PT Calling all Phantom fanatics! (Back in theaters May 3rd!)

I've noticed there is a small but dedicated following behind Episode I, as I read through the 80-some pages of the unpopular opinions thread time and time again there were fans saying they thought it was the best out of the saga.
So, I'd really like to hear from you. I'm not baiting/trolling, I'm anything BUT a prequel hater, it's just that that's such an unusual sentiment I'm really interested to hear why you think that.

So this is your opportunity to tell everyone what you've been holding back after 15 years of vitriol. What is it about Phantom that makes it in your opinion the best of the six (or as it may be, the best of the seven?)

 

Well, TPM is not my favorite of the saga. It is my favorite of the prequels.

I love the acting, Liam Neeson is awesome, and Ewan McGregor... oh man. I also love the planets. The three planets which appear in TPM are my favourite of all the saga, mainly Curuscant.

The characters are great, it is really a great way to introduce the galaxy. I think the haters just don't see (or feel) the spirit of the movie.

Not to mention John Williams!

 

Honestly, Star Wars just wasn't a big deal for the younger generation at that time. It wasn't relevant at all (with few exceptions of course). The older folks like to forget this sometimes. I didn't care about Star Wars until I saw TPM.

There's a lot I like about TPM, but when I first saw it a few little things stood out.. One is how the Neimoidians reacted to the Jedi - they were so intimidated and said "2 Jedi" like as if there was an army of them. It made Jedi feel special, and made me more curious about it right away. I had seen TPM a couple times in the theater before a friend told me that the Chancellor is actually the bad guy - which I had no idea about.

I think the older fans knew a whole lot already going in and they take all of these little things for granted. It's disappointing how one of the top 20 all time grossing movies brought in so many new fans, only to follow with a 15+ year tirade to make newer fans feel unwelcome, just because old people spent the previous 20 years thinking up ideas what the PT should be, and then when it came out it wasn't what they expected.

It's a lot easier to spread a silly meme about Jar Jar hate, than an understanding of the machinations of Palpatine - but that does not make the former superior (just easier, as Yoda would say ).

When you remove the baggage and hype going into the movie and just take it for what it is, it's a fun movie. Amazing music, incredible action and massive depth that pulls you into the Star Wars universe making you want to learn more.

 

Second favorite prequel and 3rd favorite film. I love Naboo's architecture in Theed, I love Qui gon, young Anakin and Obi wan. All the Tatooine sequences are fantastic. A 4 way battle at the end. Space, field, urban and lightsaber duel all at once. The duel is one of the best of the saga, duel of the fates of course, Padme's strong character and the light hearted tone which has an incredible sense for adventure imo.

 

TPM is magical to me. Its mysterious, exciting, beautiful,sad and uplifting.It features a great cast of actors playing characters i adore and has an amazing score. It introduces some of the most interesting and beautiful planets and locations in the entire saga.

TPM also have some of the most exciting action of any star wars movie. From the opening battle at the Trade federation battleship to the duel of the fates (and who can forget the podrace?). The beginning of Palpatines rise to power is pulled of fantastically.

I might write down more reaseon why i love this film, but il leave it at this for now.












No, i cant talk about this film without writing this, TPM also introduced the battledroids, characters which i adore. The battledroids look amazing, are amazing, will never stop being amazing, has an amazing theme, amazing blasters, amazing design,amazing antennas, has a great activation scene and OOM-9 is amazing,

 

My order:

ANH
ROTJ
TPM
ROTS
AOTC
ESB

 

Nice

Mine:
ROTS
ESB
TPM
ANH
AOTC=ROTJ

 

TPM is not my favorite SW film but is my favorite prequel. I really like the new worlds we're introduced to: Naboo an Coruscant. Very distinct. I like the brighter color palette for this film too compared to the other films.

 

Mine is

1. A New Hope
2. Revenge of the Sith
3. Empire strikes Back
4. The phantom menace
5. Return of the Jedi
6. Attack of the clones

 

I've been saying this for years. Without the prequels, there wouldn't be a new generation of Star Wars fans. Maybe some of you guys outgrew the prequels (and Star Wars in general) or even think that the OT is superior, but you can't say the prequels ruined your childhood, that's for sure!

Damn those spoilers What did you think about Anakin's arc? Did it resonate with you?

By the way I know a couple of young people whose favorite character was Jar Jar. They said he was like a kid who gets picked on in school.

I'm fine with people disliking the prequels and moving on to something else (there has been plenty of stuff to enjoy since 1999). What's weird to me is a culture of entitlement. Many a fan said that Star Wars should have grown up with them. As if spending money on toys meant they owned the whole thing. God forbid Lucas would want to do something for the new generation of children. They just can't let go, like Anakin in the prequels.

That said, I know adults who loved TPM more than the other two prequels and even placed it alongside the OT. I prefer to think of the movie as a solid setup of the saga I-VI. So there's a variety of opinions despite what the haters would want to think.

 

As a relatively recent fan I have seen so many people on sites that aren't PT-friendly say this and it's the most absurd, hypocritical thing ever. The PT did grow up - you have a much more dense storyline with a dozen little schemes and a web of alliances and betrayals all coming together at the end, compared the OT which never gets any deeper than "underdogs defeat the space nazis"... the movies are far more mature and would go way over a kids' head, but instead they cry "boring politics!". Like you got what you asked for but still won't accept it. Same with having two Anakins. Complain that Anakin is just a kid, then Lucas gives you an adult and you complain "there's too much of an age gap". Like WTF would make you happy then? But I digress.

I find it so weird that people say Episode I's lightsaber fight is so great, it doesn't do much for me. I do like the look of Maul and everything but he has what... 10 minutes of screen time, including the fight, if that?! So I'm not invested in it, the choreography is cool but not fantastic, although Qui-Gon meditating is a great "rhyme" with Luke refusing to fight in Jedi. I've seen so many people say it's their favorite fight of the saga... what is it that you guys like so much?

 

TPM is my second favorite SW film, just behind ANH. I hear of all these people saying what awlful it is, but when I watch TPM I think, man those complainers are full of crap.

 

Very true. Palpatine's rise to power was through subversion of the political system, how could exactly do it without showing some politics? Even ANH had some. And it's not as if they take too much time. The political scenes on Coruscant take less than 10 minutes and are important for the plot, character development and world building. They have Ian and a cool looking Senate. Maybe not the most exciting exciting scenes, but definitely necessary ones. Even Marvel movies have politics, what's the problem here?

Or: kid Anakin was too nice and innocent. But then "adult Anakin is too whiny and unlikable".

 

Never holded anything back.

 

I was shocked when i rewatched TPM and realised they only were on Coruscant for 15 minutes (give or take). So many people complain TPM is filled with senate scenes when in reality TPM barely feature the senate in their Coruscant scenes.

 

The Phantom Menace may be my least favorite Star Wars movie, but that doesn't mean I don't like it.

TPM was the first Star Wars movie I watched as a kid. It introduced me to the universe and excited me a lot. I remember that I couldn't wait to watch the next movie and see how the story continued. Nowadays, I still really love the movie. It just has a certain atmosphere to it that makes it fell so magical.

 

Yes, it's the same with the Naboo romance scenes: they're 10-15 minutes tops. I know if you don't enjoy something it may seem longer but they don't fill the entire movie! All the complaints about the prequels are blown out of proportion. It's all CGI! No it's not. It's overly shiny - yeah Naboo likes shiny ships what's wrong with that? The Republic and Trade Federation are more industrial. If you notice, even battle droids have scratches before they're deployed. Besides, things haven't gone to hell yet. The villains are bad - underused maybe, but there're a lot of them and some are quite menacing (even the droids). Acting and dialogue is horrible! Some is bad and some is good, just like the OT.

 

I love TPM for (among other things):

- its preliminary "prologue" quality
- its rich art direction and sumptuous production design; and for all the confident world-building it engages in
- the fact that it narratively starts with a mundane situation and develops into something more more engrossing, with implications vast and grand (like any classic mythological tale)
- the grandeur of its action scenes (e.g., podrace, Duel of the Fates) pushed up against moments of quiet introspection (numerous)
- possessing a meditative, melancholic texture (e.g, Anakin saying goodbye to his mother, Jar Jar cautiously counselling Amidala on Coruscant) that does much to ground the movie and the wider saga to which it belongs
- the rich brood of characters equally taciturn (e.g., the Jedi, Amidala), mischievous and lively (e.g., Watto, Jar Jar), and somewhere in-between (e.g., Anakin)
- a lot of the comedic and tragic counterpointing the film does generally (the emotional -- and perhaps intellectual -- essence of Star Wars itself)
- clever motifs and themes (one example among thousands: Maul emerging from a blood-red cockpit on a dusky Tatooine after his benevolent mirror, Obi-Wan, has just chatted to Qui-Gon about midi-chlorians, blood-sample entities, in a blood-red ship interior, on the same world)
- all the circle/circuitous imagery; and the fact that the plot itself runs in a circle
- encountering a remarkably plush and complacent Jedi Order; with the wry maverick tendencies of Qui-Gon contrasting
- the somewhat "dry" nature of the acting (a mark of good direction providing a thoughtful counter-rhythm to the OT -- in my opinion)
- starting Anakin off as a child in slavery; and mirroring this with the condition of the Jedi generally (not to mention Amidala, the droids, and even people like Valorum: a "slave" to the political process -- alas, whether we recognize it or not, we are all slaves)
- seeing Padme shed some of her naivete as she leaves the spectacular beauty of Naboo for the lawless dust-bowl world of Tatooine (plus the disillusionment she experiences on Coruscant)
- speaking of dust-bowls: the fact that Anakin has a "bowl"-shaped haircut
- Anakin's necklace, the snippet, Padme's dresses, the design of Jar Jar and the Gungan society, the royal spacecraft, Qui-Gon's poncho, the podracers, Theed, the yellow N-1 starfighters, the TF battleships, the Battle Droids and the Destroyer Droids; the whole retro-future, east-meets-west look of the film generally
- make-up, masks, goggles, eyes, doors, windows, floors, pillars, mounds, textures
- "Wesa goin' home!" The self-awareness of the film in that moment
- Jar Jar generally: a character I absolutely adore (a clever celebration of what it means to have the spark of consciousness and be alive)
- Watto: "I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it"
- The first-class animation of the former characters
- Nute Gunray: "Ah, vic-torr-ree!"
- Nute and the spider-droid-assisted chair he sits in (but when talking to Sidious, he's back to walking -- damn right!)
- That slightly ambiguous relationship between Qui-Gon and Shmi
- Padme: "Many things will change when we reach the capital, Ani, but my caring for you will remain"
- Ric Olie: "You catch on pretty quick" (LOL)
- how Ric Olie influences Anakin's destiny as much as anyone (impressing him about Palpatine, training him in basic flight control)
- Jedi testing scene ("A cup... a ship... a speeder")
- the disapproving look from Anakin to Mace (great set-up for later)
- Getting the Force Theme exactly right when it's deployed for heart-stopping action (Qui-Gon cutting the door) and for tragedy in the making (Anakin leaving his mother)
- astute character moments where Anakin is instructed by others or simply observes (right through to Amidala handing Boss Nass the peace globe at the end)
- those final glances between the characters at the celebration scene
- a celebration scene; out in the open; with a bewildering number of characters, decked extravagantly, on huge steps = take that, ANH!
- lots of "light" scenes (literally), outdoor settings, deserts, forests, etc.; and what this does for the feel of the film and the flow of the saga generally
- the peace globe -- what *is* that thing???
- the mysterious plasma energy of Naboo from which the peace globe seems to be derived
- a plot about taxation; only it's not really about taxation (or it sort of is! taxation! stress! turmoil! peril!)
- the scheming of Palpatine; and the Machiavellian undertones of the film generally
- how Anakin, Padme, and Jar Jar, Qui-Gon's adopted kids, are all outsiders on Coruscant; and even Qui-Gon is only mildly tolerated by his own peers
- pithy, throwaway humour that actually hides a labyrinth of double meanings (e.g., "Now, this is podracing!")
- everyone banding together at the end; in one of a series of thoughtful echoes with ANH/ROTJ
- no Han Solo; Jar Jar is the nearest analog (yes, you can do Star Wars without Han Solo)
- underwater sequence with sea monsters, an excitable Jar Jar, and impossibly stoic Jedi
- Liam John Neeson
- Natalie Gorgeous Portman
- three core worlds
- the title
- the number three
- the fabulous documentary that came out of it: "The Beginning"
- the music as a whole; but also Anakin's Theme over the end credits
- the sound design as a whole; but also Vader's breathing at the very end of the credits
- music the soul; sound a warning?
- that strained apology scene between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan (so sad after what happens later)
- the very understated meeting between "the fates": Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin
- Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin all variously referring to Maul as an "it"
- Qui-Gon dueling Maul in the desert, and Obi-Wan being all like, "Hmm, okay, take off"
- fading sun imagery and provocative sun symbolism
- Maul opening that big hangar duel by flinging a battle droid's head at a control panel with the Force
- the laser gate sequence
- this being the start of Star Wars prequel madness and a gestalt moment for popular culture and the Star Wars brand
- seeing this in both 2D and 3D
- this movie being from a more innocent time in my life
- the fact that it was carefully assembled by one man doggedly pursuing a personal vision
- the fact that the movie seems to delight in being an aberration
- the fact that other people hate it
- the fact that it easily encourages me to do lists like this

Hope that about does it for ya.

 

Cryogenic you must be the most enthusiastic fan of the prequels I've ever seen Even when it's something silly or hammy you just roll with it!

 

You're too kind, Natalie!

I'm going to give myself an aneurysm, one day!

I just do what I do.

 

I have a special place for it in my heart. It was my first Star Wars movie and I remember walking out amazed and wanting to know more about Star Wars.

I was also introduced to Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman and I've followed their careers ever since, even if I haven't watched all their movies.

 

I just love it. It's not my favourite but I love it for so many reasons. It is light, yet still has powerful moments, it has a solid plot but there is also so much fun(!!!), the locations are great, the ships and characters are great, the soundtrack is perfect, the cinematography is wonderful, the costumes are perfection, the actors are great. Honestly, there's just too much to list. I think that despite the difference in tone from the rest of the Saga overall, it needs that difference. It is part of what makes it great.

 

The Phantom Menace is my favorite Star Wars film. I didn't see it as a child or even grow up with Star Wars. I saw them all as an adult, but I fell in love with that film

 

Otah Gunga was so beautiful

 

I recently re-watched TPM as part of my marathon before TFA and that was probably the most I've ever enjoyed the movie. Not that I never found it to be dull but it was at that point that I am pretty much no longer able to understand why people can't like TPM. I love the plot, I love the characters, I love the planets, I even love the scenes with Jar Jar and on Coruscant! (then again, I love all 6 Star Wars movies so not really a surprise)

I typed a review up for the movie after I watched it and the only flaw I found with it was that Obi-Wan wasn't featured enough. But then again, AOTC and ROTS fixed this so it's pretty much a non-issue.

I mean, I think the movie is phenomenal! (I'm sure in a few months, I'll be saying this about a different Star Wars movie though...)