George Lucas recently addressed the criticisms made against the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
While all three films were box-office successes, they received polarizing responses from fans and critics, as certain elements were found to be too kid-friendly and the character of Jar Jar Binks also became a subject of ridicule.
However, it has also gained a strong following in the years after its release as some fans have defended it from the criticisms and argued that the films have good merits that are almost on par with the franchise's best.
George Lucas Defends Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
In a recent interview, Lucas opened up about the criticisms against the Star Wars prequel trilogy and iterated that the franchise has always been targeted at a younger audience.
"It was supposed to be a kid’s movie for 12-year-olds who were going through puberty, who don’t know what they’re doing, and are asking all the big questions: 'What should I be worried about? What’s important in life?'," he explained.
"And Star Wars has all those things in there. They’re buried in there but you definitely get it, especially if you’re young."
Lucas also shared that the negative responses against Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace reminded him of the feedback he received about C-3PO in the original.
"Everybody said the same thing about 3-PO, that he was irritating and we should get rid of him," he said.
"When I did the third one, it was the Ewoks: ‘Those are little teddy bears. This is a kids' movie, we don’t want to see a kids' movie. I said: ‘It is a kids’ movie. It’s always been a kids’ movie.'"
Whether you agree with Lucas' remarks or not, there is no doubt that the Star Wars franchise has always been impactful among the younger audience and that remains to be the case throughout the years as they release more projects.
However, shows such as Andor have also proven that you can do a more mature take on Star Wars that still has the core DNA of the franchise and tackles important themes that would resonate with audiences of all ages.
Throughout the years, we've seen what kind of impact Star Wars has had across many generations, and the younger audience who watch the franchise usually end up becoming long-time fans, supporting Lucas' intention with the franchise from the very beginning.
What do you think of Lucas' remarks? Let us know in the comments.
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