On 2010-03-18 DL, Sydney, NSW Australia wrote: I like this movie.
Am I objective? Of course not! I was 8 yrs old in ´77 when that first Star Destroyer lumbered overhead and changed my life. The rest is history.
I will say this though - as huge a fan as I was I didn´t find myself particularly fascinated by the idea of the prequels at first. For me all the big questions had been answered by ROTJ. It was all pretty simple - Obi Wan enlisted young Tatooine farmer Anakin in a `Clone War´ (whatever that was) to the dismay of Anakin´s brother Owen. Anakin turned evil at some point (if a Jedi gets angry enough that´s what happens y´know) so Obi had a big duel with him, disabling him to the point of needing a life-support suit. Obi took off and hid Anakin´s kids and then waited in the desert for Luke to reach maturity. What´s to know?
This all changed when I saw a trailer for Episode 1. The whole thing had been busted wide open. Anakin was this little kid who was apparently the pivotal factor in some enormous cosmic scheme. There were giant cities, bustling spaceports, shiny starships, exotic aliens, and Samuel Jackson in Jedi robes intoning ´you refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force...´ I almost teared up! Star Wars was back and suddenly I gave a damn!
Lucas cops flack for making things up as he goes along, but this is precisely what made the saga great. `Empire´ threw the first movie into disarray. The simple `good guys/bad guys´ formula copped a monkey wrench, Luke didn´t get the girl, righteous Obi Wan turned out to be a liar, Luke´s noble heritage turned out to be a sham and so on. `Jedi´ did the same thing - flipping things on their head so that consequent viewings of the original Star Wars would be changed forever by the ongoing revelations ie Leia´s true parentage, Obi´s desire to see Anakin and Vader as separate entities (hence his `version´ of the truth) and the reality that kindly old Sebastian Shaw was under that mask the whole time.
Episode 1 does the same thing in spades. Forget your preconceptions! At the end of the movie many questions are answered - who was Anakin Skywalker, why was he so important, why did Obi Wan take him on against Yoda´s advice, why do Skywalkers have an inclination towards Force-sensitivity worth waiting 20 years for, why did Luke `have to´ face Vader to be a Jedi (see `trials´), why was it so important to rescue Anakin in ROTJ (rather than let him just blow up with the Death Star), what exactly is this `civilized day´ Obi Wan refers to in EP 4 etc etc. But it leaves just as many questions unanswered too - how does Owen Lars fit into all this, why does such a sweet little kid turn evil, what happens to all that great technology etc etc.
Episode 1 serves many purposes. It´s supposed to be the first movie of six, yet serve as a fourth movie at the same time. It´s meant to introduce ideas on a `first-time´ basis, yet cater to an already familiar and expectant fanbase who demand an expansion on existing themes. I think it pulls all of this off really well.
Episode 1 has a completely different tone to the OT and I like it for that reason. Every Star Wars film has its own particular `feel´ (something a tad diluted by the Special Editions in my opinion) and this Episode is certainly unique - playing on the idea of Obi Wan´s `more civilized day´ and acting as a self-contained introductory tale with tiny hints of what´s to come.
Many folks complained that the movie was too childish and, in the same breath, complained about the politics. I had no issue with Jar Jar at all (I found him a fascinating parallel to young Anakin - `regular dude swept up in giant scheme´ type thing) and the politics were necessary in establishing a grander scope than the more introspective OT. So I had a great time! Wary of child heroes I thought Jake was wonderful in the role and really don´t understand the criticism levelled at him (I really think it´s because fans wanted Anakin to be some wise-cracking Tatooine farmer guy!)
My only criticisms are two - I think the pace is a little sluggish at times (slightly lacking that typical `roller-coaster´ vibe of the other 5 episodes) and I also wish George had kept the original title ´The Beginning´ rather than `Phantom Menace´. I know this goes against the hokey `matinee serials´ formula but in this instance I think people would´ve been much more forgiving of the film as an establishing set piece. (BTW I hate the title `A New Hope´ as well!).
With this film (and its following episodes) George Lucas managed to take an already established backstory and give it a real depth and twist. I think people are so busy wishing it were 1977 again that they fail to give the man due credit for his meticulous and imaginative expansion of the Star Wars manifesto. So here´s my best shot. Enjoy!. And summed up by saying The Beginning.... Currently Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) has an overall rating of 6 over 10.
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David Tattersall claimed Begin your STAR WARS DVD collection with STAR WARS: Episode 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE. Packed with over six hours of additional material, including exclusive documentaries and never-before-seen deleted scenes, this 2-disc set provides the perfect showcase for the incredible detail and breathtaking scope of George Lucas´s first episode in the mythic STAR WARS saga.
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