"But WhatCulture," you say to your computer screen, "RedLetterMedia's videos have shown us how bad the Star Wars prequels really are." Yes, yes, if you want you can view the Mr. Plinkett reviews as the final word on the Star Wars prequels, but all you're really doing is proving our point. The reviews may be well thought out and carefully make their points, but they are also completely one-sided and merely fuelling an already vehemently held opinion. The first Star Wars came out in 1977. It was universally adored, but hold most dear by those aged around ten at the time; while the film can entertain just about everybody, to kids it was something else. The Phantom Menace came out in 1999. Like the original trilogy this one spoke strongest to those who were aged around ten at the time. This did not sit well with the thirty year olds who felt Star Wars was still only theirs and thus the backlash began. There's certainly some weak elements in the trilogy - Anakin's little sand speech feels less like an emotionally-confused teenager awkwardly trying to express his feelings and more like a writer doesn't understand romance - and that's the stuff that tends to rile up the haters. But what the fan dislike has led to here is disastrous, with the pure hatred exercised by some seeping into the mainstream, irreversibly colouring the reputation of the films. Which films did the fans unfairly rally against? Do you agree with our assessments? Get down to the comments and join the discussion.
