Star Wars The Phantom Menace: Not That Good But Not That Bad Either

[@MourningStar7]

I always thought that watching Jake Lloyd play young Anakin and thinking " This kid is going to be Vader? " was a positive thing. Sure, his acting might not have been what some wanted or expected, but the innocence from the character/actor made the transformation to Vader that much more impactful.

[@Johnadams20760]

exactly. obiwan's ghost talked about how good naikin was til he was seduced by the dark side. but even jake showed something. in that scene with sebluba you could almost see he has it in him

[@smudge22-61]

Jake Lloyd played the young Anakin, not the young Vader. Anakin fell to evil later. I thought Jake was fine. The hate he got was ridiculous.

[@Simon-xc5oy]

If you look at the extras on the disk releases, you can see all the auditions for Anakin. The other kids they got in were even worse. Way worse. Then when you get to Lloyd, and he appears its obvious he is better, nicer, more smiles and more animation. You can see why they picked him as he was the best of the lot and that is saying something. Then you get his performance in the film and its wooden, and dull, because his character is written that way, he is a kid and has done very little so far, its written into a corner from the start! It would have been way better if they had not gone so young with Vader as a kid, and started when he was about Lukes age in the first film. And they should have cast a better actor than Hayden as well, couple that with a weak script and its all a disaster....

[@QenaitheCustodianGuard]

The doors opening, Maul standing there, him pulling his saber, the music all of this is timeless and part of my childhood!

[@Simon-xc5oy]

Thats great and a good guide and a nice point of view to have. But just imagine what it was like for us kids back in 1977. The opening crawl, the Star Destroyer, Vader, the Princess, the Droids, The Jawas and Tattoine, Luke and Ben, The Cantina, Han and the Falcon, the Death Star, The Trash Compactor, the Shoot outs, the Swing across the shaft, the Death Star Battle and Trench Run....It was Bang, bang, bang....new incredible characters and visuals and jaw dropping scenes one after another that left you breathless and became iconic over night.....then we got Empire and Jedi to round it out....compare that to the slurry Disney have made. Star Wars made the news on every continent back in the 70s. Everyone was talking about it, listening to the music, trying to buy the toys...it was a true mass event that broke into the mainstream and reinvented effects movies taking them to another level, as well as firing the imagination of millions. We got so many other films because of Star Wars...all those 80s greats like E.T., the return of Trek to the big screen, Terminator, Poltergeist....on and on.....the only thing the Disney films and shows are doing is upsetting people, causing arguments, flopping and becoming notorious and renowned for how bad it all is....

[@wstine79]

The Duel of the Fates, Pod Race, and the lightsaber fight between Darth Maul, Obi-Wan, and Qui Gon are still great.

[@Lance37a]

It still doesn't make a great movie.

[@KJM1984]

​@@Lance37aTrue, but it was a pretty damn memorable movie going experience back in 1999.

[@TheProtagonistDies]

imagine someone thinking this movie is bad smh

[@greedokenobi3855]

Duel of the Fates is great, just like Mc Diarmid’s performance (imo he carries the entire prequel trioligy on his back to a big degree). I hate the podrace thing but loving the sound effects of it. Darth Maul was overrated, underwhelming and disappointing to me and it was TCW show that made him a great character imo.

[@paindilla1834]

They are the only things I like about it

[@LakeLyfe315]

I was 16 when it came out and was a huge Star Wars fan. I saw it 3 more times in the theater because I loved it that much!

[@judsongaiden9878]

I was 19 and I saw in the theater six times. "SIX TIIIIMES!"

[@KoolKeithProductions]

​​@@judsongaiden9878I wasn't into to SW back in 99. I knew of it, but just had no interest in seeing any of the movies. But in 2001, FOX made this big deal about how Ep 1 was gonna be airing on Network TV for the 1st time, and to celebrate it they were gonna air the OT 3 weekends in a row leading up to the premiere. So l thought what the hell, why not give them a shot? After watching the OT, l thought they were just...OK. Not bad, but nothing outside the last hour of Ep 6 really stood out to me as something l would rewatch, so my expectations were LOW when they finally aired Ep 1, but l really enjoyed it. The pod race scene and lightsaber fight at the end blew my mind, because racing and sword fights were 2 things l were into HEAVY back then, so l ate that stuff up and couldn't wait for Ep 2.

[@SJHFoto]

I was almost 10 years older than you. Old enough to have seen at least Empire and Jedi in the movies (I was a little too young to go to the movies in 1977), and I still loved the Phantom Menace. I don't get my so many hate it

[@Maesterful]

Compared to films from the latest trilogy it's a masterpiece

[@greedokenobi3855]

So was ths holiday special lol. At least that was Star Wars

[@ajg8722]

It’s a masterpiece when it came out.

[@wephilips6651]

Yet compared to any decently written and acted movie it’s still a dull train wreck 😊

[@bobcharlotte8724]

I feel bad for those who didnt experience the hype before this. It was absolutely insane... Yall have no idea. NOOOO idea.

[@donaldlind523]

I will give Jake this. He gave a pretty good cold stare at Mace when he announced Anakin would not be trained. Subtle foreshadowing.

[@Rfk1966]

It seems that people who were kids at the time or saw it later as a kid enjoy the movie. But those who were adults at the time (such as myself) lean toward thinking “yes, It Is Really That Bad”

[@nicholashylton6857]

Same. Lucas replaced mythological archetypes & storytelling with NPCs and pratfalls.

[@TheTriumfAnt]

Agreed. I recently tried to watch it again for the first time since it was released. I made it about 20 minutes before I had to switch off. Including the original three, I can also rewatch The Force Awakens and Rogue One, but non of the others.

[@Johnadams20760]

@@nicholashylton6857 what is an NPC , what is a pratfall?

[@SRMoore1178]

Yep, I was in my early 20s when I saw it and I was pretty disappointed. I really wanted to like it. The main light-saber duel was awesome but I was thinking that I was just too old to feel that type of movie magic again. Then a couple of years later, the first of the Lord of the Rings movies came out and I was blown away. I felt the magic again.

[@Johnadams20760]

@@skeptisch997 oh. well i never really played any games. i just watched movies and watched some of the tv series. never read any books, what about that 2nd word Pratfalls

[@robvegas9354]

1999 was wild. You could not go anywhere without seeing Darth Maul on posters, chip packets and fast food restauants. It was good fun to see the Sand People raider guys during the pod race. It was a good fun movie, From what i remember The Matrix and Fight Club were out a few weeks later and Star wars got a bit left behind at the time.

[@djchaiwallah]

I don't care about JarJar, that movie was everything I hoped for as a kid

[@christianschmidt8476]

You liked politics as kind? Interesting, Darling.

[@djchaiwallah]

@@christianschmidt8476 Well, yes Karen.

[@CornishCreamtea07]

@@christianschmidt8476 What kid doesn't like sci-fi politics?

[@djtenzen]

This movie rules and is legit my fav Star Wars movie. The biggest blockbuster Summer I’ve lived through was ‘99 and it was real and it was epic. It’s a different world these days and this movie makes me feel like I can live in that Summer forever.

[@madamedelite]

Saw every Star Wars movie in the theater. Back when it came out I hated it so much. But during the pandemic I revisited it, and I was like, "Its not as bad as I remember." I actually enjoyed it. It didn't help the Disney sequels became more disappointing for me..

[@ObiClon]

I remember being super hyped about this movie due to magazines I had read and the Duel of the Fates music video I saw around the time. While it may have some rust on it, I would still watch this over The Last Jedi

[@steveleeart]

I would still watch this over RISE OF SKYWALKER.

[@purefoldnz3070]

this movie is a thousand times better than Last Jedi and Phantom Menace isn't the best movie in the world.

[@joehenry9546]

I’m not a fan of The Last Jedi or The Rise Of Skywalker. But, I do love The Phantom Menace.

[@Simon-xc5oy]

Yes. I recently bought the bluray pack of all three prequel films and Star Wars as it was on sale, just to get the original films. And it came with the prequels that I had not watched in years, so I did the rewatch as well. And Phantom is truly dreadful and deserves all the grief it got. Attack of the Clones is incredibly dull and leaves the bit everyone wants to see, The Clone Wars, out of the film entirely apart from a brief fight at the end. A lot of the stuff in the cartoon should have been in this film. By the time Sith comes around after two bad films no one has any hope left that it will be good. And as it stands its just ok, and as ever Hayden and Portman are truly wooden and terrible. Yet any one of them is better than Last Jedi. At the time Phantom came out, the let down and upset after all the hope was so visceral and raw. It was a real gut punch. Then the Matrix came out and blew Phantom away, it was a way better film and far more unique and exciting. And the sad truth came home to Star Wars fans, that Lucas had lost the plot and other movies could and would be better than Star Wars and it was no longer unique and exciting and well made and original like the first one was back in 1977. Its been downhill ever since and we are at the lowest point ever in Star Wars history now, the fan love is gone forever and KK and Disney have finished the job of destroying the franchise.

[@mateosimon4237]

I would watch Peppa the pig over any of the sequels

[@MomoDontKnow]

The prequel trilogy will always be my favorite! I can always re-watch it and still enjoy it.

[@bensneb360]

Is it perfect, no, it it has a tone of creativity and that final lightsaber duel… PURE CINEMA

[@Serpsss]

The problem is it was a kids movie just like the original trilogy but the original fans had grown up & remembered them being more; especially if they'd invested in the expanded universe (now legends). Kids don't generally go to see deep plots or well developed characters, they go to see a spectacle they can play out at home.

[@ericvulgate]

Translation- the first three weren't that great either. And I agree.

[@Lance37a]

​@@ericvulgatewrong

[@MrShakespearefan]

The problem I have with that argument is I think the prequels were attempting something more complex plot and character wise, I just don’t feel they completely succeeded.

[@dtxspeaks268]

​@@ericvulgateor how about the first 3 were great because Lucas had people questioning him. Then Lucas took control when he did TPM and it went downhill from there.

[@ChristianFrates1997]

While Revenge of the Sith is my favorite prequel, Phantom Menace is the most serene.

[@High_Key]

I’m a Prequelist so not at all. Was a magical time to be a kid in the 90s-00s.

[@perfectallycromulent]

people who had happy childhoods think that whatever decade they grew up in was a magical time. if not, you don't think it was magical. it's not the decade, it's your personal experience.

[@andrewattenboroughtwothumb4697]

I agree

[@High_Key]

@@perfectallycromulent I’m a 90s kid and I’m jealous of the 80s kids. That era of pop culture is just so damn iconic, I wish I got to live it. But can’t say the same for any other decade.

[@ajg8722]

Fax

[@dtxspeaks268]

​​@@High_Keythe 80s to 2004 were the best honestly. The movies, cartoons, video games, pop culture trends, music and early tech of that era was straight magic

[@Luciphell]

It was, but then Disney said "Hold my beer."

[@Rockstar-bq5fm]

This movie is my childhood and is still my personal favourite Star Wars movie. But as a man I can see the movies flaws all the same I still love it and find the highs far exceed it’s low points

[@kennethgardner4373]

The real problem is with the Phantom Menace is that people really can't believe that Anakin Skywalker was a 8-year-old kid, born with no father is the genesis of Star Wars? It's a great film but still I can't believe or buy that Anakin is a little kid, instead of the grown man that Obi Won talked about in A New Hope and Return of the Jedi. Geroge Lucas should have stay on the original story with Anakin in The Phantom Menace again is the problem with the film.

[@mbanana4566]

For a lot of people my age - seeing PM was the first SW experience in the cinema/theatre, we fell in love with this world so we look back at PM with loving nostalgia, i stand by the this film, AOTC was a little bland but the ROTS ended rhe trilogy in an amazing way, so good

[@ajg8722]

Fax!

[@judsongaiden9878]

Ahmed Best's physicality always reminded me of Bruce Campbell. I was 19 when TPM came out and I immediately understood the point Georgie-go-nuts was trying to make through Jar Jar. Because I'd already lived it. He was trying to make a point about the value of the individual versus the prejudices of "society." Even the "good guy's" societies in George Lucas's stories often have some element of authoritarianism to them. Even the Jedi have a hint of that, which is what led to their downfall. Call it "right-hand-path collectivist slave morality." 11:30 Jar Jar's the the only Gungan who bumbles. They're whole society is based on order, precision, beauty, and perfection. That's why Jar Jar doesn't fit in. He was always meant to be a performance artist (like Ahmed Best, himself). Not much room for an artiste in a rigid conformist society. 11:44 Tells me you might be a Sith sympathizer. The Sith Code actually makes sense, but the Sith, themselves, always seem to betray their own code by favoring order over freedom. If the Code was taken literally, it would be a philosophy that favors freedom over order. 9:29 Cheeki breeki Slav squat! Ahmed's the Best! 12:29 George Lucas is a notorious motorhead. That's why just about all of his movies have cool vehicles and chase scenes, even 'THX-1138'. Also, ALL of this stories have an archetypal Jar Jar-esque character. 12:48 Spencer Gifts plasma ball

[@derekbos4404]

One simple thing. Darth Maul should have been kept alive at least until halway thru the 2nd movie. That would have been mega. Dooku stank as a villain.

[@edsmith4821]

This movie was trashed when the Force awakens came out i kept on telling folks Phantom menace and the prequels were great but people looked at me like i was diseased so i just waited until all the new movies got trashed and everyone started to look back saying how good the prequels actually were . People tend to go thru mass hysteria from time to time

[@rylymbona]

I wanted to get into Star Wars and I watched this movie and I just couldn't believe how bad it was. I thought I was crazy for not liking it because of how people love this series. Anytime I start something, I always stick it through until the end, but I watched like the first 20 minutes and I just couldn't. I simply couldn't. I will try again someday though.

[@jasontorres7756]

No it's not a bad film, it's actually quite good and a classic compared to any of the sequel trilogy.

[@GazingTrandoshan]

If you have to compare for it to stand then it isnt good.

[@greedokenobi3855]

Even the holiday special was good compared the the sequals lol. At least that was Star Wars

[@greedokenobi3855]

@@GazingTrandoshan It isn’t good. It’s acceptable ar best, to a degree. That said, it’s a masterpiece compared to the sequels lol

[@nixneato]

I couldn't disagree more about Jake Lloyd. I for one totally believe that Anakin's enthusiasm (pureheartedness, really) also explains the fall. When your mind is pure, the confrontation with the real world is hard, and as paradoxical as it sounds, it's easy to lose empathy when you see how shit people can be because they're so far off the innocence you have within. Also, pureheartedness is linked to hypersensitivity. Add losing your mother to the mix, and risking losing your wife, and well...

[@jasonblalock4429]

I think Lucas stuck too close to his inspirations for TPM. A lot of 50s pulp scifi, like the Lensman series, has a very similar plot structure. "Peace keepers on a mission get detoured on a random planet in the second act, while picking up unlikely allies for the upcoming battle," was a common conceit for writers trying to stretch their books out. But that structure doesn't work so well on film. That said, I was never on the Episode 1 hate train. It's not great, but I genuinely don't think it's that bad either. As table-setting, it's actually doing a lot of heavy lifting. I also appreciate all the subtle ways it plays into the idea that the Jedi **used** to be great peacekeepers, but have become hidebound and arrogant. That's a difficult balancing act to pull off, while still presenting them as more or less heroic.

[@nihilismistheonlyway4680]

Im glad this reviewer wasn't afraid to express their honest opinion. I've seen too many people get bullied into giving neutered review.

[@djvoid1]

I went to the premiere in 1999, theatre was full of people dressed up in full cosplay. One guy walked in dressed in a Star Trek star fleet costume and gave everyone the finger as he walked in to resounding boos.

[@filippos13]

Compared to the shite Disney is making, even Attack of the Clones seems like The Empire Strikes Back!

[@flyguy7825]

Naw!🤣🤣🤣🤣 Attack of the Clones was one of the worst in my opinion.

[@filippos13]

@@flyguy7825 It was, until the Disney sequels came along

[@christianschmidt8476]

​@@filippos13force awakens >>>>>>> prequels

[@filippos13]

@@christianschmidt8476 Lol, sure

[@ryanscott3161]

@filippos13, are you Scottish by ony chunce? The way you said shite “sounded” (I know I canna hear it) like yer fae roon my way😂

[@ShelterCats]

Best light saber fight of all the films.

[@chungkingexpress94]

It is a great movie. Its like Wizard of Oz meets Star Wars. It's so delightfully different than any of the bland shit star wars fand theorized in their heads for 10+ years after ROTJ. George throws in every idea he can think of and its magical

[@white-dragon4424]

You know what I believe most fans were expecting when TPM came out? They were expecting the Star Wars equivalent of the movies like Excalibur (minus the nudity) and LOTR. They were expecting Jedi armies fighting Sith armies, with noble knights facing true evil, not cartoon "Dick Dastardly" naughty people. They were expecting this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIitmqeij7KBrc0 this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpScommko9Klfbs and this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGLRdHyvd6igoMk NOT this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIaniZevh9SEfpY or this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHmrZZimnLSVetU and certainly NOT this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnuaoat5br57jLs I've studied Lucas carefully, and he just doesn't have it in him to make such a movie. He's just a simple minded nerd from Modesto, with absolutely no concept of culture or history. All he knows are old Flash Gordon serials and unfunny silent movies. He's got one strength, and that's running a business, but he really should've left all of the writing and other creative side of things to far more educated and cultured people, people like Chris Nolan. He could've made an excellent Star Wars movie.

[@dtxspeaks268]

It's unfortunate that Spielberg and many others put way too much confidence in Lucas and told him to direct the PT instead smh.

[@FranciscoGarcia-hi3zx]

I remember watching this on vhs 📼 and I thought it was the most amazing movie I’ve seen.

[@King-K-Club]

I disagree that Lucas should be blamed for casting Lloyd as Anakin. He should be blamed for giving Lloyd the dumbest dialog possible. An 8 or 9 year old kid can't be expected to make a masterpiece preformance out total crap to work with. No one blames the other actors for sounding like wood planks talking to a wall cause we all know they were told to say stupid things at a blue screen during a time most actors had never really seen many blue screens yet.

[@JoBloOriginals]

I always felt awful for Lloyd

[@King-K-Club]

@@JoBloOriginals me too, poor kid.

[@mikenahmias7102]

I was 19 when this came out. I was a big Star Wars fan and just happy to have new Star Wars.

[@Lance37a]

I love how all of the clips have the CGI Yoda instead of the horrible puppet one that was actually in the original movie.

[@LOUKYRON]

Darth Maul didn't get enough screen time 🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

[@flyguy7825]

1000% agree one of my favorite characters and villains of all time.

[@sekaramochi]

Watch the cartoons. Maul didn't die, with robot scorpion legs He should've came back, but...

[@jochenstacker7448]

And Jar-Jar had too much

[@TheFesta01]

Everyone I spoke too after watching the phantom menace - always mentioned Darth Maul in a positive light.

[@christianschmidt8476]

To do what exactly? Standing menacing and letting other people talk?

[@henrywallacesghost5883]

I remember everyone cheering the 20th century fox fanfare and logo. That's how hyped everybody was.

[@theanonymouscritic1710]

The Phantom Menace is a thought provoking masterpiece! Fight me.

[@DAYHOMEONE]

I never understood why the young Yoda looked older than the old Yoda.

[@DNOstalgia]

Couldn't agree with your opinion more dude, nice one 😊🎉🎉🎉

[@Dr.Strangelewd]

No matter how poorly written and acted Prequel trilogy is, at least it had great soundtrack, fun action scenes and introduced a lot of new distinct factions and tech into the setting.

[@L33Reacts]

No. But duel of the fates still slaps. 😅

[@Joe_Kerr_9797]

I just rewatched it today, it's not a perfect film but It's not a bad film either, still liked it just as much as I first watched it back in 2009 or 2010, I was too young when it came out in 1999.

[@johnr.7906]

The dialogue, the dialogue.....

[@ajg8722]

Episode I wasn’t bad….it was awesome. Will always be my absolute favorite Star Wars movie of all time. I’ll never forget being a kid and seeing the hype around it. It was awesome.

[@mikeedward9595]

Generally, the people who enjoy it the most were kids when they first saw it. Never underestimate the power of nostalgia. For example, I loved "The Greatest American Hero" as a kid, but man, that show is hard to watch now.

[@nunyabizness6595]

Trade taxation. Such fun!😮😮😮

[@vaderfett3229]

🤣🤣🤣

[@andrewattenboroughtwothumb4697]

I remember seeing it in cinemas at the age of 10 years old and remember how much hype it had maybe even more for other movies and how fans were so nuts for it including myself and after seeing it a few weeks after my older cousin saw it in New York

[@nothumbbowler1802]

Prequals are now so common, b/c it's a way to milk a franchise, rather than doing something new.

[@gogeta492]

I love how everyone focuses so much on them using green screen too much in TPM. When it wasn't till AotC and ROTS that it became that way. Most of what you see in TPM is real sets and locations. Do some research and not just repeat the wrong info others have for decades now

[@flyguy7825]

I love the Phantom Menace it was one of my favorite Star Wars movies and still is listen it’s not a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination but it’s thoroughly enjoyable and it had one of my favorite villains and characters of all time and Darth Maul love that character to death I think pacing was a problem and I think some of the characters were very poorly written all in all I’ll never forget when it came out I went to the theaters and saw it multiple times at least four times and I saw The Matrix twice During that era in 1999 one of my favorite times going to the theaters will never forget it.

[@scotness]

It was not bad at all. I watched it for the story arch and I was happy with it.

[@deanvillarreal147]

i am guilty of being one the people who can just put this on randomly to enjoy. same goes for the entire prequel trilogy for me. i also like to re watch Rogue One from time to time, thats good one too.

[@ajg8722]

Fax

[@MikeD974]

Love the phantom menace the light Saber duel at the end was great . I find the 2nd movie the weakest and the 3 is actually my favorite in the franchise

[@shehuweaves]

I half expected Samuel L. Jackson, to say "May the force be with you, mother f*****!".

[@markgreen5153]

Yes

[@jokester3076]

Correction: Darth Maul did not die in the Phantom Menace, he was marooned alive for ten years in a galactic landfill, he cobbled together a new pair of legs from discarded droid parts. Maul was given substantial character development in the clone-wars series, he appears again in “Solo” as the leader of the crimson dawn syndicate.

[@Lance37a]

Dumbest resurrection ever.

[@SimonLeicester]

I think given all the hype beforehand it was inevitable it was going to slight disappointment, and it was

[@Trash2000s]

It’s my personal favorite. Saw it in theaters when i was 7. Darth Maul 👹🤘🤘🤘

[@OfficialRaveBlitz]

The Phantom Menace is fantastic!

[@abramsullivan7764]

I never seen Star Wars The Phantom Menace when it was released in theaters on May 19th, 1999 me, and Sean was only 1 year old since our birthday was on May 27th.

[@ChrisPTenders]

I was a kid when this movie came out, but I was more into the aesthetic. I liked the Duel of the Fates, pod-racing was cool, and I thought the Nubian shuttle was just as cool as the Millennium Falcon for no other reason than it looked like a sword. As an adult, I actually appreciate it way more for the artistry behind it. There's always going to be two camps of Star Wars fans: the super nerds who obsess over the nuances of George's intricately detailed story mythos... AND the fans of the sights and sounds, who just want to see character banter and melodrama depicted with striking visuals. And sure, there's overlap. Episode I is a super nerd movie, with no overlap. It's definitely devoid of any of the charisma the actors of the originals brought to those movies, but I think that's by design. Qui-Gon is an evolution of Episode VI Luke, an advocate of philosophical stoicism, and he's the driving force of the narrative. A lot of the movie's acting and directing choices reflect that theme of stoicism. I think a lot of the complaints in this video are centered around a lack of recognition for themes of stoicism. I don't think The Phantom Menace is a bad movie. It has some pacing issues, where side characters will stop forward narrative momentum dead in its tracks, but it still has a myriad of highly effective, expertly crafted sequences. It also has enough striking and compelling visual shots to make one of the most insanely hyped up movie trailers in history. I'm the type of fan who will read the appendices to know a character's back story and the political climate that compelled them. Seeing that in a film format doesn't bother me in the slightest... it actually delights me. I wish we could have more movies like The Phantom Menace, but I think it's safe to say this one was a failed experiment.

[@josephaaron4985]

I rewatch the prequels every so often, just like the originals, and I have a more positive perspective on them compared back when I joined the bandwagon of people who hated them a few years back. KZbin channel Cinemawins is actually part of the reason I have more respect for the prequels now. Him, and of course Star Wars Theory.

[@Floh-yf7yz]

I grew up with it and like it. AND I have no problems with JarJar.

[@BrianHartman]

First, I don't blame Lloyd at all for his performance. Look at the other actors in the film: Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, LIam Neeson, Ewan McGregor. These are all excellent actors, but Lucas doesn't *let* them act well in the prequels. They're hampered by awful writing and worse direction. Lloyd was less experienced as an actor, so it's more noticeable, but nobody gets out of Lucas's directing unscathed. More to the point, though, I think starting the story with Anakin so young was the original sin. I can imagine a movie where we meet Anakin when he's Luke's age in A New Hope or Anakin's age in The Clone Wars. I think that would be a much better place to start the story. If you have him already trained as a Jedi, or picked up by the Jedi later in life, you wouldn't have to relegate him as a side character, and it would've made the prequels a) shorter, and b) much more focused on Anakin's fall to the dark side. It would've also allowed you to have Anakin meet Padme later, so that their relationship wouldn't be so unrelentingly creepy and implausible.

[@paulc1553]

No. Duel of the Fates and the lightsaber fight between Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui Gon and Darth Maul are terrific.

[@shushkata]

I watched the movie when I was 12 and I really liked it. Never understood all the hate for it, it's still one of my favorite movies.

[@Slammy555]

I just remember waiting for something to happen and they kept teasing us that something was about to happen and then it ended with nothing really happening. I think viewed as a standalone movie and not part of Star Wars it's actually pretty good albeit pacing due to being 1/3 really hurt it compared to the other movies (including the other prequels) so I completely understand why it became loved by the new fans.

[@SDJ992-q9t]

I just watched it recently and it was really good, even with Jar Jar. The prequels weren’t as great as the original trilogy films, but I’ll watch them any day before rewatching the sequels!

[@georgepitcher136]

couldn't agree more.

[@drpeppaerdrpeppaer5434]

The only thing worse than this movie is hearing you try to form a coherent sentence

[@narutobroken]

Audio volume is too low and not mixed right. No low end at all

[@TroysMilitaryHistory]

Compared to the shite that's been churned out in the last ten years, this movie is gold

[@AndyVonTube]

There are things I like about this movie, and things I dont't like (hello there, Jar Jar). But really, to me it's neither as great as some make it out to be, nor as horrible as others do. I don't personally feel that Jake Lloyd was miscast, I think he did what the script expected him to do. I know others feel different. But my bit WTF-moment regarding him was a documentation I once saw where parts of the casting were shown. George Lucal thought he was good and asked the others what they thought, and they all agreed with him like Lemmings. Then, the second George left the room they actually started discussing him and voicing their issues with the selection. So is it his fault that the people whose jobs it would have been to give him a reality check didn't do their jobs?

[@jackharrison3132]

Significantly better than Disney Star Wars - all that matters

[@Stryker20008]

Keeping Anikin a boy the whole movie was a BIG mistake

[@sbonfye8058]

I loved it back when I was 7 years old when it came out and I love it now and now my 7 year old son loves it too.

[@dogg311]

I watched it way after the hype knew nothing about it was 17 grew up watching the OT on VHS . An I really enjoyed it there just seemed like the galaxy was way bigger the OT was so small 2 movies just had death stars in them .

[@JadePR33]

Yes. Yes it is really that bad. Being better than AOTC or the sequel trilogy does not make this good. The others just kept lowering the bar.

[@derekknowles5805]

I actually like Episode 1 more than 2 and 3 was the 1st movie I saw in theaters in 1999 even was Anakin on Halloween lol and had the toys

[@Dr_1212]

It's actually ok 👍

[@matthewramos1808]

To compare episode 1 to episode 8 in terms of being bad…is a joke…episode 1 is a masterpiece in comparison to 8. I bet your favorite character in all of Star Wars is Rose Tico you Disney fan boy casual.

[@broncojuan]

The Pod Race was the moment I knew the prequels would be terrible. I, of course, loved the visuals, and it felt exciting, but "NASCAR" play by play kept taking me out of the moment. It was pretty indicative of the entire series. Every time something interesting would happen (which wasn't often), something else would happen to take us out of the moment.

[@mysocalledknife07]

By comparison, we've got: Attack of the Clones - a chick flick with light sabres Revenge of the Sith - might as well've been a cartoon Each Star Wars movie since 1999 makes the Phantom Menace looks like Citizen Kane.

[@wmarino2]

Yes, it really is that bad. Unequivocally. Without question. But at least this movie, and the other 2 prequels aren't depressing woke fests like the sequels were.

[@SJHFoto]

I know I am odd man out here, but I actually don't have a big problem with this movie, and never did. And I am not one of the ones you mentioned who grew up with it (I am Gen X, and was already an adult when this came out) Yes, Jar Jar was annoying, but I like Jake Lloyd's performance and never understood why some don't. I really liked Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's dynamic, and I frankly always saw the Gungans battle at the end as neat. I think if I changed anything in the entire movie, I would have had Anakin's destroying the command ship to be intentional (In the movie, it seems like he wanted to shoot lasers at the droids and fired the killing torpedos at the generator by accident)

[@ComicPower]

I dont care whats good in it. Whenever Jar Jar shows up it ruins everything

[@SaintSteven67]

The only part of this I liked was the light saber duel - but it came too late. Aside from Jar-Jar, the battle droids were also an embarrassingly silly.

[@incredibilistic]

There's a ton of things about this movie that bug me but one is that I never quite understood the extent of was Shmi Skywalker's so-called slavery. We never once see her doing anything other than cooking lunch for Qui Gon or watching Anakin build/repair a pod. No "slave duties" or anything that remotely resembles someone who's being held against her will or engaging in immoral or unethical behavior by her owner. Color me crazy but I've never seen a "slave" have permission to host strangers in her home or that a slave's son would have access to dangerous technology and enough tools to build a walking, talking robot. But not a robot that could help them gain their freedom. No, Anakin built a protocol droid because... I don't know. Maybe Shmi was a sex slave and because she had clients from all over the galaxy she needed a translator in the room while she's getting pounded by an alien. I just don't get why or how she had so much freedom. Case in point: at the pod race not only does Shmi have access to a tablet showing close-up footage of the race but she, Qui Gon, Jar-Jar and Padme were all privy to an exclusive skybox that overlooked the race track. How is this possible! There are thousands of people in the stands sitting shoulder to shoulder but Shmi and her guests are enjoying the privacy of their own private space. Why didn't Watto confine her to her home where she'd be forced to follow the race on the radio or not have any access to the race at all?! I get that she had to be there for, well, reasons but if you're going to establish that someone's a slave who's head could be detonated if they flee then you should lean into that narrative or don't bother with it at all. The reality is that Lucas didn't have to make Anakin and Shmi slaves. A better story would've been that Shmi was once a prominent figurehead but fell on hard times or had a medical condition that prevented her from working, which is why Anakin had to get a job. Or maybe since Anakin was an immaculate conception she was forced out of her job because she wasn't allowed to get pregnant, which sent her into the bowels of Tatooine. I don't know. Anything but that she's a slave as nothing about her life would suggested that she was. Of course the bigger, billion dollar question is did anyone want or ask for a movie about Vader's past including his childhood? Does knowing Anakin once raced pods, made C-3PO and whining about Obi Wan make his character in The Empire Strikes Back any better? Maybe it's just me but knowing a young, soon-to-be Darth Vader once said, "Maybe I'll try spinning. That's a good trick." in no way enhances the character. I'd say it ruins it.

[@Moochtv]

I still defend this film to this day as a great movie on par with Return of the Jedi. Clones, last Jedi and rise are the worst of the bunch

[@TheMouseAvenger]

I always thought it was wonderful from the very beginning! 🥰 Still do, in fact! ^_^

[@flyguy7825]

1000% agree still one of my favorite STAR WARS movies of all time.

[@CrichtonNo5]

"Not that good, but not that bad either" Proceeds to tell us everything bad about it whilst very, very quickly glossing over the good.(imagine claiming that Duel of the Dates wasn't as good as anything written for the two other prequels) Bit of a misleading title tbh

[@Areugoodtho]

This video dosent even need to be made,The phantom classic has amazing fights and its just a classic movie.

[@CaptainCat101]

This movie isn't good, but it's still very entertaining. At least it's better than Attack of the Clones

[@ShadoSpartan44]

as a kid i thought this was the coolest movie i had ever saw, except for the scene on coruscant. Now that i'm an adult it's still fun to watch but i understand the story problems it has and the acting performances are pretty obvious now. However George has said star wars was for kids, so i understand why adults love to make fun of it, while my generation love the prequels and orginial trilogy

[@wephilips6651]

One of the best trailers of all time. I was a huge Star Wars fan when this came out and that was when it was relatively niche. I saw in cinema on release date with my friend when we 15 and afterwards…it was weird…we both felt about but were basically like trying to convince ourselves and each other that it was good but it wasn’t…it was a mess and surprisingly boring for long parts. I suppose we settled on the idea that it was a good foundation and jumping off point and we were reading the dark horse comics about auroa sing etc and saying okay next one will be actually really good but it was arguably worse… So even as a teen who loves Star Wars the film was at best anticlimactic and underwhelming but the more I thought about it and with time it’s even worse than first impression. People are mainly revising now because A) how bad new ones are B) nostalgia and people for whom this was their childhood C) gotta be contrarian and or say something different for people to listen to and get those clicks Guarantee in 20 years time people will be saying oh was rise of skywalker actually that bad??? Did we misjudged or were we too harsh on book of bobba fett??? 😂

[@TOFKAS01]

In hindsight I think it was the beginning of the end of good storytelling in Hollywood. Since EP1, the special effects became more and more dominant and the storytelling and acting got worse and worse.