Film More disappointing than outright bad
Don't get me wrong; The Phantom Menace has its share of flaws (Jar Jar, the overuse of CGI and green screens, wooden acting, bad dialogue, etc) but I do think that had The Phantom Menace been either a standalone work or the first entry of an entirely new franchise the film as a whole would have had a much better reception.
The problem was that when The Phantom Menace came out, Star Wars fans had been waiting since 1983 for a new feature film to come out, and many had been sating themselves with Expanded Universe materials from other media (such as Shadows of the Empire, The Thrawn Trilogy, and the X-Wing book series), whose story lines were as good as (if not better than) the original trilogy. As a result, when The Phantom Menace came out, there was one of the biggest hype backlashes in film history (it's worth noting that this film has been much better-received by people who are watching the whole series for the first time, or who were too young to have waited a decade-plus for a new Star Wars film to come out).
That said, there are several well-made scenes, and as The Phantom Edit shows, there's a good film hiding within The Phantom Menace. Fortunately, George Lucas seems to have listened to his critics, and in the next prequel films, most of this film's faults are not repeated.
Film Re-Evaluating a Complicated Legacy
Every Star Wars fan has a complicated relationship with the Prequel Trilogy. It’s, in effect, a Rorschach Test which tells you what kind of fan you are. In 2010, if I were to put my thoughts on this trilogy in writing, they would be entirely negative. At 20, with the breadth of the original Star Wars expanded universe at my fingertips and Red Letter Media’s infamous Mr. Plinkett reviews giving a wealth of fodder for criticism, TPM was quaint, awkward, and stupid – a half-baked origin story with baffling dialogue, lethargic pacing, and a tableau of CGI that comes unraveled immediately once your brain starts pulling the thread of all the shortcuts they had to take with a technology in its infancy. It’s *still* all those things, but in the 2020s, a generation after its release, I’ve grown forgiving of it.
The script is, well, weak. George gets Lost in Medias Res with a complicated plot about taxation of trade routes that *sounds* like it could be the basis for an interesting story if it was given the room to breathe, but instead we’re dropped right in and soon enough, that adult story is suffocated under the weight of whimsy. The dialogue is alternately hyper-formal and hyper-casual whenever the child Anakin and the bumbling Jar-Jar show up, and then we have an excursion to Tatooine, an introduction to its culture of podracing (read: chariot racing). It’s all too much too fast. There are places where this movie moves *fast* and others where the pacing seems stuck in the mud, sit-down discussion scenes juxtaposing action without really interacting with or reinforcing one another. Lucas’s direction doesn’t help; with more guidance, Jake Lloyd and Natalie Portman would have done better with what they had. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor elevate the product by managing to craft good performances from shoddy writing. The political focus isn’t inherently bad and is a decent palate cleanser for all the whimsy, but it needed editing to make a cleaner narrative, and more focus to give it depth.
But despite all of that, this film has strengths. It looks at the original trilogy and craves to do something different. The visuals evoke bygone glory that the dirt, rust, and squalor of the originals never captured. We’re shown the metropole, rather than the frontier. We see a democratic government that the heroes seek to preserve, rather than a tyrannical one to be overthrown. The aesthetics of technology rises above the boxy utilitarianism of a container ship or a military vessel. None of this would be possible without CGI, but with new information about the production, we must put aside the myth that practical effects weren’t used – they were, and more frequently than in the OT. The CGI is stunning, even now, but even a cursory viewing shows places where the growing pains of new tech were evident – they never quite understand how to properly light people in a green screen environment, and there’s several instances of clipping or blurred edges where actors were composted against the background. However, it broke tremendous ground and moved the art forward. Modern CGI films are standing on TPM’s shoulders. Even Jar Jar needs to be singled out here – the CG work on him still looks good and Ahmed Best demonstrates a physical mastery of the craft of acting. He didn’t deserve to be mocked for playing a poorly written character. That’s on George.
Overall, kind of a mediocre movie if you view film primarily as narrative, but I appreciate what it was trying to do more and more with each passing year with respect to film as visual art. Let’s say, uh… 6.5 out of 10.
Film A mess with some Charm to it
First off Jake Lloyd tried and didn't deserve the hate he got as a child mmkay and Ahmed Best didn't deserve harassment for playing jar jar .
Now to my thoughts look this movie is not great with writing and has some outdated racial stereotypes but its not the worst of the series nor the worst sci fi movie (Battlefield Earth exists) . Some of the characters are intriguing (Qui Gon Jinn and Darth Maul) the sets/locations are neat and some if the character design even with the wonky 90s CGI are cool . Jar Jar is annoying but compared to Watto ill take it.
Film Great Potential, Horrible Execution
It's easy to see what George Lucas was trying to accomplish: an epic Heroic Fantasy, more akin to John Carter of Mars than to the original trilogy. It could have been a clean break, a chance to tread new ground.
Thus, it's unfortunate that the film was a failure on almost all counts.
In A New Hope, we are introduced to the Star Wars universe through the naive eyes of our clueless everyman Luke Skywalker. By contrast, in The Phantom Menace, we follow two experienced Jedi Knights through most of the film, so there is no Audience Surrogate to ease us into a complex story of sorcerers and political maneuvering.
Without a firm grasp on the architecture of the universe, the audience can’t get invested. In A New Hope, the stakes are simple but high. In The Phantom Menace, they are complicated but low.
The intention of the prequel trilogy was to show Anakin Skywalker’s tragic fall to the dark side. So it’s a major problem that Anakin is not introduced until the second act and that there is not so much as a hint of the anger building within him, nor his dark fate.
Lucas was likely uncomfortable depicting a child doing ambiguous or evil things, so instead chose to portray a young Anakin as unrealistically angelic. This early oversight causes problems down the road in the trilogy. We should have been introduced to an older, darker, Anakin much sooner. Qui-Gon Jinn should have been cut in order to devote more focus to the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan.
There is little to no dramatic tension because our heroes are rarely allowed to fail, and our villains are rarely allowed to succeed (with one major exception in the climax). Interminable sequences of Jedi slicing through waves of scrawny, reedy-voiced droids tax on the viewer’s patience. In A New Hope, Lucas and crew found creative ways to put our heroes in danger without making the escape feel contrived: the trash compactor scene is a perfect example.
The mechanics of the film aren’t working either. The emphasis on CGI over practical effects results in all the environments feeling too sanitary and polished. Lucas built a beautiful, computer-generated mansion, but forgot to put people in it. Jar Jar Binks and many of the comic relief-oriented side characters produce more groans than laughs and draw on uncomfortable racial stereotypes.
The cinematography amounts to little more than pointing the camera at the person who’s talking and adds little to the film’s style and visual storytelling. And perhaps most infamously, flat directing leads to bland performances from extremely talented actors like Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Star Wars' triumphant return after a sixteen-year absence from the big screen failed to recapture the franchise’s glory days. The only bright spots are the design of Darth Maul, and the best score the franchise has ever had courtesy of John Williams.
Film George Lucas proves he needs a leash, and a firm hand.
Star Wars has been a favourite movie series of mine since I was a kid; I was born in 1981, I still have Ewoks: the Battle for Endor on VHS, as well as the pre-Special Edition episodes, and I've read a fair amount of the EU. So believe me, I was as excited as anyone when a new movie was announced, although it was tempered a little bit by what Lucas had already done to his originals.
I remember sitting in the theatre in 1999, a few months shy of 18, and just graduated from high school, and thinking this is so awesome...until some Jedi named Qui-Gon was introduced as Obi-Wan's master. And it just went downhill from there. Trade negotiations? ARE YOU KIDDING ME, LUCAS? And who is this Qui-Gon guy? And why is Anakin a kid?!
Most of the problems I have with this movie are canonical; Lucas seemed to have clearly either forgotten or not given a crap that he had already discussed the barebones of this new trilogy: Obi-Wan met Anakin when he was a pilot in the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan's teacher was Yoda, and, uh, the entire movie doesn't fit into already-established continuity. It's just an egregious issue, even more so when looking at what is a ponderous, dull-as-dirt plot about trade negotiations that's laughable when you hear Lucas arguing that "it's a kid's movie." What kid cares about politics? This entire thing could have been summed up in twenty minutes of back story in what should have been the actual first movie, which should have been during the Clone Wars. And when you get past that, you get the walking racist caricatures of the Trade Federation, Jar Jar Binks and his group, and Watto. And when you watch the entire sextant of movies, you realize the Jedi are composed of the biggest morons in the universe, Tatooine is apparently Ground Zero for everything, and Darth Vader is not a good man who went wrong, he was a snot-nosed brat who never matured and consequently threw a twenty-year temper tantrum.
Film All can be forgiven, except for one thing
I liked the Phantom Menace as a little kid, and I still like it today. That dies not mean that I don't see the huge problems: quite a few of the plot details, the lack of anything for Darth Maul to do, some painful acting here and there, Jar Jar, ect. I see them very clearly. I am just able to forgive them because the overall plot is still good, the new music is just as good as it ever is in a Star Wars movie, and the action is exciting.
There is one thing, though, that I cannot and will not overlook. When our heroes arrive on Tattooine, a barran, desert planet populated by criminals and run by the mafia-like huts, Jar Jar Binks for some reason goes with the party that scouts the nearby settlement for a new hyperdrive. No one even questioned whether it was a good idea to take the amphibious swamp alien with a talent for getting into trouble into a desert environment where keeping a low profile is key. BS. Pure BS.
It is an asinine stuation, but it is one of many in the movie. So why can I forgive the others and not this one one? Because this is just Lucas shoving the most hated character in his franchise down our throats even when it makes absolutely no sense. Jar Jar has nothing to contribute plotwise on Tatooine (Anakin did not have to save him from the Dug for them to end up at his house) and no purpose being there, yet there he is, chewing scenery and distracting us from the important stuff going on.
While I can forgive every other flaw, this one thing is enough to make me question whether Lucas actually thought anything through when it came to the Phantom Menace.
Film Rwatching This Make Me Happy, Flaws and All!
Here’s my brief history with the Star Wars movies. Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, it was the first Star Wars movie I ever saw. It made me love Star Wars. I thought it was a very good story. Jar Jar made me laugh (unlike most of the fandom that gives both Jar Jar and George Lucas excessive hate and vitriol, I enjoyed Jar Jar. Though I do see why many don’t.)
Keep in mind, I also went into this movie back in 1999 and I had no expectations. And I loved it.
What I took away from a rewatch is that it's a good movie that is hampered by it's dialogue, which runs throughout the Prequel Trilogy.
Natalie Portman does sound restrained in her role as Padme, she does get better by the end of the movie.
Ewan Mc Gregor is fine as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Jake Lloyd did the best he could, he did seem to try too hard to shout. He did not deserve all the hate and the bullying over this movie.
Liam Neeson carried this movie for me as Qui-Gon Jinn, I just love his character and he did the best acting with the dialogue.
Amhed Best gave an emotional, excellent performance in movie full of wooden dialogue, but it's overshadowed by the fact that his character is controversial.
The actors cast in the movie are good choices, but the dialogue needed some rewrites here and there, not that every line is cringe-worthy, but let's be honest, Gungan Basic and "Are you an angel?" are not the best things to say.
The visual effects hold up for the most part, but some of the CGI looks really ugly now.
John William's music is amazing and "Duel of the Fates" is my favorite piece from him for any Star Wars movie.
I also noticed, rewatching in chronological order, that the ending of Episode I is the only truly happy ending until Episode IV.
All in all, it’s not as good as I remember it being, and I don’t look at it with the childlike awe and wonder that I had when I was 12. I see all its writing flaws in the dialogue, but I still like the movie. And I’ll always be fond of it (if not just for the fact that it showed me that Liam Neeson is awesome). I will always be grateful to it for opening my eyes to science fiction and letting me follow both Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman’s careers. For me, the movie still holds up, as imperfect as it is, and I have fun, and that’s what’s most important to me when watching a Star Wars movie.
Film A layman reviews...
I have never been a SW fan, outside of the movies. I find it ponderous and full of itself, a mish-mash of sorcery and deep canon of the kind that never appealed to me. Even to a twelve-year-old (my friends were all big into Star Wars merch and the EU), the plot of the EU was running on fumes, recycling old plots and images decades after the events of Jedi. Aside from a few comics I liked (Shadows of the Empire, and Dark Empire was actually not too bad ^_^) it seemed to be repeating the same Anakin/Luke arc ad nauseum. The video games don't help, reusing the same old Cloud City textures.... Basically, I think the EU did a disservice to the variety of the original trilogy.
Which is why everyone looks so fondly on Episode One. For all the script's faults, at least we get to see something different. Some places are familiar, like the Trade Federation warship (intentionally patterned on a future Star Destroyer) and Tattooine, but overall this is the riskiest of the prequels. The later movies were an endless parade of caverns! Blegh!
Unfortunately, if Episode One has a leg up on scenery, Episodes 2 & 3 had better characterization. I'm a plot guy, and I can tell you that The Phantom Menace is...nothing. Build-up for better things in the future. The first chapter of a miniseries. Chancellor Velorum ends up being the most sympathetic character in the movie, and he's just a pencil-pusher! You might say Shmee and Anakin are relatable and even tragic—but Lucas is queasy about inserting slaves into a family film, so the Skywalkers look like they're on siesta at Disneyland. In fact it's so inoffensive I find it oddly offensive. There is very little camaraderie or charm to these prequel characters.
Secondly, I think Lucas missed a trick with Anakin's age. I always envisioned Obi-Wan and Anakin as near-contemporaries. Instead of a good man, a family man who turned bad, Anakin is a spoiled kid who couldn't handle a taste of power.
As a film in its own right, Episode One is fun but unmemorable. As a Star Wars movie, the whole story could probably be consolidated into Episode Two and not lose much.
Film Not Deserved of the Reputation It Has Received
This was the first Star Wars film that I saw in theaters. My father and his family, growing up in the seventies and eighties, were huge Star Wars geeks and throughout my childhood I had fallen in love with the action figures and Original Trilogy films. I don't remember much of my first viewing of Star Wars but, looking at the film now, it is still one of my favorite Star Wars film to watch. It is by no means the best; A New Hope was iconic and Empire was just superb in its plot but Episode I still grips me by its nostalgia factor, despite the fact it is only a decade or so old. Darth Maul is awesomeness and pure evil wrapped up in one terrifying Sith bundle, while Qui-Gon is, in my honest opinion, the epitome of what a Jedi should be; wise, compassionate, and willing to go against the rules to do what is right. The fights are spot on and the Podrace sequence is quite breath taking.
The only drawback is, of course, Jar Jar Binks. Honestly, the first few times I watched this movie as a kid, I actually thought Jar Jar was pretty funny. It was only after hearing some people's opinions about him that I began to realize that he was the most racistly sterotyped alien character in the whole franchise. Maybe "character" is too strong a word because he was little more than comic relief and idiocy. Still, I can forgive Lucas for that if, for nothing else; Maul and Otoh Gunga, the beautiful underwater city.
Well, that's my opinion of the film. Great locations and scenery. Great (and one not so great) characters. Great action sequences. Just a good, fun movie. This is what a Star Wars film should be. Sorry if I am gushing over it here but I think it is justifiable when most other people bash it. Let's only hope that Disney can equal this film with Episode VII.
Film The Phantom Menace - My First Star Wars Film
The Phantom Menace is an interesting film in that the primary reasons I enjoyed it during my first viewing are no longer my favorite features of the film. My first viewing was really dominated by the spectacle — the environments (like Theed, Otoh Gunga, and Coruscant), the podrace, the duels, and the music. As I've gotten older, though, my interest has shifted to the quieter character-driven scenes, such as Anakin's goodbye to his mother, Shmi and Qui-Gon's interactions, and the friction between Qui-Gon and the Council. And Palpatine - he's a highlight. Not knowing his true identity the first time I saw the film, I dismissed him as a largely innocuous secondary character. Rewatching, though, is a treat, especially after realizing just how much of a slimy, manipulative snake he is. And there's Qui-Gon, one of my favorite Star Wars characters of all time. Not only is he played by the exceptional Liam Neeson, but he's also one of the greatest Jedi of the Old Order. Here's a man who really stands in strong contrast to the dogmatism and elitism that plagues the Jedi Council, which isolates itself in a literal ivory tower. His interactions with little Anakin were a joy to watch and his death really hit me hard, hurting all the more after viewing Revenge of the Sith and wondering what could have been. The movie itself is a nice set-up for the following films, establishing a lot of the underlying difficulties that will plague our characters — Anakin's difficulties with the Jedi, the Jedi's detachment from the lives of common people, and the Republic's inability to act (even for those facing a crisis), and so on. On its own merits, though, the film's plot, centered around the liberation of Naboo, is well-done and gives us some great insight into Padmé's character. Qui-Gon is the protagonist of this film, but it is really her story. He serves to bring the three central characters together (Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Anakin), but it is Padmé who is at her most powerful here — who proves her mettle whereas in the following films, she will increasingly have both her personal and political power torn from her. Anyway, The Phantom Menace was a wonderful introduction to the Star Wars universe. Full of life and warmth, it nonetheless has its own undercurrent of darkness. Highly recommended (through a highly subjective review).
Film Not as bad as believed, but not as good either
Now that the dust has had time to settle, I feel that I can look upon this film objectively without the prejudices I demonstrated in my younger days... and sad to say, though it's not deserving of the hatred that was heaped upon in in its earliest years, it's not worthy of the praise that it's been lauded with more recently.
What's good:
It's a beautiful film, with incredible scenery and some truly awe-inspiring settings. The soundtrack is easily some of John Williams' best work, with "Duel of the Fates" being an obvious favourite, but "Swimming to Otoh Gunga" and "The Funeral of Qui-Gon" are also classics.
The fight scenes do a wonderful job of demonstrating the refinement of the Jedi fighting styles of this time, especially in the climatic lightsaber fight with Darth Maul. And though a lot of jabs have been made at the actors over the years, Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor are perfect for their roles.
As for what's bad...
Now, everyone's taken shots at the actors, the plot, and the direction, but looking back, I find that the real problem I have with this film is the shallowness of the writing.
For a start, there is a lot of telling instead of showing: we're told that people on Naboo are dying in prison camps, but we never see any of it; same goes for the attack that forced the Gungans out of the Otoh Gunga. We hear that there's longstanding enmity between the Gungans and the Naboo, but apart from a few remarks, we never see any of it. We're told Anakin is a slave, that he has a transmitter in his body that will blow up if he tries to escape, but apart from that, we never see him subjected to hardship: Watto comes across more like a grouchy employer rather than a cruel slavemaster.
Similarly, despite the fact that this is meant to be set before "the dark times", we never get to see the golden age and never get the sense that dark times are on the way: the Republic is already corrupt, unable to stop the slave trade, and held up in meaningless political debates; the Jedi are already complacent, arrogant, and vague to the point of boredom.
Meanwhile, we're never told why Naboo is important enough to be blockaded, how the enmity between Gungans and Naboo began, what age Jedi students are recruited at if the nine-year-old Anakin is "too old", what balance to the Force means in context, and arguably most importantly, what the hell the Sith are.
Now, we know the Sith are supposed to be the bad guys, but what are they, really? What do they want?
I only know the answer to this because I delved into the expanded universe all those years ago and learned the answers in books and games... and frankly, leaving some of the most important questions in your film to be taken care of by expanded universe texts, which most audiences will never read, is a bad approach to storytelling.
And worst of all, this is one of the biggest problems I had with the sequel saga. The more things change...