Below is an editorial on Star Wars that I had my website after The Phantom Menace was released before the release of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Some of my opinions on these items have altered in the eight years since I originally wrote this and they can be found elsewhere on this site.
I have tried to keep as largely silent as I could on this subject knowing that my opinions are not the mainstream of Star Wars fan's opinions.(or the very least not the mainstream of some of the more vocal fans) I can no longer keep silent. I speak mostly on behalf of The Phantom Menace and why it is just as good as the other Star Wars movies and well deserving of the name Star Wars.
A little background (very little) on me first. I am a thirty year old, white male fan. In order of preference I like the Star Wars movies in the following order.
1. The Empire Strikes Back (Nothing, including other SW movies comes close)
2. A New Hope
3. The Phantom Menace (yes! BEFORE Jedi, explained later)
4. Return of the Jedi
The biggest reason I write this is in response to EVERY article I read concerning something about Star Wars now opens up with bashing TPM. I play videogames and I can't read a review of the latest SW game without the reviewer stating their hatred for Jar Jar in the first sentence. This animosity even extends to all of Star Wars to some degree. I remember reading a review for Super Bombad racing where the article reluctantly admitted to liking the game just because it was Star Wars.
This must end for two reasons. First, I have to question whether you even are a Star Wars fan if you didn't like The Phantom Menace. (You're probably only a Luke or Han or Leia fan and not a SW fan. Don't confuse the two) Two, if you don't like it please simply go away. You are ruining the party for the rest of us. I waited 16 LOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG years for the return of Star Wars and it's finally back and we aren't getting the six more movies we were promised. We are only getting three and I want to enjoy them to the fullest.
Why the Phantom Menace is great.
| 1> SW fans love lightsabers and this movie has more lightsaber action in it than the other three movies combined. |
| 2> The young Obi-Wan kicks a$$ making Alec Guiness' take on the character that much cooler. |
3> People said this movie had no story, I submit to you that this movie has more story in it than almost the entire other trilogy. I'll explain
a. A New Hope: Boy on dirt ball of planet gets caught up in a galactic scale war, saves princess and blows up death star. Groundwork for road to jediness is laid
b. The Empire Strikes Back, Vader looks for Luke, empire opens up a can of whoop-a$$. Does anyone complain about the fact that the opening scroll says Vader is obsessed with finding the young Skywalker? No. Were we left with any impression that he might in A New Hope. Not really (Though the line "the force is strong in this one" could be argued) Does anyone care? No.
c. Return of the Jedi. Don't get me wrong I find Jedi to be the fourth greatest movie ever made and any film on my list below Jedi is far below it…with that said… Teddy bears? Come on! The Ewoks don't bother me in the slightest but everyone is always bashing Jar Jar for being so annoying and we were given an entire forest full of teddy bears. Let me ask you this. If you could be a Gungan warrior or a two foot Ewok which would choose?
d. The Phantom Menace. Senator Palpatine begins to lay groundwork for his ascension into power and succeeds. Yes, boys and girls the bad guy WON at the end of the Phantom Menace. Palpatine was elected as supreme chancellor of the Senate, his goal from the start. He manipulated the Queen of Naboo, the Neimodians and the entire council to make it happen. He didn't care about taking over Naboo or winning the trade blockade. These were things he instigated to get himself elected and he won. Yeah, no plot there. (That was Sarcasm just now) But we aren't done. The chosen one. I loved this idea. There was no father for Anakin. Very mythical themes that Lucas always uses. Great stuff. "at last we will have revenge" Hmmmm, what could that be about? (Well read SW fans know what that's about but you get my point, a little intrigue there) People complained about the pod race being too long…Hello? Did anyone complain about the Hoth Battle? Droids walking in the desert for forty minutes? The battle at the end of Jedi? The skiff battle? These are some of the things that make Star Wars great. Sure, Jar Jar can be annoying but he is a small part of the movie, not the whole movie. If you dismiss the greatness of the Phantom Menace for Jar Jar I wonder why you like any of the Star Wars movies. People also bashed the acting in this movie. Have you seen the other movies? Okay good. Did you miss Mark Hamill in all of them? |
|
Of course these new films will never live up to the original trilogy. We have had sixteen years to build up that series as the end-all be-all of Star Wars existence. Nothing could live up to what older Star Wars fans have built up Star Wars to be in their minds, nothing. That doesn't mean the new movies are bad. If you've made it this far into this essay I suggest that when you are done, pop in Episode I and watch it as a Star Wars fan like you did twenty years ago. If you were given Ewoks today you would hate Return of the Jedi.
Another thing that is beginning to bug me is this Phantom edit making the rounds. (For those of you that don't know. The Phantom Edit is a re-edited version of the Phantom Menace done by a fan. You can find more info on this at theforce.net) The only re-edited versions of a movie I want to see are done by the director of the movie in the first place. And I'm not talking any director. I'm talking Cameron, Spielberg, Lucas type directors. I never want to have to experience something like the Director's cut of Blade Runner ever again.
The Phantom Menace was made just like Lucas wanted it. It doesn't need to be re-edited at all, ever. Those of you that don't like it can go rent Speed or something but please stop bringing my enjoyment of a fine installment into the SW universe down. And I don't want to see ANY of you in the theater when Episode II comes out. I mean it, STAY HOME! Why would you see the sequel to a film you hated anyway? Don't be a hypocrite and stay home.
Instead of wasting your time bashing something you don't like go find something you like to promote. There is plenty of negativity in this world already. Accentuate the positive and of course, May the Force be with you.
|
