Anyone else enjoy the Tatooine/Coruscant passages from TPM?

Funny thing about TPM. Whenever I watch the Naboo bookends, particularly the opener, I understand why the movie is derided. The actors, save Neeson, seem disengaged. The juvenilia?s never more glaring. The pacing is appreciably awkward ?e.g., Lucas could have excised the second bongo sequence and Gunray/Sidious conference prior, and lost nothing.

And yet, everything sandwiched between the Tatooine landing and Coruscant departure is just groovy with me. Scenes are given time to breathe. Watto and Sebulba leave impressions far more indelible than Gunray and Binks. Jar Jar doesn?t babble as much, while McDiarmid thankfully babbles a lot. The Coruscant intrigue is, well?intriguing. The sole action sequence is showcased, rather than existing as a torpid marker. And most importantly, the actors are allowed to come into their own; the interactions between Neeson, August, Portman and Lloyd have an endearing quality that, in my estimation, isn?t seen again until Luke and Obi-Wan chat with a certain spice smuggler.

70+ minutes of pure, delectable SW goodness. Anyone else?

 

I actually think the movie is fun until the Jedi land on Naboo. Then everything's a mess until Obi-Wan brings Luke to Tatooine.

 

People talked too much in TPM. I know it would have been grittier, but I think if you take out most of the dialog in the movie you end up with a better movie. Its a great action movie. I agree with the last poster who said that the point up until the Jedi land on Naboo is quite fabulous...great action, necessary dialog. The rest of Naboo is simply bad dialog. Tatooine minus the dialog is a great pod race and an introduction of Darth Maul. Coruscant is a beautiful city and the dialog actually serves it well to be intriguing like you say... Then back to Naboo there are some great army's building up for war scenes and the Darth Maul scenes of course... and I give Amidala the "best line in the movie" award with "No we will discuss a NEW treaty."

 

Come on mate that has nothing to do with this thread. It's just a random bashing of the PT. Does it really add anything to discussion?

 

They spend way way to long on Tatooine apart from that its all good. The Coruscant parts i really enjoy also.

 

The Coruscant stuff is particular is really good, IMO. (Maybe you have to be interested in politics to really appreciate these scenes?) Even now, whenever I watch TPM is really get drawn during Palpatines secret Coup. And I have to say, that scene where Amidala brings down Valorum is possibly Natalie Portman's best work in the whole Trilogy. The way she shows herself as being a "strong" leader, yet someone who's being completely manipulated, is an exceptional performance, IMO.

 

Anyone else enjoy the Tatooine/Coruscant passages from TPM?

I absolutely enjoy them.

I absolutely enjoy the entire movie.

STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE is extremely well made, extremely entertaining and extremely compelling and full of heart and imagination that shine througout. It's STAR WARS and it feels like STAR WARS.

 

I enjoy all of the Star Wars movies through and through, but I do agree that the Tatooine sequences were really well handled.

Tatooine is what introduced us to Star Wars back in ANH, and the Tatooine sequences in TPM made me feel right at home.

 

As someone that first viewed each movie in order they were released, it was great to see Tatooine again and also to experience more of Tatooine and the inhabitants and locations of Tatooine.

With Coruscant, it was great to get to explore and spend more time there than the glimpse offered in the SPECIAL EDITION of STAR WARS EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI. And it's before the dark times and events that take place in the next two episodes. It's amazing to see and handled extremely well and the story during these scenes is very intriguing.

Viewing in order of episode number, STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE introduces Tatooine and Coruscant and their inhabitants and locations that both pleases and leaves room for more for further episodes. Again, handled etremely well.

 

I think another thing about the Tatooine/Coruscant sequences is that they're the only major part of the PT that take place in space (other than maybe Battle of Coruscant). From the time the Naboo cruiser nearly gets blown to smithereens trying to break the blockade to when they get stranded on Naboo and later make it to Coruscant, this all involves space....and somehow the lameness that is inherent to the PT sort of melts away when you have that beautiful starfield in the background reminding you what Star Wars is all about.