Better Than the Original Trilogy the Star Wars Prequel Is

The Star Wars Prequel is a Much More Profound and Politically Relevant Work of Art Than the Beloved Original Trilogy

It verges on treason to suggest that the Star Wars prequel is in any way superior to the original trilogy. Well, it won't be the first time I've been accused of treason. I do consider Star Wars episodes I through III to be the better trilogy, with the caveat that Attack of the Clones is without question the worst Star Wars movie of all. But taken as a story arc, the first three episodes in the saga of Anakin Skywalker are deeper, better structured and more politically astute than the original. That is also a pretty decent explanation for why the original trilogy is so much more popular.

It is probably not incidental that the Star Wars trilogy that people have embraced is the one that presents a far less complex universe. Episodes IV, V and VI reflect the Cold War milieu in which they were created, offering up a comforting us-versus-them story told in bold strokes. That isn't to say that times have changed much; with the exception of the The Phantom Menace, the second and third installments of the prequel were released to an America that has embraced absolute views even more so than the original trilogy. The difference being that the original trilogy was a reflection of the simplistic moral perspective of the Age of Reagan, whereas the prequel trilogy stands in defiant counterpoint to the even more simplistic moral absolutism of the Age of Bush. There will come a time when it will be as difficult to find an American willing to admit to having voted twice for George W. Bush as it was to find an American willing to admit to having voted twice for Richard Nixon; the voting tallies tell a far different story. Grandchildren will hear stories about the ballot box denial of the simple comforting lies of Bush that simply aren't true.