PT The Phantom Menace (Movie) vs The Phantom Menace (Novelization)

I'm a MASSIVE Phantom Menace fan. I've watched the movie millions of times at this point. However, I just got around to listening to the audiobook for The Phantom Menace Novelization for the first time and now I'm completely obsessed with the novel. It adds so much to the movie. I think there's so much great stuff in the novel that I think had those scenes been in the movie, maybe it wouldn't have been hated on so much by everyone in 1999 especially all the stuff with Anakin at the beginning. I think all the stuff with Anakin at the beginning is absolutely fantastic. I wondered what everyone on here thought of The Phantom Menace Novelization and if you think it's better than the movie.

 

I like them both. I did like that the book gave Anakin a bit more of a temper, it would have been nice to see a little foreshadowing in the film.

 

I prefer the novel - the acting's better.

 

No, I don't think it's better than the movie. None of the novelizations are.

I do think it's a nice companion piece. It's a good book, unlike the ROTS novel for example.

 

I 100% agree that it's a nice companion piece. It adds a lot of little detail and context to things.

 

Now i'm really puzzled. Apparently most fans (myself included) love Matthew Stover's ROTS novelization and think it's way better than the movie. And one of the very best star wars novels.

Never heard of anyone (beside probably George Lucas) liking the movie more than this book.

Would really like to hear your reasons.

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I suspect some of the reasons boil down to "Stover sees the PT Jedi as deeply flawed, and I don't".

Possibly "Stover sometimes fails to do the research", (calling Amidala "youngest queen ever" when she states outright in AOTC that, young as she was, she wasn't the youngest) may play a part as well.

 

I don't see what's so surprising about it. I'm sure many fans like that novel, wether they are most fans or the majority is not something that anyone here can pinpoint. Nor do I think it's relevant.

I think I've said my piece on many past threads. From just a quick search:

• Here.
• Here.
• Here.
• Here.

Easy on the projection.

 

Maybe I'm thinking of someone else. But that particular criticism of the novel (that it contradicts the movie) crops up a lot.

Similarly, the number of times I've seen you criticise "PT Jedi are very flawed" claims, makes me think that's something you hate most in any Star Wars non-movie fiction.

 

that would be me

I've mentioned how that particular line has bothered me several times.

Though I mention it when people say, it was "line edited" by Lucas himself which I LOL at.

 

I would probably criticize some of its contents, wether needless deviations or flat-out contradictions, if its prose was in any way bearable. But since it's not, that's my major criticism against it.

 

The prose might be a little "purple" at times - but variety in writing styles is a good thing IMO.

 

yeah the flowery language can get a little irritating. @Alexrd

"this is how it feels to be Dandy Dandelo"

yeah we got it, thanks

Sorry to the OP: I have not read The Phantom Menace novel, I should try check it out

 

Don't forget that whole paragraph of Obi-Wan musing about Anakin's butt.

The novels for TPM and AOTC are fine though.

 

One of the main advantages of novelizations, is that they can get inside the character's heads, in a way that the movies can't, and provide extra bits of insight into the personalities of the characters.

Obi-Wan's view of Qui-Gon's quixotic tendencies, in bringing Jar-Jar along as a navigator, for example:



Obi-Wan closed his eyes in dismay. This was a disaster waiting to happen. But it was Qui-Gon's disaster to manage. It was not his place to interfere. Qui-Gon had made the decision to bring Jar Jar Binks along, after all. Not because he was a skilled navigator or had displayed even the slightest evidence of talent in any other regard, but because he was another project that Qui-Gon, with his persistent disregard for the dictates of the Council, had determined had value and could be reclaimed.

It was a preoccupation that both mystified and frustrated Obi-Wan. His mentor was perhaps the greatest Jedi alive, a commanding presence at Council, a strong and brave warrior who refused to be intimidated by even the most daunting challenge, and a good and kind man. Maybe it was the latter that had gotten him into so much trouble. He repeatedly defied the Council in matters that Obi-Wan thought barely worthy of championing. He was possessed of his own peculiar vision of a Jedi's purpose, of the nature of his service, and of the causes he should undertake, and he followed that vision with unwavering single-mindedness.

Obi-Wan was young and impatient, headstrong and not yet at one with the Force in the way that Qui-Gon was, but he understood better, he thought, the dangers of overreaching, of taking on too many tasks. Qui-Gon would dare anything when he found a challenge that interested him, even if he risked himself in the undertaking.

So it was here. Jar Jar Binks was a risk of the greatest magnitude, and there was no reason to think that embracing such a risk would reap even the smallest reward.

 

I think Qui Gon's decision to train Anakin was far more disastrous.

 

Technically, when the Jedi told him "no" he did concede:


"Qui-Gon, sir, I don't want to be a problem."
"You won't be, Ani. I'm not allowed to train you, so I want you to watch me and be mindful."


It was Obi-Wan who made the decision to train Anakin - albeit only at Qui-Gon's dying request.

 

Back in 1999 they still released the novelizations before theatrical release, and I picked it up a few days before the opening. Been awhile, but I remember being very excited to finally see how the story was going to unfold, it all made sense, you could see how the story would get to the OT. Made watching TPM in theaters even better!

 

I remember buying the AOTC novel, The soundtrack, and reading the book while listening to the soundtrack a few days before the movie came out.