Rate/Discuss: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. . .
Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute. Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade of deadly battleships, the greedy Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the small planet of Naboo. While the Congress of the Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of events, the Supreme Chancellor has secretly dispatched two Jedi Knights, the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, to settle the conflict...
Directed by George Lucas
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGreggor, Liam Neeson, Frank Oz and Natalie Portman
Nominated for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Effects, Best Visual Effects
Rate the return of Star Wars, for good or ill, and discuss it below!
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Last edited by Witch King; 05-16-2005 at 05:09 AM.
I think it's a fairly envoyable film for the most part.
On its own it is still better then most summer blockbusters, but the story was spread too thin across too many locations with too many inconsequential characters. It's an enjoyable film, but nothing special.
As a Star Wars film it suffered from over-blown hype and expectation. All the film had to do was set the scene for the story to follow, and with a few stops and starts it managed to do that.
I gave it a three. I'm conflicted. I absolutely love the ending but too much of the earlier stuff drove me crazy. Jar Jar, the gungans in general, why the jedi have superspeed in that one scene but never again.
Parts I loved.
-Qui Gon Jinn-all of his stuff.
-Qui Gon using his lightsaber to burn his way through the blast shields.
-Entire Darth Maul saber battle.
Parts I hated.
Young anakin
Jar Jar
Pod Racing
Ric Olie
I enjoyed it more the first time I saw it just due to my excitement at another star wars. I've lessened my opinions over time.
I was watching this on Saturday. during the first scene with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon inside the Jedi Temple, I noticed something interesting. One of the jedi right behind Qui Gon and Obi Wan was identical to one of the creatures who was one of the Kamino cloners.
That's kinda sloppy by old George. I know it was only a few seconds but the Jedi had no idea about the planet Kamino and then he re-uses a similar alien from TPM to use in AOTC.
Originally posted by Justin I thought it was hugely disappointing, especially compared to the old movies. And that Jar Jar - ugh!
Attack of the Clones was better. Although Jake the Muss as Boba Fett - please! A Maori Boba Fett (and son) was a hoot.
But just because it was a disappointing movie (and it really was) does not make it a bad movie.
This film on its own is better then a lot of summer blockbuster fare. The story may be tangled, and parts of it downright unnecessary, but it is always entertaining and there are no hideous leaps of logic in the plot.
I think the film tried to do too much and that more then any other reason (Gungans aside) is why the film is maligned.
Originally posted by redundo Exactly! It has it's problems but for all of those it isn't a bad film. I gave it a 3.5 because I think it is better then many blockbuster releases.
Well, I guess it's better than Bad Boys II.... but I haven't heard of this company called "Blockbuster Releases" or do you mean any movie that a lot of money was spent on.
Spider-Man perhaps? Because that's a LOT better than Phantom Menace.
I watched this again recently and it's even worse than I remembered it.
Jar Jar's bad, Jake Llyod's bad, all the Gungan's are bad. The podrace is stupid and unnecessary. Anakin should have been much older when he was introduced.
The thing that bothers me the most, other than Jar Jar's butchery of English, is the CGI characters. Sebulba, Watto, Jabba, all the Gungans. They look ridiculously fake. It would have been much better if they put make up or masks on people to make them aliens.
I literally can't watch this movie. Its awful. It has maybe fifteen minutes of good stuff in the whole film.
Theres the Duel of course, then there's Palpatines talk with Maul, then there's the single good moment of Jake Lloyds performance when Windu tells him he won't be a Jedi, and he gives him that "I'm going to ****ing kill you" look.
But even the good stuff is mixed around with shit that sticks in my ****ing craw.
Take the opening Jedi battle, that was a pretty ****ing cool scene. But then it ruins it with that bizarre Keystone Kops Sped up action shit. I kept expecting Obi Wan to start going "Woop Woop Woop Woop Woop"
Yeah, you know I really would like to hear why Lucas gave the Gunguns that accent. I mean the REAL reason. It's so bizarre. Why would he intentionally choose that?
I think he was trying to make them sound sort of watery or something... but it makes no sense.
He shouldn't have had them try to speak English at all, should have done what he did with Chewie and just have them speak a language we can't understand.
Originally posted by Josh I don't recall any Keystone Cops sped up action shit in the opening TPM sequence.
What are you talking about? Explain.
Alright remember when the Jedi are slamming there sabers through the giant blast doors, and the wily Japanese Aliens realize they're going to get through?
Well when they send the battle droids to get them Obi Wan and Neeson Do this weird sped up 20's serial thing and pop out of the frame in super fast motion and then go racing down the hall in said style.
Originally posted by Evil Dead Junkie Well when they send the battle droids to get them Obi Wan and Neeson Do this weird sped up 20's serial thing and pop out of the frame in super fast motion and then go racing down the hall in said style.
That? I love that. It's a force power. Force Speed. What's wrong with that??
Finally, a thread I can rant in and have most people agree with me.
The movie would have gotten a 2 1/2 or 3 from me if it weren't a Star Wars movie. When you throw in things like the midichlorians, the formation of Anaking and Padme's romance and Anakin's questionable conception it just gets bad. 1 1/2.
It was a very pretty movie...has some of my favorite still shots of any of the SW movies...but the execution, pacing and acting were terrible.
For my money, the major light saber duel, while fast and furious, lacked any soul. It needed dialogue. Darth Maul was a bad ass, but it would have been a lot sweeter if he had been a bad ass who knew how to play psycological mind games with pointed dialogue as he fought. It could have been a cool way to reveal some background on the Sith vs. Jedi conflict as well.
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