George Lucas’s world of Star Wars has inspired many to dream big and innovate, and among his fans is American rapper and singer, Kanye West. The former Presidential nominee praised Lucas’s Star Wars prequel trilogy, mentioning it as having one of the best storylines, and defended the films against harsh criticism. West lashed out against those who claimed that Disney’s Star Wars films were better than the prequel trilogy.
Lucas had planned the prequels even before the original trilogy but refrained from making them until the necessary CGI technology evolved. The first film in the prequels, The Phantom Menace was released in 1999, followed by the films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith in 2002 and 2005.
Kanye West Was Mad At The Backlash Faced By The Star Wars Prequels
Kanye West appeared in an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where he engaged in a long discussion about his life as a singer, record producer, fashion designer, and Presidential candidate. West, who was generally calm throughout the interview, addressed one thing that made him mad. The Stronger singer was a huge Star Wars fan and adored George Lucas for creating the epic space franchise.
West strongly believed that the criticism directed at the prequel trilogy was unwarranted. He claimed that the prequel trilogy was much better than the Disney Star Wars films. West shared that he had watched the Hayden Christensen starrer at least ten times during COVID-19. Kanye West shared with Joe Rogan:
“They said that George Lucas’s prequels are worse than the corporate-made Disney Star Wars. [But in] Revenge of the Sith, we saw how Darth Vader was made. Like I watched that like 10 times during Covid. Like, ‘Don’t jump Anakin. I got the high ground.’ I’m saying even the prequels are better than anything [that Disney made].”
West went on to explain the difference between the George Lucas-made films and the corporate-made films. The Love Lockdown singer shared that the prequel trilogy was a product of Lucas’s imagination, designed to convey his vision to the audience. However, the Disney films were developed once the execs were certain that they had the proven ideas to replicate the success of the previous films. West explained to Rogan:
“And I am sorry Disney Star Wars design team. This is George. This is his baby. That thing was set in his heart to show us as children, the hero’s journey. These like how can we run it back and replay. Like even at Disney, there’s a saying, like every time there’s a new idea, they call it like an unproven idea. So they’ll get to Toy Story 800,000 and Frozen trillion, before there’s a new concept.”
Interestingly, the prequel trilogy collected a total of $2.526 billion across its three movies, while the sequel trilogy and anthology films earned $4.475 billion and $1.45 billion, respectively.
The Hate For The Prequel Trilogy Has Subsided In Recent Years
Upon the release of the prequel trilogy, audiences fell in love with George Lucas’s Star Wars universe. However, the comparatively weaker writing and lack of a ‘big reveal’ akin to the original trilogy made the prequels a disappointing watch for some hardcore fans. Another major issue, which some critics pointed out as the single most thing that ruined the franchise, was Jar Jar Binks. The character became one of the most hated figures in film history.
Nevertheless, there was a group of fans who found happiness in the films: the children of that era, including Kanye West. As these kids grew up, they came to the defense of the movie series that made their childhoods awesome. While many focused on the faults in the movies, these fans began pointing out the admirable aspects, especially Anakin Skywalker’s journey and his transformation into Darth Vader. They were impressed by the film’s fight choreography and even laughed at Jar Jar Binks’ funny lines.
As the prequel gained a new generation of devoted fans, the hate shifted towards Disney’s Star Wars, with many feeling that it failed to live up to the legacy of the original franchise. Despite these criticisms, the films became massive commercial hits and made billions for Disney.
All the Star Wars movies are now available for streaming on Disney+.
