The 1993 announcement that George Lucas was developing the long-awaited prequel Star Wars trilogy created a frenzy among Star Wars fans. The story of Darth Vaders rise to power was the subject of much speculation, as was the anticipated dual between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The prequels would not only answer many questions for fans, but would introduce a new generation of moviegoers to Star Wars. Only it didnt quite happen that way. Not as far as the fans were concerned. When the first of the prequels was released in 1999, audiences turned out in droves. But it didnt take long for the fan base to start taking shots at it. The movie received mixed reviews and is to this day the lowest rated film in the series. The perceived sins committed by Lucas in Episode I were carried over across both its sequels. Since that time, the much-maligned Star Wars prequel trilogy has been the subject of much rancor and debate. In director J.J. Abrams, fans now have a new hope. With Star Wars Episode VII in production and scheduled for a December 2015 release, there is hope that Abrams can restore faith in the faithful by learning from the mistakes of his predecessor.
