Star Wars prequels-why all the hate?

[Brue]

That one I posted was from the 80s, so the Green Cross robot was certainly inspired by Artoo.

WOW! I would've thought he wouldn't need the PSAs after Star Wars.

[huedell]

WOW! I would've thought he wouldn't need the PSAs after Star Wars.

Need them?

Here's my guess... it was likely a job he took that has some wiggle-room for "lowering himself" because its a "safety" thing for the public good... and, like, a government sponsored thing... ya know?

That said... Prowse is a bodybuilder turned actor, correct?

If that's the case, then only one man has ever made me feel there's good money in that... and his name is not Lou.... and Prowse doesn't even have the charisma of a Lou.

Guess what I'm saying is... regardless of what the money/career dynamic of a PSA spokesman is... Prowse seems like the type of actor who'd have to accept some pretty low-end work throughout his career. Not that I know that for sure, and not that there's anything wrong with that if I was right.

[Bruce Banner]

He continued doing it because he considered it a worthy cause and road safety was a passion of his. The Green Cross Code Campaign was what he received his MBE for.


In Prowse's own words:

The 14 years I spent as the face of the government’s road safety campaign – as the Green Cross Man – is the best job I’ve ever had, including my Star Wars role, and by far my proudest achievement. When the campaign started in the mid-70s, there were 40,000 children every year who became road accident casualties – a terrible statistic which needed to be addressed, which was why the Green Cross Man was created.

During that time we made a number of road safety films that were regularly shown on the telly but we also needed to get the message across to schoolchildren, which is why between 1976 and 1980, I travelled around the UK, often visiting up to three schools a day, five days a week. It was a busy few years.

I loved going round the schools talking to the children and educating them on “STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK” – four words I know many people still fondly remember, even if they don’t apply it. And by the end of the campaign the number of children involved in road traffic accidents had been halved, down to 20,000. It’s been estimated that the code saved as many as 250,000 children from being injured or killed on our roads.

Many people will know me for being the ultimate screen villain, Star Wars’ Darth Vader. But being a “goodie goodie” and heading up the Green Cross Code campaign, helping to save thousands of lives has always been the ultimate honour. Road safety is a real passion for me.

[Earth 2 Chris]

20 years ago David Prowse was a guest at the comic shop I worked at, and I was his gopher for those days. Despite all the stories you hear around the web, he was very pleasant, and answered questions about ALL of his work, and yes, even then, he told us he was most proud of his Green Cross Man work.

As for the prequels...I don't hate them with every fiber of my being like some, but yeah... Lucas forgot what made Star Wars "Star Wars". Centering the whole thing around political intrigue and trade agreements was a mistake right out of the gate. Good actors are given bad dialog and even worse direction, so they can't work with that bad dialog. And there's no wiseacre character like Han Solo to point out how silly all of this is. The movies take themselves WAY TOO seriously for the most part, and the only humor is provided by the way too young Anakin and heaven help us, Jar Jar.

I don't mind watching them with the kids, but they aren't something I'm going to revisit often on my own.

Chris

[palitoy]

He was rude to me and my girlfriend once but even i couldn't help but feel bad for him after watching the documentary about him. It's super crappy he's banned from celebration.

[Klosterheim]

I watched a video interview on youtube, and George Lucas said Star Wars is about father & son and dysfunctional family. He said that it's a space opera, but it really is a soap opera.

So I guess, Intergalactic Civil War and Trade Agreements are just built around that focus, as the background and setting. The heart of the story is family.

I guess the spaceships, planets and creatures work well because the audience becomes emotionally involved with the main characters.

[LonnieFisher]

Personally, I think all the hate come from the fact that the movies really suck.

[Brue]

Personally, I think all the hate come from the fact that the movies really suck.

Well there's that.

[Spyweb007]

The prequels may not be the best Star Wars movies, but I think they are better than most other Sci-Fi movies that came out around the same time. Star Wars expectations are hard to live up to. I like them well enough, but they do have flaws that are not easy to overlook.

[fallensaviour]

The prequels may not be the best Star Wars movies, but I think they are better than most other Sci-Fi movies that came out around the same time.

Not sure how you can even say that....lol
Star Wars episode I -1999
The matrix

Star Wars episode II - 2002
28 days later
Star Trek nemesis
Men in black II
Minority report
Eight legged freaks
Signs

Star Wars episode III - 2005
Serenity

The reason they stink is also partly due to the fact that there were way better sci fI films out the same year....lol

[Mikey]

I think it comes down to the Prequels being made to satisfy a particular classic movie audience and perhaps rake in their children as well.

The originals (specifically the first movie) was made to be just a generic fun "space movie" for everyone that walked in the theatre.

[Nostalgiabuff]

the biggest problem was Lucas let his ego take over and he had to control all aspects of production. he should have just written the story and then produced but let others write the screen play and direct

[Brue]

Hmm. I would have thought other sci for films concurrent with the prequels would have been better. Now reading the list you gave - I see only one I liked (Matrix), Serenity was decent, but really just a made TV movie.

Not sure how you can even say that....lol
Star Wars episode I -1999
The matrix

Star Wars episode II - 2002
28 days later
Star Trek nemesis
Men in black II
Minority report
Eight legged freaks
Signs

Star Wars episode III - 2005
Serenity

The reason they stink is also partly due to the fact that there were way better sci fI films out the same year....lol

[huedell]

The reason they stink is also partly due to the fact that there were way better sci fI films out the same year....lol

Let's see reasons why a film of the quality of Independence Day struck so hard, and so deep as if it was New Hope itself for five hundred, Alex!

[huedell]

The prequels may not be the best Star Wars movies,

But they ARE "Star Wars" movies, which brings us to:

I think it comes down to the Prequels being made to satisfy a particular classic movie audience and perhaps rake in their children as well.

Star Wars fans who will gobble up anything with lightsabers, John Williams score and an opening crawl (throw in a Yoda here or there as icing on the cake).