More than anything, Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace is a fascinating cultural object. It’s been 25 years since I saw the film in the theater, and over a decade since I last rewatched it (in a vain attempt to help my Trekkie wife keep up with the prequels ). I had enough time to process the initial disappointment and embarrassment of introducing my wife to Jar Jar Binks. When Disney announced that it would be bringing the prequel trilogy back to theaters, I was thrilled to watch it again to see how George Lucas’ final films stacked up against the onslaught of Star Wars Media we have experienced in the last decade. Was The Phantom Menace as bad as I remembered? Well, yes and no.
Boring but full of fantasy
In 1999 I knew it Episode 1 would get a bit tedious once we reach the second line of the first crawl: “Taxation of trade routes to remote star systems is controversial.” Really, George? This is what Star Wars fans have been waiting for since 1983 Return of the Jedi? During this rewatch, I found myself more irritated than annoyed by the many confusing narrative choices: the empty drama of a trade blockade; the confusing decision to develop a romance between a real child and an older teenager; and by adding Jar Jar Binks to appease the kids amidst the terribly boring dialogue.
It’s as if The Phantom Menace was written and directed by an alien who hadn’t seen a movie or studied any aspect of pop culture since the early ’80s. At the same time, this almost outsider’s view is part of the film’s charm. Watching a society slowly lose control of an idealistic democracy to a power-hungry dictator is a much for a PG-rated fantasy film. But this also ensures that the first two prequels seem incredibly prescient alongside the global reaction to September 11th.
When we reached 2005 Revenge of the SithThe allusions to George W. Bush’s Patriot Act and the Global War on Terror were hard to miss. “So freedom dies to thunderous applause,” Padme says as her fellow senators hand over emergency powers to Palpatine, making Supreme Chancellor Palpatine Emperor and transforming the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire.
Beyond political machinations, The Phantom Menace is full of beautiful images: Naboo’s lavish palace and the water city of Gungan; the designs of new ships and weapons; and of course every single outfit Princess Amidala wears. It would have been nice if these images fit better into the narrative, but their presence makes it clear that Lucas is surrounded by world-class talent like . was surrounded.
The Phantom Menace also comes to life in its few action set pieces. Sure, maybe the pod race goes on a little too long, but the feeling of speed, scale and bombastic sound is still absolutely thrilling. (The film’s sound team – Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson, Shawn Murphy and John Midgley – was nominated for an Oscar but lost The Matrix.)
And yes, the entire Duel of the Fates fight is still an absolute blast. There is no doubt about that The Phantom Menace would have been a stronger film with less clunky dialogue and more character development through action. At one point in the fight, all participants are separated by laser barriers. Qui-Gon Jinn meditates, almost completely at peace. Darth Maul roams around like a lion in a cage. And Obi-Wan Kenobi is just eager to continue the fight, like a high-class student who just wants to show off. This sequence reveals more about these characters than the remaining two hours of the film.
A precursor to ubiquitous digital characters
While I couldn’t really love Jar Jar Binks in this iteration, his very existence as a purely computer-generated character felt more meaningful than ever. Voiced by actor and comedian Ahmed Best, Jar Jar was completely destroyed upon release and its execution was anything but smooth. But it was also the first time we saw a motion capture performance transformed into a fully realized character. Because technology is now so prevalent in films, we practically take it for granted.
“Without Jar Jar there can be no Gollum,” said Best . “Without Jar Jar, the Na’vi in ’Avatar’ cannot exist. Without Jar Jar there is no Thanos or the Hulk. I was the signal for the rest of this art form and I’m proud of Jar. “Thank you for that and I’m proud to be a part of it!”
In 2017, Best offered an expanded version of his thoughts in a Twitter thread (): “Jar Jar helped create the workflow, iteration process and litmus test for all CGI characters to date. Some days the code was written in real time as I moved. To deny Jar Jar’s place in film history is to deny the hundreds.” Thank you to VFX technicians, animators, code writers and producers, people like John Knoll, Rob Coleman and many others with whom I worked for two years after principal photography was finished to present these films to you.
A great story in a bad movie
I learned the best way to watch The Phantom Menace is to take the aspects I like and replace Lucas’ many confusing decisions with my own headcanon. The story of Anakin Skywalker, who was born through the sheer power of the Force and became the Chosen One of the Jedi? That is interesting! Invent midi-chlorians to give people literal Jedi power levels? This is bad, damn you! (Midi-chlorians are still technically canon, but have been largely ignored in recent Star Wars media.)
This time I couldn’t help but imagine how a more natural and energetic storyteller would have approached it The Phantom Menace. Certainly they would not prefer trade disputes and taxes. A more experienced writer, for example Andors Tony Gilroy could deliberately bring about the possible downfall of the Republic. And I bet most people wouldn’t waste Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan by keeping him off the screen for an hour while everyone else goes on a pod racing adventure. (It sure would be nice if he spent more time with Anakin!)
I still haven’t seen it, but his decision to start right in the middle of the climactic lightsaber fight of Phantom Menace makes sense. So much of it Episode 1 feels completely unnecessary when the true story of Anakin Skywalker is about falling in love, being tempted by the dark side, and ultimately betraying his master.