xhonzi said:

The Phantom Menace:

A boy born into slavery on a backwater planet meets some strangers who are actually warriors marooned on his planet after a battle in an intergalactic Space War. The boy is intrigued by the strangers and the idea of life away slavery. He helps them repair their damaged spacecraft so they can return to the War. The boy leaves his life of slavery with the warriors and is introduced to the vastness of the galaxy. He joins the War effort and is trained by the warriors.

Well... that's maybe shorter than it needs to be, but that's the kernel of story in Phantom Menace that I do like and think could actually be quite good if executed differently than TPM. Reminds me of the White Mountains of the Tripod Trilogy for those that have read them.

Strange, because I don't see that being the plot for TPM at all. Sure its a subplot, but the main plot is about the blockade and invasion of a planet and how when diplomacy fails you need to make friends with your enemies and drive the mutual enemies out. Which is probably what's wrong with TPM in the first place. What is supposed to be the "Story of Anakin Skywalker" ends up being put on the back burner for trade disputes.

I just realized how ridiculous this whole thing is.