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Star Wars: Episode 1 -The Phantom Menace |
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The Phantom Menace Store
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Review by D. Trull Heads up: This is the best essay I've ever seen on the Phantom Menace. Point-for-point why it's a great movie, why Jar Jar is a great character, and why Return of the Jedi s__ked. Even if you don't agree with all of it, it's got some great passages. Michael Flanagan Click Here |
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The Phantom and the
Menace: Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace HUGEStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is simply one of the best sci-fi/fantasy films to have been released in over a decade. The film contains all the classical elements of the adventure: our heroes, complete with long hair and swords; our villains, complete with black cloaks, red eyes, and horns; unexpected voyages to distant lands, from undersea cities to gangster filled desert planets; the beginning of a crumbling political establishment (the fall of Camelot should come to mind); an epic battle divided amongst land, space, and the best swordfight on film; heck, it's even got a Ben-Hur style (Pod) race, complete with winners, losers, and yes, the lion's share of exploding-twisted-metal-fatalities. And to top it all off, The Phantom Menace is the beginning of one of the most well known and most enjoyed stories ever told. Why, then, is it widely considered a disappointment? The answer, quite surprisingly, is simple: too much hype. The months preceding the opening of The Phantom Menace slowly etched away any chance the film had of being what it was meant to be: A prequel. The Phantom Menace is an introduction into the pre-existing mythology of Star Wars. The film is not and was never intended (contrary to hype-induced common thought) to be a sequel. In Star Wars IV: A New Hope, we are immediately thrown into this world in the midst of a heated battle of an ongoing war. We depend on the subsequent dialogue to learn what we can of how and why we have reached this point. The information is vague, at best, so much so that not until Empire do we learn of Luke's origins, and only in Jedi do we discover the true story of Luke and Leia. The series, as a trilogy, leaves unanswered questions and ambiguous references to a much greater possibility, a story left to be told. Thus, The Phantom Menace acts as the introduction to that world. If, as the preceding hype seemed to suggest, Menace were a better film than any of the original trilogy, then George Lucas would have failed in his attempt at his saga. A story told—and told well—follows the pattern of introduction, rising action, climax, and denouement, or the conclusion. George Lucas has introduced his world in epic proportions, and as the ever-present audience, we should not immediately criticize the film as a comparative failure, but instead let it bring us into the story, and let us wait, ever patiently, for more.
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In
the Beginning:
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace SuperI did not like Episode 1 when I first saw it. Mike, Mark, myself, and whole ton of friends got together for opening day and rushed in. I can’t even explain how excited I was. But when the credits rolled I stared at the screen perplexed. Had this truly been a Star Wars movie? It seemed like one, but yet it didn’t. It felt different, looked different, and Jar Jar Binks was, without any doubt, a terrible stain on the film. We all went off to a restaurant afterwards where Mike raved about it, Mark agreed that it was good and I sat there, so tempted to agree with our friend Chris who hated it. I ended up seeing it four times, the second only because my father, the man responsible for my deep and unending love of the original trilogy, needed to see it and I went with him. When the credits rolled this time, I found I was smiling and content. I’d kept my mouth shut for days afraid to spoil the excitement for my Dad by telling him I hadn’t liked it, but now I had had a great time. Why the switch? Jar Jar was still a terrible stain on the film. Well, here are the important things to keep in mind with this movie. A) It is not one of the first three movies. It is its own movie and is intended to feel different. This takes place at a brighter, happier time, before all the politics hits the fan and the universe becomes the ravaged and war-torn one most of us know and love. B) Lucas waited so long to do the prequels that he now has a whole new younger generation to get into the films. Hence, Jar Jar Binks. This does not, however, free him from any guilt in regard to this painful character. I still have trouble watching the movie, anticipating lines like “We’sa back!” being delivered by this imbecilic character who belongs in a Disney movie. Lucas miscalculated this guy and made him way too child-centered. The beauty of the trilogy’s comic relief, R2 and C3P0, was that they appealed to both children and adults, not just kids. Jar Jar doesn’t ruin the film, but he does leave it with a scar. C) Episode 1 is a set-up. We’re now getting the story of the series we love. This is not meant to be a be-all, end-all film. This needs two as of yet unfinished films and the original three in order to be completely judged. That does not, however, mean the film can’t be judged at all on its own. On its own, Episode 1 is a very good, fun and exciting movie that lets fans find out how the galaxy they’ve come to love got that way. It is also, however, a well-written film with weak spots. I have the utmost respect for George Lucas, who I think is a great man of great vision and admirable intentions. He’s a man with belief structures I applaud and agree with and his films confer those to us wonderfully. I can think of few other so perfect examples of the struggle of good vs. evil that are so fantastic and realistic all at the same time. His writing is not always strong, though, and his best films are the ones he gets a little help with scripting his visions. Even I am hard-pressed to forgive him for the pod-race announcer saying, “I don’t care what universe you’re from, that’s gotta hurt!” I cringe just thinking about that. But I do forgive him, because of the rest of the film. (Minus Jar Jar, obviously). Episode 1 has great good guys, perfect bad guys, the very best lightsaber battle ever, awesome war scenes, and those moments that acknowledge the future plot that every good prequel needs. I recommend the movie highly for all ages, all people— Star Wars fans or not— and applaud Lucas for another strong entry into a story line that I have grown up memorizing. But, please, do something about Jar Jar.
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HugeReviews.com Reviews:Star
Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace SolidThe Phantom Menace is the first chapter of George Lucas’s Star Wars saga. It stars Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman. The Phantom Menace sets the stage for the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the two other prequels yet to come.
The story revolves around a planetary embargo imposed upon the
planet Naboo by the sinister Trade Federation.
The secret leader of this Trade Federation is a “Sith” (an
evil Jedi) named Darth Sidious (don’t worry, I haven’t given
anything away). The queen
of planet Naboo calls upon the Galaxy’s Senate to send help.
They send two Jedi warriors, and that’s where the film begins.
A rollercoaster ride of action ensues as the Jedis struggle to
save the planet from being conquered by the Trade Federation and uncover
just what this “phantom menace,” the Sith, is up to.
The film provides plenty of action and eye candy for its
audience, but it provides little more than that.
The plot leaves many questions unanswered, and there are too many
careless mistakes in the logistics of this movie to excuse.
The humor is directed towards younger audiences, but the special
effects and adventure will keep most adults well entertained.
As a movie, standing on its own, it is a fun family space
adventure that makes for good entertainment.
As a member of the Star Wars saga however, I am sorry to say that
it is a failure. It sets
the stage for the other movies, but it is devoid of a moral or purpose
and too simplistic to do without one.
Frankly, I sat in a restaurant with a friend of mine and thought
up a better movie based on what we saw in two hours than George Lucas
did in over ten years! It
is a good rental if you want to see a good brainless sci-fi movie, but
that is all it is good for. I
enjoyed it this episode of Start Wars, but I find its lack of faith to
the originals disturbing.
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