Janszoon

All three prequels were a mix of actual sets and green screen.

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someonecompletelyrandom

The later two prequels relied mostly on blue screen sound stages, with locations composed primarily of CGI. A lot of Phantom Menace was shot on location on 35 mm film, which I feel makes it far more pleasing aesthetically than the other two.

Phantom isn't a good film by any stretch, but far better compared to what was to come. I didn't even feel like I was watching films with Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, they were like cut scenes from video games, or a web series LucasArts producers released on Xbox Live.

Janszoon

I understand that's what you're saying but what I'm saying is that all three movies were a mixture of sets and green screens. The space stations, the scenes on Coruscant, the underwater scenes, final Darth Maul saber duel, etc. in Phantom Menace were not sets, they were computer created or computer enhanced, as was pod race and the battle at the end of the movie. I don't see how that makes it any different from the other two.

Did you see them in the theater?

__________________
A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man

Time & Place

25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die

last.fm

someonecompletelyrandom

I know there were a lot of computer generated scenes in Phantom, but just look at the scenes on Tatooine and compare them to A New Hope, the shot composition is more consistent, film grain is present, and elaborate sets constructed. Yes, it was all augmented by CGI and yes there were sets entirely composed of CGI, but it was far more restrained than the other two films, which now look completely dated only a few years removed.

Just look how digital and inconsistent with the original films the aesthetic devolves into by Revenge of the Sith.

A New Hope:



Phantom Menace:




Revenge of the Sith:





Maybe my problem isn't as much with where they chose to shoot on sets vs. CGI soundstages, and more with the cheesy digital camera feel the prequel trilogy acquired. It got worse in Attack of the Clones and looks flat out horrible in Revenge.

As far as I'm concerned, these three films contain equally bad writing, directing, and acting. My opinion is basically only influenced by the look and feel of the film itself.

All three. I was a wee lad when Phantom came out but by Attack was already disappointed. I grew up watching the originals on VHS.