
When “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” debuted on Could 19, 1999, couple of motion photos earlier than (or because) had been greeted with added fevered anticipation. Not solely was the film the principal new “Star Wars” film in a era, nonetheless it was touted as the principal of a prequel trilogy charting the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi Knight fated to show to the darkish facet as Darth Vader.
Regardless of the breathless construct up (or possibly, partially, due to it), by the tip of that summer time time, the close to-universal consensus was that “The Phantom Menace” was, at greatest, a colossal disappointment and, at worst, a calamitous embarrassment. Some blamed the decision by George Lucas — directing for the principal time because 1977’s “A New Hope” — to start the story with a precocious 9-year-old Anakin (Jake Lloyd). Other people railed towards the slapstick antics and pidgin English of Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Greatest), hyped since the initially-ever CG foremost character in a reside-action film.
The movie’s abysmal status, nonetheless, didn’t harm its monetary prospects — it grossed it grossed $431 million on the household field workplace and $924 million worldwide — and it seems the negativity didn’t final. Collectively with 2002’s “Assault of the Clones” and 2005’s “Revenge of the Sith,” “The Phantom Menace” has been reclaimed by a era of followers who initially noticed the prequel trilogy as kids. The film has been rehabilitated so totally that, in response to a quantity of sources, “The Phantom Menace” is now primarily the most viewed as “Star Wars” film on the streamer worldwide.
“The Phantom Menace” starts with Anakin residing as a slave on the desert planet of Tatooine. A quantity of “Star Wars” icons fill out the strong: Ewan McGregor performs a younger and keen Obi-Wan Kenobi, who in the end introduces Luke Skywalker to the procedures of the drive quite a few a extended time later Ian McDiarmid performs Senator Palpatine, who in the end turns into the Galactic Emperor and seduces an grownup Anakin to the Darkish Aspect and the stalwart droids R2-D2 and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) start out their journey an extended, really extended time in the previous, in a galaxy far, distant.
In any other case, “The Phantom Menace” introduces a quantity of new characters performed by film stars: Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan’s Jedi Grasp Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala, the younger queen of Naboo and Anakin’s future spouse and Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Jedi Grasp and outstanding member of the Jedi Council.
Just after which there’s Jar Jar, who wound up exemplifying what some people despised in regards to the film — and far of what other folks cherished about it.
To commemorate the movie’s twenty fifth anniversary, 3 Choice staffers with 3 fully diverse histories with “The Phantom Menace” gathered to observe the film and share their concepts on Gungans, podraces, lightsaber battles and what, if anything, has modified in regards to the film immediately after 1 / four century.
Lucasfilm / Courtesy Everett Assortment
Adam B. Variety: To kick off our dialog, I ought to cop up entrance to my private bias: I applied to be in college when “The Phantom Menace” got right here out, and I applied to be amongst the quite a few era of followers who believed it was a galactic letdown. The distinctive trilogy dominated my childhood inside the Eighties, and I zealously attended the theatrical re-releases inside the Nineteen Nineties — these that George Lucas up to date with CGI that ranged from efficient to disgraceful. (I’m group “Han shot initially.”) So naturally, I obsessed more than each and every scrap of reports about “The Phantom Menace” and noticed it on opening weekend — launching my lifelong loathe-affair with Jar Jar Binks.
Angelique Jackson: I, as well, noticed the film on opening weekend, on the other hand not like Adam, I applied to be eight. My dad launched me to the distinctive trilogy earlier than I went to kindergarten to make confident I’d be properly socialized, so I grew up idolizing Princess Leia, fully in really like with Han Solo and a star scholar of Yoda’s teachings. For “The Phantom Menace,” my father and I queued up in a line that wrapped round film show, gabbing with one particular other dad and his younger daughter. The roar of the gang when the opening scroll began — as a space complete of persons that, like my dad, by no signifies truly imagined there’d be added “Star Wars” — is a core reminiscence. Add on the truth that I applied to be the identical age as Anakin and Queen Amidala was essentially a badass older-sister determine — I’ve purchased an actual comfy spot for “Episode I.”
Katcy Stephan: I had by no signifies observed a “Star Struggle” till 2024. I grew up watching tons of films with my household, on the other hand that is one particular franchise that merely by no signifies truly got right here up in our home. My understanding of the sequence up hence far has purely come by osmosis as somebody who’s been operating in well-known culture for almost a decade. Proficiently, and a couple of journeys to Disneyland — C-3PO was a great Star Excursions data! I do know the broad strokes (Anakin is Darth Vader, Han and Leia are the it couple, Kylo Ren is Ben Solo), some random trivia (the music the cantina band performs is, for some motive, referred to as “jizz”) and that folks ordinarily are not as well keen on the prequels, to spot it mildly. All that is to say, “The Phantom Menace” is my formal introduction to a galaxy far, distant.
Variety: So what did you suppose?
Stephan: Really, it was relatively enjoyable! It undoubtedly does not align with my notion of what a “Star Wars” film could be — it felt like an action-packed kids film, practically like if Kevin McCallister from “House Alone” was in region. The podracing, the give focus to younger Anakin — and naturally, the Jar Jar Binks of all of it — had been a lot sillier than I anticipated.
Variety: That is one particular option to place it!
Stephan: Let me be clear: “enjoyable” and “unhealthy” are not mutually distinctive.
Variety: Proficiently, for me on this case, “unhealthy” was really a lot “not enjoyable.” You are fully suitable, Katcy, that “The Phantom Menace” is not like diverse “Star Wars” motion photos — it is a lot added stolid than even I remembered it, especially inside the initially half. It is overrun with airless, declarative dialogue, with so small of the zip and pleasure that feels on the core of what’s produced “Star Wars” so enduring. On the other hand I’m a cranky Outdated.
Jackson: I wouldn’t say you are a cranky Outdated, Adam, on the other hand I do not know if this film will ever be just ideal for you mostly primarily based on the truth that you’d currently intellectualized “Star Wars” lore as an grownup by the point you noticed it.
I had the identical realization as Katcy upon our re-watch. That is the “Star Wars” kids film, stuffed with foolish creatures, silly humor and genuinely nicely-choreographed motion sequences, with a bunch of unintelligible political wheeling and dealing inside the background. There are quite a few elements that by no signifies relatively gel, on the other hand I had added enjoyable than I remembered.
Variety: The issue is, all of the “Star Wars” motion photos are kids motion photos, I genuinely really feel? This one particular is merely solely for teenagers. Plus, there are the unlucky, uh, accents all by way of, which evoke Earthbound stereotypes that genuinely really feel terribly misguided.
Is that this a excellent time to ask what you each and every think about Jar Jar?
Lucasfilm / courtesy Everett Assortment
Stephan: I truly necessary to like him — I at all occasions gravitate in path of a joke-cracking sidekick! I applied to be hopeful in the starting: He’s endearing and superior-hearted. Sadly, it was distracting to have him interject with jokes that fell flat all through extreme moments. It didn’t genuinely really feel like he served a lot purpose narratively. That stated, I applied to be really glad when he purchased his promotion to frequent.
Jackson: So was I! You may well by no signifies make me hate Jar Jar. On the other hand the character hits in a diverse way now. As a youngster, I applied to be vaguely conscious of the controversy round his accent, on the other hand as an grownup it is way extra evident, and, as you stated, Adam, unlucky. (And there are just a couple of added characters that produced me wince…)
That stated, there’s one particular factor about Jar Jar that at all occasions tends to make me snigger — regardless that the larger themes of him going from bumbling buffoon/social pariah to hero are not explored enough to primarily function.
Variety: It is on top of that exhausting for me to observe figuring out that Ahmed Greatest bore the brunt of the Jar Jar backlash regardless that his solely sin was delivering precisely what Lucas necessary with that character. He’s talked in regards to the determined areas the hatred for Jar Jar took him, so I’m glad that he was in a position to come once again to “Star Wars” to play a Jedi knight in “The Mandalorian.”
Greatest wasn’t the one particular actor whose life was effectively ruined by “The Phantom Menace,” each. Jake Lloyd not solely swore off performing on the other hand destroyed all of his “Star Wars” memorabilia. That youngster purchased such a uncooked deal. I hold in thoughts how merciless followers may well be about his efficiency on the time the film initially got right here out, on the other hand I’ve to say, the biggest revelation for me on this rewatch was how a lot superior he was than I’d remembered. Possibly it is as a outcome of that is the principal time I’ve observed the film because altering into a dad or mum, on the other hand I assumed Lloyd was truly affecting as wee Ani.
Stephan: People didn’t like him as Anakin? That is genuinely gorgeous to me. Not solely was he stinking beautiful, on the other hand I assumed he did a relatively superior job dealing with a quantity of the tougher emotional beats, like parting along with his mom and his disappointment more than getting rejected as a Jedi.
What I cannot get earlier (and that is no fault of Lloyd’s), is the fully bonkers signifies they arrange a future connection involving Anakin and Padmé. Natalie Portman is a total teenager, on the other hand her character is weirdly flirting with this small youngster? I felt a lot secondhand embarrassment all through scenes they shared.
Jackson: As a youngster, I understand this as Anakin getting a crush on the babysitter and her getting superior. There’s only a believability to the greatest way he delivers a line like, “Are you an angel?” that at all occasions cracks my coronary heart huge open. I, like Qui-Gon Jinn (R.I.P.), would struggle to the demise to guard this small man. His backstory — born of immaculate conception and increasing up a slave — can also be tremendous bleak, on the other hand there’s a lightness to Lloyd’s efficiency that each and every captures the truth of the situation and his childlike perception that at some point his situations may well transform.
Just after all, all these hopes and targets come ideal down to younger Skywalker’s capability to repair anything and getting the one particular human capable to podracing. I hold in thoughts getting fully blown away by these scenes (and Lloyd in that beautiful small helmet).
twentieth Century Fox / courtesy Everett Assortment
Stephan: Is that this a protected region to say that the podracing scene went on for signifies as well lengthy? I applied to be rooting for small Anakin and excited for the competitors, nonetheless it merely wouldn’t finish. I couldn’t think about what a large chunk of the film was devoted to it! It felt so apparent that he would win, and the stakes merely weren’t there to preserve the size of that sequence for me.
Variety: It is exhausting to overstate how a lot the podracing sequence was hyped inside the run as significantly as “The Phantom Menace” as a showcase for a way CGI would revolutionize cinema. In contrast to the land-speeder sequence from “Return of the Jedi,” there in all probability is not a signifies Industrial Gentle & Magic might’ve accomplished the podracing scenes with out digital final results — no much less than with the scope Lucas renders ideal right here. In between that essential and Lucas’ lifelong really like of drag racing, I assume it is inevitable that it lasted so lengthy.
Not much less than there’s a visible dynamism to the podracing, which is higher than I can say for the four parallel motion sequences inside the film’s ultimate act, which had been as turgid and tedious as I remembered them. Aside from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s lightsaber battle with Darth Maul (Ray Park) — that nonetheless slaps, in no compact half resulting from John Williams’ god tier rating.
Jackson: I think you possibly can inform by the greatest way I bodily reacted to the reveal of Darth Maul’s twin lightsaber that I’m a large fan of the Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan face off. (It is in my prime three “Star Wars” battles of all time — No. 1 getting Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker, clearly, and No. two getting the Rey and Kylo Ren struggle on the finish of “The Final Jedi.”)
There’s a motive that Darth Maul is probably one particular of the greatest “Star Wars” villains: His make-up and horned face are fearsome. His aerial gymnastics are spectacular. He produced getting a Sith appear cool. He even produced receiving sliced in half iconic. In addition, I’d kind of forgotten that Qui-Gon will get initially crack at Darth Maul inside the desert, so I applied to be glad to see that Liam Neeson will get some superior lightsaber dueling previous this scene, since it has a tragic finish.
Stephan: The lightsaber battle with Darth Maul was the excellent a aspect of the film. I genuinely had no notion that Qui-Gon died, so I genuinely gasped when he was impaled. Obi-Wan’s rage-filled revenge kill had me capable to roar in my seat, and that rating is merely untouchable.
I did have a query all by way of the film with regards to the droids. In an early scene, droids are despatched rather than persons for a struggle deemed as well damaging, and so they get mowed down at a relatively hefty tempo all by way of the film. That stated, there are lovable, personified droids like C-3PO and R2-D2, which left me questioning what the position of robotkind is on this franchise. Are they observed as lesser than people, and disposable?
Lucasfilm / courtesy Everett Assortment
Variety: Er, yeah. Assume household elves, on the other hand robots, and also you are relatively close to how droids function all through the “Star Wars” cosmology: a race of synthetic lifeforms of several ranges of intelligence and sentience who’re (practically) uniformly efficient with getting a perpetual servant class. (The one particular time this dynamic has been truly interrogated on the huge show is in 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”)
By the greatest way, Lucas doubles down on the notion of a disposable military inside the subsequent film, “Assault of the Clones,” and that is a function, not a bug: Regarded as one particular of his inspirations for the really initially “Star Wars” was the Vietnam Struggle, which may well make america the Empire. Taken as a total, the prequels are a shrewd exploration of how a democracy may well be undermined from inside into authoritarianism — that artful Palpatine and his corrupting machinations! Whereas I take challenge with how Lucas goes about telling that story, I cannot deny that it is depressingly added connected in 2024 than it was in 1999.
On that cheery notice, Katcy, has “The Phantom Menace” enticed you to proceed your Star Wars journey?
Stephan: Weirdly enough, “The Phantom Menace” gave me the “Star Wars” bug. Just after we screened it, I got right here home and ultimately started enjoying the on line game “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” for the principal time, because I felt excited in regards to the franchise! Regardless that I do know this is not most individuals’s favourite film inside the sequence, it undoubtedly produced me perceive the enchantment and purchased me curious for what’s subsequent. It appears like I ought to merely transfer on in episode order from ideal right here? Is that a superior program?
Jackson: My favourite order is: the distinctive trilogy, the prequels, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (which I largely loved!), “Rogue One” (which is even larger!), possibly the distinctive trilogy as soon as extra immediately after which the sequel trilogy starting with “The Energy Awakens.” It is price tag receiving the muse of the lore from the originals earlier than diving deeper into the prequels, as a outcome of Lucas tends to make parallels involving them which are difficult in any other case.
Variety: Angelique is accurate: When you see the principal six motion photos as Darth Vader’s story, then you have to have to subsequent watch 1977’s “Star Wars” (which was re-titled “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope” solely immediately after that film grew to grow to be a sensation). Then watch “The Empire Strikes Once more,” which ends with a twist involving Luke and Darth Vader that I’m confident you have by no signifies heard about, Katcy, and can come as a actual shock. That twist sends you once again ideal into a two-film flashback of “Assault of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith,” overlaying Darth Vader’s origins and the rise of Emperor Palpatine, adopted by “Return of the Jedi” to see the way it all ends. Just after which you possibly can finish with the sequel trilogy, a wonderfully conceived sequence of films that, um, have zero inventive concerns and fully grasp collectively as a single, cohesive narrative.
That is only one particular of a quantity of suggested viewing orders, so it is truly as significantly as you.
Stephan: That is truly helpful! I think what I’m going to do is ignore you each and every and watch in episode order, as a outcome of I thrive on chaos.
Variety: Are you gonna say it, Angelique, or ought to I?
Jackson: Could the Energy be with you.