I've revisited The Phantom Menace and survived

[wayfriend]

Wayfriend's post is a "reworked" copy of a post by dAN in The Hulk movie thread.

( Just as dAN's earlier post was one of mine. I told him no one would notice. Then I showed him how to do it right. I expect he will post an appropriate obeisance in this thread shortly. )

- - - -

My biggest criticism of the first three movies is that they went back TOO far. It did not leave enough movie time to follow Darth into the dark side. The second movie could have been the first; the third movie could have been two. With respect to Anakin's story arc, that is.

[CovenantJr]

My biggest criticism of the first three movies is that they went back TOO far.

I'll agree on that. We didn't need to see Anakin's childhood and every detail of his discovery by the Jedi.

[Loredoctor]

I can't watch it again.

Same. I watched it once at the theatre and that was enough for me. Quite literally the worst 'sci-fi film' of the late 20th century.

Attack of the Clones was almost as bad - though it did have the most dreadful battle of all time (clone/droid rush).

[dlbpharmd]

I can't watch it again.

Same. I watched it once at the theatre and that was enough for me. Quite literally the worst 'sci-fi film' of the late 20th century.

Attack of the Clones was almost as bad - though it did have the most dreadful battle of all time (clone/droid rush).

IMO AOTC was the worst of the entire series.

[Fist and Faith]

AOTC was great for the visuals. The very best of it being Obi chasing the Fetts through the asteroids. Extraordinary when Jango set off those bombs!

The scene when Obi had the children helping figure out the mystery was also gorgeous. It reminded me of Data and Picard in the Stellar Cartography room in Generations. Just beautiful!


As I've said before, the biggest probloem with Eps 1-3 is that there were almost no surprises. There couldn't be many, since we all knew how it would all turn out. But there were good moments throughout.

[dlbpharmd]

AOTC was great for the visuals. The very best of it being Obi chasing the Fetts through the asteroids. Extraordinary when Jango set off those bombs!

The scene when Obi had the children helping figure out the mystery was also gorgeous. It reminded me of Data and Picard in the Stellar Cartography room in Generations. Just beautiful!

Agreed, those are great scenes. The battle b/w Obi and Fett was the best of that movie (30 seconds worth of Yoda at the end was just not enough.)

[Fist and Faith]

Damn, yeah, the Obi/Fett fight was great!! For starters, it looked pretty good. But even more important was the fact that Fett, who, afaik, has absolutely no ability with the Force (no midi-chlorians? ) took on a very competent Knight, and did more than hold his own! What an incredible fighter he was!!

Well, until...

[CovenantJr]

Really? I haven't watched AOTC all the way through a second time, but I remember sitting in the cinema and thinking that scene was pathetic.

[dlbpharmd]

Fist is right, Fett did hold his own against Obi.

[Fist and Faith]

To tell you the truth, CJ, I'm probably combining my feelings for the book and for the movie. I always read the books first, simply because I can't wait. That fight blew me away in the book. I remember being a bit disappointed when I saw it on the screen. I'm very impressed by Fett's skills, book or movie, but I'll have to read and watch it again.

[CovenantJr]

Heh. I'm not saying you're wrong about it; I just wasn't impressed myself.

[Thome]

I've never understood the admiration some have for Fett--I mean in V and VI all he does is track down the Millenium Falcon and then get eaten by the Sarnac or whatever it is. Which I thought was a dumb concept anyway.

As for Episode I, I thought it was too silly to really enjoy. The pod race was basically Ben Hur with freaks and lasers.

[Carson Napier]

I've never understood the admiration some have for Fett--I mean in V and VI all he does is track down the Millenium Falcon and then get eaten by the Sarnac or whatever it is. Which I thought was a dumb concept anyway.

As for Episode I, I thought it was too silly to really enjoy. The pod race was basically Ben Hur with freaks and lasers.

Fett was awesome, the best bounty hunter in the galaxy...and he escaped the Sarlac after some "unpleasantness".

I agree with the folks who liked Darth Maul as well, he was probably the only saving grace in Ep 1 (apart from Qui-Gon, who was well on his way to becoming a full on "grey Jedi").


CN

[I'm Murrin]

I just caught the last half hour of Phantom Menace on TV, and it's hard to miss how monumentally stupid some parts of it are. You know you have a lazy writer when two of your major characters (Jar Jar and Anakin) accomplish their most important actions in the climax through pure dumb luck.

[jacob Raver, sinTempter]

Perfect and hilarious, though crazy long, review of Phantom Menace.

Plus, a funny stand up about Lucas and Time Machines.