Star Wars: 10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About The Prequels

A lesser seen problem that some have with the Prequels is that they don’t match the used future aesthetic of the Original Trilogy and feel too clean. But do they really need to?

The reason the Original Trilogy featured a used future look was because our heroes were a ragtag band of Rebels far away from the bright centre of the universe. Apart from Tatooine and Bespin, we don’t visit any civilised worlds. While the Prequels are the exact opposite of that, with their most prominent setting being Coruscant, the glittering home of the galaxy’s elite.

But what seems to get ignored is that the Prequels use a dirtier and more beat up look when the story calls for it. Geonosis is an arid world with a weapons factory cranking out cheap Battle Droids so it’s full of dust, smoke, and grime. While Kamino is a deliberately sterile medical facility with a very bare look to it.

It’s like the Death Star having a much cleaner and more stark feel than somewhere like the Mos Eisley Cantina. It’s because it’s a rigorously maintained military station rather than a dive bar in the back end of space. A location’s appearance comes from its role in the story.

There’s room for discussion about the effects of the Prequels’ colour grading and shooting on digital videotape, but the Prequels not completely copying the aesthetic of the Original Trilogy isn’t a flaw. It’s an artistic decision made based on the story being told.