The Order 66 immolation montage is fine as is - it serves it purpose to show the big picture of the Jedi slaughter, namely of the nameless background characters (sans Ki-Adi-Mundi). The children slaughter (committed by Anakin and by the troopers) per se demonstrate the point - war and genocide are ruthless and immoral. Plo Coon et al were later fleshed out in the show, and as a result and in context their death scenes in Sith seem inadequate for such characters.

The fleshed out characters such as Maze Windu all got their special death scenes anyway. And we were told that there were stragglers, to give room for follow up stories.

Thus, the idea and execution (including the music) of Order 66 was pretty ingenious and solid. A highpoint in the Saga and hitting the (difficult) sweet spot between showing the ruthless nature of such events, but at the same time remaining within the tonal range of a pulp SciFi space opera.

Btw, I would have gladly sacrificed most of the YA Mary Sue and Emo-hissy-fit-scenes in TFA to get only a little glimpse of illuminating politics, backstory and world building as set forth in the PT.

@NotoriousRio said:

One of the best scenes in the prequel trilogy, but if only Lucas had bothered to give the slain Jedi in this montage a little characterization beforehand, I guess wasting time over pod races and watching aliens discuss space politics was what he thought fans wanted.

Yeah, in retrospect, whether you think it has any merit at all, TPM doesn't really need to exist in terms of the greater PT story.

It probably would have been better to have just started the PT with a more grown up Anakin (even if that meant three Heydan Christensen appearances 🤔) meeting Obi-Wan, with the Clone Wars already underway - the causes of which could have been covered in the opening crawl.

This would have given far more screen time over the course of the trilogy to introduce us to and then give more character development to some of these other Jedi present during this "golden age". Then it would have had much more resonance emotionally when the old order 66 was pulled out of the hat...

@The Midi-chlorian Count. Yeah I agree, there’s little need to watch TPM, what we should of seen is as you stated Clone Wars already underway, Obi-Wan crash landing on a remote planet after a fierce exciting space battle against the clones, meeting grown up Anakin, tempting Anakin to join the war, Anakin leaves his home planet and his girlfriend to join the Jedi Knights, his girlfriend would be already pregnant by this time but that would be not revealed until the third movie, when Anakin had already become Darth Vader.

Episode I and II could then of introduced more Jedi that Anakin and Obi-Wan bond with and have adventures with, mirroring the comradery we see of our heroes in the original trilogy.

But no we had to see the story of space boy, his golden robot and Jar Jar Binks!

I actually like your prequel trilogy better.

@NotoriousRio said:

One of the best scenes in the prequel trilogy, but if only Lucas had bothered to give the slain Jedi in this montage a little characterization beforehand, I guess wasting time over pod races and watching aliens discuss space politics was what he thought fans wanted.

Right?! F George Lucas.

@NotoriousRio said:

Obi-Wan crash landing on a remote planet after a fierce exciting space battle against the clones, meeting grown up Anakin, tempting Anakin to join the war, Anakin leaves his home planet and his girlfriend to join the Jedi Knights, his girlfriend would be already pregnant by this time but that would be not revealed until the third movie, when Anakin had already become Darth Vader.

Episode I and II could then of introduced more Jedi that Anakin and Obi-Wan bond with and have adventures with, mirroring the comradery we see of our heroes in the original trilogy.

This is all great! I'd also add - have Owen Lars as Anakin's actual brother, as per pre-retcon, and make his pleading Anakin not to go an emotional part of that Episode I. That would have fed beautifully into the Owen Lars we see in ANH.

The other thing which interests me an alternate prequel story would be what would precipitate Anakin's fall? That was another thing which always seemed mangled to me (much like Ben Solo in the new "trilogy") with that terrible saving Palpatine scene in ROTS.