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PT Do you think "The Phantom Menace" is a rehash of "A New Hope"?

Discussion in 'Prequel Trilogy' started by DarthVist, Dec 21, 2019.

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Do you think The Phantom Menace is a rehash of A New Hope?

  1. Yes

    1 vote(s)
    1.0%
  2. No

    97 vote(s)
    99.0%
  1. DarthVist

    DarthVist Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Mar 20, 2019
    After "The Force Awakens" was released, a lot people (who loved it) defended the film from the criticism of it being too similar to A New Hope by saying that The Phantom Menace was also a rehash of A New Hope too.

    But I don't think that's true.

    The Phantom Menace and A New Hope do share a lot of similarities like how a young boy from a desert planet goes off on an adventure with an old Jedi and eventually blows up a military target, and that there is a lightsabre battle where the old Jedi dies. But the plots in both films are very different from each other.

    The plot in The Force Awakens is very to A New Hope to the point that you somewhat could consider it a remake.
     
  2. TheCloneWarsForever

    TheCloneWarsForever Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2018
    I've never heard anyone claim TPM was a rehash of ANH.

    Sure, the ending scene with the celebration echoed that of ANH visually, especially with the cuts to various characters. But this only highlighted that it was not like ANH except at the surface level. The bad guy had actually won and he was there smiling along with the "heroes."
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2019
  3. devilinthedetails

    devilinthedetails Fiendish Fanfic & SWTV Manager, Interim Tech Admin star 6 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Jun 19, 2019
    Personally, no, I do not consider TPM a rehash of ANH because the essential conflict between the two movies is quite different. ANH is about the clash between rebels and Imperials whereas TPM is more politically focused on the clash between the Naboo and the Jedi against the Trade Federation and their shadow Sith ally.

    Anakin pretty much had to be from Tatooine in my opinion before some Jedi (whether Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan) came to take him away to train in the Force given what I felt was the backstory of Anakin Skywalker in ANH, so to me it made complete sense to have Anakin be from Tatooine in TPM. Also, I felt it was pretty much a given that he'd have to blow up military targets at some point to fit the description of a cunning warrior and best starfighter pilot in the galaxy that Obi-Wan praised him with in ANH. So, to me, Anakin growing up on Tatooine was necessary to be cohesive with ANH and wasn't just a rehash of ANH, and even when we visit Tatooine in TPM, we get to see a different side of it, such as the slave quarters, Watto's shop, and Podracing. Before TPM, I never would've thought there were slaves on Tatooine for example, so that is an example of the fresh, different worldbuilding we got from TPM to distinguish the Tatooine of TPM from the Tatooine of ANH. It wasn't about seeing the same places, in other words. It was about seeing different places on the same world and exploring more of it. Likewise, when Anakin blows up the Trade Federation ship, there is almost a comical whimsy to it that to me doesn't exist with Luke blowing up the Death Star. There is more of a spiritual sort of quality to it when Luke blows up the Death Star in ANH. That tonal difference for me prevents TPM from feeling like a rehash of ANH.

    I also didn't see Qui-Gon being killed in his fight against Maul as being a rehash of Obi-Wan dying in his fight against Vader since I felt like there was a difference in the pacing of the duels, the fact that the duel didn't take place on a Death Star, the fact that it involved three warriors, and the fact that Qui-Gon didn't vanish when he died to distinguish it from Obi-Wan's death on the Death Star at Vader's hand.

    That being said, I do think there are some parallels and echoes between TPM and ANH. For example, the ending scene of the celebration on Naboo is very much a throwback to the medal ceremony on Yavin at the end of ANH. Likewise, Qui-Gon's death can be seen as echoing Obi-Wan's, and Anakin's journey in some ways echoes Luke's, but all these echoes to me have enough differences in tone or execution that they do not feel like rehashes. TPM to me feels like it rhymes with ANH but it doesn't feel like it is the same stanza repeated. In this way, I believe George Lucas succeeded with the essential poetry of TPM compared with ANH.
     
  4. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2014
    Wow! This is the most one sided poll ever
     
  5. Durwood

    Durwood Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 18, 2002
    How is it a rehash? The plot, themes, and narrative of each film are completely different. There are parallels, of course, but a rehash? No way.
     
  6. SlashMan

    SlashMan Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2012
    The Phantom Menace is many things. A rehash is not one of them.

    The final sequence was more reminiscent of Return of the Jedi to me, with the conflicts split between [two] ground battles, a lightsaber duel, and a space battle. Though using the same formula isn't the same as remaking specific shots, which was probably why people have issue with The Force Awakens.
     
  7. oierem

    oierem Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2009
    As others have said, TPM mirrors ANH in its narrative structure (same as the other movies of both trilogies), but the basic premise is totally different. TPM introduces a good society and a good boy, with the danger of darkness over both of them. ANH introduces an evil society and a group of fighters fighting for freedom and justice, and a boy who joins the fight.
    And besides, both the opening (beginning in the middel of the battle) and ending (ground battle, space battle and duel) of the movie, as well as the theme of nature and simbiotic relationships winning over the good guys paralels ROTJ. So, there's a bookending aspect as well.
     
  8. Mark Pierre

    Mark Pierre Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2016
    No.
    This is one of the most ridiculous claims PT haters ever came up with.
     
  9. JEDI-RISING

    JEDI-RISING Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2005
    at 27-0 i motion to close this one
     
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  10. themoth

    themoth Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 5, 2015
    No way. Lucas did a lot of new things and created a brand new perspective on the series. Deep dive swimming, podracing, Jedi leaping and duelling like never seen before, the Jedi Temple, new aliens, new technology and so it goes on.
     
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  11. Qui-Riv-Brid

    Qui-Riv-Brid Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 18, 2013
    By definition a rehash is:

    a reuse of old ideas or material without significant change or improvement.

    They are both based on The Star Wars but with significant change and improvements for both from that original source material Lucas created.
     
  12. The_Phantom_Calamari

    The_Phantom_Calamari Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 10, 2011
    There are certainly deliberate similarities in structure and themes, but I don't recall even the film's harshest critics knocking it for being a straight-up rehash. The two films tell unique, though interrelated, stories.
     
  13. Count Yubnub

    Count Yubnub Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2012
    No.

    side note: I’m sure most people here already know this, but I recommend reading Lucas’ first draft of “The Star Wars,” or, better yet, the comic book adaptation of it that was released a while ago. Not that it’s good (it’s not) but it’s fascinating to see how different elements ended up in both ANH and TPM.
     
  14. greytstar

    greytstar Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 17, 2015
    Not at all,
    TPM tryied to explain a new and original storyline, it might have resorted to the OT when needed but it was the star wars universe after all, on the other hand TFA was clearly an attempt to replicate the OT plot, yes it has different characters, it´s not an exact replica, it was not a remake but you could draw a paralell of 80% of the plot and charaters to the OT. It´s like Coke and Pepsi, do they taste totally the same? no, would you say they were made to be esencially different drinks? no
     
    Last edited: Dec 27, 2019
  15. Skywalker Family

    Skywalker Family Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 15, 2017
    Nope. I appreciate he did not remake it.
     
  16. Dark Ferus

    Dark Ferus Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 29, 2016
    I agree with the general consensus. There are similarities and deliberate allusions, but the plot is its own thing despite the shared location of Tatooine. Anakin is not the same as Luke in TPM, and the Separatists are very different from the Empire despite the same man behind them. And the Republic is, needless to say, different from the Rebel Alliance.
     
  17. Mr. Forest

    Mr. Forest Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2012
    No. There are similarities between TPM and ANH, but they are also very different and feel distinct.
     
  18. I Are The Internets

    I Are The Internets Shelf of Shame Host star 9 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 20, 2012
    No it's not. Not at all
     
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  19. themoth

    themoth Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 5, 2015
    The opening scene is similar in spirit to ANH but Lucas deliberately did the exact opposite. The heroes attacking instead of defending, a small ship approaching a big ship, etc.
     
  20. Dannik Jerriko

    Dannik Jerriko Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 12, 2017
    As much as I enjoy TPM, I acknowledge that it has it’s faults. There have been some valid criticisms levelled at this movie, but this is not one of them. Whilst I appreciate that there are certain similarities in the story and theme, TPM was a very much it’s own movie. George always gave us something different.
     
  21. Ubraniff Zalkaz

    Ubraniff Zalkaz Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2014
    ANH, TPM, and TFA have similar structures. I wouldn't call either TPM or TFA a rehash.
     
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  22. Count Yubnub

    Count Yubnub Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2012
    I’d call TFA a rehash.
     
  23. Ubraniff Zalkaz

    Ubraniff Zalkaz Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2014
    Ok.
     
  24. Mr. Forest

    Mr. Forest Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2012
    That’s really all it is.
     
  25. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2014
    Yep I got that a few years ago.if he went with his first draft Star Wars would not have gotten a sequel and at best would be a niche classic.
     
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