10 Reasons You’re Wrong About The Star Wars Prequels

8. Lucas Listened To The Fans

No one could have quite predicted how strong the hate against the prequels would prove to be. But when it did become clear fans weren't happy with vast swathes of The Phantom Menace, Lucas decided to amend Attack Of The Clones to address some of the issues. Listening to the fans is always a risky move, often leading to something so pandering it's not worth making in the first place, but in this case the balance was about right.

Emblematic of the perceived problems with Episode I, Jar Jar Binks was the centre of the galaxy of fan hate. So what did Lucas do? He took the character, who had more screen time than Darth Vader, and not only reduced him to a cameo appearance, but made him instrumental in the rise of the Empire (he gives Palpatine the emergency powers that start the Clone Wars). You can't discredit a character in any more blatant a manner.

The approach was only improved in Episode III, where two films-worth of complaints were tempered to make something even the jaded most fan would agree felt like Star Wars. It isn't perfect - the distance from midichlorians meant the Palpatine creating Anakin thread couldn't have the same prophecy destroying element originally envisioned - but seeing the films become less self-indulgent was good enough compensation.