talyseon's Full Review: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace. (1999) Directed by *George Lucas.
The Plot, With Spoilers A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a young boy was discovered to be a vergence in the force because a Dark Lord of the Sith arranged for his own planet to be attacked so he could be elected Supreme Chancellor, and take over the Republic.
The Analysis This movie was a long time in coming. Back in 1977, *George Lucas had a vision of a 9 part movie saga, a grand trilogy of trilogies. But practical considerations reared their ugly heads, as they always do, and *Lucas wisely chose to create the movie he felt most attached to, that would lead to the others being born, and thus Star Wars Episode Four: A New Hope was born. Even back then, everyone thought if quite phenomenal to start at episode four, and to announce it so plainly.
An instant classic was born. Three years later, (1980) another followed. Star Wars Episode Five: The Empire Strikes back was an instant blockbuster. Three years after that (1983) the Saga drew to its close, with Star Wars Episode Six: Return of the Jedi. And the adventure continued in the form of books, comics, cartoons, and video games. Star Wars took on a life of its own with merchandising.
There was a very long wait, then finally *Lucas, after having “fixed” the first three films, cleaning up some points that bugged him, and adding some details that had been impossible due to technical and financial considerations, resold the entire first three to the world, all on VHS, got around to making the first trilogy. Sixteen years latter, Episode One came out.
Now, there has been criticism of every movie since IV came out. Ewoks are too cute, it was supposed to be the Wookies, Luke and Leah being siblings ruins the romance, etc, ad nauseum. So I was prepared for the “True Fan Backlash” before the movie even came out. I knew what would happen; it would fail to meet their vision in some way, and they would complain. Well, news flash people, it ain’t your vision, it is the vision of *George Lucas! And he made the movie the way it fit into his original story.
The biggest complaint one hears is Jar Jar Binks, the Gungan with brain damage. All Star Wars are made on the model of the Mythic Journey, and Jar Jar is supposed to represent the fool. Well, he does that, and yes, he is annoying. But kids love him.
And here is the thing. The Phantom Menace, more than any other episode, is made for children. Why? Because it stars one. Young Anakin Skywalker is the character every little kid will identify with. They may like Yoda, and Padme, and even Darth Maul, but the one who they feel the link to is Anakin. The other episodes will be darker, and darkest, respectively. This was the one shot to be light and kid centered, and *Lucas took it. And I can respect that.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know exactly where the pilots of the pod racers came from; they were cartoons from the sixties and seventies in either Cracked or Mad Magazine, and I would not have done an homage to them myself, but *George did. And let’s face it Sebulba the Dugg worked on a lot of levels.
The pod race itself was masterful. It was a perfect vehicle for Anakin to save the day, and display his Jedi reflexes and savant talents. And I loved Shmi. Everyone has a mother, even Hitler. And you have to wonder who the mothers of monsters were. Shmi is a very ordinary woman, and a good mother. That is important. Because it is the purpose of the prequels to show how Anakin Skywalker could possibly become Darth Vader. It is important to realize that Anakin was once upon a time not only a little kid, but a good one. If you buy into the concept he was always doomed to be evil, then all responsibility is lifted off our choices, and put down to Fate. And it was not Fate, unavoidable, but Corruption that did it. This is an important lesson.
So, Jar Jar was annoying, the pod race drivers were stupid looking, and there was more fart humor than I would have put in. Big deal, the kids loved it, and this one was for the kids.
See, if *George Lucas had won the lottery after making THX 1138 then this would have been the first movie, and when Attack of the Clones came out, everyone would have sagaciously muttered, “Yes, as young Skywalker has matured, so has the tone of the saga.”
Now, to things I am willing to whinge about. I did not like the space battle just because it was so hard to see. It was too fast, with too small targets, painted too dark. I got lost. Gripe gripe. I could also gripe about Anakin blowing up the droid control ship, but honestly, the symmetry between this and Luke taking out the Death Star, no, I couldn’t have passed it up either. It is too epic, too mythic.
And that is the last point. Many people complain that the characters are either larger than life or two dimensional, sometimes in the same sentence. Well, yes, because the Star Wars Saga is The Hero’s Journey. *George Lucas got the idea after finishing Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero With A Thousand Faces.
I will admit that this is my least favorite Star Wars movie, but that still makes it better than 95% of the movies out there. Taken on its own merit, it is phenomenal, it only ever suffers on comparison to the other five episodes.
So if you are one of the 83 people on the planet who has not seen this movie, my advice is this. Forget all that has come before, remember what it felt like to be eight, grab your popcorn, sit back, and enjoy.
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