The Backstory of Star Wars

If you think about it, the Star Wars prequels are basically just backstory.

In fact, one could argue that they are actually unnecessary backstory. In essence, there's really nothing new learned in the prequels that we didn't already know from the original trilogy.

The original trilogy handles backstory just fine. Little by little, the old jedi, Ben Kanobi, tells Luke who Darth Vader really is... that Vader is responsible for the death of Luke's father.

But then, when we think we have him all figured out, there's a plot twist in the second movie (Empire Strikes Back): the revelation that Vader actually is Luke's father. It just adds another detail to our understanding of the backstory. Add to that yet another plot twist that comes out in the third movie.

The problem that the prequels had, especially for those who were around when the original trilogy came out, is this: Our imagination is so strong, usually it's hard to top. We put together the clues to form the full backstory in our minds.

Put the two trilogies back-to-back, and you'll find that there are little inconsistencies. Backstory and story don't quite match, especially regarding the reasons and circumstances surrounding the turn of Anakin Skywalker to the dark side.

Yes, the special effects in the prequels blow away the effects in the original.

But, this is one case where too much backstory is not always a good thing.