Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Probably not the Star Wars episode you were expecting me to review today, but in keeping with the "flashback" order I'm revisiting the saga in, it's the review you're getting.
I was only four years old when The Phantom Menace came out, and although I didn't see it until 2005, I do remember getting a small taste of the huge anticipation and hype it received at the time. My fellow pre-school classmates started playing Star Wars at recess, and that was probably the first time I heard the words Star Wars. From what I've heard, the hype for George Lucas's return to Star Wars after sixteen years was unbelievably huge; fans were setting high and near impossible expectations. I experienced a similar wave of hype for Episode VII two years ago, although I did my best to distance myself from it, seeing as I had already resolved to not see the sequel. But back to the prequel: Did The Phantom Menace live up to all the hype?
A quick scan of the Internet today would lead you to think the answer is "no", but it's easy to forget that when The Phantom Menace was released 18 years and 3 days ago, it got a generally positive reception. It was only the launch of various anonymous Internet sources that quickly turned it into a candidate for the most hated film of all time (and it remains one to this day).
I remember my first viewing of The Phantom Menace very well. It was in the summer of 2005, after having spent the preceding academic year being introduced to Star Wars through the DVDs of the original trilogy. Before I saw the prequels, my parents had told me that they weren't very good; I sometimes wonder if they ever planned on showing the prequels to me and my brother (I saw all three prequels for the first time while I was on vacation without my parental units) at all. I, however, did what I doubt many of the fans and haters were able to do in 1999 when the movie came out: I approached it without a preconceived notion of how it should play out. I knew that my opinion could end up matching that of my elders, as it usually did in those days when it came to movies, but I also knew that the movie could surprise me and I could end up liking it.
As it turned out, I more than liked The Phantom Menace. I loved it. After that first viewing, my love and appreciation for the Star Wars saga that had already been fairly high in the eight months since I'd been introduced to it increased drastically. At the time, my favorite element of the movie was not the increased amount of Jedi action time, the Podrace, or even Darth Maul, but... Jar Jar Binks. Yes, you read that right. I saw nothing racial in his character (but considering that I was only ten years old and racism wasn't even in my vocabulary, that's not surprising) and thought he was very funny. Beyond just providing humor, I also easily identified with his character: someone who just wants to help his friends despite his accident-prone nature. Although I've read multiple proclamations that Jar Jar Binks does nothing at all for the plot of the movie, I firmly disagree. In the words of Boss Nass, "Jar Jar bring ussen and da Naboo together." He's the one responsible for the meeting, and subsequent peace, between Naboo's two great societies, and that's a pretty significant element of the plot. Speaking of Boss Nass, I also found him very entertaining, mainly because of the constant mouth gargling.
But if my only praise for The Phantom Menace was Gungan-related, that would be a pretty weak argument, as there is so much more I've come to love and appreciate about the movie after having sat through it probably more times than any other film. I'll start with the movie's main character: Qui-Gon Jinn. He is hands down the most important Star Wars character to only appear in one movie. He has power, wisdom, and compassion in a pretty much perfect combination; he is the living example of what the Jedi Order should have been like. Qui-Gon was the one Jedi in existence at the time to realize the importance of trusting one's feelings over the rather strict Jedi Code. Throughout the trilogy, we never see anyone show the same sort of care and understanding towards Anakin Skywalker that he does; I think any child's ideal father figure would be Qui-Gon. His relationship with his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, also deserves mention, as although the two of them do have their disagreements, they are always settled without either of them having to even raise his voice; Qui-Gon even sends a compliment Obi-Wan's way in their final quiet moment together. This sort of behavior and calm, patient approach towards teaching is never seen in any other Jedi throughout the trilogy. Qui-Gon is probably the most top-notch mentor out of the many that have been played by Liam Neeson, and I truly think that if he had survived The Phantom Menace and been able to train Anakin, he would have been able to prevent the tragedy of the Chosen One.
Speaking of Anakin, the young Chosen One is also one of my favorite elements of The Phantom Menace. Jake Lloyd was widely criticized for his performance, but I fail to see him being bad at all. (Gotta support my hometown! Seriously, I thought he was fine.) After I first saw the movie, I couldn't quite believe the large contrast between Anakin and the relentless killing machine I knew he was destined to become. Anakin was another character I was quick to identify with; he is always quick to find some way to help his friends, even if that involves putting his life on the line. I'm in awe of those nerves of steel he shows while piloting even at a very young age, and at the time when I first saw The Phantom Menace, I shared Anakin's fear of being separated from one's guardian for a long period of time. After several viewings of the film, I do see some very subtle elements of darkness in the young Anakin, namely his expression during his scene with the Jedi Council. I think the movie does a very good job of establishing Anakin as a skilled pilot, great mechanic, and aspiring adventurer.
Obi-Wan Kenobi's part in The Phantom Menace is not that large compared to the next two films, but he does still have his enjoyable moments. I still do chuckle at his sarcasm ("The negotiations were short."), and I find meaning in his conversations with Qui-Gon: they establish Obi-Wan is a by-the-book Jedi who takes as little risk as possible. Like Anakin's, Obi-Wan's personality also ends up significantly evolving from the first (chronological) chapter.
Completing the puzzle of main characters is Queen Amidala, who I've come to appreciate more and more through my many viewings of The Phantom Menace. People have criticized her odd voice in the queen makeup, but I think that's part of her character: she is truly free to be herself when she takes off the crown and goes by her birth name Padmé. Like her, I truly feel free when I don't have to take responsibilities for everything I do, and I admire her resourcefulness in the final battle.
As for the movie's villains, they're quite memorable too. The battle droids may not be terribly effective (the making of superior army forces is a sort of theme throughout the saga), but they are still amusing. I love their voices and their confused dialogue during the escape scene. ("Coruscant? Uh, that doesn't compute. Uh, wait, uh... you're under arrest!") Darth Sidious has a brilliantly evil voice and appearance and is a very good example of a ruler through fear, which not only leads to the dark side of the Force, but is used by it. And of course, there's Darth Maul. I admittedly wish he had more than three lines, but that face tattoo job is still completely bad-ass, the three lines alone combined with those intense eyes are enough to show his extreme desire for the taste of Jedi blood, and I'm a little in awe of his skill with the double lightsaber. It's beyond cool. The side characters in Watto and Sebulba also deserve mention, as they each exhibit a popular state of mind among people these days. Watto represents the common view of only being in the world for the money while being indifferent to events happening around him in the world (or galaxy), and Sebulba's Podracing strategy represents another type of indifferent attitude: "As long as it's not me."
Other highlights of The Phantom Menace for me are the visual effects, which include some very impressive exterior shots for 1999, and the absolutely stunning action scenes. The Podrace was a very well-choreographed scene, and I seem to notice something new every time I see it; the intense attention to detail is clearly there. The four-phase final battle is also structured very well, particularly the impressive choreography for the duel between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Darth Maul. John Williams also delivers a great score, highlighted by the theme for the young Anakin, which contains a subtle hint of the darkness that will dominate his destiny, the Podrace fanfare, the Trade Federation march, and of course the catchy and intense action theme "Duel of the Fates."
Now, while I love this film, it isn't perfect. One of Lucas's flaws is that he frequently doesn't refer to side characters by name in his films. Governor Tarkin is only referred to by name twice in A New Hope, and Boba Fett's name is never mentioned in The Empire Strikes Back, but this flaw really shows here. Nute Gunray's name is not mentioned once, despite the fact that his part in this film is bigger than in the next two. Shmi Skywalker and Mace Windu receive a similar treatment, and even Qui-Gon's name isn't mentioned until he introduces himself to Shmi. Also, I wasn't the biggest fan of the Yoda puppet used in The Phantom Menace. I understand Lucas was trying to make Yoda look younger, but the puppet still looked a lot more rubber than the one for the original trilogy. Thankfully, in the latest incarnation of The Phantom Menace, Lucas corrected this flaw by using the CGI Yoda model from the next two films.
But these are pretty minor gripes, and do nothing to sway my opinion on The Phantom Menace, which is a great beginning to an epic story and easily my third favorite Star Wars episode. Whatever people may say, I have always loved The Phantom Menace's story of the unity between two societies and the rise of the Chosen One and the Sith Lords. Highlighted by all of the above aspects, this movie will always hold a special place in my heart.
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