Prequel trilogy (Star Wars)
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The prequel trilogy (commonly abbreviated PT by fans) is a term used to describe the three films of the Star Wars saga whose events take place before the original trilogy. They are:
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
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[edit] General synopsis
In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the first film in the trilogy, Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to Naboo to mediate a dispute between the Galactic Republic and the corrupt Trade Federation, and are charged with protecting Naboo's Queen, Padmé Amidala. The three are unexpectedly routed to the planet Tatooine, where they discover Anakin Skywalker, a nine-year-old slave, whom Qui-Gon believes to be destined to bring balance to the Force. After winning his freedom in a podrace, Anakin reluctantly leaves his mother behind on Tatooine. In the ensuing battle between the Republic and the Trade Federation, Qui-Gon is killed in a battle with Sith Lord Darth Maul, who is turn slain by Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan promises his dying master that he will train Anakin to become a Jedi Knight. Days later, Obi-Wan and Anakin are received as heroes on Naboo, honored by Queen Amidala — and the Republic's new Chancellor, Palpatine.
Ten years later, in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, the mysterious Sith Lord Darth Sidious, along with disaffected Jedi Master Count Dooku, start the Confederacy of Independent Systems, also known as the Separatists, an alliance of planetary systems who want to secede from the Republic. Palpatine amasses near dictatorial emergency powers in response to the supposed threat, and starts a clone army for the Republic with which to fight the Separatists.
In the midst of this, a teenaged Anakin Skywalker is assigned to guard Padmé, who is now a Senator. The two eventually fall in love, even though such an emotional attachment is forbidden to Jedi. Anakin is further tempted away from the Jedi Code by Palpatine, who subtly worsens the rift between him and Obi-Wan. The situation worsens when Anakin's mother, Shmi, is killed by Tusken Raiders, and Anakin murders them in a fit of rage. The Clone Wars break out soon afterward in a battle on the planet Geonosis, during which Anakin loses his right arm in a lightsaber duel with Dooku. He and Padmé are married days later, in a secret ceremony.
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is set three years later, when Anakin has become a full-fledged Jedi and hero of the Clone Wars. He and Obi-Wan are called back from the Outer Rim to Coruscant, to save Palpatine, who has been kidnapped by Dooku and General Grievous, a Separatist warlord. During the ensuing battle, Anakin kills Dooku in cold blood, at Palpatine's urging. He then reunites with Padmé, who tells him that she is pregnant. He is plagued by visions of her death in childbirth, and vows to do anything to save her. Palpatine uses his fear to lure him to the dark side, telling him he can learn the ability to stop death. He eventually reveals himself to Anakin as none other than Darth Sidious.
When Anakin tells Mace Windu of Palpatine's treachery, Windu leads a group of fellow Jedi Masters to arrest the Chancellor. During the confrontation, Palpatine kills all but Windu, and engages the Jedi Master in a fierce lightsaber duel. During this struggle, Palpatine fires Force Lightning at Windu, who blocks it with his lightsaber and sends it back to its source, deforming the Chancellor's face. Anakin intervenes at the last moment out of his fear that he should lose any chance of saving his wife, giving Palpatine the opportunity to kill Windu. Anakin then pledges himself to the dark side and becomes the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Thus indoctrinated in the ways of the Sith, he carries out Palpatine's orders to exterminate the Jedi. This allows Palpatine to seize absolute power, and transform the Republic into the oppressive Galactic Empire.
Upon learning of Anakin's fall from grace, Obi-Wan and Padmé try to persuade Anakin back to the light, but Anakin has by now gone mad with power and is beyond saving. Suspecting that Padmé has betrayed him to Obi-Wan, Anakin uses the dark side to choke his wife into unconsciousness. Anakin and Obi-Wan fight a ferocious duel, ending when Obi-Wan slices off both of Anakin's legs and his remaining human arm. Anakin rolls down the embankment to the edge of the river of lava, and nearly burns to death. Obi-Wan is unable to watch any longer, and leaves his former friend to die. Palpatine rescues Anakin and revives him with a life support suit of black body armor and cybernetic limbs.
Later, Padmé dies in childbirth after delivering healthy twins, Luke and Leia. Palpatine learns of her fate, and tells the newly transformed Darth Vader that the Force-choke had killed her. Vader screams in torment, his spirit broken; he later oversees the construction of the first Death Star with Palpatine and Grand Moff Tarkin.
Obi-Wan and Yoda decide that the children must be given new identities and hidden from the Empire. Leia is given to the royal family of the planet Alderaan to raise as a princess, while Luke is given to Anakin's distant relatives on Tatooine. The remaining Jedi go into hiding, biding their time to challenge the Empire and the Sith.
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[edit] Critical and commercial reaction
While all three films were huge commercial successes (The Phantom Menace in particular breaking box office records for an opening weekend), critical reaction was mixed. The first two films were generally commended for their visual effects, but the acting and screenwriting featured in them were panned. Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen, the two actors who portrayed Anakin, were both nominated for the Golden Raspberry, or "Razzie" award, for "Worst Supporting Actor," [1] while the first two films in the series were nominated for "Worst Picture" awards. [2] [3] The Phantom Menace was especially panned for the character Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best), Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's bumbling sidekick; fans and critics alike lambasted the character as an obnoxious ploy to sell merchandise and appeal to child audiences. The character, who spoke in a slow-witted, cartoonish dialect, was even decried as a racist caricature similar to Stepin Fetchit. Lucas emphatically denied such assertions. [4]
Revenge of the Sith received more favorable reviews, making it the critically best-received of the trilogy. While Christensen's performance was again panned, the acting received higher marks than that featured in the previous two films, especially McGregor as the noble Obi-Wan and McDiarmid as the evil Palpatine. The script was generally seen as an improvement (playwright Tom Stoppard performed an uncredited rewrite), but still received a great deal of criticism, particularly the dialogue in the romantic scenes between Anakin and Padmé; Film critic Roger Ebert wrote that "greeting cards are more heartfelt" than that dialogue.
A few critics speculated that the film, with its subplot about an unscrupulous politician manipulating a war to achieve absolute power, was meant as a critique of George W. Bush and the Iraq war. David Edelstein of Slate Magazine even went so far as to coin the term "Darth Dubyous" in his review of the film. [5] Also, comedian Jon Stewart satirically compared Bush advisor Karl Rove to Palpatine in his book America (the Book). Lucas himself has denied that either Bush or the war was a direct influence, saying that "when I wrote this, [the war in] Iraq didn't exist."
[edit] See also
| The Star Wars Saga | |||||
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| Episodes | | Spin-off films | | Television series | | Books | | Comics | | Games |
