Star Wars prequel trilogy

According to original trilogy producer Gary Kurtz, loose plans for a prequel trilogy were developed during the outlining of the original two films.[1] In 1980, Lucas confirmed that he had the nine-film series plotted,[2] but due to the stress of producing the original trilogy and pressure from his wife to settle down, he had decided to cancel further sequels by 1981.[3] However, technical advances in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including the ability to create computer-generated imagery (CGI), inspired Lucas to consider that it might be possible to revisit his saga. In 1989, Lucas stated that the prequel trilogy would be "unbelievably expensive."[4] After viewing an early CGI test created by Industrial Light & Magic for Jurassic Park, Lucas said:

We did a test for Steven Spielberg; and when we put them up on the screen I had tears in my eyes. It was like one of those moments in history, like the invention of the lightbulb or the first telephone call. A major gap had been crossed and things were never going to be the same.[5]

In 1992, Lucas acknowledged that he had plans to create the prequel trilogy in the Lucasfilm Fan Club magazine, and announced this to Variety in late 1993.[6] Producer Rick McCallum reached out to Frank Darabont, who had previously written The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and The Shawshank Redemption, for possible future writing duties.[7] He was considered until at least 1995, but as time went on, Lucas continued writing the screenplays himself.[8] Before Lucas chose to direct the prequels, Return of the Jedi director Richard Marquand expressed interest on directing one of the prequel films, up until his death in 1987.[9] The popularity of the franchise had been prolonged by the Star Wars Expanded Universe, so that it still had a large audience. A theatrical rerelease of the original trilogy in 1997 'updated' the 20-year-old films with the style of CGI envisioned for the new episodes.

Having been significantly anticipated by fans, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released on May 19, 1999. It sees the Jedi coming into contact with the young Anakin Skywalker and the corruption of the Galactic Senate by Palpatine (Darth Sidious). Episode II – Attack of the Clones was released on May 16, 2002. The story jumps ahead 10 years and finds Anakin—now a Jedi apprentice of Obi-Wan Kenobi—pursuing a forbidden romance, as well as the outbreak of the Clone Wars. Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the first PG-13 film in the franchise, was released on May 19, 2005.[10] It depicts Anakin's fall to the dark side of the Force and his rebirth as Darth Vader.[11]

Episode II – Attack of the Clones

The central trio of the prequel trilogy was played by Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker, Episodes II & III), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), and Natalie Portman (Padmé Amidala), respectively.

Main article: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

10 years later, an assassination attempt is made on Padmé Amidala, who is now serving as Naboo's senator. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice, Anakin, are assigned to protect her; Obi-Wan tracks the assassin, while Anakin and Padmé secretly fall in love. Meanwhile, Chancellor Palpatine schemes to draw the galaxy into the Clone Wars between the Republic army of clone troopers led by the Jedi, and the Confederacy of Independent Systems led by Palpatine's Sith apprentice, Count Dooku.[15]

The first draft of Episode II was completed just weeks before principal photography, and Lucas hired Jonathan Hales, a writer from The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, to polish it.[16] Unsure of a title, Lucas had jokingly called the film "Jar Jar's Great Adventure".[17] In writing The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas initially considered that Lando Calrissian was a clone from a planet of clones which caused the Clone Wars mentioned in A New Hope.[18][19] He later came up with the concept of an army of clone shock troopers from a remote planet which attacked the Republic and were resisted by the Jedi.[20]

Lucas made a conscious effort to parallel scenes and dialogue between the prequel and original trilogy, especially concerning the journey of Anakin Skywalker in the prequels and that of his son Luke in the older films. Together with the original trilogy, Lucas has collectively referred to the first six episodic films of the franchise as "the tragedy of Darth Vader".[26] According to Lucas, the correct order to watch the films is by episode order.[27]

There are many references to Christianity in the prequel trilogy, such as the appearance of Darth Maul, whose design draws heavily from traditional depictions of the devil, complete with red skin and horns.[28] The Star Wars film cycle features a similar Christian narrative involving Anakin Skywalker; he is the "Chosen One"—the individual prophesied to bring balance to the Force—who was conceived of a virgin birth. However, unlike Jesus, Anakin falls from grace and seemingly fails to fulfill his destiny (until the prophecy comes true in Return of the Jedi). The saga draws heavily from the hero's journey, an archetypical template developed by comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell.[28]

Political science has been an important element of Star Wars since the franchise launched in 1977, focusing on a struggle between democracy and dictatorship. Palpatine being a chancellor before becoming the Emperor in the prequel trilogy alludes to Adolf Hitler's role as chancellor before appointing himself Führer.[29] Lucas has also drawn parallels between Palpatine and historical dictators such as Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as former president of the United States Richard Nixon.[30][31][lower-alpha 2] The Great Jedi Purge depicted in Revenge of the Sith mirrors the events of the Night of the Long Knives.[34] The corruption of the Galactic Republic is modeled after the fall of the democratic Roman Republic and the formation of an empire.[35][36]

In 2011, box sets of the original and prequel trilogy were released on Blu-ray, all including alterations. 3D releases were planned for the then-six-film franchise, but after the financially unsuccessful 2012 3D release of The Phantom Menace, the rest were cancelled to focus on the sequels.[37] On April 11, 2019, it was announced that the prequel trilogy would be available upon the launch of streaming service Disney+.[38]

The prequel trilogy received mixed reviews, generally transitioning from negative to positive with each installment. Common criticisms surrounded the over-reliance on computer-generated imagery and green screens, melodramatic and wooden dialogue including scenes of romance between Anakin and Padmé, slow-paced political scenes, and the comic relief character of Jar Jar Binks.[39][lower-alpha 3] Director of the first and third film of the Star Wars sequel trilogy J. J. Abrams criticized Darth Maul's quick death.[41]

Many expressed their disappointment with the trilogy's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker, particularly calling the writing weak and the dialogue wooden, although Hayden Christensen's performance in the third film was more well-received.[42] Contrarily, Ewan McGregor's portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi, following in the footsteps of Sir Alec Guinness, has been generally praised.[43] Natalie Portman has expressed her disappointment with the trilogy's negative reception, saying that "When something has that much anticipation it can almost only disappoint." She also acknowledged that "With the perspective of time, it's been re-evaluated by a lot of people who actually really love them now."[44]

The trilogy has also received some criticism for clashing aesthetically with the original trilogy. While the older films feature rough and aged technology, the prequels depict relatively sleek and new industrial designs.[45] Some have criticized this design choice by saying that it makes the earlier time period appear to depict a more advanced civilization, although Revenge of the Sith brings the design closer to that of the original trilogy.[46]

Conversely, some argue for the prequel trilogy's positive elements, including its handling of political issues, especially involving the rise of fascism. This includes Star Wars: The Last Jedi director and writer Rian Johnson, who also praised its visual effects innovations. Jar Jar Binks has been regarded as the first fully CGI character in a live-action film, and perceived as paving the way for Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.[47][48] J. J. Abrams praised the acting of Ian McDiarmid as Darth Sidious, saying the scene where he tells the tragedy of Darth Plagueis is the best scene of the trilogy.[41] In 2020, Screen Rant compared the way the prequel trilogy ended the saga compared to Disney's sequel trilogy, writing, "Amidst the bad execution of the story, the fact of the matter is, the prequel movies tell one coherent narrative, with a clear through-line between movies – this is something sorely lacking in the sequel trilogy."[49]

George Lucas has responded to the negative criticism by saying that, like the original films, they were intended "for 12-year-olds"—while acknowledging that fans who saw the originals when they were young had different expectations as adults.[50] The prequels have been noted as retaining a dedicated fanbase, primarily composed of millennials who were children at the time of their release.[51] Additionally, the animated The Clone Wars series, which Lucas made with animation artist Dave Filoni, has been noted to have retroactively improved the perception of the prequel trilogy among fans.[52]

Footnotes

Citations