Okay everyone, take a deep breath, because it’s time for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Now let it out and sit back, because this movie isn’t that bad! No, no–give us the benefit of the doubt. Welcome to Trekabout Presents The Phantom Menace.
Trekabout Presents The Phantom Menace
Jonas
-It’s funny, a lot of the things that bother you are precisely what I enjoy about this movie.
– I like that the opening crawl is not about some huge war, because it’s taking us back to a time when the role of the Jedi was quite different to what it is in the later trilogy.
– I love that Palpatine is just a politician, and how he manipulates events to grab power. This is still politically relevant – terrorism being today’s phantom menace.
– While I totally see that there’s a contradiction between how Yoda describes the Force and how it’s depicted here, I find the idea of adding a materialist perspective a very interesting one. Hell, I find the idea that we are connected to some vast cosmic power through symbiosis to be rather beautiful. It also reflects the reality of biology in an interesting way; in fact, the name is quite obviously a reference to mitochondria, beings that live inside us and are essential to our survival, but have their own DNA.
– This more scientific perspective is one of many aspects highlighting that this is the Republic we’re seeing, not the Empire. It’s a different time, richer and more enlightened, even if sadly quite corrupt. If the original trilogy is in some sense medieval, then this is the end of the Roman Republic. That’s a powerful theme to me.
– I also disagree that the theme of the original trilogy was just Good versus Evil. It was also explicitly Fascism versus Democracy. (The bad guys are called Stormtroopers! Then there’s the highly fascist-looking costumes of the Empire, etc.) In that context, it makes perfect sense for this movie to basically be Hitler’s rise to power.
– In all three prequels, the Jedi are presented as quite powerful individually, but still in many ways weak. They’re the guardians of democracy in an interstellar Weimar Republic, and all their power doesn’t really amount to all that much in the political situation. Sure, that’s a demystification, but so what? I think that’s actually a lot more interesting than magical space knights.
– I quite enjoy the fact that in many ways this is a children’s movie, but is actually terribly sinister. I mean, everything our heroes do is ultimately the result of manipulation. They think they’re heroic freedom fighters when in fact they’re undermining democracy. Qui-Gon thinks he’s found the Chosen One and is willing to break the rules to make it happen, but the result will be the exact opposite. Even Jar-Jar ends ups being a political pawn.
Beyond that, there’s everything I’d expect from a good pulp sci-fi serial: silly aliens, cool fights, strange locations, big explosions, and some nice music. It’s not the most profound thing anyone’s ever made, but it’s not trying to be. It’s a fun adventure with some smart themes and eerie undertones. And that’s all I need from a Star Wars movie.
Eric Brasure
-I think if you’re looking for meaning in Star Wars, then these are fine points. But I tend to think (and I believe Richard would agree with me) that on the whole, cogent political criticism or commentary is not in great supply in the Star Wars franchise.
Jonas
-Hah, well, I think there’s more interesting political commentary in Star Wars than in some things that are praised for their politics, like Battlestar Galactica.
(But you at least have to give me the rise of Palpatine!)
Eric Brasure
-Yes I will definitely give you that–Battlestar Galactica is almost content-free.
Palpatine is actually one of the things I like most about the prequels!
Cliffy73
-I’ve always said there’s a pretty compelling 87-minute political thriller about Palpatine’s machinations buried in the prequels, they just take seven hours to tell it and surround it by the most inane and tedious crud.
Anyway, I agree with the statement in the wrap up that there are some enjoyable enough sequences in this (and as tedious as the podrace is, it did lead to an excellent arcade game). The reason it’s so hated, and deserves it, is that no one would even watch this picture of it weren’t part of something greater. So people, even merely casual Star Wars fans, feel forced to sit through it in a way that isn’t true of any other film. Even the crappy Trek films don’t have that, because there’s very little continuity. A casual Trek fan could just skip the ones he’s told are poor. And for completists like us, well, there’s always been terrible Star Trek, but there are hundreds of good bits, too, so it’s easier to forgive one you don’t like. Also there’s no Trek film as bad as this one, except maybe Nemesis, which at least isn’t boring.
Eric Brasure
-Yeah, there is an advantage in Trek of just having so much stuff out there, whereas TPM is 1/6 of what’s available (soon to be 1/7.)
Pensky
-Lucas has always been extremely linear in his storytelling, but it was more forgivable in the original trilogy because of the era and the tone of the films. This linearity really kills TPM. The first hour and a half are so plodding and “one foot in front of the other” as the characters walk to various places and get some exposition. The conflicts are minor nuisances that are easily overcome.
Outside of that, Anakin’s story is horrible throughout the prequels. The Jedi Councils concern about his anger makes no sense outside of it having to be so, because Anakin seems to be a normal, happy kid through the entire movie. I don’t understand why Anakin doesn’t use the Force (outside of it being stated that it’s why he can podrace) at all in the film. Can’t we open on Anakin using the Force to steal food or something at the start? Can’t he see Qui-Gon use the Force to cheat the chance cube and think, hey, maybe I can use the Force in similar ways? or maybe do something more morally dubious? Anything to hint that Vader lurks beneath the surface?
TPM is boring as hell. The prequels are just a string of movies full of promise that deliver on none of it.