You bastards! Why are you torturing me like this? Why?!

I've just spent the day watching the first three Star Wars Episodes (with Rifftrax accompaniment, obviously), and I've realized something. Don't get me wrong, I like the prequel trilogy, but almost everybody over the age of 18 must admit that they didn't live up to their full potential. I've never quite been able to put my finger on it until now, but I've figured it out.
Firstly, there's just too many mistakes with the CG effects. Whether it's over-saturation of colour, terrible animation of assets, or just too many green-screen aftereffects, you're always aware of the fact that it never looks quite as good as it could.
The second problem, and the one that has the greatest effect on the trilogy as a whole, is this: Hayden Christensen was a terrible choice to play Anakin Skywalker in Episodes II and III.
I've never been a huge fan of origin stories, because they never seem to do the characters they portray justice. This is especially true in this case. Most of Anakin's time was spent whining and bitching about how the rest of the Jedi Council was probably laughing at him behind his back. This could have been salvaged if it weren't for the fact that Hayden Christensen's attempts at portraying emotion serve only to make his lower lip quiver. Most of the time, he just looks as if he's about to burst into tears.
The last forty minutes or so of Episode III are an excellent example of what the rest of the movie should have been: Anakin's slow descent into paranoia and anger, leading him gradually to the dark side. Not two movies worth of teary-eyed whining, and the occasional thrown wrench.
I suppose I can't place all the blame on Christensen. Obviously a lot of it has to do with the script he was given. Then again, it just doesn't feel right to slag Lucas for going in a different direction with his own IP. However, I still think he could have made a better choice for his leading man. Who would I have picked? Good question.

.............Bruce Campbell. The movies may not have been any better, per se, but no one can argue that they wouldn't have been more awesome. And really, who doesn't want to see Bruce Campbell blow Samuel L. Jackson's face across the room with his boomstick? No one. No one is the correct answer to that question.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play some Marvel: Ultimate Alliance with my roommate, Scott. Don't wait up.