Escape to the Movies: The Phantom Menace 13 Years Later

[Vampire cat]

Phantom Menace was and is my favorite Star Wars movie. I actually like the plot, I adore the Trade Federation and my favorite part of the Star Wars universe are the droid armies. My favorite piece of music, the Droid Invasion march, is also in this film =3.

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I don't think Jarjar is annoying. Darth Maul is one of the coolest thing to happen to Star Wars next to Boba Fett, closely followed by Jango in my opinion. I also quite like General Grevious from the next two movies, though there begins and ends my problem with the Star Wars universe at large actually. Anakin Crywalker ruins my idea of who Darth Vader should be/is, and he wrecks movies that are otherwise entertaining to watch, or such is my personal opinion. Midichlorians didn't bother me enough to start flailing about it, but this angsty teenager ruining my SW experience did X3.

 

[k-ossuburb]

Right, well, I guess we can wait for this exact same point to be rehashed in The Big Picture next week, then, I'm guessing the backlash in this thread will be enough for Bob to have to try to clarify himself, again, in his other show.

Shame, because during this movie review I was hoping for an actual, y'know, review. Yes, we've all seen the movie but that just means you don't have to put up any spoiler warnings, shouldn't you kind of list what's good and bad about this movie as a stand-alone piece instead of glossing over those point briefly just to do what you could've done in The Big Picture. I'm not complaining, I get what you mean by this, but surely this review could've covered something else. Why waste it on something that you have more than ample room to say in your other show?

That's my two-cents on the matter, anyway, I'm just kind of confused as to what this is doing here and not in The Big Picture or in an article where it obviously belongs.

 

[Samus Aran but a man]

The movie is simply average. I don't think I'd watch it again.

 

[Metalrocks]

sure not a fan of the saga, but i dint mind watching it. great movie....? hell no, but at least a good time waster. but i will not watch it in 3D. i just stick with the dvd.

 

[Ziame]

Well, IMO prequels are cool. I really liked them, and still say that "Revenge..." is cool.

Oh, and never like Tartakovsky and his Clone Wars.

But, releasing anything in 3D should be banned for one, single reason. IT AIN'T FUCKING 3D!!
Just a depth effect. A gimmick. If something is 3D I can look at it from any side. Your 3D gimmick isn't viewable from other sides so go fuck yourselves Hollywood.

 

[Shoqiyqa]

"See it with fresh eyes," or, even better, never see it at all.

Did you get paid to plug it, Bob, or have you suffered some sort of cranial trauma?

I think I'll save the ticket price up until Osombie or Jane Austen's Fight Club comes out, then see one or both of them.

 

[CaptainOctopus]

Moviebob I think you have to remember not everyone was a kid or teenage boy in 1977. Plenty of people born in the late 70's and in the 80's didn't see the original trilogy until the 90's or even the early 2000 century, thus creating a sort of aftershock when they later became older and one by one realized just how shallow, dumb and mediocre the prequels were.

Granted there are always those extreme fanboys who almost only exist for the one thing they enjoy in life, be it D&D, Startrek, LOTR or whatever. And people like that naturally have a much harder time to let go of something that disappointed them so much. But I don't think that's the case with most prequel "haters". I think it has more to do with when you finally figure out you been either fooling yourself to believe the prequels were ever any good or simply not thought about it up until a certain moment. This probably happens the next time you decided to watch the movies again when you become a little older and you are probably less naive, have higher standards and pay better attention things you otherwise wouldn't as a child.

Also it doesn't exactly help that George Lucas keeps fucking with the originals, seriously if I ever get my own children one day I want to know there is still a good version of the original movies I easly can get a hold of. And it also doesn't help how he constantly with almost no limitations keeps exploding the Starwars universe to death and keeps shoving all of this prequel crap and re-releases out to remind us of something we rather forget. And it certainty doesn't help how some people still try to argue that the prequels are actually really good, great or even fantastic movies. That if anything is probably the source for a lot of this massive silly prequel debate that still goes on to this day.



Anyway I was a teenager when The Phantom Menace was released and at that time I didn't think it was that bad, sure it wasn't exactly what I've expected but then again being so young and only have been a Starwars fan for maybe 5 years or so I didn't have time to build up any particular expectations either. But still I sure as hell didn't think the movie was great or fantastic by any means expect perhaps the soundtrack and some of the action, so for me still counted as a good film.

Then Clone Wars came out and I though well this was better, in fact I thought it was a great movie. Sure the love scenes were silly but weren't they always in movies? However there were lots of action and stuff for my dumb teenage mind to enjoy it, yet there were definitely something missing. By then I've started to speculate a little more on how Anakin really will became Darth Vader and like most others you sort of got this heroic figure in your head who for some heroic or at least awesome reason tragically turned evil. But there were no sign yet of this cool character, instead we only got to see this kind of annoying whining dumbass. Also we didn't really ever got to see a real Clone War, more of a single quite short battle that you kinda had trouble getting into for some reason, it wasn't exactly like Gladiator which was my favorite movie at that time.

But it build up expectation for The Revenge of the Sith and yeah I thought as most others that it was the best of the prequels and was a great almost fantastic movie, closest to the greatness of the original trilogy. However I still remember very well when I left the theater that day after watching it for the first time how kinda disappointing the ending were and especially how disappointing Anakins turn from good to evil were, something I never could shake and it created sort of an empty feeling in me. Now it wasn't just over, no more Starwars movies but the story I've sort of had expected would never become reality either.

Back then I still liked the movies but over the years and for every time I watched them again they became less and less enjoyable and when I really started to actually pay attention to the dialog, supposed love scenes and to the plot and story it all started to fall apart. My imdb score for movies now almost feel one point after each time Phantom Menace down from 7/10 to 3/10, Clone Wars down from 8/10 to 4/10 and Revenge of the Sith down from 9/10 to 6/10. But I didn't really know why, why did I dislike these movies so much I mean sure the disappointing story arc of Anakin surly had something to do with it but there were something more than that, thus entering Plinkett...

 

[JayBlanc]

I'm still allowed to hate Titanic tho right?

 

[Ashley Blalock]

I've never liked the phrase "not as bad as". Sure getting punched in the tender bits isn't as bad as getting kicked in the tender bits but it hurts enough to bring tears to your eyes either way.

If one or two things can make up for all the bad in a movie then I guess Pearl Harbor is an okay movie now because the attack on Pearl Harbor somehow makes up for the terrible love triangle.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

Stand back people I'm about to blow your mind: Star wars Episode 4,5 and 6 all suck. The characters are bad, effects bad, ending bad and most of all story bad. At least 1,2 and 3 it had a feel of something much more epic. It had back stabs and plot twists. Because in 1,2 and 3 it was the light side vs dark side. Two massive armies fighting to the death with the main villain slowly gaining control of the heroes army. It was man vs machine. It was a whole jedi order vs the sith. While in 4,5 and 6 it was a group of young adults taking down an entire government. Yeah fuck that. The characters are: a farm boy whose trained as a jedi for a month who is able to take down Lord Vader a man who has trained his entire life as a jedi and who for the last couple of years have being hunting jedis down. A princess who hasn't had any military training able to take on trained storm troopers. So how does that work.

Also how is it that people find Jar Jar Binks more annoying than Chewie. At least Jar Jar spoke English while Chewie just growls while everyone is agreeing with him. That's like trying to have a conversation with your dog. They can understand you but you can't understand them.

If episodes 4,5 and 6 were about Starkiller from the force unleashed then that would have being a good trio of films.

So you basically hate most of (video gaming) fiction where some young guy or girl gets thrust into a world of adventure and quickly becomes instrumental in destroying a great evil?

And you seem to entirely gloss over that bit about the heroes being part of a larger alliance of rebels.

The events of the original trilogy took place over roughly a four year period, so Luke had more than "a month" to get to where he was. But then, you seem to have taken only a very superficial glance at all six films, sorry to say.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

I liked the Phantom Menace, I could care less about what anyone else has to say. What pisses me off though is when people younger than me (and the Phantom Menace came out when I was 8), jump on the bandwagon whenever they can and bash Episodes 1-3 saying 4-6 were the only "good" ones (half those people never even watched any of the movies). I understand it if you grew up with the original trilogy and were disappointed with the new ones, but for fucks sake, be disappoint with them because YOU didn't like them, not because you're a poser who can't think for themselves.

 

[WolfenD]

Stand back people I'm about to blow your mind: Star wars Episode 4,5 and 6 all suck. The characters are bad, effects bad, ending bad and most of all story bad. At least 1,2 and 3 it had a feel of something much more epic. It had back stabs and plot twists. Because in 1,2 and 3 it was the light side vs dark side. Two massive armies fighting to the death with the main villain slowly gaining control of the heroes army. It was man vs machine. It was a whole jedi order vs the sith. While in 4,5 and 6 it was a group of young adults taking down an entire government. Yeah fuck that. The characters are: a farm boy whose trained as a jedi for a month who is able to take down Lord Vader a man who has trained his entire life as a jedi and who for the last couple of years have being hunting jedis down. A princess who hasn't had any military training able to take on trained storm troopers. So how does that work.

Also how is it that people find Jar Jar Binks more annoying than Chewie. At least Jar Jar spoke English while Chewie just growls while everyone is agreeing with him. That's like trying to have a conversation with your dog. They can understand you but you can't understand them.

If episodes 4,5 and 6 were about Starkiller from the force unleashed then that would have being a good trio of films.

So you basically hate most of (video gaming) fiction where some young guy or girl gets thrust into a world of adventure and quickly becomes instrumental in destroying a great evil?

And you seem to entirely gloss over that bit about the heroes being part of a larger alliance of rebels.

The events of the original trilogy took place over roughly a four year period, so Luke had more than "a month" to get to where he was. But then, you seem to have taken only a very superficial glance at all six films, sorry to say.

Okay I'll agree that I didn't mention the rebellion but that wasn't my main argument. But I didn't mention it because the rebelion got nowhere without Luke and Han

"So you basically hate most of (video gaming) fiction where some young guy or girl gets thrust into a world of adventure and quickly becomes instrumental in destroying a great evil?" I don't mind that in video games because they're either (A) being training most of their life, (B) a chosen one, (C) a special power or weapon or (D) all of the above. But that still doesn't answer my question how did Luke beat Vader with only 4 years of training. It can't be because Vader wanted Luke alive to take down the emperor as Luke had already turned down his offer.

As for the time scale it didn't feel like 4 years when I watched it unlike 1,2 and 3 when it felt much longer.

 

[WolfenD]

Double post

 

[NezumiiroKitsune]

I was 6 when it came out, so I didn't care, but I grew up, watched the movies in chronological order, and have just come to write off the prequels as not very good, but having spawned some great childhood memories, in the form of equally questionable games (Phantom Menace movie tie in; blessed be the ignorance of childhood), so I couldn't hate it and didn't feel anything for Jar Jar, but I like that he's fun to "hate". He's very easy to let become a fictional punching bag.

In short, I was too young to understand, and never felt that sting of disappointment because I simply couldn't, all the Star Wars films occurred at roughly the same time for me. As a debatable adult I do appreciate how awesome the original three are though.

 

[Thespian]

Yeah, I'm kinda too young to say "Damn the prequels!" Since I only saw Phantom Menace like, two years after I watched the original trilogy... And I loved it.
Oh don't look at me like that I was like five years old, it had all the "pew pew, VWWUZZZZZHHH" that made me love the originals. Of course, even then the Anakin kid annoyed me...

Looking back on it though, I do enjoy the Originals tons more than phantom menace, even from a superficial "Pew Pew" perspective, (but also from a character and world lore perspective)
I also don't think the Phantom Menace is the worst part of the prequel trilogy. In fact, it was the point from which they could have turned it all around.

See, I think that the prequels biggest problems lie in making Anakin the main character. As many people have said before, it's not fun watching something play out when you know how it'll end and it takes FOREVER to happen. You just end up waiting for it and paying extra attention and scrutinizing the way it's done.
This MIGHT have been okay... If they did it well. But huge character arcs and development isn't the strength of star wars so much as just enjoyable, likable, relatable simple characters.

But yeah. They could have focused on someone else, I mean Obi-wan could have been focused on a lot more and made into a decent character.

Secondly, I think they should have worked up the mysticism of the Jedi.
No, I don't care about Midi-Chlorians. I actually like that added touch - I know there's no need to explain the Force, but they aren't really explaining it by saying there are these micro-biological life-forms that act as a conduit between people and the force. It leaves it fairly vague but I just like the explanation rooted in science... Roughly.

But the prequels establish the Jedi as a military force more than anything else. We don't see any of these "Peacekeeping" properties they claim. Everyone has a laser sword, everyone jumps around throws rocks with their mind, and their's thousands of Jedi soldiers living in a tower on the capital planet. They didn't take the place of sages, philosophers, seers and casters. Yoda and the Emperor displayed these kind of traits, old force sensitives who know of the ancient sciences of the force but don't necessarily leap around chopping things in half.
IMHO, The place of the Jedi should have been as advisers to leaders, ambassadors, philosophers, sooothsayers, only occasionally stepping into battle, rather than an independent military force that supports the Republic.

 

[Ayay]

I get the whole ..stop the rage allready. Fine its done but what about the 3D in this movie , did i miss something since not once did i hear you say what was different with this version vs the one 13 years agr was this not to compare the two ? Then again sorry if i missed that line , every time someone brings this movie up i tend to nod off.

 

[Stickfigure]

I'm not entirely sure what this intends to accomplish.

Sure, there's still some vitriol over the movie, but it's hardly got the same level of focus that it did even, say, five years ago. It's hardly the only thought on any geek's mind, which means the disdain for the movie doesn't have to die for nerds to move on. People can hate this movie and still not care about it. Hell, without the preceding trilogy, this movie would've been Zardoz or Ishtar: a still-shitty movie that simply no one cares to remember beyond the notion that it's, well, shit. I honestly think you're a few years late on the "calm down everybody" moralizing; the few people who haven't let go now just plain aren't, and the rest HAVE moved on.

I, personally, didn't care for this movie because when I see a movie I generally care about three things, and in this order: good dialogue, good acting, good general story arc. This movie failed on all three counts and thus was just an awful experience for me. I like whiz-bang effects as much as the next guy, and I never really had much complaints about that until maybe the end of Episode 2. The world here, more or less, looks consistent. But the three things I cared about sucked a LOT here, and so the movie itself will never be good, or even kind of good, to me. That doesn't mean I engage in yearly practice wherein I routinely burn effigies of Lucas or anything. This movie is just a memorable catastrophe.

The only place where I do differ from a lot of people is here:

Jake Lloyd doesn't deserve the anger he's received.

I mean, look at this movie: it made Oscar Schindler, Renton, and Jules Winnfield tooth-grindingly dull and lifeless. Are we supposed to assume some child who had maybe one movie of note to his name prior have the chops to build on the direction given by the guy who sucked the life out of John Shaft? His performance was bad, but why do we blame him when Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson, and Ewan McGregor all turned out equally wooden performances?

 

[1337mokro]

What has it given us?

Allot of really funny reviews critique the prequel movies. I guess we walked away richer from that whole experience. In fact many internet critics started their careers by writing a review about the Phantom Menace.

Now I was to young to see Star Wars originally. So my first movie in the series Was Phantom Menace. I never had the experience of "OMG my childhood got raped". So to me the whole experience was doubly entertaining.

Seeing people get mad about a movie to an unprecedented extent and lots of funny reviews about it. I had a blast and I really hope something like this happens again so I can be a on the sideline laughing my ass in a coma.