So @Zeb-Stark and @Veda-the-Moor always end up talking about Star Wars now and again. We ended up on a path towards the Prequels and the conversation ends up, "well, none of us like them but is there anything redeemable about them?"
So I know that I couldn't stomach watching all three Prequels so I searched for a couple of fan edits that have condensed them into one movie.
Currently I'm watching Dawn of the Empire which is a 2.5 hour edit of the like 5-minutes of the Phantom Menace and then 2.45 hours of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
My take aways:
- There's so much unnecessary fluff in all three movies that can easily be cut without losing the central theme.
- Jar Jar is 99.9% cut out of the movie; he gets one scene but never speaks.
- Phantom Menace is handle via a title-scroll instead of a movie; (no podracing, no midichlorians, no immaculate Jedi conception, no Gungans, no drawn-out Padme hidden among the servants, and no Jedi Council).
- Actually, almost no Jedi Council at all in the movie.
- General Genevious is gone.
- The Republic should have used star ships that more closely resemble TIE Fighters and not the ships that look like the traditional ships you see in the OG Trilogy (A-Wings, B-Wings, X-Wings, & Y-Wings).
- Their cruisers are essentially OG Star Destroyers but not their star ships... weird.
- Removed a lot of the slapstick humor; Jar Jar, the Droids silly banter, and no accidental victories.
- Attack of the Clones focus on Dooku's rise along with the creation of the Clone army.
- Revenge of the Sith focuses on Anakin's fall.
What I find interesting right now is that this fan edit was created out of frustration of something that long-time fans loathe... the Prequels. So now I think about all the people that feel that same frustration that has fans much more torn when it comes to the new Trilogy, especially The Last Jedi.
Anyway, I recommend you search for a condensed movie if you're ever in the mood for the Prequels and don't want to sit through 6+ hours of them.