Star Wars Prequels Reviewed Better Than Originals?
This is a discussion on Star Wars Prequels Reviewed Better Than Originals? within the Entertainment forums, part of the Entertainment Forums category; This comes from Rotten Tomatoes. It is eye opening to say the least. It shows you how most critics are ...
Star Wars Prequels Reviewed Better Than Originals?
This comes from Rotten Tomatoes. It is eye opening to say the least. It shows you how most critics are far too critical of great movies.
Quote:
Based on current active critics though, the results are as expected. The average Tomatometer of the original trilogy handily beats the prequels by 20% -- 90% to 70%, respectively.
Prequels Tomatometer Scores Based on Current Active Critics:
83% - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
65% - Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
62% - Star wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Average Tomatometer: 70%
Original Trilogy Tomatometer Scores Based on Current Active Critics:
80% - Return of the Jedi
98% - The Empire Strikes Back
93% - Star Wars
Average Tomatometer: 90%
However, as user ‘Knelt’ noted in our News section, it’s not fair to compare the two trilogies based mostly on current active critics because most of them saw “the original films as children, and are reviewing them based on nostalgic memories as well as judging them on established ‘classic’ status.”
When “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” was released in 1999, a group of us actually went to our local library and dug up a sampling of available sources that reviewed the original trilogy during the time of their respective release dates in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Because those reviews weren’t available online, we OCR-ed them and put them on the web, breaking all kinds of copyright laws in the process. We were quite the rebels back then. However, when we legitimized the company months later, those reviews were the first to go. Thanks to Archive.org, a site that archives the web pages, the quotes are still there but the full text reviews are gone. The results are actually quite surprising.
Tomatometer Scores for Original Trilogy During Original Release Dates:
(Click on the links for the archived quotes from Archive.org)
31% - Return of the Jedi
52% - The Empire Strikes Back
79% - Star Wars
Average Tomatometer: 54%
As one can see, only “Star Wars” managed to be Fresh, with a respectable 79% on the Tomatometer, while the other two sequels got successively worse. Most of the critics thought the first film was an inventive, fun, and entertaining summer popcorn movie. It’s interesting that they complain about the dialogue back then too. “Empire,” which is regarded as the best of the series nowadays, only managed to score a mixed 52%. It received great technical grades, but critics had problems with the plot, one way or other, and thought it was just “minor entertainment.” It got worse with “Jedi” – uneven pacing, no character development, tired acting, and hollow and junky filmmaking. It scored a moldy 30% on the Tomatometer. Prequels were probably the last thing critics wanted back then after the thrashing of the last film.
Ironically, if you compare the average Tomatometer of the prequels and the original trilogies during the time of their respective original release dates, the Prequels are actually better reviewed by 16% -- 70% to 54%, respectively!
Tomatometer Ranking of Star Wars Series Based on Critical Reaction During Original Release Dates:
83% - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
79% - Star Wars
65% - Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
62% - Star wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
52% - The Empire Strikes Back
31% - Return of the Jedi"
Interesting perspective, Spidey. I'm a bit lost as to where they got the first set of numbers for the OT though, the higher scores. They rambled a bit with copyrights and archives and my eyes glassed over a bit.
Critics disliking the films is nothing new. That's why I never took the negative reviews of Episodes I and II seriously, because there was a time when most critics would say the same about Empire and Jedi.
In time, I believe, the same thing will happen with the prequels. Critics will rewatch them and review them better in the future.
Hell, Episode I came out to great reviews. Then hating Star Wars became cool and people acted like certain "problems" were in the prequels that apparently weren't in the originals (although they were).
I still laugh when someone complains about wooden acting and stale dialogue in the PT, when the OT has the exact same kind of acting and the exact same kind of dialogue.
When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fullfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and be taken as prisoners to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
...At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
Luke 21:20-28
I think where my brain is locking up is on distinguishing between "critics of today" and "critics then". I mean, why would critics today go back and rate a movie 25 years old? Meh, it'll probably make more sense to me when I'm more awake.
I think where my brain is locking up is on distinguishing between "critics of today" and "critics then". I mean, why would critics today go back and rate a movie 25 years old? Meh, it'll probably make more sense to me when I'm more awake.
I think they are referring to the original theater release.
The films were released later on, and apparently re-reviewed.
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