List some things George Lucas did *right* in the prequels (Spoilers)

[DerekG]

It would be a stretch to deem the prequel films successes (I and II, anyway). And yet, I'd hardly call them abject failures, either. Despite the CGI overload and stolid performances, the films offered much in the way of subtext, and some of these revelations enrich the Star Wars mythos. Here, IMHO, are three things Lucas did right:

1. The rise of Palpatine--Admit it, the circumstances surrounding the Emperor's ascension were far more interesting than anything most of us imagined. He convinced the Trade Federation to conduct an invasion, only to betray them, with the aim of sending these dim corporatists into the arms of his Sith apprentice, who--proclaiming himself an idealistic secessionist--led them into a war that was a waste for all but one. In this respect, Lucas wasn't looking to Flash Gordon for inspiration, he was looking to ancient and modern history. And it worked.

2. Qui-Gon Jinn and the Jedi Knights--Far from being the romantics we imagined, the Jedi were, in reality, hopelessly dogmatic and detached from humanity. In short, they were chumps. In contrast is Qui-Gon Jinn, the maverick who turned his back on the Council in order to devote his life to "the Living Force." With Anakin as the trigger, and Luke as "the new hope," Jinn's dream would be realized. Thus, the Return of the Jedi is not a restoration, but a fresh start.

3. The Death Star--Using the Death Star in two out of the three classic films was rather lazy, but fitting it into II and III suggests how integral the weapon was in Palpatine's plan for galactic domination. Its destruction (in both cases) packs a more powerful punch now.

[ET Awful]

1. As to number 2 on your list,

the Jedi were viewed (in the expanded universe of the novels anyway) to be somewhat aloof and arrogant(probably as a result of their cloistered lifestyle). So, while they were respected, they were also looked on as people that were different and apart from society as a whole . . . much like Buddhist monks in China that had training in martial arts but were not really part of mainstream society.

[NewJeffCT]

2. the lightsabers duels generally rocked

the ones in the originals seem like slow-mo compared to the prequels...