rise of Skywalker is the lowest rated Star Wars movie on Rotten Tomatoes, but The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi are above all three of the prequels. Every fan is entitled to their opinion, of course, and based on the backlash that faced the final two chapters in The Skywalker Saga, there are probably a lot of people out there that agree with Kanye West, even if the Prequel Trilogy has yet to undergo any sort of reevaluation that paints them as misunderstood modern classics.
