70-Minute Video Review of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

[Sideshow Spock]

I've been working my way thru his Star Trek movie reviews over the holiday downtime. They're not as good as the Phantom Menace review, but still very much worth watching.

[alex]

Brilliant stuff, thanks for the massive laugh. I dont hate phantom menace, Ived tryed to watch it a few more times, thinking more like hoping it might grow on me, but it is pointless. The kid who plays anakin, couldnt they have got a more gumball chewing americanized voice, overall theres simply no charm and warmth in these films, Lucas thought hed blow the audience out with effects, but he simply over did them. I liked the way LOTR used natural sets, and then gone CGI when things got tough, this is the approach that Lucas should of taken, and not turned it into a cartoon at the end of the second movie ROTS or revenge of the ****s, as it is known here.I know he was aiming for the younger crowd, but that was so wrong, at the end of the day, we are the kids this should of been for.

[wyldpny]

...and this is what INFURIATES me about The Phantom Menace.

The actual lightsaber duel is indeed kickazz...IMO...it's the BEST technically superior lightsaber duel in the ENTIRE Star Wars saga (although it lacks the drama of any of the original trilogy duels).

But...Lucas RUINS the moment.

Why?

Because the climatic scenes cuts back and forth...MTV style...first you see them fighting...then it cuts to Amidala's scene, then it cuts to Anakin's scene, then it cuts to Jar Jars vs Robots...then back to lightsaber duel...and it goes on and on...back and forth...ARGH...

Had it been a STAND ALONE lightsaber scene...not cuts to the other "who cares" scenes...it would've been awesome.

Like this...all the bullcrap edited out...just the pure lightsaber duel...amazing stuff...Darth Maul/Ray Park is simply AMAZING...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlURzhz7X6c

Actually that is quite common in movies is to cut back and forth between scenes like that. If you go back and watch Star Wars, they did that with the Obi Wan/Darth Vader duel as well with switching back and forth between the duel and 3PO, R2, Luke, Han, Leah and Chewy all trying to get back to the Falcon.
But yeah, Phantom was barely ok as a sci-fi movie, but as a Star Wars movie it sucked a#$.

[ctc]

>setting up the entire saga, it seemed "kind of flat."

I had that problem with the new one stoo; 'cos I knew what was going to happen. The big final fight in "ROTS" played out almost exactly the way I remember it being described when I was a kid.... which was a problem for me, since there weren't too many surprises in the new films. They also felt kinda forced 'cos there were so many things that HAD to happen.

Don C.

[Hector]

In 2002, with the release of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Ewan McGregor said that in retrospect The Phantom Menace slightly lacked some of the "humor and color" of the forthcoming prequels. He felt as a result of bearing the weight of setting up the entire saga, it seemed "kind of flat."

[Sideshow Spock]

The Phantom Menace was an enjoyable ride for me. It might suck in the logic department but that didn't matter when I watched it.

I also could handle the sucking in the logic department, but I wasn't able to overcome the sucking in the story and character departments, which I think the review brilliantly and hilariously details.

[mego73]

The guy sounds like an adult Butthead minus the laugh. Some of it is really funny. But you could make a cottage industry of pointing out illogical stuff in movies. I made a rule if the movie takes me in enough to not allow me to think about the illogical stuff, I can like it. Case and point:

Signs: Loved the movie, even though after the movie I started to think about all the illogical, like why would an Alien who finds water toxic come to a planet where 3/4 of the surface is covered by it?

Hollow Man: How stupid are they when they have a scene where the invisible man needs to wear shades because his eyelids are transparent and the light bothers him and not expect you to also think of his transparent retinas and how he should be blind?

The Phantom Menace was an enjoyable ride for me. It might suck in the logic department but that didn't matter when I watched it.

I knew it was never going to match the personal impact of the original Star wars for me.

[CrimsonGhost]

Star Wars was never really deep.

I agree, and I think that is the problem with Phantom Menace. I, even after the guy explained it to me, can't understand the plot at all. However I can sum up the plot to New Hope in one sentence.

I think if the story was kept simple and the audience was able to focus on one character (say Obi Wan) it would have been more successful.

But to me it's like a sandwich that has lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup, pickles, olives, mayo, relish, peppers, two kinds of bread, a toothpick, a little flag on top, served on a brightly colored plate and it isn't until you take a bite that you realize there's no meat or cheese at all.

If it was sooooo bad then why was it such a blockbuster movie?

Making a lot of money doesn't make it a good movie. All of us went because it was Star Wars and we thought it would be great. We were wrong and we didn't get our money back. I wonder how it would have done if refunds were given to those who disliked the movie?

Meesa thinka George Lucas be laughing alla the way to the banka.

That implies Lucas know it was crap and fleeced us all. I doubt that was the case.

Not to argue with anyone. If you like it, you like it.

[Nostalgiabuff]

Revenge of the Sith was actually the best of the prequels. Not that it did not have it's faults.

I still stand by that Phantom Menace was a good movie. If you don't like it no one is forcing you to watch it.

I am not saying I loved everything about it, but overall it is a fun movie to watch. I once saw an interview with Lucas where he said Star Wars fans are basically in two groups now, the older age group likes the original trilogy and hates the new, and the younger generation loves the prequels and hates the originals. I guess I am somewhere in between because although I love the original trilogy I also like the prequels (just not as much). My son, being the younger generation, loves the prequels but also likes the originals.

[palitoy]

Meesa thinka George Lucas be laughing alla the way to the banka.

I made a joke once to my friends that the trailer for "Revenge of the Sith" could have been a video of George Lucas at his desk playing with action figures laughing crazily and the film still would have been a hit.

I then told everybody I wasn't going, no way, no how but I got dragged by my wife....talk about a master of the force.

[kryptosmaster]

Devil's Advocate Observation:

If it was sooooo bad then why was it such a blockbuster movie?


Meesa thinka George Lucas be laughing alla the way to the banka.


Rich

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I noticed something weird while watching my MST3K disks: most really bad films are actually close to being decent. They just need some tweaking. "Phantom Menace" is like that. As it stands, it's almost painful to watch. (And I've watched the Holiday Special. MORE THAN ONCE!) But I think it would have been okay with some better editing, and fixing up a few sloppy bits.

....AND if you could get past the hype. When it came out there was no way ANYTHING could have lived up to people's expectations....

Don C.

[LonnieFisher]

Just enjoy the movie for what it is, not what it isn't.

But, what it is, is a big steaming pile of crap. Hard to enjoy a crap sandwich...

[Nostalgiabuff]

okay, I watched several of the segments, althought the guy makes valid points in areas, I found the aside stuff more amusing than his commentary on Star Wars.....the girl in the basement is histerical.

point is, it's a movie, people read far too much into it. Star Wars was never really deep. It was a hodgepodge of classic stories melded together into something imaginative. I still like Ep1, even with all the flaws. Yeah, Anakin was annoying, so was Jar Jar, but they don't enter the movie until midway and they are not the main characters. to tell the truth I thought Anakin was annoying in all 3 prequels. Just enjoy the movie for what it is, not what it isn't.

[MegoSteve]

Absolute genius and spot on criticism. But he's speaking to the choir because I already don't like the movie. It needs to be watched by someone who has convinced themselves the movie is good and can take on the criticism. I doubt anyone who likes the movie would watch it.

You're so right. I have a friend who liked the prequels and when I showed the first part to him, he all but put his fingers in his ears and went LALALALALA!