George Lucas Blames 'Star Wars' Critics for Killing Series

If the prequels had not been made, there would be no KOTOR fandom.

Let's keep in mind that the release of the prequels is what re-energized a dying IP. Whether bad or good, they brought attention back to a new generation.

I just want to post to say why we as fans have the right to be critical.

Imagine you falling in love with a beautifull young woman even though she has her flaws you think she is perfect and fine the way she is.

20 Years later she is a completely different fat ugly lazy woman with strange habits and poor choices of words.

Wouldn't you rather see that woman grow old gracefully and mature like fine wine. Instead of seeing her become the meatball chugging fatty that she has become.

You have every right to say: ENOUGH!! STOP DOING THAT!! I want to remember the way you used to be!

Except that "beautiful young woman" you supposedly fell in love with is not your wife. She's someone else's. Are you sure you want to use a stalker analogy to explain your behaviour?

George Lucas Blames 'Star Wars' Critics for Killing Series

I think the issue that people had with the prequels is that they felt like a totally different setting and genre.

The originals - especially Empire Strikes Back - felt like serious movies for the most part. Yeah, there were silly parts like R2-D2, but it was measured and metered. It was just the right amount usually. (Ewoks notwithstanding) By and large the rest of the series felt like there was a significant gravity about what was going on.

Then in the prequels, it often just felt like a full on comedy:

"Oh Jar-Jar tripped and grabbed that cart of bombs and it fell open and the bombs all hit some bad guys and oh hahahaha"

"Oh Anakin accidently turned on that fighter and flew up into the bad ship and accidently blew it all up and oh hahaha"

Even most of the villians seemed like a complete joke for the most part, aside from the sith characters themselves. The Trade Federation guys felt like Keystone Cops. The alien characters all seemed like caricatures, just full of silly voices, silly mannerisms, etc. Not just different or exotic, just perpetually silly.

That's probably what put people off the most. The fact that much of the time it felt like we were watching Spaceballs, not Star Wars.

Oh all the critics can get over the prequels, I thought they were great, and am extremely excited, along with my family, for Episode 1 in 3D.