yes the Duel of the Fates was the 2nd best duel in the new SW...

It was good, but unfortunately one watchable scene does not make a good movie. Or even an average one.

I would disagree with tht somewhat. I think Lucas is a very good director in terms of visual content. That's why all of the action and technical cues in the prequel trilogy have all been (IMO) pretty good. He has a pretty damn good eye for all of that. But his ability to work with actors themselves and to envision what the characters should be like (instead of the set, camera-work, etc.) is where is lack of originality lies.

George Lucas is really just a typical action blockbuster director.

his original films created the most famous original universe with the most popular mythology in all of film. I think he's intelligent to a certain degree, but he had nothing left after Star Wars and Indy.

I think it gets too much hate, it's enjoyable.

If it wasn't a Star Wars movie, it'd be received as a solid blockbuster with awesome FX. I like it more than say... 300. It certainly isn't a disaster on a Spider-man 3 level or anything.

Spider-Man 3 is infinitely better than this film. And Spider-Man 3 was a bad film.




There's nothing original about the Star Wars films/universe. It's a tepid combination of inter-religious doctrines and Golden Age science fiction. And it's not even real science fiction.

well, it's the most popular, financially successful, and culturally impacting universe of them all, so obviously he did something right

I'm not an enormous Star Wars fan, but I can acknowledge that he achieved a lot...a film with as much humor/camp as Star Wars getting nominated TODAY would require something insane...but something like that happening thirty years ago when every BP nom was extremely generic Hollywood stuff is just insane. There really isn't any unusual Best Picture nominee before Star Wars.

I hope you're not implying Annie Hall was that.

Yes, Citizen Kane, a film boycotted by Hollywood, was pretty generic Hollywood stuff.

It's basically a long toy commercial, but still better than Clones.

I think its silly to say Lucas has no talent. I agree 2/3 prequels were not good at all and I think he ruined a lot of his reputation due to the prequels. However, he created a storyline that in longevity and popularity makes HP look small in comparison in North America.

He created a series that in North America is so popular it, even 34+ years after release its almost as popular as ever.

Few things dealing with entertainment have such a long life span, and clearly the only reason is the story was well liked by audiences.

Star Wars is associated with nerds and geeks but almost every average person knows the story and the music and darth vader.

Therefore, Lucas has flaws but that does not mean he does not have talent. Also it does not matter if you guys say the films are generic and cash cows, because to general audiences the old trilogy was very popular and well liked to this day.

Using that logic we can go after any big well liked film from the past.

So did u see it in 3D? How was it?
Was it Avatar 3D or Clash of the Titans 3D

Neither.

It was decent, very good in a few scenes, but unremarkable for about 90% of the movie.

As much as I remember not liking TPM, I'm surprisingly really excited about seeing it again on the big screen.

So was I. So I saw it...and still didn't like it.

God, I forgot how awful Jar Jar was.

yeah, it's pretty cringe-worthy.
There's just way way too much going on in this chaotic silly flick. The original series kept their focus pretty narrow, the plot fairly direct, it just doesn't have the time to support the horrifically naive political schemes and sub-plots it desperately imparts. The effects are undeniably excellent for the time but their lost in a myriad of blah. I prefer episode II honestly, there's a little better actors, a little better effects, a little less nonsense, not that it's any good either.

I can honestly say I haven't seen this movie since I was 11, back when it came out and I liked it then. I don't think I'd ever buy it on DVD so I figured what the hell. After seeing it, I really can't see what all the hate is about. George really hits most of his marks, despite not directing a film for 22 years. As a film itself it's better than any of the Narnia film or other SW inspired effects films of the last decade (I know Narnia is based on a book, but it would never have been adapted if not for SW) The characters all around are interesting, including Jake Lloyd who I thought would be vomit inducing this time around, he is actually pretty charming in the film. I dare to say his scenes with Natalie Portman of puppy love actually have more chemistry then with Hayden.

Looking at the film, the first half is very solid and by the numbers Star Wars. Even Jar Jar is pretty manageable for during this part. I can laugh at him now at how politically incorrect and racist he is towards the Jamaican population. The effects are of course great, especially the landscapes Lucas has created, and in 3D are just as awe inducing as in Avatar. In fact the 3D in general despite not being filmed in 3D does work remarkably well and Lucas looks to have really put a lot of effort into it. The story is interesting if simple, But I think focusing more on Anakin, Qui Gon, Obi Wan and the mystery of the Sith would have been a much better way to not piss fans off. I forgot how good Liam Neesan actually was in this. He is definitely Lucas hitting the high marks of the original franchise. Still pissed he died, considering that by the 3rd film we learn he is the first person to actually master the force. Lucas should have did what he did with the first films and come up with the back stories for every new character, and what they may do in the other prequels. I like General Panaka too, I would have liked to have seen him worked in some how in the future films. In fact there are a few missed explored in this film not given and further look in the others, which I fine to be missed opportunities.

The final battle works on most levels, but the Gungan battle which could have had at least a more emotional punch, is severely lacking thanks to what I would assume is where merchandising came in in post production. We don't even see a Gungan killed. Instead most of the hatred of Jar Jar has to come from the five moments they show him during the film's climax. He is aimed completely at kids, is really dumb, the exact same thing happens in a different way. He fumbles and some how that turns to his advantage. Since the whole thing was computer generated, I'm sure it was added in as an after thought to brighten up the other more extreme parts of the finale. Of course, the Lightsaber battle still is probably the 2nd best in the series after Empire, and the music is just amazing in here.

I think when it comes down to it, no one will really ever change their mind on this film. It has the misfortune of being called SW, which is unfair because the world itself isn't the 70s/80s anymore when it comes to violence in PG films. It was fun seeing kids going ape shit during the film though and I'm glad I watched it. I think if this was truly the 1st film (considering the next 4 and a half films get better and better) the first 3 films would be held in much higher esteem.

As of now I was happy to see it, and look forward to seeing all in theaters in order. I give this one a B+

7/10 -> B-

Not having seen this movie since it came out (and I wasn't impressed by Attack of the Clones either, which lead to never having seen Revenge of the Sith at all!) I was surprised by how enjoyable this way. I didn't hate it back then and never really understood the hate. But to me both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones were well done, but in the end unremarkable movies which didn't add much to the original trilogy.

So the verdict, for me, is still the same. Good movie. Oh and I was glad to see this one on the big screen again, even in converted 3D. But I'm looking forward to 2015, 2016, 2017 when the original trilogy comes. I have never seen those on the big screen and even though they won't be in their original edition I'll be there opening day. I loved those as a kid and still love them just as much today.

Well bad movies have no good scenes.


The Pod race and the Duel of the Fates were great scenes.

THE PHANTOM MENACE 08.15.14

I've said how I can't watch these prequels beginning to end anymore but I did sit through TPM yesterday. There's so much to enjoy about this film like the Jedi's, the council, the visuals, the pod race sequence, the gungan droid battle, space fight and finally the darth maul fight. I think all this film needs is to remove or edit a few elements that just really distract you. First, anything slapstick with Jar Jar. It must have been a nice thought or idea to have him in the film which was rated PG and all family friendly but the stuff he did was just stupid/har har funny. Walking in the pooh, snatching food with his tongue, his outrageous speech (somewhat cute but also annoying), his ridiculous assistance during the droid battle. Those are just a few. Get rid of all those distracting elements. Second, the kid actor for Anakin. They should have aged up the kid and made him a teen or have a 18-20 yr old actor who looks 15-16 playing the role because he really couldn't act much and the line deliveries were just cringe worthy at times. The final major issue which I think Everyone would trade all the Jar Jar stuff, Han Solo shooting first and Vader screaming No. The Midichlorian nonsense. Whoever came up with that needs help. It was stupid, made no sense and totally trampled over everything that happened in the Future! Hopefully it's never mentioned in the new series. Overall, I think the film is actually pretty good save for those two elements. Could have used a bit more Maul/Qui Gon on Tattoine but ott the film is entertaining.

Grade - B

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

We had a Star Wars marathon in preparation for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens in December. Our starting point was The Phantom Menace. Having forgotten most of the film from my 1999 theatrical viewing, I was eager to start this franchise and review it with a more seasoned critical mind.

Well, firstly, the film wasn't as much of a bore fest as I remember it being back in 1999. Having said that, the film just isn't good in most aspects, and it feels more of an attempt to capitalise on the Star Wars brand than offer a challenging new instalment in the series. The film is chock-full of bad visual effects. That is by far the worst element. It almost feels like a computer game, and when humans enter the fray, this is all the more apparent. Overused green screen technology plagues this film beyond redemption. It has needless humour (Jar Jar Binks), a wasted villain (Darth Maul), and is essentially one big procrastination by Lucas, feeding us pod races or underwater explorations for no narrative-adding reason other than to bloat the runtime. Neeson as Qui Gon Jin is good, as is McGregor as Obi Wan Kenobi, but Jake Lloyd as Anakin is just terrible, and being a child actor is no excuse. I also felt that the film is overly racist, with all the CGI-coated monsters being voiced by black or ethnic voice actors (and each of them adhering to their ancestral stereotype). The action is also very bad, with many occasions Lucas opting for close-up shots when a lightsaber duel is happening (Maul vs. Jin in the sand etc.), which is claustrophobic and a cheap tactic employed by Lucas to hide his inability as a director. The end fight is better than I remembered, but far too short, overly choreographed, and not built up enough. The build up is something that Peter Jackson, for example, is very good at, but Lucas has no idea. Instead he is more concerned with comic annoyance or creating the pointless foundations to prop up the original trilogy. So when it comes to the final duel, do we give a shit? I certainly didn't. I know nothing about this Darth Maul other than him being an apprentice of Darth Sidius. We've seen him all of 3 or 4 times prior to the duel, and all times it was just small 30-second clips which don't build him up at all. Lucas just relies on his appearance (I agree, it is cool) as a way to justify the epic-ness of the final battle, which is just so, so, so lazy. The film is just impossible to get invested in with so many horrible distractions such as the worst CGI in movie history, thin characters, and a steady stream of convoluted bullshit regarding the senate or cells that make up a Jedi.

D

I've always loved this film. My least favorite Star Wars, but great nonetheless.

A

Terrible. Just terrible. Almost everything about it is terrible.

As disappointing as this film is - the lightsaber duel with Darth Maul and the pod race are probably the two most memorable scenes of the prequel trilogy.

I agree. Although the "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" is also rather memorable.