The Phantom Menace 15th Anniversary — Page 2

sega3dmm said:

It has been fifteen years to the day the long-awaited prequel to Star Wars was released. I was curious why no one has made this thread, as I assume it's a big deal.

To most of us, it is nothing like the original trilogy and it was not as good, but 15 years ago today it was the biggest thing in the world. I remember being brought to the cinema when I was four to see this exciting new thing, but I was talking so loudly we left the theater right when Jar Jar, Obi and Qui Gon dove into the underwater Gungan city. I was bored. This whole trade and senate thing isn't something a four-year-old would understand. Mind you I was more autistic back then than I am now.

Share your memories.

Only 15...? it feels like fifty to me. God I was so fff...furious. Fank Farage I didn't fly to America to see it early like a planned at one point. And it wasn't even the worst one.

TheBoost said:

I saw it six times, including a midnight opening and noon the next day. Even noticing it was a little disappointing in many ways around the third time, I was still having more fun seeing it than any other movie that summer. I still have the VHS I bought of it the day it came out.

This is exactly what I did.  Midnight release and then a noon showing the next day.  I enjoyed the film alot.  I still think it has some pretty strong moments and the production design is great.

I had literally followed every spoiler I could get ahold of and even read the script beforehand.  I just remember being disappointed in the jar jar visual gags which were added during the post production, ILM tweaking stage where Lucas probably came up with gags on the spot.

FrankT said:

I've never even watched the DVD I have, at least not all the way through. That should tell you enough!

I only hope you didn't buy that DVD new. 

... And we hated Jar-Jar anyways, so it failed.

In some sense, Lucas was right about him "being the key to all this, because he is a funnier character than the others..." shows the misguided focus of the whole film. And ironically, every blockbuster since TPM has been focused on hype that doesn't deliver, lack of focus, and making money anyways due to its vague connection to original source material. He changed Hollywood again just as he did with the first Star Wars film.

Yeah, those LOTR movies were so awful...

generalfrevious said:

He changed Hollywood again just as he did with the first Star Wars film.

I put more blame on Gus Van Sant and his abysmal Psycho remake for making Hollywood the way it is today than I do Lucas. 

I didn't think anything could make a single element from the remake good, but that edit managed to do the impossible.

skyjedi2005 said:

The making of on the original dvd was awesome though.  It shows Lucas saying crazy stuff about how the movies entire success relied on Jar Jar.

 Or when Lucas & everyone watch Episode I for the first time, and the looks on everyone's faces after it is finished.  Rick McCallum looks like he saw a ghost as you can see he knew this movie was not that good.  Then they show Lucas and Ben Burtt going at it about the ending, as Burtt was the only one who has the balls to call Lucas out. 

DuracellEnergizer said:

generalfrevious said:

He changed Hollywood again just as he did with the first Star Wars film.

I put more blame on Gus Van Sant and his abysmal Psycho remake for making Hollywood the way it is today than I do Lucas. 

But Psycho 1998 didn't make $450 million domestically. Look at Transformers, Star Trek, Amazing Spider-Man, and Man Of Steel. All those film franchises have been influenced in one way or another by the Phantom Menace (or the PT) with their over-complicated plots, over-reliance on CGI, and contempt for their audience.

Wasn't another big aspect of TPM the fact that, like, 95% of the shots in the movie involved some kind of digital effect?

Because it's not supposed to be a kids film.  

Part of the magic of Star Wars was that it was enjoyable at all ages. The prequels didn't have that. TPM was a kids' movie, AOTR was less of a kids' movie, but it isn't very appealing to adults either. ROTS wasn't appropriate for young children, and it was a mediocre film from an adult perspective.

ANH, ESB, and ROTJ, on the other hand, were/are enjoyable for everybody.

generalfrevious said:

DuracellEnergizer said:

generalfrevious said:

He changed Hollywood again just as he did with the first Star Wars film.

I put more blame on Gus Van Sant and his abysmal Psycho remake for making Hollywood the way it is today than I do Lucas. 

But Psycho 1998 didn't make $450 million domestically. Look at Transformers, Star Trek, Amazing Spider-Man, and Man Of Steel. All those film franchises have been influenced in one way or another by the Phantom Menace (or the PT) with their over-complicated plots, over-reliance on CGI, and contempt for their audience.

It still paved the way for all the garbage remakes/reboots which have become Hollywood's current mistress. 

imperialscum said:

I think some fans act like it is the worst film ever made. It is definitely crap compared to OT but generally I think TPM is still an above-average film. A lot of kids love/loved it and that counts for something. I don't see the reason why would adult-focused stuff be automatically worth more.

I personally find it (even if you strip away the disappointment) an extremely below average film (too dull to be actually awful like AOTC).

Films I'd rate above TPM... Masters of the Universe, Howard the Duck, Krull, Batteries Not Included, The Last Starfighter, The Golden Child,