"Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

Every generation has a legend. Every journey has a first step. Every saga has a beginning.

"Finding him was the will of the force, I have no doubt of that." - Qui-Gon Jinn​

Release Date: May 19, 1999
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: George Lucas
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Pernilla August, Ahmed Best, Anthony Daniels, Ray Park, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz

Plot Summary: Naboo, a peaceful planet governed by the young, elusive, but wise Queen Amidala (Portman), is being threatened by the corrupt Trade Federation, puppets of an evil Sith lord and his terrifying apprentice, Darth Maul (Park). The seemingly benevolent Senator Palpatine (McDiarmid) is chief advisor to the queen, though there are suspicions surrounding him. Jedi knights Qui-Gon Jinn (Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) are called on to intervene in the trade disputes. Along the way, they acquire an apprentice of their own in the form of young prodigal Anakin Skywalker (Lloyd). They also encounter Jar Jar Binks (Best), a goofy, lizardlike creature who has been banished from his underwater world for his clumsiness. When the Trade Federation launches an attack on Naboo, the queen and her allies must battle hordes of robot troopers while Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan face off against the sinister Darth Maul.

Visit the Episode I page on StarWars.com here.

Buy the movie!

• Related Threads
• "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" talkback
• "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" talkback
• "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" talkback
• "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" talkback
• "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" talkback

Comments?


I used "Episode I" as the example of How to do a movie talkback but have never gotten around to posting it. That day has finally arrived.

The posting of this talkback also starts a new movie feature here on The Entertainment Board. The Movie Talkback of the Month. This feature will be used to highlight some of the previously released movies in the Movie talkbacks From A to Z section. Sometimes they will be new (like July here) and other times they will be selected from the current list. Hopefully this will help foster some discussion in these threads. Look for the Movie Talkback of the Month below the current releases in the first post of the Movie Talkback Thread Collection.

Now on to talking about the first prequel of the Star Wars trilogy!

 

[Hatter]

TPM is an amazing piece of work. Just a pure Science-Fantasy, like an updated Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon. That's what it is to me, a fun '50's serial, updated.
Fantastic characters like Qui-Gon Jinn, my favorite character of the entire saga. He just has this incredible nobility.. he's the ultimate Jedi.
Queen Amidala, The Neimoidians, Jar Jar Binks, who I love. He's the archtypal "Jester" character, who ultimately ends up saving the day.




Oh course, it took me 25 viewings to realize all this, hehe...

 

[Chris Wood]

Easily the worst film of the series. It does contain the best lightsaber duel of the series at the end, but that's about it for the highlights.

 

[DianaGohan]

It's filled with some wooden dialogue and some cliched character descriptions, but it has a nice story structure and some very nice graphical touch, not to metnion well done action scenes. Highlights: Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi vrs the guards at the beginning (and later the descive duel between Darth Maul), the Pod Race sequence, and the council meeting on letting Anakin become a Jedi or not. I give it a B+.

 

[James]

Not a bad film. Enjoyed it in the cinema. Jar Jar is a poor choice of character. Too intrusive and offers little. His inclusion in the final battle belittled the risk the Gungan's were taking. In fact we didn't see one die. At least we saw a couple of Ewoks die in ROTJ.

Anakin. I thought they should have had a more bratty character which exhibited the impetuousness of the character. The 'opps I've activated the autopilot, opps I'm heading for the main space battle' would have come across better if he had intentionally disobeyed Qui-gon and gone to fight in space. It was just too kiddified. I think there was a chance to add some foreboding and personality to the character.

Finally, news flash: Jedi may have cool sabres, but they are dull. There needed to be a stronger co-star to balance out their predictable nature OTHER than Jar Jar!

 

[Mysteryinfoman]

It was a not bad movie. It had it's good parts but also it's bad parts. They should have explained a little more about the crisis in the beginning.
Parts I did not like were the Anakins mom and Jedi thing. It was boring but I guess it was needed in the movie. Parts I liked were both lightsaber duels and part of the final battle. Also liked how they did not reveal alot about the villians. 3/5

 

[DarkAngel]

His inclusion in the final battle belittled the risk the Gungan's were taking. In fact we didn't see one die. At least we saw a couple of Ewoks die in ROTJ.

I think we only saw one Ewok die in ROTJ. In TPM, I'm positive there were dead gungan bodies during the battle. I don't own the DVD, but when I rented it some time back, I specifically looked for that during the battle. I recall seeing dead gungans.

 

[Mynd Hed]

It gets two stars for the lightsaber fight alone. The rest of the movie... I'm sorry, it was just plain crap. Ah, I remember back in the day when a golden, effete robot with a British accent and a wisecracking soon-to-be Indiana Jones were all the comic relief a Star Wars movie needed....

 

[James]

I think we only saw one Ewok die in ROTJ. In TPM, I'm positive there were dead gungan bodies during the battle. I don't own the DVD, but when I rented it some time back, I specifically looked for that during the battle. I recall seeing dead gungans.

Yeah, you are right, there was only one Ewok - but it was a scene implied Ewoks were dying, and the loss of loved ones fighting for a cause. I don't thing this compares to a few dead bodies in the background as Jar Jar runs his comedy show in the foreground. It hardly highlights the risks the Gungans were taking - especially if you need to squint to find them.

 

[Ordinary Guy]

I have no qwarls with this movie. It's frickin' Star Wars. But there are some bad things about this movie. I agree with SJJ about how Anakin should've just disobeyed Qui-Gon and go on into the space battle. It would've given more depth to the character transcending into Clones of him being arrogant and defeying orders. I.e his forbidden marriage at the end Clones.

Is it me or does it seem like forever until they meet Anakin.

Jar Jar Binks. Yes he was annoying, but I never measured this movie by how much he was or wasn't in the movie. Because he wasn't there for my enjoyment, he was catered to the kids of the same parents who were kids and enjoyed the Ewoks back in 1983.

 

[Chris Wood]

Yeah, you are right, there was only one Ewok - but it was a scene implied Ewoks were dying, and the loss of loved ones fighting for a cause. I don't thing this compares to a few dead bodies in the background as Jar Jar runs his comedy show in the foreground. It hardly highlights the risks the Gungans were taking - especially if you need to squint to find them.

The Gungan battle -
Terrible. Some hapless aliens against some wimpy robots. Who cares?
The Gungans don't even have guns. A Smurf foodfight would have been more vicious.

The space battle -
Also terrible. Yes, it looks cool overall, but we only focus on the very annoying Anakin (who unfortunately, though inevitably, survives). And then Anakin single-handedly wins the battle by mistake???? Ridiculous. This was an insult to all the highly trained rebel pilots who bravely died in the effort to destroy the two Death Stars.

The palace battle -
Not bad, but not as much tension as there could have been. Should have been more people dying.

The lightsaber duel -
Simply awesome, except for the conclusion. Quigon and Darth Maul meet their ends a little too easily for my taste.

 

[Stev13_VJED]

This and Episode 2 in exception to the truly impressive specal effects and Natalie Portman/ Ewan Mcgregor /Yoda were most dissapointing and were the wrost in the series . TPM seemed bland and the special effects , though superbly done could not possibly make up for the wooden dialogue and stinted acting . I detest I repeat DETEST Anakin Skywalker especialy Haden's version which I believe is why every Jedi now carries five extra horse laxatives for the side-effect of constapation . The Viceroy's sounded oddly asian mostly Japanese ? This was sort of cool since I only thought evil characters in Star Wars were old British men ! All in all both this gets a 3 out of 5 and AOTC can only get a 4 out of 5 (Natalie in that shirt and Yoda kicking butt saves this from a three)

 

[Good Ol' Batmanuel!]

Well, this movie kinda killed my enthusiasm about the new movies in general. I won't compare them to the original trilogy, because I don't think that's fair. There were definitely positives, such as the pod race (which led to the awesome arcade game ), the duel with Darth Maul, more excellent music and some beautiful visuals (especially the Gungans' underwater city). Overall, though, I just found the dialogue to be, put bluntly, boring! I just feel this somber mood throughout much of it. I also don't feel the characters were fleshed out enough. This aspect definitely got better in Episode II, but that movie doesn't exactly have the most scintillating dialogue, either. Oh, and Jar Jar Binks... Anyway, a decent movie, for sure, but not among my favorites (or at least ones I'd think of quickly). I give it 3.5 stars.

P.S. I decided to look up Jake Lloyd at imdb.com to see what he's been up to since the movie. The poor guy has only done two non-Star Wars related projects since.

 

[The Penguin]

****1/2

“Promise me you will train the boy. …He is the chosen one, he will bring balance…”

Well seeing how this is July’s Movie Talkback of the Month and July will be over in 20 minutes (and in some time zones already is), I should probably get my comments in on this movie now.

I honestly feel more connected to Episode I and Episode II because they are happening here, right now. I really like the original trilogy (look for talkbacks in 2005 to celebrate the final chapter—it’s closer than you think), but the last one came out when I was three. For some reason I like these new ones. Some folks seem awfully “eh” about this movie, but I really enjoyed it and have watched it two or three times this summer.

Jumping right in…

I can think of no one better than Ewan McGregor to play a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. His casting was a great decision considering how key Obi-Wan is to the saga. The original trilogy Vader hides behind a cape and a helmet, making the young version of the Jedi Master the prequel casting that could not be screwed up.

Qui-Gon Jinn really is a great character. He has such a presence that just commands respect even though he would never demand respect from anyone. After listening to the Weird Al parody, “The Saga Begins” I actually knew Qui-Gon was going to “meet up with Darth Maul and become toast” but I wasn’t prepared for how it happened, with Obi-Wan forced to watch his mentor run through with a light saber. The final time master and apprentice would speak was a very touching and surreal moment that really sticks with you. Obi-Wan would have begun training an apprentice soon anyway, but to have that training be fulfilling the final request of his dying master must have just put extra pressure on him. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan each had some many outside factors almost against them, it’s no wonder the wide-eyed nine-year-old boy turns to the Dark Side.

Speaking of Anakin, it’s just interesting thinking about how this innocent little boy will become Darth Vader and destroy entire planets and other living, breathing people with just a motion of his hand. When we first meet him he’s being talked down to by a portly blue alien and then offers to help three people he barely knows. “Mom, you say the biggest problem is no one helps each other.”

I really liked Natalie Portman as Padmé; she really seems genuine and seems to care a great deal about the little boy who first asked her if she was an angel. Except for the one time she was talking to Anakin, Queen Amidala always came off as rather stiff, but I’m guessing that was by design to make her seem like almost a separate character.

In the commentary Lucas mentions that Qui-Gon knows the entire time that the Queen is masquerading as Padme and he uses it to taunt her in subtle ways. “The queen trusts my judgment young handmaiden, you should too.” It’s really funny when you think about it. “You assume too much.”

I know what everyone says, but I honestly don’t hate Jar Jar Binks. He was intended as the comic relief and that’s exactly what he was. I didn’t roll my eyes when Jar Jar said something—I laughed. I think he provided some light hearted moments at just the right time and it worked.

Even though come Friday this one will no longer be the Movie Talkback of the Month I might even be back with some more comments after I watch it again and have more time, in the meantime…

“We will watch your career with great interest.”

 

[HellCat]

Anakin. I thought they should have had a more bratty character which exhibited the impetuousness of the character. The 'opps I've activated the autopilot, opps I'm heading for the main space battle' would have come across better if he had intentionally disobeyed Qui-gon and gone to fight in space. It was just too kiddified. I think there was a chance to add some foreboding and personality to the character.

Episode II really annoyed me on Anakin's descent into darkness. Watching ROTJ I felt sorry for him but since Lucas seems to want him to turn because he's a whiny teenager....Anyway, Jake Llyod who played the role in Episode I is bad enough off camera. I've seen and read alot of behind the scene stuff and he's a brat. They had to cut out a scene because he refused to say "Coruscant" the way George asked him too. This brattiness can be seen in quite a few scenes. At the time of release, he made himself out to be a big fan of the series. So that's why the scene where he says goodbye to C-3P0 is so horrible to watch? This kid is supposed to have spent years working on this droid and as we see earlier he likes to show this off. But when he leaves, his creation get's a half-hearted "Bye" which make you feel Jake just wanted to get the scene over and done with.

 

[Shawn Hopkins]

I actually started to nod off a little in the theater during this. A Star Wars film should be more than two hours of my life I'll never get back. I perked up for a moment when Amidala's girl bodyguards started running around like teenage Charlie's Angels shooting people, but that was about it.

I think the robots helped make the battles boring, because it was hard to worry about Jedis when they were fighting tinkertoys. It was especially hard to care about the battles between CGI robots and CGI Gungans, which was like watching a videogame. I agree that, at least more Gungans should have died on camera, to give the battles some emotional resonance. I don't think Jar Jar would be as hated a character if he had bought it heroically in the big battle.

 

[DarkAngel]

I agree with SJJ about how Anakin should've just disobeyed Qui-Gon and go on into the space battle.

I disagree. I think it would have been too much to see a kid his age intentionally take a fighter up into a space battle. If he's going to be involved in a battle like that, it's far more realistic that end up there by accident. I know this is the guy that will one day be Vader, but in TPM isn't he only 9 or 10? There's no way I could accept someone his age knowing how to handle a fighter and kicking tail just like that. Heroics like that would be more fitting of Anakin in epII or epIII.

 

[Dr Kain]

This is the 2nd best SW movie IMO. The 1st is Attack of the Corny Dialog, I mean Clones. Anyway, I'm not that much of a SW fan, but this movie was great. I was never bored during the movie as I am during the original trilogy. I wished Darth Maul had a bigger role though because he was such a cool character. The pod race was an excellent scene, with lots of cool effects. I can't wait for EpIII because it will be the best of all 6. This is a great way to start off a series of 6 movies, and has increased my interest in SW, but not enough to want to own anything other than the movies.

As for Jar Jar, well, if Qui Gon had let him be killed, he would've never been alive to be one responsible for the fall of the republic.

 

[The Penguin]

"The Phantom Menace" airs tonight

FOX began airing Episode I at 7 p.m. ET to "compete" with the Oscars. If you want to check it out again or just want talk about the movie again, this is the place!

 

[AnimatedSnow47]

First off, props off to FOX for airing something cool and unrealistic against the boring Oscars ceremony. I would definetly tape if I didn't already own the widescreen, special-edition DVD.

I think The Phantom Menace gets a bad rap and is actually quite a good movie. The special effects are astounding. And, yes, I do like Jar-Jar. He's funny. The battle scenes are all well-executed. I even like the explanation about the midiclorins. Very Star Trek-ish.

The Pod Racing sequence is alright, but the battles near the end really steal the show for me. I just remember, being a Trek fan, and seeing the trailers about the "Federation taking control" and "the Federation has gone too far" and saying, We would never do that!

The acting is pretty good, although Samuel Jackson (Mace Windu) and Yoda aren't given enough to do. However, this is redemied in the even-better Attack of the Clones.

So, if I had to rate the Star Wars films in a nutshell from best to worst (arguably, this is just my opinion):

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones - A+ - Not a slow moment. Amazing battles. Good humor w/ C3P0 & R2D2
Star Wars (A New Hope) - A - The classic. Slow start on Tatooine, but gets kicking once at Mos Eisley. Great all around, from acting to special effects to humor. The Death Star will always rock.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - A - And, yes, I like the Ewoks too. Better battle scene than in New Hope. A little too dark, but not much.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace - A - A bit slow in the middle, but not by much. Great SFX, good humor and solid acting. Great action also.
Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back - C+ - No really big battle sequence. Very dark tones. Unhappy ending. Diminished humor. Yoda sequences seriously drag.