Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith was outstanding imho. I really enjoyed it. Saw it 3 times in the theater. It was the only of the prequels that Lucas truly did RIGHT.
My problem with the first two prequels is that the old films from the 70's and early 80's focused on the Force as an allegory for religion and faith. As a kid growing up, I saw Obi Wan, Yoda, Luke, etc. as the last of the "believers" and guys like Han Solo as the skeptical atheists. The Rebellion were a bunch of people with faith and a yearning to bring back the old order in a world of fascist skeptical cynical utilitarians. That's how I saw things. It was kind of like the Jedi were clergy, the Rebels the laity, and the Empire the atheist scum.
With Phantom Menace, the "Force" seems to be GENETIC!!! "Midi-chlorions?" What the heck?! So what makes a person a Jedi is just genetic fluke midi-chlorions? Ugh....."The boy (Anakin) has the highest midi-chlorion count I've ever seen!" <SHRUG>
The first two films had a lot wrong with them, a ton of plot holes, and way too much CGI at the expense of story. Natalie Portman, though attractive, is a flat, bland, colorless actress who brings zero to the table. Hayden Christiansen was about the worst choice on Earth for Anakin. Ewan McGregor was fair. The ONLY reason I have fond feelings toward the Phantom Menace is because my wife and I got engaged right before it and it was the first movie we went to see as a couple. I was head over heels in love and full of happiness and excitement at that time. I was joyful and at the top of life. So I was able to cope better with bad acting!!!
In my opinion, Empire Strikes Back is the greatest the saga ever got to. The gold standard. Though so many people pan and hate it, I adore Return of the Jedi and still do. That's my second favorite. Third would be Revenge of the Sith. Fourth would be the first old film, A New Hope.
I'm cynical about the new one. I'm nervous. JJ Abrams is at the helm and everything that man touches turns to vessels of flatulence imo. He took my beloved cerebral Star Trek and transformed it into a silly, shlocky, action yarn of banality and disrespectful homages. I haven't liked much that he has done.
I hope the new Star Wars isn't written from a 2015 mindset, though I suspect it is. I hope I'm wrong.
I remember going to see "the Hobbit" at the theater and walked out feeling like I had a colonoscopy with no lubricant. That film was a disgraceful mess. Peter Jackson ruined that classic story. I hope Abrams isn't the latest Jackson.
The Machete order is highly recommended for those who want the prequels.
That would be "Episodes" 4-5-2-3-6. In that order.
That's right, "1" is dropped out altogether. There is no way to save that abomination.
The confused muddle of Zen Buddhism and dualism as the philosophical basis of the universe of "the Force", plus my recognizing it as just an extension of what false philosophers had called "the life-force" - the attempt to posit an impersonal god to replace the Personal One, ruin my enjoyment to a considerable extent.
