It can be, sure. And a lot of the criticisms of those films are overstated for the sake of it, and much more often poorly thought out, regurgitated memes (much like the attacks on Into Darkness, honestly. It's funny that it took until Abrams to give Star Trek fans their own, bite-size budget take on tribal Prequel hate) But the pushback against people not liking those movies long ago surpassed the obnoxiousness of the "hate" being voiced.
Hell, the very terms we use to discuss criticism of those movies is set-up to diminish any thought that might have actually been put into the criticism. It's reductionist language - "Haters/Bashers/Gushers/Apologists" - people begin their conversations about these films looking not to discredit the films and the filmmaking, but to discredit anyone standing across from them. Arguments about the prequels more often than not become arguments about people, their level of intelligence, their level of devotion, and their qualifications as a being worthy of respect by whatever criteria we're choosing to use as measuring stick that day.
It's fucking exhausting.
Largely because it's been fairly obvious that the general perception of the Star Wars prequels, regardless their initial reactions upon release, is a middling-to-negative one. Stating you're not one of those people isn't some sort of revolutionary act. It just means you've volunteered to describe why you feel the opposite of the majority. It's when your explanation is then completely divorced from discussing the film and instead focused entirely on discussing how the rest of the world is somehow objectively wrong, and they're simply choosing to lie about it so they can look cool somehow, that whatever obnoxiousness you percieve from people who just hawk up RLM catchphrases like it was manna from the Gods is dwarfed by arguments that obviously aren't based in anything resembling honest opinion, but tribal defensiveness.
Basically, a lot of the "pushback against overreaction" isn't really that - it's an attempt to redefine basic criticism as emotional overreaction.
I agree with most of what you wrote, but to address the bolded, I think one reason so many conversations on the topic start as an attack against the "opposing side" is because the merits of the films have been discussed ceaselessly since their release. The bones have been picked clean.
People here liked Speed Racer.
Sometimes, dumb fun movies are great. Not everything has to be a cinematic masterpiece.
Also The Clone Wars is some of the best Star Wars the franchise has to offer.
Oh believe me, I don't fault anyone who loves the prequels, faults and all. Some of my favorite movies are shitty shitfests full of shit that just crack me up. Hell, appreciation for that type of movie is why I've always been an MST3K fan.
What makes my head explode is those who try to push the idea that the prequels have no faults (or very few). That's just a bridge too far for me.
I can't speak on The Clone Wars series though, as I haven't seen it. However, some people whose opinions I trust have echoed your sentiment, so it seems the prequels were capable of spawning some good stuff.
But enough about Trekkers, what do you think about the Star Wars prequels?
I've never been a big Trek fan. I've enjoyed the older movies (Voyage Home GOAT Trek movie), and I thought the reboot was a great ride. Sure, it wasn't the "thinking man's Sci-fi" that the series' tended to lean toward, but in fairness, neither were most of the movies starring the Next Generation cast.
Into Darkness was pretty bland, predictable, and disappointing. I mean, it wasn't that it was poorly acted or directed. It's just that the writing cared more about setting up challenges for the film's heroes than it did finding meaningful ways to overcome those challenges while staying true to the soul of the characters themselves (the most glaring example being Spock's reaction to his friend dying. "I'm the cool, calm, logical Mr. Spock. Let me show you my serenity as I BEAT THE FUCKING SHIT OUT OF YOU WHILE SCREAMING AND CRYING LIKE ONE OF THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY!").
In regards to the RLM reviews, you got people on both sides of the spectrum referring it:
People preaching it constantly like it's a religion and people who dismiss it as shitty, worthless reviews that instantly label people who quote from it as a "prequel hater/basher".
But I think dismissing those reviews solely based on not liking the plinkett character and the horrible "abduction side-plots" is a mistake a lot of people make because there's actual valid and in-depth critisism in there.
It seems easier for people to "completely love" or "complete loath" the prequels instead of having a more subtle view on them. I remember liking them at first after their initial release but my view on them has soured after rewatching them later on.
There's no "this has destroyed my childhood" feeling for me now and I can still watch and appreciate them (although I definitely think they are not "particularly good" movies).
I never understood the whole "the prequels destroyed my childhood" view. The originals didn't get erased when the prequels were released, and they also didn't alter the spacetime continuum. Your childhood and all the warm, fuzzy memories of it still exist. No movie will ever change that.