This is all Phase3’s fault. . . He shot me the cut shots from the Naboo Space Battle that he’s restoring, and I decided to see if I could figure out where they went. . . This is the result [music is a temp-track to check pacing and color/sound is WIP]: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1864hKUDsi9-FnuZUda_rxcb_S3fe763I/view?usp=sharing
Maybe just one, “I’m trying to stop”. The one shot I would love someone to add is the Trade Federation fleet approaching And surrounding Naboo at the beginning. But I am on record saying the big issue with The Phantom Menace is it’s not linear enough. The Queen should start out on Coruscant and intend to rescue her people on Naboo with Jedi but get shot down and forced to land on Tattoine en route. Finally getting there at the end. If ANH had the same structure as TPM Luke would have found out the Rebel Base was on Tatooine and have to go back there to blow up the death star.
I hear ya, but Phantom Menace, isn’t mirroring A New Hope, it’s actually mirroring Jedi which is also a circle (It starts with the Death Star II being built and ends with it being blown up).
As far as the Queen running away from Naboo to seek political help in Coruscant and then returning to Naboo to claim her rights, that sort of thing is common in Medieval/Early Modern History (Charles II is a good example). Since STAR WARS’ genre is a Spiritual Epic in the mode of Medieval Romance, I think it makes a lot of sense for George to use that idea as a story telling system.