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

[MegoSteve]

This was posted to Metafilter a few days ago. I loved it, though I could have done without the phony character of the critic. (Though I did like the line "I've analyzed this with a team of cheerleaders and they all agreed that if I let them go, they won't tell anyone.")

There was so much truth in this review that it should be studied in film schools.

The point he makes about Lucas about cramming too much stuff into every frame really hits home for me. The prequels are totally distracting because there are always eight million things going on in the background. They don't add to the story at all. It just reminded me of some of my design clients who want to wedge as much content into the space they have. They feel like if they don't use up every square millimeter of printable area in their project, they aren't getting the most for their money. They don't understand that space balances content and allows it to resonate, and without the space, your message gets lost in a bunch of indeciferable gobbledygook.

That's George Lucas right there.

[huedell]

"Put the rat poison in the tea!"

Lines like that reminded me that as much rope as I gave and continue to give
to that movie I was thinking the exact same thing the reviewer was
during that scene...it just seemed weird for them to drink something
in such a precarious situation--- a precarious situation which the Jedis
were actually DISCUSSING as the tea was brought...it added a bit of
tension for me, yeah, but not tension that Lucas MEANT to create I'm sure

(I didn't know Jedis were that carefree---DON'T DRINK IT! DON'T DRINK IT!
OH! THEY DRANK IT! AND.....THEY'RE NOT POISONED!)

[Sideshow Spock]

Chicken leads to egg. Egg leads to omellete. Omelette lead to fecal urgency.

[Hector]

[CrimsonGhost]

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.

[huedell]

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.

I thought the movie was alright---and I'm not into tearing it apart---
BUT it was fun listening to HIM do it---he's a funny guy to me---
annnnd, I agreed with probably 80-90% of what he said---the stuff
I DON'T agree with isn't even something I'd enjoy to debate.

[LonnieFisher]

I thought the movie sucked, and I was right! I hate it.

[huedell]

The good thing about this guy's critic work is that it's got a good chance of giving uber-angry fanboys a good name after years of THE COMIC BOOK GUY
ruining it for 'em!

[clemso]

and yeah - anakin was the biggest problem

I want a Turbo man

[wolfie]

How Wude.

Is this a good time to say that i loved Jar Jar Binks?

Meesa think he was bombast.

[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!

[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.

[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...

[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.

[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