It’s not easy satisfying Star Wars fans, as they tend to hold the Original trilogy in extremely high regard. While there’s no denying the original films are high in quality, calling them perfect in every way isn’t exactly accurate either. In fact, there are a number of flaws present that tend not to be called out due to the Original trilogy having such a firm grasp of fans’ praise.
It’s worth pointing out the aspect of the movies that are overrated since these flaws are either present in the Sequel or Prequel trilogies or are intrinsic to the Original trilogy. Of course, the original’s high points should also be acknowledged for their perfect execution.
Overrated: Comedic Elements
Much mockery has been made of the prequels through fanmade memes over the comedy available in the movies. However, the Original trilogy had about the same brand of humor, involving childish antics and constant bickering.
Many tout the original series for carrying a lighthearted attitude, yet the movies definitely overindulged in them, with stuff like the Ewoks’ appearances stretching out far too long, Yoda’s snarky behavior around Luke, and Han Solo acting sarcastic. These things were present in the series overall, meaning the Original trilogy’s humor is definitely not one of a kind and even flawed in places.
Perfect: Carving Out An Entire Universe
There was never any extreme push into the Star Wars universe in the Original trilogy, unlike the Prequel trilogy which indulged far too much in the Galactic Senate, among other politics across the galaxy that didn’t really do much.
The original movies carve out a beautiful universe that has as much adventure as there is intrigue. Places like Tattooine, the Death Star, and other places are filled with inhabitants native to these lands, all of which feel authentic and completely original.
Overrated: Lightsaber Battles Aren't Actually Very Entertaining
The characters in the Original trilogy aren’t likely to fare well in the Hunger Games, seeing as they lack that edge needed to feel like a big threat. Apart from Luke and Darth Vader’s fights, the other lightsaber duels fall flat compared to the ones seen in the rest of the series.
And yet, this flaw is always overlooked due to the praise over the Original trilogy in general, which ends up making it an overrated point since these battles just don’t hold up. They're often just characters poking each other with sticks rather than seem epic in scale.
Perfect: Execution Of The Heroes' Journey And Villain's Redemption
Unlike most characters, Luke only got better and better as the Original trilogy progressed. The movies perfectly captured his hero’s journey, in that he developed from a person with little to no skill but a lot of hope, into a true Jedi master who accepted that he couldn’t be the exact hero he thought he was once.
In the same vein, Darth Vader also had a redemption arc, going from a maddened warlord who considered the Emperor’s command to be the absolute truth to redeeming himself through the love for his son.
Overrated: Uneven Execution Of Plot Points
The Original trilogy has the most abandoned storylines, with many plot points thrown in together without being expanded upon. The most obvious one is the potential romance between Luke and Leia, which was eventually phased out in favor of revealing them as siblings.
The Sequel trilogy, in particular, gets a lot of flak for not executing plot points, but the Original trilogy was along the same lines as the story seemed to have developed on the fly rather than in one straight go.
Perfect: Special Effects Still Hold Up
The aging of the original Star Wars movies has been marvelous, so much so that the CGI in the Original trilogy is better to view than that found in the Prequel trilogy. The original films’ plot is such that the dated effects don’t matter, while the grander sequences remain entertaining to watch.
While later movies have benefitted from better quality effects, the original films have an authentic feel due to the genuine use of practical effects that are combined with the special effects. Decades later, these still hold up as watching the movies doesn’t feel as if it’s an old franchise.
Overrated: Use Of The Characters
There are plenty of characters who deserved more screentime in the Star Wars series, with quite a few of these belonging to the Original trilogy. Characters like Lando and Boba Fett might be well known, but they certainly weren’t used to their full capabilities.
The problem is that the popularity of these characters has hidden that they were only used sparingly, with certain characters not even getting proper conclusions or demises that were out of character. Even Grand Moff Tarkin’s villainous potential was restricted to just the one movie, with Rogue One doing him justice by fully showing his story.
Perfect: The Balance Between Protagonists
The reason why many complain about the wasted opportunities with Luke, Leia, and Han in the Sequel trilogy is due to the balance they brought to the original movies. Luke might have been the main protagonist, but the other two played their part to perfection.
The movies didn’t focus too much on one character, as the others were also given enough time for viewers to form a connection to them. With Luke being the hero, Leia a leader of the Rebels, and Han the ace wild card, the trio has a balance in the movies that still hasn’t been replicated.
Overrated: Stereotypical Main Antagonist
The perception around Palpatine doesn’t have much to do with the Original trilogy as it is the Prequel trilogy that developed his backstory. In the original films, he was just the stereotypical villain who had to be the bad guy in order to present Darth Vader a redemption arc.
The mistake many make in considering Palpatine an able villain is by associating him with the Original trilogy, but his role here was just to arrive at the conclusion and deliver generic one-liners. There’s nothing that makes him stand out here, especially since he’s barely on-screen for most of the Original trilogy.
Perfect: Bringing A Satisfying Conclusion
When it comes to the climactic events of the Star Wars movies, most of the best are from the Original trilogy. Each movie has a satisfying conclusion, the first carrying a heroic theme, the second a tragic one, and the third a sense of triumph.
None of the movies can be considered as leaving fans unsatisfied, with even The Empire Strikes Back’s twist ending being a game-changer for the series. All in all, the original films were satisfying from start to finish, concluding on a particularly heartwarming note.