In 1999, I walked out of the Phantom Menace in a bit of a daze. It didn't seem real. After 16 years of dreaming about a new SW film, it was finally here... and I didn't think that it was very good. It had its moments to be sure, but the bad far outweighed the good for me.
Naturally I revisited it over the years, but my opinion never changed. But having been dragged by some friends to see it for its 25th anniversary/May the 4th release, I gained a somewhat new appreciation for the film as a whole, and a few things specifically.
Let's start with what still doesn't work.
Now for what I came to appreciate with this new viewing
Overall, the Phantom Menace is a better movie than I gave it credit for these last 25 years. I can't say that I'm itching to revisit it anytime soon, but when I do eventually get around to watching it again, it will be with more enthusiasm than I had going in this time.
Naturally I revisited it over the years, but my opinion never changed. But having been dragged by some friends to see it for its 25th anniversary/May the 4th release, I gained a somewhat new appreciation for the film as a whole, and a few things specifically.
Let's start with what still doesn't work.
- Jar Jar. Enough said about that.
- The Gungans in general.
- The Neimoidians and their comical battle droids.
- Natalie Portman's stilted performances as both handmaiden and queen.
- A very dull first act paired with a protracted second one.
- A pretty generic and forgettable score by John Williams beyond the iconic "Duel of the Fates".
- Massive plot holes.
Now for what I came to appreciate with this new viewing
- Jake Lloyd isn't bad in this film. In fact, he's pretty darn good. Oh there are a few bumps here and there, but he does a very solid job as young Anakin. He runs circles around Portman, that's for sure.
- It's a well made film. It looks great. The location work is good, helping the whole thing to feel more tactile than the two prequel-sequels to come. And it's skillfully directed by George Lucas, who shows some flair and solid instincts.
- The dialog isn't nearly as bad as I remembered. Yeah, the formalities and exposition are a bit stiff, but there are several memorable lines here.
- As much as I hate CGI, the f/x stand up remarkably well. In fact, a lot of it is light-years ahead of many contemporary films. The Pod Race and the final space battle are especially impressive.
Overall, the Phantom Menace is a better movie than I gave it credit for these last 25 years. I can't say that I'm itching to revisit it anytime soon, but when I do eventually get around to watching it again, it will be with more enthusiasm than I had going in this time.