argument top image

Are the Star Wars Movies Prequels or Sequels better?
Back to question

The Star Wars Sequel movies have better scripts and actors than the Prequel movies

Dialogue in the Prequels ranged from nap-inducing to cringe-inducing, and the actors' performances didn't help. By contrast, the Sequel scripts pop off the page, and they're helped by great actors.

The Argument

The Prequels are infamous for their terrible dialogue. Take Anakin's lousy attempt at flirting for example, that ended up being a tirade about sand. Or think of all the dry, boring, tedious politics talk, including that of Padme Amidala. Or just look up anything Jar Jar Binks said. Not only were the scripts terrible, but the actors did little to help. The Prequels have been lampooned for its actors not exactly being up to par. Hayden Christenson in particular did no favors portraying a young Darth Vader. He simply lacked the charisma and the emotion needed to sell a tragic character; rather important, considering whom he was portraying. And he received no guidance from George Lucas, who wrote and directed the films.[1] The Sequels have no such problems. The lines for the characters are words that real people would actually say. And they're delivered by actors in a real, believable manner. Stars such as Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Adam Driver deliver really compelling performances. Driver in particular portrays the pathos of a tragic villain or antihero as Kylo Ren better than Christenson ever did with Anakin. Nothing is phoned in; script and actor work hand-in-hand in the Sequels. The bad dialogue in the Sequels resulted from a combination of poor writing and poor acting. Fortunately, the Sequels have neither issue. Their writers and actors took special care not to repeat the mistakes of the Prequels. As a result, their lines and characters are much more enjoyable to watch and listen to.

Counter arguments

There are plenty of great actors and outstanding performances in the Prequels. Ewan McGregor, Christopher Lee, and Ian McDiarmid are a few examples of actors who stand out in the trilogy. And the performance of the other actors is enjoyed by more people than given credit for. Many children grew up with Hayden Christenson as Anakin and liked him in the role. The Sequels are not immune to bad dialogue either. "Saving what we love" and "They fly now?" stand out as ridiculed lines from the movies. And even if the actors were good, the characters usually weren't. Rey was not nearly as memorable a protagonist as Anakin; Snoke was such a bad villain they ended up going back to Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine anyway.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.dailygamecock.com/article/2020/01/head-to-head-prequels-suck-lee-arts
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 28 Oct 2020 at 16:31 UTC

Explore related arguments