Why did the prequel trilogy fail?

Could you elaborate on the reasons behind the failure of the prequel trilogy? Were there any specific factors that contributed to its poor reception by audiences and critics alike? Did the storytelling, character development, or visual effects fall short of expectations? Alternatively, was there an issue with the marketing strategy or the timing of the release? I'm genuinely curious to understand why this highly anticipated series of films didn't live up to the hype and failed to captivate audiences the way the original trilogy did.