Optiluiz here once more for our (not so) weekly movie review. It's no secret that I love Star Wars. George Lucas may tinker too much with the saga, but I enjoy all the films in some way. However, I've always regretted not being able to see any of the them in theaters. I finally had the chance today. The Phantom Menace, written and directed by George Lucas and originally released in 1999, is the first film in a trilogy of prequels to the original Star Wars trilogy. Now, in 2012, it's being re-released in 3D.
I've seen all of the Star Wars films, and The Phantom Menace is, by far, not the worst of them. George Lucas is a real visionary, but sometimes the human themes behind the story get lost amongst the stilted acting and over-used visual effects. There is an underlying theme of demystification of the Star Wars universe throughout the film, with thorough explanations of political themes and even the biological nature of The Force that were only hinted at in the original trilogy. This kind of exposition ends up only hurting the film, though it is clearly meant to attract a different, more modern, kind of audience.
At the same time, the first film of the new trilogy doesn't show the same elegant manner of story-telling which, in the original films, reached out to kids, adults and everyone in between. It all seems a bit childish, to say the least. Not that the original films were hard-boiled, gritty tales of war, but a little subtlety goes a long way. Even so, I can understand what Lucas intended here. The prequels were never meant to only please fans of the original films, but to make new ones with a younger generation. With that in mind, I believe this film was a success.
There have been many in-depth reviews of Episode 1, and I guess there's only so much the internet can say about it. Sure, there is no true protagonist in the story, sure, the slapstick humor gets old really fast, and sure, the pacing is off coupled with a tone vastly different from the older films. But it works. Not as well as it should, but it does, in its own way. It's not the horrible movie many hardcore fans make it out to be. It doesn't make the older films any worse either. It just exists in its own little bubble of the Star Wars universe, despite me joking about how bad it was in previous posts.
The Phantom Menace also has its merits, with a really great villain and a really cool climactic battle. John Williams is as brilliant as ever, sometimes bringing life to what might otherwise have been just CG cut-scenes in some sci-fi video game. Liam Neeson was great, and there were actually some deep themes surrounding the story. The 3D was the best post-converted kind I've ever seen, although, sadly, that doesn't say much. If you've never seen Star Wars in theaters, or haven't seen The Phantom Menace in a really long time, give this one a go. Bring your kids too, if you have 'em. It'll be worth it in the end. Overall, 7.5/10.
That concludes today's movie review. The original trilogy is still miles better, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the prequels. I hope you liked this review, and keep an eye out for my future reviews of both Insidious and Grave Encounters. One of these I loved, the other I thought was pretty lackluster. Guess which is which. I leave you with the best scene of the film. This made me forget most of the film's faults. Duel Of The Fates indeed.
Chainsaw cheers,
-Optiluiz out...
PS: People still cheer when Darth Maul appears for the final battle.
PPS: Making Anakin the same age as Padmé would have fixed 60% of this film's problems.
PPPS: Jar-Jar was less annoying than Anakin, but this film sucked less than Attack Of The Clones as a whole.
PPPPS: A New Hope is the only perfect film in the Franchise. Yeah, I said it!
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