Phantom Menace: 25th anniversary of the hype, fandom, merchandise, filmmaking and marketing

Twenty Five Years ago The Phantom Menace arrived with levels of hype never seen before or since and although it ultimately failed to meet those expectations it ushered in a new era of fan-driven enthusiasm that continues to this day. This is not the story of a dream that was left like a limbless smoldering mess on banks of a Mustafar lava river; it is also the story of how new technology changed fandom and the movie-going experience forever.
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⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️
0:00 Intro: The Road to Menace
1:14 Every journey has a first step
6:04 An Expanding Universe
13:00 The Force awakens
17:13 Jedi remastered
21:41 A certain point of view
26:32 A Disturbance in the force
28:52 War plans
33:15 Tall tales from the set
35:17 Prepare for Hyperdrive
44:01 The Trade Federation has gone too far
49:27 Coming to your galaxy
53:36 Stay on target
57:34 The Aftermath
1:06:06 The Legacy
Summary: Star Wars The Phantom Menace was a film 20 years in the making, and like the original film before it, Episode I pushed special effects to new heights, changed film marketing, merchandising and fandom. Released at the internet was entering the mainstream The Phantom Menace was one of the first films to take advantage of the internet for marketing and also saw the birth of a new breed of online fandom that not only celebrated the film but also demonized it. This is a story of unprecedented movie hype and ultimate and predictable disappointment.
Additional Voices
Marie Sengonzi: tinyurl.com/y45ttzp2
Louie Daidone: tinyurl.com/yyapolbk
Jack Holman: anchor.fm/a-3-bean-salad
Ben Simpson: tinyurl.com/yylsqdz5
Brent: tinyurl.com/yy7x2hab
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Acolytes - Dark Roast, Dave Smith, Lavaughn Towell, Mark Buckley, R Lagdao, Raven House Mystery, Russ Chandler, Simon Ash, Simon Esslemont, Uwe Marquardt, Alex B, Amber Wesley, Tony Belmonte, Amber Wesley, Peter Grantham, David Conner, Robert Freeborn, Janne Wass, Brian Kidd, Albertus Magnus, Rachael Kafrissen, David Pellot, James Robertson, Nils Muninsheim, Adam Everett, Johnathan Henning, Lee Taylor, Peter Wilson, Ch'aska Huayhuaca, Daniel Blevins, Tim Smith, Popeye Otaku, Kyle Olson, Prince Charming, Mystic Cyclone, Francis J. Caponi, Chris A, Steve Bourget, NuclearSaber, Picatea, Gemma Crowley, Andrew Weber, Lee Taylor, C, Michael Dean Jackson, Michael Schmidt, John Hepp, Anirban Banerjee, Andy M, Gordon Mitchell, Milton Knight
Initiates - Alexandra Virgiel, Bob de Builder, Brian Ullmark, Clifford Parson, Derek, Double-U, Felix Weibig, GadgetBlues, Greg Galanos, Greg Hartwick, Jakub Kabenski, James Smith, Karl Bunker, Martin Vlachynsky, Maria Gd, Melissa Hayes, Stephen LaPlante, Roop 298, VC, Jonathan Olds, Terry Le Croix, Barry P, Jeffrey A Pleimling, Joshua Allen, Adam E Jordan, Seth Coleman, Claire Chandler, Ashleigh Rose, G.Kumar Archar
The Road to The Phantom Menace: The Star Wars prequels, fandom, film making and merchandise.
Written and Edited by Graham Trelfer
Presented by Robin Bailes
#BadMovieReview #DarkCornersReview #CultMovieReview

[@francoisgermain3991]

I'm a 52 years old Star Wars fan, and this amazing documentary brings back so many memories. Well done, sir. VERY, VERY WELL DONE!

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Thank you, it took a while, but it was fun remembering a more carefree time.

[@francoisgermain3991]

@@DarkCornersReviews You tell me! Also, you made me buy a Hammer films bo set... and it's a blast! Cheers!

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@DarkCornersReviews dud you have the toys as kid

[@DarkCornersReviews]

@@zacharyjochumsen9677 Of course. But many of their heads were chewed beyond recognition.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@DarkCornersReviews I have the two lightsabers with the qui gon hilt the green one and the blue one except the blue one is getting a little worn out

[@mariakelly1059]

It's heartbreaking to hear what happened to Jake Lloyd.

[@NickBartolo]

These longer documentaries are becoming your strong suit. Keep up the excellent work.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Glad you like them!

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@DarkCornersReviews so how oldvwre you when this came out

[@DarkCornersReviews]

@@zacharyjochumsen9677 21

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@DarkCornersReviews so your 44 yers old acthuly you look wy younger than thst you lok mor like young to mid 20s than 40s

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@DarkCornersReviews so doy still hsve thse acthion figurec I had the lightsabers of quik gons blade but it was two colors one gren snd ond blue I thought ghd blue one whad to b ed obi wan's ir lzt leastvsomdother jedi scus saber

[@haileyshannon7548]

Red Tails was a passion project Lucas had for years! I once found a Lucas fan magazine/newsletter from 1994 and it was mentioned in it.

[@neonthunder3261]

TPM lowkey underrated as fuck. Its unique even amongst the prequels as sort of a bridge between “here’s normal boring space life” to “oh shit the Sith are back” Also pod racing was my hyperfixation as a kid

[@Tyr-qz2lo]

Of all the videos I’ve seen that illustrates the period where the Phantom Menace was being built up, this is my favorite.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Thank you.

[@davidreyna7410]

Man, if there was one pop culture event I could time travel to experience, it would be this one.

[@rlmaass]

Agreed. Worked in a movie theater 98-99. The hype of Star Wars consumed most of our attention.

[@kylekullin2520]

Batman 89 for me.

[@werideatdusk]

Go back two months earlier and see THE MATRIX on the big screen with no spoilers... and then you'll know just another reason why Ep1 fell so flat in 99!

[@Ryglado]

@@werideatduskThis. I knew very little about The Matrix going in and the cinema was half empty at the late afternoon showing. What an incredible movie. I never had any hate for Phantom Menace. I was well into my 20’s when I saw it and distinctly remember looking around during the showing thinking, what is this crap.

[@voodoochile333]

Thing you can take from this is: Mark Hamill is a great guy

[@leadvendor]

The guy is a legit mensch. I love him.

[@cankhovich1796]

unless he is pressuring his son's ex to abort their child

[@Double-R-Nothing]

Mmmm! Age like milk, this did!

[@voodoochile333]

@@Double-R-Nothing yeah. The Internet never forgets.

[@abrahamengel5768]

Mark Hamill used to be a great guy

[@connorbrennan4233]

Very refreshing to see a take on The Phantom Menace that wasn't filled with disappointment, anger, and hate; just love for the art and an appreciation for how the film influenced the future of entertainment media. This is the most detailed and knowledgeable retrospective yet from Dark Corners. Excellent job. My earliest memories of Star Wars was watching the original trilogy on VHS with my parents (the unaltered versions). It wasn't until when I grew up that I realized we had a copy of Menace as well. I actually watched the prequels in reverse order, so Menace was the last one I watched. While the prequels are not great films, they and the original trilogy helped me learn much more about how filmmakers brought such imaginative concepts to life.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

Connor the Sam thing with thscmarkwting later happend with episode 3 with ths msrchrndise being kept scetert until once the film came out

[@georgejones8481]

A fantastic late 90s media time capsule. Hope it gets the traction this great video deserves

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Thank you.

[@richmcgee434]

It is a remarkable bit of work examining a phenomenon that must seem kind of unbelievable these days to people who weren't old enough to remember it. Not the most disappointing film I've ever seen in the theaters, but that's mostly thanks to going to the D&D movie opening night. Last Star Wars film I've seen on the big screen, and honestly I don't regret it a bit despite having loved the original trilogy as a child.

[@kristian_goddard]

This is a fantastic documentary about the no man’s land of Star Wars history. Brilliantly done!

[@joshua2814]

I was at the midnight premier which was also the opening of a local cineplex (AMC). It was exciting. I defended it for a while; the soured some; and now haven't watch the preqs in years. Now, I'm convinced the Star Wars story ended in 1983.

[@gabbyjustgabby6127]

Why doesn't this docummentary have more views? The amount of work here shows and deserves more recognition. I was born in 2001, so this whole SW debacle is just insanely interesting to me, just right now am I learning all this wild ride of a franchise that I love with all my heart. Great work!

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Thank you it was a labour of love. Sharing the video will help it get more views.

[@odotb9916]

Im about to go and watch the film in the cinema for the 25th anniversary re-release! I saw it once in '99 again in 3D in 2012 and now for the third time in 2024.

[@monkeymanbob]

I've seen this 3 times. Each time I've fell asleep during the bit on Tatooine . I'm amazed that this hot mess has any fervent fans - of which it seems to have in spades according to various social media outlets. The thing, for me, where the prequel trilogy drops the ball is the deconstruction of Vader - "Oh Annie...."

[@HEDGE1011]

I saw the original film several times in the theater as a kid and absolutely loved it. I saw the original trilogy in the theater and liked it. As a young adult I saw The Phantom Menace in the theater...and couldn’t have loathed it more. I haven’t seen a single minute of anything Star Wars since then. It was, for me, the end of quality storytelling and the beginning of digital special effects as a substitute. What’s amazing to me is how much I genuinely loved this documentary. I’ve always loved Dark Corners, but in absolutely every way this presentation was both more thought-provoking and entertaining than the film it’s focused on. You did a tremendous job on this.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Thank you. With these larger docs we do try to find a different story to the one other people are telling. Always good hear when people appreciate it.

[@matthewlogan4267]

I agree 1977 star Wars will always be the best star wars movie rip david prowse before it was called the new hope i remember when I Knew it as just star wars I hate that they renamed it

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@DarkCornersReviews do you rember the hype for this film

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@DarkCornersReviews rod you rember supershqdow

[@fdsajfldaskjf]

“The beginning of digital special effects as a substitute.” Yeah, about that. Half of the things you think are CGI in The Phantom Menace aren’t act CGI. This may come as a shocker but Stuckmann and Plinkett lied. Like, a lot.

[@muttjones222]

Brilliant video on the Phantom Menace! Even after reading and seeing behind the scenes footage and other retrospectives and breakdowns on the film, you still managed to give new information I’d never heard of. A real fantastic overlook at a unique event of film history!

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Many thanks!

[@escottamezcua6814]

Yes I agree I was 11 years old when this movie came out and I didn’t even know like 80% of this stuff I remembered going to Toys “R” Us to try to get a Darth Maul figure and I remembered us not being able to get it in us giving our name and phone number and then eventually they called us and saved us one

[@escottamezcua6814]

@@DarkCornersReviews and thank you thank you for all the contents that you make you do a very good job I hope you make more Star Wars stuff and I cannot wait to continue watching a horror videos

[@grahamtrelfer]

@@escottamezcua6814 Probably a little way off, the Star Wars vids don't do as well and we need to work out a unique angle to come at them. There is an idea for an Empire Strikes Back video, but just a nugget of an idea right now.

[@SchardtCinematic]

I'm 52 and I still love this movie. It was also the first DVD I ever bought. The hype was unreal I kept buying the magazines that had tidbits of info. It was the first time I heard of Liam Neelson and the magazines just Saud he was playing a venerable Jedi Master.

[@kali3665]

"So this is how liberty dies - with thunderous applause." Probably the best -- and most prescient -- line George Lucas ever wrote.

[@richmcgee434]

Depressingly accurate.

[@leadvendor]

Right? Oh boy, that line has simultaneously aged beautifully and badly.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

This was such a good line I thought Lucas was quoting it from somewhere.

[@LolliPop2000]

Yeah, depressing to live under Trump's boot; remember how he ... um, did something. I hope Darth Bezos can lead us into the Unicorn Candyland of Freedom.

[@benkenon]

It wasn't prescient. It was commentary on the run up to the Iraq war. After 9/11, George W. Bush positioned himself as a wartime president who was beyond all criticism, because to criticize the president was to criticize the United States. There was a lot of corny applause from congress whenever Bush addressed them, the media largely refused to criticize the illegal practices of his administration, and his obvious intellectual deficiencies were edited out of the clips of speeches we saw on TV, so if you didn't see them as they happened, you wouldn't see them at all. This didn't change until after the 2004 election, when he tried and failed to privatize social security, completely flubbed the response to Hurricane Katrina, and scandals related to the lies he told about the Iraq invasion, and scandals began to stack up related to attempted cover-ups of military abuses there.

[@RavensEagle]

Amazingly detailed and well researched piece. It honestly deserves way more views that it's currently getting. Thank you for this

[@havareriksen1004]

Having been a Star Wars fan since the age of 5, I was sorely disappointed when I watched The Phantom Menace at the cinema. And I don't accept over hyping as the main reason for that movies failiure to deliver. I was also a fan of the books of J.R.R. Tolkien, and though there were aspects of the story Peter Jackson changed that I was not pleased about, the hype for the long awaited Lord of the Rings movies still didn't make us feel the movies were crap. They were simply made with better acting and better story telling than the prequals. At any rate, Dark Corners delivers tons of information without judging lovers and haters of the movie. Continue the good work.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Thank you.

[@mikedestazador5116]

Your long videos are really becoming the last true shows on youtube

[@volodymyrbilyk555]

How this video is not hitting one million is beyond me

[@ianbrewster8934]

This was an epic overview of the phantom menace.... My father who is not the biggest movie buff made a point a few years ago. He said that in the same way that Jaws what is the world's first true Blockbuster and set the tone for movies to come. Star Wars The phantom menace basically set the tone for modern blockbuster movies. The internet hype even though it was relatively new in its day... The fandom both good and toxic.... The feeling that hype will be bigger than the actual finished product.... The insane merchandising.... The desire to see the next film.... That all came out of phantom menace. Being said was it a great movie know but I still love it. The game honestly good job you're one of the best channels on KZbin.

[@Schneekardinal]

Saw it on the big screen a week ago. What a beautiful film, I never realized. Due for a critical re-evaluation.

[@garcemac]

American Graffiti was brilliant - as is your longer reviews, Robin. Every time I see this movie I think of Happy Days, Aloha Bobby and Rose, and Benny And The Jets. I am 57 years old and I THANK YOU for taking me back to my younger days.

[@garcemac]

And yes, The Phantom Menace sucked.

[@mikekloepfer7424]

I remember my whole department at Microsoft Press took the day off to go see Phantom Menace. It was fun.

[@joannefisher3281]

I saw The Phantom Menace ten times as well. I loved it.

[@ngershon]

I watched with dread, as if watching a horror movie. A brilliantly done one. All that excitement and build up for a flop. Made me realize Lucas is probably the most frustrating pioneer in cinema history. And I LOVED the music choices, Mahler 2, Dvorak 9, Tchaikovsky 4, amazing. Missed a bit of Wagner perhaps.

[@benpaterson2237]

Proud Prequels/Clone Wars kid here. Ep. 1 was my first introduction to Star Wars and I love it warts and all. You've done an impeccable job with this documentary, one of my personal favorites on KZbin.

[@tyrannozilla]

I still love Phantom Menace and the rest of the prequels (un-ironically) I didn't care what the naysayers said back in the day.

[@vivalaminion2936]

Go-motion was co-created by Phil Tippet and ILM. The technique adds motion blur to make the movements seamless and take away the jitter.

[@RevokCronenberg]

Kudos. A very well researched article, objective and interesting to watch. That hour and 10 minutes flew by. :-)

[@ObiKKa]

Yeah. I agree. I liked it too. His team or perhaps it's just only one person working on this video (unlikely) as the narrator and editor managed to find so much information that I couldn't believe. Like the old images and videos of those old website designs, being able to play the trailer on old software like Real Media Player and QuickTime Player. Oh, that took me back to that time. Haha.

[@AstheCrowTries]

This is FASCINATING. As a millennial I remember the marketing bullrush but this documentary really puts into perspective why and HOW this really changed things. I'm a historian now and I always tell people that a lot of the time, it's the context of an event that is far more interesting than the event itself.

[@aarons1811]

I've seen 'The Phantom Menace' maybe 20 times. I've watched the Obi, Qui-Gon, Maul duel maybe 50 times 😂.

[@WilG082]

One of the best things about stars wars is the excitement and build up around a new Star Wars movie. I hope it happens again soon.

[@gary-pv8vz]

An incredible wealth of detailed information.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Thanks, it took a while.

[@alexanderhall5561]

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So well told and produced!! Just wonderful!! Thanks, A.

[@keithmockett3810]

This must be a pinnacle for you! I projected it in 4K and it looks excellent! Well done!

[@DarkCornersReviews]

It was great to relive the journey.

[@FreihEitner]

TROOPS is from 1997?! Holy cripes, that's a great looking and well made fan film for any age but utterly incredible for 1997!

[@Techn9cian123]

There was nothing more hyped than this.

[@KingComanche]

Wow, those practical effects were super cool. I never knew all those sets and miniatures were there.

[@heroeshorrorscats1888]

In awe the amount of work you put into this! But loved every minute. Especially the voice-overs. Well, one voice-over.

[@richsadler2661]

Just rewatched this and it’s even better than I remember. Well done, chaps.

[@wilfredohernandez154]

Dude your documentaries should win awards!

[@DarkCornersReviews]

We did get nominated for one earlier this year, but didn't win. Maybe next year.

[@scottym6239]

What an amazing film you have put together - So much work must have gone into this , thank you !

[@thepizzeria5365]

As someone who was born in 2000 and thus missed out on the hype for Episode 1-2, I adore videos like this. Had no clue the tone poems ever existed.

[@scantrahan]

Late 90s star wars hype - Well I know I had a few of the toys shown here, as well as the games! My best memory was using the new films to bond with my dad, who was a fan of the films before I was on the scene. We also put on some pounds getting those fast food collector mugs and toys

[@kylekullin2520]

I have the Batman Forever cups!

[@dip.918]

I don't know why but seeing how excited people were for this movie and Darth Maul makes me so happy. I hope everybody excited for it are prequel die-hards today!

[@Sergio-nb4hj]

Exactly what I was thinking. I know a lot of people hated it when they saw it, but there had to be SOME sizable percentage of them who came out happy and have kept up with that era!

[@Schneekardinal]

This is a top-notch documentary and deserves far more than those 12.000 views. Very good work.

[@garyjust.johnson1436]

I was able to see the original 3 movies at the indian hills theater, in omaha, nebraska, the last Cine-Rama movie theater, featuring a circular auditorium and curved wide screen that filled the viewers peripheral vision. And the wrap around sound with speakers set up behind and on all sides. Quite an experience now lost to developers.

[@andrewattenboroughtwothumb4697]

I remember seeing it in cinemas with my father as a 10 year old and even after 24 years it’s still has the problems the movie had and problems with fandom and division and hype

[@heatrayzvideo3007]

I was so excited for this film. I saw it at the cinema. At the beginning the excitement in the theatre was palpable and so was the wave of disappointment about 20 minutes in when everyone realised the film was a bit naff.

[@franzferdinand2]

I have many complicated memories and reactions to the prequel trilogy, but one thing remains constant: the trailer reveal of the double bladed lightsaber was the raddest thing my 14-year-old self had ever seen.

[@jimnasium452]

The Phantom Menace blew holy hell chunks but even knowing that I would still buy a ticket to walk out of Waterboy if that was my only way to see the trailer.

[@matthewlogan4267]

The original trilogy will aways be the beast

[@matthewlogan4267]

I meant to say best

[@ThreadBomb]

@@matthewlogan4267 It can be two things.

[@matthewlogan4267]

@@ThreadBomb 👍

[@kylekullin2520]

Batman 89 is better!

[@matthewlogan4267]

@kylekullin2520 it's a good movie

[@espacemaxim]

I watched it three times, just because I didn't believe how bad it was....and I thought it's my fault. After the third time reality set in. But...the hype was great!!! Sadly the franchise got worse from there, but...we'll always have the original trilogy

[@JoshAddison78]

Your long form dissections are amazing. I've commented on several, and this continues the quality. Thank you.

[@Ryglado]

This is awesome work.

[@AdamqK]

Re special effects (16 minute mark): I used to have a book when I was a kid about special effects in the cinema, taking in Melies' camera tricks and O'Brien and Harryhausen's stop-motion, but it by the time it was published, some time in the early 70s, it admitted that there wasn't much going on any more and didn't seem to have much to write about, even in the 60s (I seem to remember it considered James Bond stunts, including a guy getting spear-gunned, as "special effects". Only a handful of years after the book was published, everything kicked into overdrive again, thanks to Star Wars.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

We are thinking about doing a longer special on pre-computer special effects.

[@josephdeane9158]

Brilliant work! very enjoyable and unbiased. Which, with Star Wars is refreshing.

[@lenircotia]

Not the Phantom Menace was overhyped, the fans negative critics were overhyped, even until now! The Phantom Menace is a great film!

[@vykuntapufangtxpreet9546]

Facts.

[@charlestaylor253]

Thank you for sharing, Mr. Lucas. 🤬🤮

[@garethdowson]

I saw Phantom Menace on the big screen, in Bangor North Wales ahem, and it washed through me like a dream. Thank you, Mr Lucas. Not seen it again because it wouldn't be the same. Who else can claim to making dreams outside of sleep?

[@charlestaylor253]

Seeing TPM first-run in May 99 washed through me like a dream and left me feeling drained afterward, too. Just like waking up in bed with diarrhea. 🤮💩

[@GleeChan]

When I was a kid, I admit giving into the Star Wars hype back then. I bought quite a bit of Phantom Menace things as well as saw the movie seven times at our local theater. In the middle of that high I couldn't see anything negative about it, that was until I bought the VHS (and later the DVD) of it later. Even then I was sort of in denial. Sure, some part were bad, but there were a lot of good. But reality sunk in. I sort of think this kinda reaction happened across the board. It was only after the home-releases that people really started dog piling on it. The hype-cloud had cleared and everyone could sort of see clearly. Personally I don't think it's the worst thing ever, even now, but let's just say it's not a movie I got back and revisit. ... Also... I still own that VHS and DVD I bought back in the day, as well as some of the books and toys I got. I sort of don't want to let go of that feeling I had back then, you know?

[@alwooga2531]

Really superb content, and I’m no Star Wars fan. This must have taken forever to make but I hope to see more stuff like it on this channel.

[@AdamqK]

Wow -- finally finished it. thanks very much -- it was an informed and intelligent look at the whole thing, and really put things in perspective. I was horrified to learn Jake Lloyd's fate -- I didn't like his performance, but didn't think he was any worse than most child actors of he 60s and 70s (hell, I grew up with Lee H. Montgomery). While I did see and love the original Star Wars (twice, in quick succession) I only caught up with the subsequent sequels on TV and rental, but also enjoyed them thoroughly. When they finally released Phantom Menace, I was wary -- how can you recapture that moment? - but when I eventually saw it on its release, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would but certainly didn't hate it as much as a lot of the reviewers had. The backlash made it a pleasant, if not overwhelming surprise. Unfortunately, when I saw the sequel to THAT, I was so confused by what was going on and whose story was being told, I just gave up. But...hey, no love for "Hardware Wars"? Or even....the Star Wars Xmas special? Surely THAT deserves a mention!

[@DarkCornersReviews]

So many little things I left out, Hardware Wars (which I do own) was a rather cheeky omission as I wanted to focus on Troops being the driving force that started the fan film movement. Other cuts included Lego which because of Mace Windu introduced race into what had been a yellow only world. Terrance Stamp's main reason for doing Star Warswas to act with Natalie Portman, and then all scenes were on a green screen and he never met her. The Phantom Edit was in and out. Tweaks like that is why it took so long to finish.

[@PseudoNym13]

I'd really have liked to have seen the Lucas version of 7-9

[@spews1973]

I am not now nor have I ever been a Star Wars fan. But I am a Dark Corners fan. This was another fascinating video. A fascinating cultural history, you might say. Keep up the good work!

[@billhardy7870]

I LOVED this. Thank you for one of most informative sessions on a film I have ever seen. You covered anything and everything I could have imagined. Thank you!

[@ThreadBomb]

People talk about the rise of geek culture, the "triumph of the nerd", but looking at Star Wars fandom it seems what actually happened was that geek culture was invaded and taken over by jocks and dudebros.

[@Nosferatu981]

This video deserves 100x the views it has.

[@tecumsehcristero]

Robin is fantastic at these documentaries to give you all the background and hidden information

[@robinbailes5236]

Thanks! But I feel obligated to say that this one was Graham's baby, I just turned up for the voiceover and checked the spelling.

[@tecumsehcristero]

@@robinbailes5236 oops! I often forget that this isn't entirely your show that there is another guy. I didn't want to insult anyone

[@robinbailes5236]

@@tecumsehcristero Don't worry, I forget about him as well sometimes.

[@tecumsehcristero]

@@robinbailes5236 LOL

[@carlesq.]

well done,excellent documentary

[@Pauldjreadman]

I just see all this. I knew that there would be buzz around it because it had been Soooooooo Long since Jedi, but it I think in this case the journey was better than the destination.

[@devox3291]

An extraordinary documentary! Extremely well done! 💯🔝🏆

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

Great retrospective documentary - I hope it gets eventually all the views it deserves given the hard work that went into it! I remember back in the days in Italy there was surely a lot of hype but nothing that dramatic as weeks of queeing - probably because the US release had already happened months prior (we had it released in September) and some less than enthusiastic reviews had started circulating. I remember my parents and I being a bit underwhelmed: while amazed by the special and visual effects and the climatic battle, the movie seemed to be dragging and lacking that extra emotional punch.

[@ScientistSplinterGrp]

Good job, I know it didn't get the views expected, but I liked it. Now I wait the last trilogy documentary. You have till 2029, good luck.

[@paulo64bits]

Thank you for this amazing documentary, my friend.

[@KaitainCPS]

One element that always tends to get missed out in these histories - West End Games' "Star Wars: The RPG", a pencil-and-paper roleplaying system first released in 1987, was a major keeper of the flame in the late 80s and early 90s, and also began the process of codifying canonical knowledge about people, places, vehicles, technologies and lore in the Star Wars universe, in both the core game book, the first Sourcebook, and then other sourcebooks for the Rebel Alliance, the Empire etc. The kind of stuff we now take for granted on things like Wookiepedia - all of that really started with the Star Wars RPG. They invented many elements of it themselves, in consultation with Lucasfilm, who then awarded it canonical status. (It was also a really fun system to play with!) Watching "Andor" last year felt to me like watching a TV show based on the Star Wars RPG: rather than focusing on the grand luminaries of the saga, much of it was about the grubby business of being a mid-level operative in the resistance during the heyday of Palpatine's rule as emperor.

[@harshckuk]

This brings back a lot of memories. Great job, man

[@oobrocks]

U bring amazing amount of research to your channel!

[@thefearofg0ds758]

2:30 Wait wait.....wait. Mace Windu existed as a character long before the first movie was even greenlit? I've often wondered if the stories of Lucas having all this planned out from the beginning was greatly exaggerated....but every few years I'm proven wrong. This is awesome. I also remember my 6th grade english teacher(who was a massive Star Wars fan) vaguely hinting that prequel movies were coming when she let us watch the entire OG trilogy on a Friday. This was back in 1995.

[@duncanmacleod2953]

This was enjoyable! Thanks for making it. Brought me back 😀

[@TheBeird]

Damn this was a trip. I discovered Star Wars through the 95 VHS re-releases. I think I had a crash course in Star Wars fandom. A compact version of what OG fans went through. All the way up to Phantom Menace. I don't think I'll ever be as exicited for something, as in denial about something, as hateful about something, before becoming as indifferent toward something like Star Wars ever again. But for all his faults, I am regretful that Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney. His sequel trilogy may have been bad, but they'd be his. Not designed by committee.

[@christopherwilson3754]

Great documentary. Even handed, fair and interesting. Well done. Thank you.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@futuristica1710]

Amazing documentary! 👍🏼

[@darealpapajon]

Im seeing this movie in theaters in may. I was only 3 when this movie first was released

[@depassebenjamin3212]

It's a great work because it doesn't focus on big names and big studios, but also toys, merchandising and little events and all the energy generated by the phenomena. I was among the first French people to watch the movie. People were ecstatic. When I have seen the episode VII on screen, I realized it was done for me. New films and stories, it's something else, I'm not not into it. It was a moment in time, a great moment, but things go and pass and you've got to move up.

[@paullynch1246]

Amazing video! There is some fantastic footage I have never seen and it took me right back to 1999

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Thanks, this is exactly what we wanted to do.

[@Palmieres]

11:03 Look at that cat on Mark's lap! OMG!

[@ashdoginc]

Very professionally done. It definitely provides a good perspective of that period. There is not a lot of movies that people get really hyped up for these days. Movies were once an event - now you have so much to choice from it's mindboggling. I do wonder if George Lucas considered the movies as for children, why Lucasfilm fueled the hype to that level?

[@nilskalsdorf5483]

Fantastic review -as always.. thanks and continue the good work ! :-)

[@gioiacobucci]

Thanks!

[@johnpabst2960]

Kudos on this. Well done doesn't really cover it. Initially, I wasn't a *super fan* of the Prequels, with Attack of the Clones being my least favorite mainly due to a rushed script and terrible dialog. This was in part due to the fact that I was much older and the mystery, magic, and spectacle that made the first 3 films so magical were done in other films at the time, such as The Matrix. But the fact that Lucas was never good at character generation also hurt them too, with too many instances of Obiwan and Anakin talking about all of these wild adventures without the viewer actually seeing them. HOWEVER, after watching the rubbish that Disney gave us in the last 3 films, I've since taken a much more endearing attitude towards them, especially EP1 and III.

[@glenhayman8722]

Troops is still amazing thank you for this it brought back my college days

[@kali3665]

As always, Robin, a fantastic video. Thank you for your work.

[@robinbailes5236]

Thanks. Although I should say, I was just voiceover on this one, Graham did all the writing and research (about 3 years worth!).

[@kali3665]

@@robinbailes5236 Yes, I should credit him as well. You are lucky to have such a great researcher and producer.

[@RX552VBK]

Excellent video essay on the Phantom Menace.

[@frozenpumpkin9083]

Fantastic documentary.

[@inyourfacestudios101]

This was a brilliant video! Must have taken you a lot of work, so you should be proud

[@onemancinema4642]

Well done. This is quite detailed. It also reminds me of how misguided Lucas was in his decisions. Using children in any of these movies was a bad idea. Jake Lloyd, Natalie Portman, Jar Jar Binks etc. The only fond memories I have are the toys.