Ewan McGregor Talks About Why Critics Panned The ‘Star Wars’ Prequels

He found their lack of faith disturbing.

Obi Wan holding his lightsaber above his head, ready to duel

Obi-Wan Kenobi star Ewan McGregor recently shared his thoughts on why the Star Wars prequel trilogy received such a negative response from critics at the time of its release.

In recent years, the Star Wars prequels have undergone something of a revivial, receiving love from fans that seemed shockingly absent at the time of their release. George Lucas’ three prequel movies were generally critically reviled when they first arrived in theaters.

Ewan McGregor, who recently reprised his role from the Star Wars prequels in Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney Plus, has now revealed where he thought the problem lay.

‘Star Wars’ Nostalgia Vs. George Lucas’ Innovation

In a recent interview with GQ, Ewan McGregor revealed that he felt the critics were complaining because they had been looking for a nostalgia hit, while George Lucas was more concerned with telling new stories in a new way.

The topic of the Star Wars prequels is one that’s been brought up in conversations with McGregor a lot lately, following the debut of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Generally, the Obi-Wan actor has said that there has been more positivity towards the prequels now that the younger generation they were made for have grown up and been able to share their Star Wars memories.

Revealing that he felt critics’ issues with the films lay in the fact that they were hoping for a rehash of the original Star Wars trilogy, while George Lucas didn’t want to retread old ground, Ewan McGregor said:

“To begin with, all we heard really was the critical side of things. That was the only voice I remember hearing, and they were not liked … I think the critics just wanted to feel like they were seven or eight again, and they didn’t get that. So I was left with that [reaction] for years and years, and it took [until I started] meeting people, and I realised how important our films have been to them.”

McGregor also touched upon George Lucas’ different approach to the Star Wars prequels, offering some words of praise for the director’s decision to go in a new direction with the trilogy:

“I admire George for having tried to do something different with them. He didn’t just set out to make another three Star Wars films that felt like the original ones. I respected him for that. I think that’s ballsy and interesting.”

The Star Wars prequels, like the original trilogy before them, were an innovative force in cinema, putting new technology to the test and utilizing elements such as CG environments and digital cinematography to a greater extent than had been seen before.

While critics may have taken issue with the films, they continued the innovative spirit in which Star Wars was founded and have a very vocal fanbase today.

Here is the synopsis for Ewan McGregor’s latest Star Wars appearance, Obi-Wan Kenobi:

During the reign of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi embarks on a crucial mission. Kenobi must confront allies turned enemies and face the wrath of the Empire.

Directed by Deborah Chow from Joby Harold’s scripts, the series stars Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming on Disney Plus. Stay tuned for all the latest news surrounding the future of Star Wars and Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: GQ