Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) not only hinges on trade, but a trade blockade, which brings larger-than-life political connotations to the story.

The political talk did it in. Characters talked too much about political intrigue.

The original trilogy wasn’t about politics or at least it was mentioned briefly. The original films had interesting, sublime characters and riveting story and visual effects.

Yes, politics ruined Star Wars.

Alas, there is Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which sticks to Star Wars 101.

Before The Force Awakens, what were the previous Star Wars films like?

The Phantom Menace (1999)

Episode 1 in the franchise had its moments—a pod race, an epic light saber duel—but the middle could put you to sleep. If it weren’t for some redeeming elements, there would be more complaints than there was.

It does have some interesting points.

Qui Gon Jin (Liam Neeson) is a Jedi Knight who is owed a life debt. Exotic creature Jar Jar Binks owes him the debt, but which sets Jar Jar on a life of redeeming himself because Qui Gon saved him from getting crunched by a military vehicle.

Jar Jar’s life service seems a bit out of balance, but the principle of being someone’s debtor is something to consider. Do we owe people something if they do something for us? We can answer that anyway we feel like, but for me I know where I would stand (my lips are sealed).

Attack of the Clones (2002)

Episode II in the series is very low-key and it unravels subtly, but the audience was really waiting to see what would happen to Anakin Skywalker.

As this trilogy was promoted, we were told that Anakin will ‘fall from grace’, from a good person to an evil one.

But in this episode, the depiction of a fall from grace is hardly strong, but at least there were hints of Anakin’s widely anticipated demise.

Waiting for a character to fall seems quite kill-joyish. But if we look at it this way—that someone becomes another person—then that is more interesting and was perhaps the hook. We had to wait for the next episode for that, though.

The subtlety in this episode is really about the undercurrent of evil that happens in the background, out of everyone’s notice. Then, it seduces and destroys.

There was also a moral to Attack of the Clones that goes back to ancient times—of the command not to kill—which in itself is very much a lesson for the Anakin Skywalker character to learn, but falls short, when he avenges the death of his mother.

Anakin’s failure disturbs him, which he confesses to the love of his life. She supports him, because she knows the real person. Revenge is not a Jedi concept though Anakin is a Jedi.

Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Loyalties were abandoned in the previous episode, but in episode III, loyalties that are abandoned hurt.

Chaos erupts, as love and friends are lost, good guys turn for the worse and change loyalty, and seducers succeed.

It’s heart-breaking.

The episode was more or less successful in portraying a lost galaxy under the spell of darkness. It was the angst that hit audiences and fans the most, because this sort of thing should not happen—never.

If the story had finished there, it would never get made, because it was too much of a negative, down ending for a blockbuster. Star Wars creator George Lucas wisely started with the more positive trilogy in the 1970s. So, we know what happens after the galaxy is lost and oppressed.

But if he had started with this trilogy first and made it better than it was, then negative reception to the down ending might be a different story.

For more about Star Wars, see the post after Indiana Jones post, here. Formerly, this post reviewed all the Star Wars features, but it was too long, so I have split the post in two.