PT Audience reactions to the PT in theaters

AotC: Jeez, eleven years ago and my first midnight premiere... People giggled when Anakin interrupted Obi-Wan with his "why?" while telling Padme about protecting her. Being starved to see Anakin get dark and rebellious, that was the kind of thing we wanted to see from Anakin. The "you're going to be the death of me" line got some laughs as people caught it, and of course the crowd liked Yoda showing up to confront Dooku. It seemed like everyone liked it until the backlash started popping up a week later or so.
I don't remember anything that stands out from the others.

 

It'll definitely be a midnight premier of mixed emotions.

 

Not really a reaction, I remember how I just physically couldn't bear the wait. I stood in line waiting for the theater to let people inside at about 10:00, hoping for a good seat. That was my biggest worry, getting a center seat. I got a center (and close) seat and then I had to wait two hours. It was almost painful, but I think a lot of it came from being awake most of the day. The anticipation is worse when you follow every news alert on this site the whole time. Anticipating Eps I and III wasn't so bad because I didn't follow details.

 

I liked how everyone cheered as the Lucasfilm logo came up and then quickly "shhhhh" as "A long time ago..." came up to have a moment of silence before allowing themselves to cheer again as the STAR WARS title blasted onto the screen.

 

I was at the local premieres for all three of them and with the exception of ROTS remember them fondly.
All of them were attended by mostly high-society types- exclusive, hard to get tickets my father got me. I think they were charity premiers as well.

Anyway, here are some reactions I remember:
- The audience did laugh at Jar Jar's antics
- The audience were happy to see Jar Jar's re-appreance in AOTC
- The Seismic Charges spread awe through the audience
- Yoda vs. Tyranus got a HUGE response of applause and cheer (which fascinated me because the audience didn't necessarily consist of hardcore fans)
- had a truly horribly experience at the ROTS premiere- they showed it at a smaller theater than the one TPM and AOTC was shown in. Unlike 1999 and 2002 they didn't hand out free Hasbro Lightsabers for everyone and no efforts were made for presentation. The moderator introduced himself wearing a Jedi robe and straight of the bat declaring he didn't like TPM and AOTC- way to set the mood, d-bag! Anyway, throughout the whole film people in the front row were flicking out their cell phones. You know, polo-shirt wearing, gelled-back hair, fancy boys with pink sweaters over their shoulder-types checking a quarter into the film what hip location to be at next. I told one of them who always held his cell phone up to his face for all the rows behind him to see to turn it of, in an admittedly rude fashion- but hey, unlike him I've been waiting for this movie for three years. As the credits rolled he got up turned around and said to his friends "Now where is that guy?!", even though I still sat behind him. What a friggin' poser. Needless to say, people like that take me out of the experience. The audience in general wasn't in the mood for the film. For example- when we cut back to charred Anakin trying to crawl up the hill some of the audience sighed and one even said "Yeah right!". Wait, *this* is what takes you out of sprawling space adventure fantasy movie?

So yeah, had a great time and audience at the TPM and AOTC premieres and a decent time at the ROTS with a crappy audience. Unlike the five times I saw I and II, I only saw III only one more time in theaters during its release and the audience wasn't much better. It was around two in the afternoon during the week, almost empty theater, and I distinctly recall this really old guy sitting a couple of rows down constantly shaking his head in disbelief at what these people in the movies were able to do. Maybe he never saw the other films? We will never know. Oh, and the projector went *completely* blurry during reel change, when Palpatine orders Anakin to go to the Jedi temple. Needless to say no one got up. After a minute I ran up to the projectionist who was seemingly caught off guard.

Those two crummy experiences led to me rarely going to the movies anymore. Nowadays, I wait it out instead and watch them on my home theater without any major distractors taking me out of the viewing.

 

I don't remember much about audience reaction for TPM. The only thing I do remember is applause and cheering during "A long time ago..." and applause at the end. Folks seemed to enjoy it, including me.

Attack of the Clones' biggest reaction was the Yoda reveal. People applauded once he yanked out the lightsaber.

Revenge of the Sith: A lot of laughter when R2 burned the Techno Union droids, and when Yoda threw the Red Guards against the wall. And, of course, applause at the end of the film.

The general audience hated these movies? You'd never know...

 

TPM - Applauses and cheering at the beginning and end.
AOTC - Can't remember!
ROTS - I remember the audience going wild at the end, so did I. The best movie of all three in my opinion.

 

TPM- Cheering for the opening titles. Mild cheering when Obi Wan lowers his hood. Cheering for the theme music when Qui Gon uses his lightsaber to melt the blast door. Uncomfortable silence as we met Jar Jar and subsequent antics. Big cheers for R2's appearance. Laughs at the sand people in the pod race. Roar at the line "We'll handle this". Gasps when Qui Gon kneeled during the fight. Gasps when Qui Gon was killed.

AOTC - some guy said "you done pissed off grampa" when Yoda dropped his cane. Applause for Yoda's fighting.

ROTS - I don't remember.

 

I'm sure it's just coincidence that the people who hate the films ALSO only have negative audience reactions to share.

LOL, so weak.

I saw TPM 3D four times with my girlfriend, everyone loved it, the audience was packed, but how can that be? Clearly, the internet haters are correct that everyone HATES the PT? I mean, the rlm videos killed these movies, was I imagining people having a great time? I must have.

 

Were they cheering the theme music, or cheering how Qui-Gon was melting the door? The more noticeable appearance of the music is when they first start cutting up the droids, anyway. The main jist I get from this is that Qui-Gon got the biggest reactions out of the audience.

That should be on a t-shirt.

 

Just like Prequel defenders can't admit a single thing wrong with them and stomp their feet at any criticism. Maybe in your mind the audience was packed and fawning, but why do you think they cancelled the 3D releases after TPM? Obviously it was a raging success and people wanted more

It made $43 million in the US. That's $12 million in 1977 dollars. Ranked #78 in 2012.

Less than Jurassic Park 3D made ($45 million).

In fact when you get to Phantom Menace's place by how much it made, there are some pretty crappy movies that did better.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2012&p=.htm
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2013&p=.htm

 

Sigh. I'm a "defender" and there is plenty wrong with the early PT films. Stop saying we "defenders" can't or won't admit they have any weaknesses. Too much childishness - overly long pod racing sequence - overly long Geonosis factory scene - too much focus on action over characterization - too much seemingly "stupidity" for the sake of the plot...

But I still enjoy them. And I think ROTS, which incidentally is a part of the PT, is the best of the Star Wars movies.

 

Let's not forget TPM 3D made $50 million more than JP 3D did in foreign markets. The reason the 3D releases were cancelled is because of Disney's decision, even though AOTC and ROTS were almost finished before their cancellations. Disney just wants Lucasfilm to focus on the new material, as both companies have said. That's the end of it.

As for "PT-defenders can't admit anything is wrong with them", that's completely false. Even though I and many fans love the PT and defend them, we still have complaints about them. However, the good far out-weighs the bad for us.

 

So...it's okay for Jurassic Park 3D to rake in $45 million, but when Phantom Menace makes $43 million, it means it's an absolute failure? I fail to follow that logic, especially considering how well loved Jurassic Park is.

All the 3D re-releases of both films prove is that 3D re-releases are a dying format. Why pay $20 to go to the movies to watch a movie poorly converted to 3D when you can watch it for free in your own home?

 

I wish my theater were like this one. I am always looking for any semi-excuse to beat someone mercilessly. Maybe getting hit in the head with a piece of Starburst during a key movie scene would be the justification I need to paint the theater walls with that person's blood. A good lawyer could get me off for that, right?

 

It's pretty simple, Jurassic Park is beloved but also more than 10 years older than the latest Star Wars film, and JP isn't the franchise that Star Wars is -- and yet more people went to see JP. Interest in TPM:3D was tepid at best.

I happen to agree with you, that 3D is overused and yes you can have it done automatically by a player at home.

And, as you said yourself, AOTC and ROTS were close to being finished, they would have followed through if it were really a money maker. Money always drives these kinds of decisions.

 

Not that many more people saw Jurassic Park 3D than Phantom Menace 3D. We haven't seen THAT much inflation in the year since TPM's re-release.

Let's not also forget that TPM's re-release was ill timed and it still made $100 million worldwide. I say ill timed because it was mere months after the Blu Ray sets were released. People had a difficult time justifying catching a movie in the theater that they already owned the latest version of. I know I did (of course, I gave in and saw it anyway...and enjoyed every minute of it). But of course I'm not Mr. General Movie Goer. I'm the hardcore nerd.

 

I think they were cheering the general Jedi awesomeness of melting the door with the light saber but the music was part of that and I remember that aspect probably for my own reasons. I can't speak for what everyone else was feeling of course.

It hadn't occurred to me how many of the moments I remember the audience liking or at least reacting to had to do with Qui Gon. Incidentally, I saw TPM opening day in a college town so the audience was big on people born between 1975 and 1980.

That Yoda moment and quote stuck with me. I saw AOTC in a suburban theater at the opening midnight showing.

 

Heh. That reminds me of a PT-hater who swore that every one of the ten times he saw AOTC in the theater (someone asked him why he kept watching it in the theater if he hated it so much, and he said, "I hadn't realized I hated it then" -- odd, because he bought the DVD and continued to watch it despite having "realized he hated it" subsequently), people were mocking the movie from start to finish, and afterwards, he overheard people trashing it in the restroom.

I saw a PT-hater claim that she saw TPM with her mother, but "had to get drunk beforehand" in order to "endure it." (Yeah, right. I know getting drunk is high on MY list of things I like to do in the presence of my mother. Who was this chick...Lindsay Lohan?) Then, when the "Jesus ripoff" of Anakin having no father (fatherless heroes were part of myths that predate Christianity, but never mind) was revealed, she started laughing, and no one shushed her because they were all laughing so hard themselves.

In other words, PT-haters seem to like pulling anecdotes out of their nether regions in order to try and transform their opinions into facts.

The Red Letter Moron can only wish he did actual damage to TPM, or any of the prequels.

Anyway...the only negative audience reaction I recall to any of the prequels in the theater was my first viewing of AOTC...a couple very loudly trashed the movie after it was over. Oddly, I didn't see a crowd of people surrounding them to join them in bemoaning how awful this supposedly "universally reviled" movie was, although I'm sure they claimed there was when they scuttled back home and posted about it on whatever too-hip-for-words Internet message board they frequented.

 

To quote Obi-Wan, "You have done that yourself."

Actually, he says it twice in a row.



Anakin Skywalker: You turned her against me!
Obi-Wan Kenobi: You have done that yourself.
Anakin Skywalker: You will not take her from me!
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Your anger and lust for power have already done that.


A great example of the insipidly bad writing. But not as bad as this gem from TPM:

Qui-Gon: "I'm ambassador to the Supreme Chancellor. I'm taking these people to Coruscant."
Battle Droid: "Where are you taking them?"
Qui-Gon: "To Coruscant."
Battle Droid: "To Coruscant. Uh... that doesn't compute. Uh, wait, uh... you're under arrest!"

Comedy gold having characters repeat the same information twice and then having your battle droid channel Pee Wee Herman...

 

I'm sure people say redundant things in the OT. I'm not going to obsessively look it up, though, because-- meh.

People say things twice in a row all the time in Eyes Wide Shut, though. And in the Metal Gear Solid games, where it seems half of Snake's dialogue in radio sessions is repeating whatever somebody just said ("Don't go in there, Snake! It's a mine field!" "A mine field?!?"). Don't mind it there, don't mind it here.

 

Eh, I love all the movies on different levels and can honestly say I have gripes about all 6. I think the only sacred cow I can't stand is that staunch OT supporters act like they are religious relics that can't be deemed imperfect in any way, so that door does swing both ways. At the end of the day, I don't care. I never needed an excuse to love or criticize Star Wars because it is a personal experience to each of us. Even growing up and adoring the OT I still am more drawn to the Prequels in some ways though I still prefer Empire above them all.

I remember seeing Jedi for the second time with my Uncle and his friends in 1983 and loving every second of it (again!) and then him and his friends just ripped apart the movie and the Ewoks afterwards. I didn't understand because I thought it was a perfect movie (I was around 5 at the time) but as I grew ROTJ fell on my personal scale but still holds a special place because of when I saw it. Loving or hating a movie is so subjective on our moods, age, and other factors that its hard to pinpoint just why we do. I'll continue to cycle all 6 (soon to be 9) films as the mood fits me. Even right now I am going to pull up ROTJ on my phone at work to relive a simpler time and not worry what everyone else thinks because they deserve to have an opinion that is personal to them.

 

Okay, here goes, I saw all three at midnight, here what I remember....

TPM - Cheering at the 20th Century Fox logo, and the Star Wars opening crawl
- Cheering when Obi Wan and Qui Gon take off their hoods
- Cheering when they take out the first wave of battle droids on the ship
- Cheering when both R2 and 3PO first Appear
- An audible Gasp when Qui Gon was killed, and then cheering once Obi Wan took care of business

- One note after the movie when i went to the bathroom, a few people were not happy with the movie, and expressed their displeasure. There was a negative vibe in the lobby, I cannot deny that. I however did not sleep the rest of the night, I loved TPM ,and ended up seeing it 8 times at the cinema.

AOTC - Cheering at the Fox logo and opening crawl again
- Some groans at the Love scenes, for sure
- When Yoda showed up, you could feel the electricity, and when he pulled back and revealed his lightsaber, ppl pretty much went nuts...

- One note, I took a guy from work and he was not into Star Wars at all, he liked it and he completely LOVED the Yoda Scene, I saw AOTC 7 times in theaters

ROTS - Cheering at the Fox logo and opening crawl again
- Laughter at the R2 antics in the beginning
- Some gasps when Anakin ignited his saber in the younglings scene
- Laughter when Yoda threw the guards in Palpatines Office
- It was stone cold quiet for the Order 66 scenes and the Vader Helmet scene. ( I, of course cried like a baby during both scenes...)
- Ppl cheered at the end, after the twin suns scene, that was the first time that happened during my PT showings...

- One note, I saw ROTS THREE times the first day, and saw it 10 times in the theater.....Gawd I love that movie...

 

You, Portkins4ever, are a true fan. And damn lucky to have gotten to see the PT so many times in theaters!