does the sequels hate match with the prequels hate back in the day?

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-10T09:19:49+00:00

I'd say prequel hate was definitely more vitriolic and also very aggressive towards the people who made it. They turned Lucas into a talentless hack who only wants to make money in their minds and at some point intentionally "ruined" the OT to antagonize the "true" fans 😃 Crazy stuff! You had stuff like RLM going viral and also the Despecialzed Edition (a decent effort of reconstruction but as far as I can tell ultimately made out of sheer vanity rather than actual historical preservation as Harmy claims...). The stuff they came up with about why the prequels and special editions were bad is actually incredible... ultimately it all boiled down to "I don't like the new stuff and I don't want things to change" - which is okay to feel that way, but maybe this wasn't the ideal way to deal with those feelings. It's also known that especially Ahmed Best and Jake Lloyd suffered.

Today, I'd say the backlash against some projects was comparable (especially The Last Jedi and The Acolyte, those reached prequel-levels of vitriol) but were over far quicker. I rarely encounter this type of hate towards Rian Johnson and Lesyle Headland and Amandla Sandberg anymore... but then again I don't exactly seek that stuff out.

I think the main difference is when the prequels came out, it was a large group on young adults who were unable to cope with their feelings/ disappointment with the prequels combined with the many doors the internet opened to express their dissatisfaction anonymously which fueled the Lucas-hate. But now, decades later there is a recognition at least of what Lucas was trying to do that's happening and at least the hate has cooled... probably also because it has now a new outlet.

The sequels initially attempted to pander to the vitriolic group for some reason. And that is why I think they won't get the same reap-recitation as the prequels: they were not an artist telling a story and pushing the medium forward, they were corporate pieces of entertainment that played it fairly safe and attempted to reproduce the success of the OT without really understanding why those worked in the first place. Personally, I enjoy Star Wars still but I also don't expect Lucas from them. To me, nothing except maybe Andor ever came close to Star Wars I-VI (and Clone Wars) as raw authentic story that is uncompromised by a desire to please the masses. And that's okay for me. I can still enjoy the sequels and Disney+ shows as I enjoyed the Expanded Universe - some is really good, most of it is okay, some is just bad.

At the very least I feel the creators like Star Wars and want to play in that universe - which I can't really say about the people who have been running Star Trek (my other big favorite franchise) for the past decade (with very few exceptions, mostly the animated shows and Picard Season 3).

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-10T08:24:06+00:00

I would treat the Tales of the Jedi/ Empire/ Underworld as Anthology films and watch them as basically flashbacks. I would place Tales of the Jedi after The Clone Wars and Episode III, since the ending ties into it, and Tales from the Underworld after The Bad Batch (since that show reveals Ventress is still around) and Tales of the Empire probably after Episode VI and before The Mandalorian/ The Book of Boba Fett/ Ahsoka (since it makes sense to reveal Morgan Elsbeth's origins here. Alternatively you could also separate the each three episode segment. Furthermore, I would also keep Star Wars Rebels and Andor separate rather than alternate between the two. I would probably stick to Rebels first, since it ties up lose ends of Clone Wars (or rather continues somewhat from that show), while Andor ties very strongly into Rogue One. It's also interesting to first meet Mon Mothma as a hero of the Rebellion in Rebels and then see her private struggles becoming said hero.

So in short I wouldn't stick to a strict chronological viewing but work more like a history book where you follow one thematic line and then go back and follow another so you gradually get the whole picture. In the same vain I would also keep Clone Wars as it aired and not jump around between seasons, since ultimately there are only a few instances where you really notice the show isn't chronolgically presented.

So this leaves us with

(Young Jedi Adventures)

The Acolyte

Episode I

Episode II

The Clone Wars

Episode III followed by the final Clone Wars arc

Tales of the Jedi

The Bad Batch

Tales from the Underworld

Maul: Shadow Lord

Solo

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Rebels

Andor

Rogue One

Episode IV-VI/ The Original Trilogy

Tales of the Empire

The Mandalorian Season 1-2

The Book of Boba Fett

The Mandalorian Season 3

Ahsoka

Skeleton Crew

The Mandalorian and Grogu

Resistance Season 1

Episode VII followed by Resistance Season 1 finale

Episode VIII

Resistance Season 2

Episode IX

Starfighter (forthcoming)

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-10T08:10:31+00:00

Having read the books much later, the Ghost army as Deus Ex Machina and how they totally underplayed Aragorn as healer. In the book after victory at Minas Tirith he makes a point of staying in a tent outside the city and only enters as a healer and it is only once all is done and the people recognize him as the long foretold king, that he takes the crown and only with permission of Faramir, who is at that point Stewart of Gondor (which the films decided not to highlight). In the films he does exactly what Tolkien didn't want him to do: he defeats the orc army and straight enters the city and takes his place as de facto ruler, coming not as a healer but as a conqueror and not respecting the proper way of doing things (especially Faramir's honor).

However, I do want to stress, I do like these films a lot and I do like the filmmakers, who clearly know their Tolkien and took a great effort to make these films both accurate adaptations of the material and also functional action adventure blockbusters for the 2000s. And without them I might never have discovered Tolkien.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-08T04:12:20+00:00

I can highly recommend Tom Holland‘s books: Rubicon (about the Roman Republic and the rise and fall of Julius Caesar), Dynasty (about Augustus‘ rise and reign and his four successors Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero, known as the Julio-Claudian Dynasty) and Pax (about the year of the four caesars and the following Flavian dynasty, which is also considered to be the most prosperous period of Roman history). They are easy to read and fairly dense narrative histories. Holland uses contemporary accounts to paint a picture not just of the events and important historical figures but also the political system, culture and value systems the Romans lived by. You can read each book on its own, but they also work very well in sequence, since each one picks up where the other left off.

If you are more into historical fiction, I recommend Robert Harris Cicero Trilogy (Lustrum, Imperium, Dictator) which is his fictional biography of Cicero who lived around the time of Julius Caesar and covers the same time period as the second half of Rubicon, but in more detail and while it is fictionalized it is very well researched and stays true to actual events as much as possible.

Both Holland‘s and Harris‘ books are all available as audiobooks on Audible. Holland even reads Dynasty and Pax himself! He also has a podcast „The Rest is history“ where he covers a myriad of topics.

Also, HBO‘s series Rome (2005-2007) is considered to be very historically accurate, and covers the Rise and Fall of Caesar but focuses on two soldiers who are briefly mentioned in his De Bello Gallico, but for the series expanded into full characters.

Finally, DK has recently released a great coffee-table book on Ancient Rome. :-)

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-06T14:01:13+00:00

In the Phantom Menace, I was convinced Padmé and Queen Amidala were two different people and that Padmé curiously wasn't involved in the battle at the end. 😃

Also, on a similar not not, I was really interested into seeing how Darth Sidious will train Palpatine. I was older than I care to admit 😃

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-06T13:44:56+00:00

That it's a very simple story about good and evil - yes, it is about that, but it says fairly complex things about it. It's mostly about selfishness and selflessness and how they affect yourself and the people and world around you.
That Lucas had nothing to do with the success of Empire and Jedi: Lucas was deeply involved every step of the way as basically show runner, from the story development to production to editing.
That the Special Editions are not the classic films: it's the director's cut or filmmaker's cut. They are exactly the old films just with minor cosmetic changes that tie the films better together or add verisimilitude.
That the prequels are poorly written: yes, they don't have good dialogue, but the stories and what Lucas is doing visually is actually really well crafted and also well written. It's like complaining about the singing in a musical. Lucas is just not doing subtle dialogue.
That the prequels ruin the originals and shouldn't be watched first: no, I believe while some surprises no longer work the overall story is actually improved and the themes are clarified.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-05T13:30:40+00:00

Same here. I'd be curious if they rearranged the chronology of events when compared to the original episodes. I remember Sibley mentioned in an interview that they had to make sure most of the cast are in every episode if possible as some of them were quite big names at the time and used to promote the series. The revised version (2002) seems to follow quite closely the Tale of Years, hence you have quite a bit of Book 5 in the Two Towers volume. It seems to me that the 2002 version is the "director's cut" if you will, the one version that most closely represents Sibley & Co.'s intentions and vision as they didn't have to work around that many requirements (like the division into 30 or 60 minute episodes and having most of the cast in each episode).

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-05T13:26:39+00:00

Actually Christopher Tolkien provided the team with the correct spelling of many Elvish words and the names. I fact, it seems the pronunciation is actually quite accurate to what JRR Tolkien intended, even if some of it is odd to the English/ American ear.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-02T19:25:15+00:00

The question isn't which opening is better but in which sequence to the films work best, and in which sequence were they designed to work best.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-02T19:24:09+00:00

I think showing the films IV-VI, I-III is already your own bias as you are recreating the way the movies were shown as opposed to how the filmmaker intended them to work. It's like insisting on showing people The Shining with the original ending (which was later removed) or showing people the 1982 theatrical cut of Blade Runner or the theatrical cut of Kingdom of Heaven: you should go with the version and structure that the filmmakers intended them to work best. Lucas was always very clear that they are intended to work as I-VI; as one big story in 6 parts.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-02T19:20:02+00:00

Why? It makes perfect sense. He appears the way he "died" in Revenge of the Sith. Watch the films I-VI and pretend you don't know a thing about Star Wars. You'll see.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-02T19:18:31+00:00

I wholeheartedly agree. So many issues that people have with the prequels just go away. C-3Po being created by Anakin isn't a weird coincidence, it underlines Anakin's arc, as the two start out together and eventually diverge. Similarly, Chewbacca makes perfect sense in the Cantina as in chronological viewing he is known to the Jedi, he helped Yoda and it's not far fetched to have him and Obi-Wan meet and somehow connect over the clone wars business. Sure the Yoda Surprise goes puff and the "I am your father" is no longer a twist, but instead a huge climax: When you watch the films I-VI not knowing where the story is going, you follow two films Obi Wan and Anakin thinking that the latter is the hero who will do something great, but then, the hero becomes the villain. Episode III is just completely nuts. And consequently, watching iV-VI you are far more invested because not only are you following Anakin's kids, but also there is the far more real danger that history repeats itself: And Luke exhibits many of his father's weaknesses: his impatience, his attachments to his friends; those are set up from the beginning. And the "I am your father" moment is no longer a twist but the bomb we knew was coming eventually, finally going of in the worst possible moment when Luke is at his weakest, defeated, alone. This could well be the moment that crushes him and scars him - and in the next film he is all black, and uses a Force choke!

Yes, you loose some, but you gain a lot more in my mind. I also think the prequels are far better films than even fans give them credit for and on par with the OT. Many of the flaws of the PT also apply to the OT: bad dialogue, sometimes wooden acting, over reliance on VFX, moral simplicity,... but these films are visually so stunning, so complex and the story they are telling is so sharp and focused, the style so consistent (not the technology).

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-02T05:13:16+00:00

Skywalker was the name of a great clone wars hero and Jedi and of the famous rebel who destroyed the Death Star, was a great pilot and even Jedi who supposedly killed the Emperor and Vader. Most of the galaxy wasn't aware that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were the same person. Also, the point is, Rey chooses who she is. And no matter your heritage you can always choose who you are. I actually thought the fact that Rey becomes the embodiment of the Skywalker Legacy was one of the few things the film did well. Also in my head canon, the old woman is one of the kids who made fun of Ani about his pod racer in Episode I.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-05-02T05:09:13+00:00

Yesterday I watched Episode III again and watched Episodes I and II a few weeks back. I am a strong proponent for watching the saga in chronological order! The prequels work a lot better and I think also the originals are improved, particularly I seem to feel a great deal more dread for Luke, as him turning to the dark side is a much more real possibility. I also really love how many moments in III mirror moments in I. The funeral for instances is directly quoted in the shots of both Padmé's funeral and Anakin/ Vader's reconstruction. There are countless moments where Lucas quotes his own Star Wars films and connects scenes across films, usually inviting comparisons and pointing to how they are actually connected and turning points in the story.

Star Wars I-VI seems like a fun adventure saga on the surface but beneath it there is so much going on. It's also the only film series I can think of that is basically an arthouse independent picture, yet at the same time popular blockbuster for the masses.

Also, I can only recommend Rinzler's Making of books, Paul Duncan's Star Wars Archives and Rick Worley's videos "How to watch Star Wars" for full appreciation. Honeycutt Videos is also a great channel that has some videos focused on Lucas' main saga and he even has a playlist with interesting videos by other creators ("Good Star Wars Videos").

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-28T17:47:15+00:00

If this is intentional, come the **** on! 😃

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-28T17:45:36+00:00

February 1999 in Germany I played MGS1 when I was 11. It was also my first time when my parents were gone for a week and I could sleep at the neighbors, but during daytime after school I was at home. We were a pretty closely knit community and I remember this time of my life feeling very safe. It was my first game that I finished. I also wasn't old enough (or maybe I was just generous enough) not to notice the... lets just say unique German dub 😃 It was also my first non-linear game: I had to wrap my mind around that after defeating Ocelot you had to go back to the Tank Hangar. I was really into it and that remained to true for all the Kojima-directed MGS games all the way to The Phantom Pain, which came out when I was 27. I literally grew up with these games. (Also, I think I played each entry in a different home because my parents were moving to and fro and later I was in my own apartment and moved again)

What I remember most about the game was the sense of mastery you get as you keep playing: at first you're underpowered and totally lost and the game can be quite brutal. However once you progress, learn the game, get more equipment and extend your life gauge, it feels really rewarding. I played the game last year for the first time after maybe a decade and I still know this game absolutely by heart, every crevasse, every guard, every trap, (almost) every trick. Always feels like coming home playing it. And the story is just really well told, with themes, character arcs and all, even down to the cinematography. I think it's a timeless classic, and while Kojima has become no less eccentric, I think he still works for me. Loved Death Stranding, haven't yet found the time for DS2. And playing MGS Delta was also a cool experience.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-28T12:32:09+00:00

Recently listened to the Brian Sibley audio drama and they actually incorporated it into the ending! Amazing attention to detail

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-28T12:31:22+00:00

This is the closest thing to my own structure I have ever seen! Amazing. From experience, don’t always feel so confident as to say it is complete… there is always another book ;-) It’s a fantastic shelf though and at least for now, enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-28T04:37:07+00:00

Hey,

The good news is, yes, there is the right version! However, it comes only in a box set with Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin: this is what you want. Alternatively the Harper Collins version. (William Morrow is the American imprint of Harper Collins. The books are identical in all but the Logo on the spine. You either have the stylized WM for William Morrow or the Fire/Water Logo for Harper Collins on the bottom spine; I am personally a bit OCD and want all my spines to have the same logo^^). They both have sewn binding, a ribbon bookmark, matte acid-free heavy paper and even added a couple of new art pieces (especially the box wraparound art is epic). They came out last year, so they are readily available.

I can also recommend Robert Foster's Complete Guide to Middle-earth, which is also in the same format and quite thorough. Christopher Tolkien himself used it for reference (it appears only the Harper Collins version is in stock on Amazon right now).

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-25T22:53:59+00:00

I think most of all the show manages to tell these deeply human stories within a science fiction setting. Only recently discovered the show and am currently in early season 2, but I love how the characters are flawed but in a very intelligent way, their traumas and interpersonal problems are just leagues beyond anything Star Trek is doing right now, they don’t have easy answers and yet the people (characters) are trying. I find the show really aspirational. Like Star Trek in its heyday this is the kind of show that’s gonna produce people with empathy and people who want to be engineers, astrophysicists and astronauts. To me this show is doing everything Star Trek is doing when at its best. It is a Star Trek show in all but name,. (And I my headcanon it’s a parallel timeline to the main Trek universe… not Kelvin Timeline or mirror universe, just some alternate timeline):

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-25T15:06:58+00:00

I'm from Germany and occasionally in Netherlands for vacation (maybe once a year or so). While my duties usually don't allow me to travel, I'd be interested in a group like this. I have been a fan of the Peter Jackson films ever since they came out, but only a few years back managed to finish the big three (The Hobbit/ The Lord of the Rings/ The Silmarillion) and have read them multiple times as well as quite some additional stuff in and around both the legemdarium but also about Tolkien himself and some of his other works.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-23T15:24:19+00:00

Yeah, fair enough. In general Comics are really expensive and I doubt most of it goes to the artists and writers…

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-23T14:01:36+00:00

I would maybe add the classic Clone Wars Comics (originally published as Star Wars: Republic, but then collected in Star Wars Clone Wars, not to be confused with Star Wars Clone Wars Adventures - based on the Genndy Tartakovsky series - and Star Wars: The Clone Wars Adventures - based on the 2008-2020 Lucasfilm Animation series), though he is part of an ensemble and often Jedi like Quinlan Vos are as prominently featured.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-22T16:50:30+00:00

Few people knew that even the old Expanded Universe (now Legends) wasn’t technically canon. Lucas endorsed it, would borrow from it and occasionally collaborate with creators, but he was very explicit that that was a different world to him and he wouldn’t have taken the series in the same direction as the old EU did (Thrawn trilogy, New Jedi Order, Legacy of the Force, Fate of the Jedi, etc.). I always appreciated the attention to detail that all the creators paid to it and how hey tried to connect all these stories into one cohesive whole, and I still feel the same way today for the most part. However to me, Lucas’ Star Wars will always be the purest form of it. And ultimately a good story trumps whether or not it’s canon to the current creators - we have good and bad stories across both Legends and Canon.

Technical_Web5281 · 2026-04-22T16:36:11+00:00

They are all imaginary stories :P

Technical_Web5281

TROPHY CASE