The Phantom Failure - How Expectations Ruined Star Wars Episode I

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is one of the more controversial Star Wars movies (along with the new crop), not merely because of flaws in its execution, but in how the expectations of fans, and what George Lucas thought those expectations were, affected both the production of the movie and its reception.
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[@stinkopants]

I don't criticize the prequels anymore, after The Last Jedi they seem like pure art to me now.

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

That's what I like to hear! The prequels were always masterpieces to me, just like the OT

[@HeroQuestFans]

for me it was mainly Episode I, again, despite it having so much potential (and many missteps), that was the problem. yes, the prequels look like masterpieces compared to new star wars, especially TLJ (the worst of the new movies). I don't expect they will turn things around with Episode 9. each movie will still make a lot of money (even money losing projects like solo, still got a lot of legit buys). they'll be popular at the time and then be forgotten, except as something that was overhyped and ultimately sucked. the main strength of disney star wars is that they are counting on nostalgia but fans not really remembering what star wars was. they need brand loyalty.... they need fanboys, like wwe fanboys who will tow the company line and echo whatever the current leadership says and like whatever the current product is, and defend it until the next thing comes along. it's a weird kind of cult thing they have going on. trouble is, most consumers are not like that. the casual fan will go to the movies just to see a movie (when its affordable), but why will they chose your brand, if its pretty much tired and boring (or directly insulting)? Episode I did try to subvert expectations, but without directly attacking fans. Lucas generated more bad blood with the special editions (mainly his refusal to release the originals for so long, while continuing to tinker with them) than with the prequels... at least where fans were concerned. mainstream media & mainstream critics never got star wars, they always looked down upon it, but by the time disney star wars came along, they suddenly loved everything. they even realized that praising star wars itself gained them "cred" with fans. now it's "cool" to say you like their stuff, just like it's cool to say you're a geek, a nerd, a "retro" fan or whatever (not that star wars was "geeky" it was only geeky when the stuff was out of theaters, it was mainstream when it was on the big screen, like so many blockbusters, popular then forgotten). maybe its that whole "lucas was an independent filmmaker/outsider" thing that prevented them from worshiping him outright in those days. disney star wars is trying to remake and reforge star wars in the image of hollywood. THEN it can be praised, then it will be acknowledged. it's really frustrating to see it unfold this way. I'm glad so many fans don't accept it, and I wish more would wake up about it. but ultimately I wish the people in charge would try to actually make good movies that stay true to the spirit of the originals (that doesn't mean copying), and they can still make a huge profit and be popular while doing so.

[@mastervidxad5883]

Prequels > Disney's Sequels

[@rumpio5505]

100%

[@FAITHandLOGIC]

Not a fan of either but at least Disney had good acting and decent dialogue.

[@sommigame]

@@FAITHandLOGIC umm that's debatable

[@Ryosuke19]

@@FAITHandLOGIC wtf are you talking about? Disney has good acting and decent dialogue? Why are you lying to yourself?

[@Picnicl]

Disney are clearly believers in 'Bigger is better' in ACTING itself. George's style was stiller (which is the cinematic standard for epics) with the bigness in the special effects themselves. Disney is Speilberg-style which doesn't add weight in Star Wars, it just makes it amateur dramatic feeling, particularly painfully so in The Force Awakens which copied A New Hope with terrible closeness. Don't get me wrong though - A New Hope has some terribly wooden acting in parts and I've never been a fan of Darth Vader himself as a villain - he's just a brute force bully in A New Hope - but other Star Wars movies by Lucas significantly and successfully break out from the 'space nazis' simplicity. Whereas J J Abrams (perhaps partly because he's Jewish?) reintroduces the tired space nazis idea. It just feels like retro, and woke, fan fiction.

[@murfdog19]

I've never had a problem with the prequels. I admired George Lucas for doing something different instead of making an original trilogy copy. Yes, the dialogue is clunky, and at times cringe worthy, but the overall story is good.

[@Ower8x]

I agree if we focus on TPM then I think, the issue that basically started the hate wagon can be summarized as follows: 1. Dialogue 2. Humour - issue personified by Jar Jar 3. Pure CG characters (Ships and Environments were secondary criticisms ) - and their effect on the acting 4. little Ani veered to much in the Gary Stu direction to often. I dont even remember people I know really criticizing the story or the themes of the movie it was all focused on these 4 points.

[@firecode3495]

I think the same , i don have problems on that trilogy, maibe second movie, men... a lilte ,but in general they are exelents , at last 3 movie was surpase my expetations ,final batlles was Greate.!

[@Fif0l]

Let's call it for what it is: it was original, but it failed to have the impact it was supposed to. Just doing something original doesn't automatically make a good movie. The plot points were good, but the execution was mediocre at best.

[@firecode3495]

yes indeed have many problems but , lucas respect his expand universe and do solid logic script , by other side, new trilogy suck and no make sense, on kanon lucas did build. Star Wars is dead!.

[@fundhund62]

Nothing wrong with the dialogue at all.

[@benschulthies3621]

Did anyone else notice that essentially ever character in the film despises Jar-Jar? Seriously, his own people banished him because they didn't like him. This doesn't make Jar-Jar less annoying, but at least the rest of the characters notice too. Also, Qui-Gon keeps him around despite being annoyed by him. Jar-Jar plays a critical role in the plot twice: first when he helps Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan get to Theed, and second when he helps Padme find the Gungans to ask them for help in the final battle. Qui-Gon might have sensed the role Jar-Jar would play and put his feelings aside for the sake of the mission. I think George Lucas was more aware of what he was doing than we give him credit.

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

Compared to Rose who, from what I have heard, does nothing for the plot.

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

Jar Jar was supposed to be essentially Darth Plagueis and the TRUE phantom menace! Look up a book series called "Xanth" and the name of the main character! Look up what his powers were and compare them to Jar Jar Binks. Or better yet, check out this amazing reddit thread by the, now famous (or infamous?), lumpawarroo: www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/3qvj6w/theory_jar_jar_binks_was_a_trained_force_user/

[@darthtroller]

Exactly, the concept was genius, some clumsy Jar Jar bits were unnecessary tho, specially those on Tatooine

[@killgriffinnow]

The phantom menace is an absolute masterpiece of creative brilliance next to the disastrous Disney sequels

[@Phobos_Anomaly]

That is utter bullshit, and you know it.

[@fundhund62]

The prequels are also absolute masterpieces of creative brilliance next to the original trilogy.

[@sebas8225]

@@fundhund62 In terms of Worldbuilding they are masterpieces.

[@bonchbonch]

This narrative some people are pushing now that the slow, boring, weird prequels are somehow good because of the Disney sequels is bullshit. The prequels are still the worst films in the entire saga.

[@AbleAnderson]

Creative brilliance - perhaps. Expert storytelling and character building - absolute trash

[@NickPoeschek]

I was 20 and a hardcore SW fan when TPM came out. In my opinion then (and now) it was a decent movie that could have been a great movie with a few changes. TPM was really let down by the child actor playing Anakin. I don't blame him, he was just a kid. However, having an older kid (maybe early-mid teens) would have led to some much less cringey dialogue. Also, Jar Jar was mildly annoying but didn't ruin the movie for me. If he was in it maybe half as much it would have been totally fine. The difference between the prequels and the Disney SW is that I think there was a really interesting story at the core of the prequels even if it was sometimes poorly told. When you think about the prequels there were some cool themes being explored and you can think "oh, if only Lucas had done X or Y the prequels would have been amazing." It's actually not that hard to do a fan cut (as many people have) that makes the prequels pretty damn great. The Disney SW movies are sort of the opposite, they are mindless fun with no interesting story or themes. The only way to fix the Disney SW is to completely rewrite them rather than tweak one thing here and there.

[@benschulthies3621]

I also think that George Lucas chose to have Anakin start as a young child because he wanted us to see how pure he was when younger. This makes his later fall to the dark side much more tragic.

[@DVSPress]

Great point.

[@thegreatattila]

I remember Lucas saying that he has to be a child first because people aren't inherently evil. But people can become evil. That's what I got out of re-watching it.

[@darthtroller]

Exactly, I was watching Ani and I was like "OMG this is so dark, this cute lil boy is gonna become space robo-Hitler"

[@markdavid1262]

Then why make him a slave? A con artist monk gets him. Then freedom and feelings lead to the dark side.

[@VinVonVoom]

@@thegreatattila Well, except Palpatine, I refuse to believe that guy was anything but pure malice.

[@SonOfTamriel]

I still enjoy this movie, blow's away TFA and TLJ imo.

[@Golemoid]

Imho it's the third technically best SW movie, just behind ANH and empire. And it's the last one that has that magic 80s/90s feeling to it. People hate it because it was clearly made for a younger audience, not for the neckbeards in their 30s who grew up with the originals.

[@bonchbonch]

That's probably because you saw it as a kid and have nostalgia blinders on.

[@johnsobery]

Very fair, I think that the older fan base was already angry with George Lucas by the time the phantom menace came out because of the edited releases of the original trilogy leading up. One moment that people were angry about was the Gredo shot in the cantina. Remember the Han shot first tee shirts?

[@mapesdhs597]

Thinking back, yeah, I'm surprised now remembering how much that change really bugged me. Talk about being irrationally emotionally invested in a movie. :D And I'd forgotten how much the endless meddling was driving people crazy (so glad I have a reasonbly original old DVD version, a VHS version and a good CAV laserdisc version).

[@ETBrooD]

Irrationally? Are you kidding me? I had zero investment in the Han/Greedo scene because I hardly cared about Star Wars until a few years ago, yet even I was mad at George for this edit, and still am. I wouldn't call that irrational, I'd call it common sense.

[@johnlennig7712]

especially because those effects were academy award winning in their time and revolutionized SFX

[@ChrisisisB]

My remembrence might be clouded because it took me several years to understand the importance if that scene and how it changed Han from redeemable bad boy to misunderstood good boy. But IIRC the special editions were recceived fairly well, with som "cash grab" comments. Phantom Menace was also fairly well recceived, just like Force Awakens. But then after a while people - nowhere near as quick as after FA or TLJ - got critical and the Han shot first crticism reinforced that.

[@Kissamiess]

Not only the Greedo shot change Han's character, it looked really unbelievable. IIRC: 1st edit: Somehow Greedo manages to miss from 2 feet away. Maybe his gun misfired? There is a small CGI twitch of Han'd head away of the shot too. 2nd edit (I swear I have seen this somewhere): They added a closeup of Han's head dodging the shot, which looks really fake. 3rd edit: As first, but they made them fire almost simultaneously and later on they made it several frames shorter. One can convince oneself that it's Han shooting first and Greedo's hand reflectively clutching the trigger when he's shot. The special edition changes were not received especially well in my circles and I tend to agree. They range from bad to unnecessary. The least offensive of them were in ERB. Maybe they went slightly overboard adding windows everywhere in Cloud City corridors and the addition of Vader returning to his ship is completely unnecessary, but otherwise it was all good.

[@Jared_Wignall]

Good analysis. I too think expectations were too high and Lucas wanted to show the audience what he felt they wanted by expanding the Star Wars universe with the first installment in the story of the prequels, but the reaction from a good portion of the fan base didn’t respond as Lucas had hoped, since many seem to have wanted the same old stuff we saw in the original films. As someone who’s a fan of the prequels as well as the originals, I can understand why people aren’t fans of the prequels, Phantom Menace in particular, but I am glad he took the prequels in a different direction.

[@Quotheraving]

No that's really not it at all, well maybe for a vanishing minority of 'Fans', but for the majority the film stood on it's own merits and was judged accordingly.... Maybe you could argue that they were expecting a better film lol. You like the prequels, more power to you, but I saw them as lightweight, illogical and poorly structured films and I suspect that many others came to that realisation after the initial excitement had receded.

[@lenircotia]

I'm with you. I love the prequels and the old ones. the prequels are hated obviously because they are different and do not look like the old ones. And it looks great.

[@CyberDork34]

Jared Wignall I'd disagree that the expectations for I were too high, just too different and unrealistic. A good portion of fans went in just wanting to have more of the same thing they knew they liked. The execution is what doomed a film that already was going to have a hard time connecting with its audience

[@ComeOnIsSuchAJoy]

+Quotheraving With a more skilled screenwriter and a more actor-friendly (co-?)director, most of the story issues with the prequels could've been easily cleared up, IMO.

[@LOTRFAN33]

Like Quotheraving said it wasn't so much expectations as just a good coherent film. The PT had to conform to the OT and it failed. Things like "Anakin was a pupil of mine...I thought I could train him..." When in reality it was QuiGon's idea and Obiwan only trained him because of Qui Gon. Also "when I first met your father he was a skilled (good?) pilot. " Anakin wasn't a pilot. Pod racing is not a ship. Overall I liked the stories but between issues like what I just mentioned and poor dialogue or they were just disappointing. Also wish Anakin was likable so I could feel the tragedy of his fall. As is, I felt no pity for him.

[@ajsommer1]

I've always believed the hate for the prequels was way overblown, and it seems that with the sequels being so bad people are starting to appreciate what the prequels did right. Personally Revenge of the Sith is my favorite Star Wars movie, and really doesn't get enough love because it's lumped in as a prequel.

[@mikespearwood3914]

Rev BladeZ not really buddy. I assume you're from the US, because people don't like the prequels (RotS is good) because they're very average movies, not because of some random American internet film reviewers.

[@mikespearwood3914]

Rev BladeZ And your assumption is wrong. People don't like TPM and AotC because they are generally shit movies, and expose George Lucas as not quite the film making genius he was made out to be with the OT. If you disagree with people's opinions regarding the prequels, just say so. But don't insult people's intelligence, by claiming they needed to see some random internet comedians to be convinced how shit the first two prequels were!

[@simplythebest2k]

The thing is that the general public doesn't know what it wants....in the end the outcry of the prequels was none existent till about 2010 that set the foundation for the 2012 RLM to bring about their documentary which blow up on the internet because at the time the internet had finally was more accessible to the general audience. That's not to discredit some of the critics on the prequels however they are also exaggerated critiques that could be argued by the content.

[@tb8865]

@Dustin Neely i remember reading Chefelf's "reasons to hate" lists about the prequels back in the day. Funny stuff. Yeah, prequels were getting a lot of well deserved hate from the beginning.

[@mwhite212]

When I saw one of the visual guides on the bookshelf back in '99, I was completely blown away by the new aesthetics. I think Lucas did a brilliant job of making that movie feel removed in time from the OT with both the visuals and dialogue.

[@pilotamurorei]

I think the movie was hyped to hell and back (I was 18 when it came out) but when I walked out of TPM, I was satisfied. I didnt have this absolute hatred for the movie that a lot of people started spewing about later. Even today I still like watching TPM and AOTC. Also, I think some of the things you mentioned can be looked at in a positive way as well: Midochlorians: I think George wanted to show that the Jedi had built up this organization over 1000 years and they became very bureaucratic over all that time, so the midochlorian stuff was there to show how the jedi order found force sensitives. Yoda speaks of it in AOTC as well about how even older jedi are full of pride. I think this aspect goes on to show just how out of touch they really were, and what ultimately led to their downfall. Too "clean:" Yeah the OT had a lot of dark and gritty environments, but that's exactly why George went AWAY from that. He wanted to show the Republic as a pillar of peace and prosperity, and having "clean" looking places like Naboo emphasizes that. Looking at the later 2 Prequel movies, they progressively get grittier to show how the republic is faltering and how as Palpatine gained power, the galaxy suffered.

[@RuneForumwalker]

34:00 I wouldn't say the midiclorians made the magic very defined as they were essentially a couple of small lines and never really delved into deeply.

[@V01D72]

Big prequels fan, I'm pretty excited about you making critical videos about the prequels. I like well constructed arguments and reasons and love to get more insight into why things are bad. I'm curious to see how these videos will change my enjoyment of these movies.

[@V01D72]

after seeing the video; I agree with nearly every point you make (hard to disagree with facts!:)). I think another reason for Anakin being a child is the fact that the council would find him too old to train if he was around 15/16 years old. Luke was also too old according to Yoda but I can see them letting this go because he was basically their last hope. In the beginning of Ep 1 the Jedi had a big temple full of Jedi and a galaxy of force sensitives to pick from, meaning they would not be likey to take in a random kid from tatooine. I agree however that a child actor was not the best choice for this movie. I actually enjoyed the politics and backstory but I started by watching the prequels, they were what brought me into star wars. Might be a bit of bias there but I love the rise to power of Sheev and the way it is done, especially his final speech in ROTS. Personally I never had an issue with midi chlorians because I always thought it was a way of measuring the force ability of someone, but to me it never took anything away from the mystery of the force. I can see why it would ruin the idea of the force for some however. Jar Jar was never an issue for me, I sometimes found him annoying but I kinda got that he was put in there for kids. In the underwater part (when they are chased by the big fish) I sometimes want to punch him in the face and I HATE the fart joke after the flag bearers walk on the pod race course. The music is so epic and I actually got goosebumps when I heard it and then it's ruined by a fart joke. Overall I'd say 58/100.

[@mrbubbles6468]

Marvoushh Considering that no one wanted to train Anakin anyway and as we see in later movies get really, really nervous about the direction he is taking, he really did not need to be that young. Especially when it can be argued that Yoda was using Luke’s age as an excuse not to train - not that he cannot be trained - and as a test to see how determined Luke and Ben were about what they wanted to do.

[@ReactionVideoDotAvi]

Mark Hamil was 29 during Empire, him being too old doesn't mean Anakin has to be a little kid. That's even assuming that 'too old' wasn't just an ad hoc excuse Yoda was coming up with to try and avoid teaching the son of Darth Vader in case the space apple doesn't fall far from the space tree.

[@scepticalbeliever]

Episode VIII is still rated lower than TPM everywhere except IMDB. Internationally, too. Outside of North America and other English-speaking countries, prequels are well liked, generally more than the ST. I grew up in Eastern Europe, many fans consider Episode III their favorite (or it's V and then III)

[@RTL2L]

Natalie G Yeah, same with me and everyone I know.

[@LordZedz]

I can definitely imagine being unable to understand the horribly delivered dialogue in English would make it much more watchable. Harder to tell how bad some of it is when you're reading subtitles. The story, characters, music, and production qualities are all great. Just bad acting and directing plus cringe dialogue.

[@explosives101]

Zed - Episode III doesn't have an acting problem. Hayden's facial expressions were great. The dialog was generally mediocre, and different actors would not have helped.

[@DusanSostaric]

it's true, Hayden sounds different in German but still, prequel haters assume everybody hates the prequels which is maybe, and i say maybe, only true in the States. Where the sequel trilogy is also the most successful.

[@scepticalbeliever]

Other than the romantic dialogue there's not a lot of cringe in the PT. If someone things the OT dialogue was Shakespeare they should watch some more movies.

[@jarg8]

Love your content so much, David. You've got such a unique perspective driven by your intellect and knowledge as well as your strong understanding of criticism. I'm so glad I found your channel after the travesty that was Episode VIII as it led me to all of your other excellent videos about all manner of things in life. Thanks for all your hard work!

[@kreaturekars]

This has been the best analysis I have read or listened to of TPM, I actually liked the movie when it came out, I guess I managed to avoid most of the hype, I personally don't think Jake Lloyd played badly, he is a kid in it acting like a kid, I think people just wanted Anakin to be more mature. But the first time an analysis of this film that sounds level headed and not emotional like other reviewers.

[@amazinblasian117]

I was maybe 5 or so when The Phantom Menace came out, and I loved it along with the originals. I now recognize that there was a lot of bad in the movie, but I still really enjoy it.

[@JoshMcSwain]

I was 7, but I agree completely

[@bonchbonch]

Everything's cool when you're a little kid and companies are heavily marketing at you.

[@clemsonalum98]

I finally got around to trying rogue one since its on netflix. I got about an hour in and stopped, may try to finish it. It has the feel of a made for tv movie. To me it doesn't have the fundamental issues of TFA, but it just comes off as an average movie.

[@omarcomming722]

Prequel hate remains the most unfair and unjustified fan bullshit in pop culture

[@maxbootstrap7397]

I loved the prequels, so I was not let down. However, I did loathe JarJarBinks, so I purposely did not take JarJarBinks seriously so I could enjoy those films. Therefore, I can understand how someone might not be able to get past JarJarBinks, and let JarJarBinks ruin the prequels for them. I feel sorry for them. Part of the reason I loved the prequels is because the effects were to the point where they were realistic enough to look at the film as if I was looking at real sets and locations... which I was not able to do during the original trilogy. Nonetheless, episode 4 and 5 were awesome stories and characters, so they were totally enjoyable despite the relatively lame effects. Easy to say now, right? Hahaha. Frankly, I think episodes 1, 3, 4, 5 are very close to equally awesome. Though episodes 2 and 6 are good too, they just didn't measure up to the others IMO. Honestly, I thought young Anakin did an awesome job of acting. I just can't understand how anyone has serious complaints against him. OTOH, TheFarceAwakens and TheLastJedi are offensively horrible garbage in nearly every respect... even special effects.

[@ihatecabbage7270]

Such tragedy, I love the prequels, it was my official introduction to the Star Wars Universe despite watching the trilogy. George Lucas is actually telling a story and genuinely wanted to entertain the audience. Not making fun of the audience by acting the movie is smarter than the audience.

[@BronzeEngraver1247]

I never hated the prequels like many fans appeared to, to me I think why I tolerated them more so then other is because I liked the underlying story so much that I didn't react so negatively to the bad acting, stunted dialogue and shallow characters. I think ultimately though the prequels failed because George Lucas didn't transition the audience from the simplistic and more action based plots of the original trilogy into the more nuanced and deeper story of the prequels with their added emphasis on politics and secrecy. I thought this addition to the story of star wars was interesting because it fleshed out the universe more and added additional context to the plot that you didn't have (and frankly didn't need) for the original trilogy, the problem in my mind was that it created disconnect with what the audience experienced in the originals and since the movies focused too much on these aspects, often neglecting the action scenes, the audience just found them boring (I like politics so It didn't bother me as much, but even I found the films to be a little on the boring side).

[@1skylax11]

Honestly, I never found the dialogue 'bad' or the acting any more or less stilted then the OT (and if anything the more stylized dialogue fit better here then it did in the OT for the cast). Frankly I've found the OT more annoying save for everything not related to Luke.

[@scepticalbeliever]

My husband (late thirties, not a fan of Star Wars so no specific biases) thinks C3PO is more annoying than Jar Jar and never watched the OT with me because it's too simplistic and the special effects are too dated at this point so they break immersion for him. He'd watch the PT because of the action and the political story. He thinks acting/dialogue is mediocre in both trilogies and Harrison Ford is the only good actor in the OT. I also know people who think all of Star Wars are crap and only work for kids.

[@OrtegaSeason]

I'm puzzled by the people who were surprised by some of the things in Episode 1. It was clear from the trailers that it was going to look very different from the originals and also be more political. I never got the shock over these aspects.

[@johnwatsoniv384]

This video is pretty much spot on and you hinted at my biggest issue with people who irrationally hate on the prequels, which is that they attack it for not being exactly like the originals in every conceivable way down to even all kinds of things that make no sense for them as movies, with Padme's cruiser being a great example. People seem to have decided to completely ignore the setting and the story of the prequels to justify an irrational expectation that the entire galaxy would be exactly like the backwoods, outer rim worlds we see in in the OT. It makes absolutely no sense for a thousand year old galactic republic's capital planet to look like tatooine, nor does it make sense for us to primarily see worlds like tatooine when we're exploring that republic and how it became an empire rather than a small rebellion that's based in and fighting around the fringes of imperial territory. I really wish people would actually take a second to stop and think about stuff like that because whenever I see people attacking these movies, it's mostly stuff like that that they're attacking, besides the usual complaints about Jar Jar of course. I don't think episodes I&II are as good as the other four, but they're also not nearly as bad as a lot of people make them out to be, and they actually work very well with the overall story, unlike Disney's glorified fanfics. I think the changes you mentioned would've definitely changed the overall perception as you said, and I also very much agree that people still would've looked at it as less than it really was because they had some impossible expectations. I don't know how many of your comments you actually read and I wouldn't fault you at all for not seeing mine, but if you do, what do you think of the theory that Jar Jar was originally supposed to be the true phantom menace who was portrayed so stupidly because it was all an act on his part, kind of like Yoda played stupid to Luke? Having read it and seen some videos on it, I think it would make a lot of sense if true, and that would have been an amazing reveal.

[@ETBrooD]

Great, now you've made me go watch TPM again... I hope you're proud of yourself :p

[@murderycatdoll1380]

Haha same here!^^

[@ETBrooD]

I regret my decision. But I'm also oddly okay with it.

[@heffermax]

George Lucas had different plans for Jar Jar Binks in all likelyhood: Darth Jar Jar. More like the Sith version of "goofy" Yoda and less like C3PO. The actor who played Jar Jar basically confirmed it in a tweet saying something like "It's awesome if the hidden meaning in your work is discovered even if it's so many years later". After the massive backlash regarding Jar Jar the script was apparently changed and Count Dooku filled his role. Theres an excellent video on the subject from "Lockstin & Gnoggin". He presents even more evidence and expands on the theory which was originally outlined in a reddit post.

[@rasanrasan1907]

seriously?

[@heffermax]

Well yeah... Jar Jar is the key to all of this :D

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

+rasan rasan here's the reddit link if you haven't checked it out by now: www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/3qvj6w/theory_jar_jar_binks_was_a_trained_force_user/

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

The Darth Jar Jar Theory was never explicitly confirmed and frankly, I don't think it was real, at least not in the way fans imagine it was. Lucas pretty explicitly set up that there are always only two Sith Lords. Maul was the apprentice and Sidious was the Master and all this info was set up in the Phantom Menace. To have Jar Jar really be Sith Lord would go against all of this set up and it would completely change the trajectory of the next 2 films when Lucas clearly establishes Count Dooku and Plapatine's relationship with Anakin and how that leads to his fall. Darth Jar Jar just done't fit into Anakin's fall at all and for that reason I don't think it was real, at least not in the way fans envision it with Jar Jar being the true Dark Lord orchestrating everything. Jar Jar was just a goofy character that appealed to kids. I think he filled his role perfectly (for the kids at least).

[@xpallodoc]

I’m watching this on big screen tv. I’m about 40 mins in . This video is a joy. People in my family didn’t realize midiclorians didn’t exist until episode 1 till they just saw your slide show.

[@simplythebest2k]

I don't get the midichlorians complaint. Mididchlorians where never the force, I think people misunderstood it or them. Midichlorians lived within a person that was strong with the force. One can say they were another kind of living beings which is also explained. The more you list the more I think the fans are the base of the problem. Because I did wanted the lore explored, I did like the politic because you understood why things were happening. So basically you are right in saying Lucas was not wrong for making it the way it was. In the end, Lucas wanted to tell a story rather than meet anyone's expectation. He met my expectations and then some when it came to the world. As a person in my late teens when I saw this movie I was both pleased and annoyed. Jar Jar did put me off the movie, I always thought he would have worked if only they made him speak some alien langue rather than English. Surprisingly I was not annoyed at a 10 year old Anakin considering when you first see this movie you don't really suspect that Anakin is going to embark in a romance with Padme and well kids are stupid. He acted to me like a 10 year old, I think that is bad for the audience because they are used to construct characters that follow an archetype rather than act like a person would in the real world.

[@joshcowart2446]

One argument people make is how clean they look and how much better the technology was. There’s an easy in-universe explanation you could use. The prequels represent the time of the republic and an ideal everyone looks back on positively since the rise of the empire. So that clean nice look could represent that. As for the technology, it could be compared to how technology lags in a socialist country. I don’t think they’d regret but maybe just hit pause. But what if something was a socialist empire without free countries around to influence it which is what happens when the empire takes over the galaxy. This is just a thought that came while watching this

[@stevenjaywilson1996]

Josh Cowart Kind of like the fall of Rome that resulted in the dark ages

[@jimwoodswrites]

I'm surprised that you didn't mention the lightsaber fight at the end of TPM. It really is visually stunning and one of the best.

[@stevenjaywilson1996]

Jim Woods He did a video on that scene actually.

[@WhatsTheTakeaway]

He did mention it, briefly.

[@miguelpereira9859]

Dude... the Obi-Wan Maul part was fucking INTENSE. Great choreography, camera work and editing. It's definitly the best in the saga, and I just wish the other duels in the PT had the same quality

[@heliopyre]

it was one of the worst. over choreographed and completely lacking in emotion and character. there is 0 humanity in that fight. the epitome of style over substance.

[@miguelpereira9859]

heliopyre Pure bullshit. That was one of the most intense in the saga. OT purists allways hype how the lightsaber fights are "emotional" but that has way more to do with the writting and plot leading up to the fights rather than the actual fight choreography. The lightsaber duels in Ep.2 were nonsense and the Anakin/Obi-Wan showdown WAS overly choreographed, but the Obi-Wan/Maul duel is the best shit ever

[@murderycatdoll1380]

I actually always liked Episodes 1-3!^^ Even with Jar-Jar haha. It was very colorfull, goofy, with a bit to much CGI etc. but it always, ALWAYS felt for me like Star Wars, what is not the case in the new Movies, besides of Rogue One, which i love like hell! XD Very good Video!

[@ryangettig274]

Tony Gilroy wrote the great Michael Clayton:)Great double feature with The Ghost Writer:)

[@ComeOnIsSuchAJoy]

The scene in TPM where Captain Tarpals pleads with Jar Jar to do something when it's clear the battle droids are winning the day and Jar Jar promptly surrenders to them is still funnier than any joke in either TFA or TLJ. : P

[@murderycatdoll1380]

Hahaha indeed!! XD

[@formerevolutionist]

After watching The Failure Menace I learned to not let my expectations get too high.

[@grantsamson2384]

"...everyone who likes Force Awakens is suffering from psychosis..." - David Stewart

[@miguelpereira9859]

Grant Samson *Not

[@iXSIKOBOIXi]

What people don't know about TPM which I only found out recently is that the Phantom Menace has more practical effects than the entirety of the Original Trilogy. It has a lot less CGI than the rest of the prequels, and of the CGI that I can remember it was almost all fine. There was some bad superimposing of characters over green screen backgrounds in the Gungan sacred place but otherwise it's fine. The big battle with the Gungans and Droids is fairly poor, but it came out in 1999, it's absolutely breathtaking for the time

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

Oh boy................. here I go: I seen The Phantom Menace at the age of 9, in Russia. I never SEEN Star Wars, and therefore never had any expectations, and certainly NO HEADCANON. I seen the film for what it is, and LOVED it. I had 0 trouble understanding the plot, and, keep in mind, I had no Internet access at the time, and could not go to a fan forum for answers. At the age of NINE, I understood all the politics, and all the little details. I wonder what does that say about the True Star Wars Fans™ from 1977. Now, regarding the movie's """flaws""". I believe there are very few. Jar Jar? Annoying, but tolerable. He is considered dumb in-universe, and pretty much no one likes him, that helps me buy the character, a lot. Young Anakin? Never had any problems with him. He talks like a child would, and delivers words as a child would. I spent a lot of time with children, and helped raise my 2 sisters. One of said sisters once yelled YIPPEEEE! in a completely unironic fashion, so I have real life proof that children DO say such things. Anakin being hyper-competent? Not really. If he was a normal boy, sure. But with his raw Force potential, everything checks out. He did not invent robotic technology at the age of 9, he built a protocol droid which was old common technology at the time. He built a podracer out of space parts, this is not new cutting edge technology either. Child romance? WHAT child romance? There was some mild affection, but 0 romance. 13 year old Queen Amidala? Naboo was a peaceful planet, with little to no conflict, and their tradition of electing child leaders is perfectly believable, since there would not be any real need for serious problem solving. Midichlorians? WHY would people complain? Look up Mitochondria. NEXT. Podracing? WHY WOULD ANYONE SANE NOT ENJOY THE RACE?? I will say this: only the THEATRICAL CUT of the race is good, the DVD cut adds 3 extra minutes of bullshit I don't like either. Darth Maul not talking enough? He was supposed to be a mysterious character, you were not supposed to know just WHAT he is, or where he came from. Bad dialogue? Nope, fine dialogue. I actually had some problems with Episode 2 dialogue, but none with Episode 1. For me, dialogue has to be BELIEVABLE. Do real people talk like that? I knew people who talk like the cast of TPM, so it was believable for me. Every other complaint about this movie is pure bullshit, coming from people who wanted a carbon copy of the OT. And they got it with TFA. I bet they are REALLY happy. I bet they worship Kathleen Kennedy now for saving Star Wars. Qui-Gon Jinn is best Jedi. He does what he knows is right, and goes against the Jedi Code™ if need be. In some ways, unintended perhaps, he is a skeptic of organized religion, and I respect that A LOT. I am now ready to defend Attack of the Clones.

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

I 100% agree with you and feel the same! We're kindred spirits, brother!

[@Mr.Honest247]

I ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!!

[@scepticalbeliever]

I'm also from Russia and I agree with you. I think outside of North America people appreciate the prequels a lot more.

[@bonchbonch]

You saw The Phantom Menace when you were nine years old. That explains everything. You have nostalgia blinders on.

[@iXSIKOBOIXi]

I stand alongside you as brothers in arms in defending the Prequels.

[@GangiFilms]

its stylistically designed to be that way but we can diminish the effects of it.

[@IsoSubject5]

I think George Lucas rather wanted to tell a story than meet anyones expectation and that's why TPM failed. He could have easily made a film for the fans with many similarities to the OT (just like TFA did) but George is a risk taker and wanted to do something new. However after the huge backlash and the Jar Jar hate, he chickened out and decided to remove the Darth Jar Jar plot twist, which harmed the trilogy even more. If he stuck to his original plans I believe the prequels (or at least Ep 2) would have turned out better. Not that it makes up for the other flaws but the trilogy lacked an "I-am-your-father-ish" plot twist. Overall I still love the prequels. I see their flaws and can understand people who don't like them but I think they are a good completion for the saga.

[@scepticalbeliever]

I think Darth Jar Jar is just a fun theory based on a throw-away comment by Lucas. The twist was supposed to be the revelation by Palpatine that Plageuis created Anakin but then Lucas decided to leave it ambiguous (the right decision IMO). As for the twist, it's there if you're a newcomer and watch in the episodic order. And yes, I like the prequels too. Other than the slapstick and the romantic dialogue (which wasn't that good even in the OT), they're mostly decent and sometimes great. I mean, Disney Lucasfilm can't even come up with one new iconic character or action scene.

[@90lancaster]

K2S0 The Hammerhead Corvette Ramming the Star Destroyer in Rogue One.

[@ProJatior]

Atleast in Empire I could believe the chemistry. The bickering was a face Leia wore (thankfully of not Han should've been arrested). I wish I could buy the Anakin and Padmaê romance but there are so many things wrong with that one aspect of the movie due to how rushed it was.

[@scepticalbeliever]

ProJatior when I was young I like Han and Leia but as an adult I find it too sexist. They do have chemistry and the carbonite scene is great. Anakin and Padme's relationship is not supposed to be very healthy. Padme becomes an enabler and pays for it with her life. I think Lucas made a mistake by not including the scenes with Padme's family where they actually have more chemistry and you can see Padme developing feelings for him. Of course, acting and dialogue should have been better, too.

[@scepticalbeliever]

I prefer the ROTS movie. I tried to read the book but it rubbed me the wrong way. Too melodramatic or something. Outside of a few lines of dialogue and some deleted scenes that should have been included, I don't have a problem with ROTS.

[@BHobbieIowa]

Guys just remember that The Last Jedi didn’t have a light saber fight. Complete fail.

[@scepticalbeliever]

I guess we just fail to appreciate the creative genius of Rian Johnson who gave us the Matrix fight.

[@enkiduo]

But it did succeed in subverting my expectation that it wouldn't be completely terrible

[@bengersbootlegs]

I started writing a rebuttal but remembered it's pointless to argue with a child.

[@someguy7093]

nice you showed them!!

[@TheTranseurope]

I just rewatched Episode IV yesterday and I was surprised, how dumb the dialogues and sometimes the whole movie felt to me in comparison to the first time I saw the movie when I was a teenager. You said, that a good actor can deliver bad lines - that definetely counts for the "A new hope" too. Don't get me wrong - the movie has it's moments. But it felt quite simple to me.

[@ShamanMcLamie]

One character does grow and develop in the movie. For the first two acts Padme is basically at the whims of others and being told what to do, but after realizing the Senate won't help in the third act takes charge and comes up with a plan to save the day. Granted it isn't the most obvious development.

[@fluffibuni8663]

Another entertaining analysis video :-) I'm from the UK, and my best friend and I took a vacation to Orlando for the opening weekend of The Phantom Menace, as well as our first visits to Orlando's theme parks ... we're big Star Wars and coaster fans so we were pretty hyped for the whole experience. The moment we'd checked in at the hotel, we dropped our luggage in our room and dashed straight out to the IMAX at The Point in Orlando to watch the movie. We both left the movie reasonably happy ... sure, the film had it's flaws but we originally focussed on our positive perceptions that we'd enjoyed. We subsequently saw the movie 6 more times during our vacation, dissecting and discussing the movie more and more, but while our discussions focused more on the flaws with each viewing, we still had an appreciation of what we enjoyed, so we never got as far as severely disliking the movie. Basically, I pretty much agree with most of your observations ... Anakin needed to be at least 5 years older with Padme being aged up a few years too. Jake Lloyd's casting and dialogue just didn't work out, though I think it's all about emphasizing Anakin's young naivety before his devastating fall into Darth Vader (just done really poorly). Jar Jar was just way too silly, rather than just being a bit clumsy, and C-3PO was just totally unnecessary. I didn't pick-up any kind of flirting vibe between Padme and Anakin in The Phantom Menace ... in fact I've found it weird that people think there is. While Anakin makes an attachment to Padme which seems to have twisted into near-obsession by Episode 2, Padme seems to bond at more of an annoyed big-sister level ... in my opinion (yes, I had an annoyed big sister lol). My biggest disagreement with you is about character growth. I think that Anakin goes on a real journey in the movie ... he doesn't necessarily grow in abilities, but his life changes profoundly ... meeting a Jedi and being exposed to events in the wider galaxy, winning a Pod Race for the first time, learning he could be a Jedi, leaving Tatooine (no longer a slave, leaving his home, life and his mother behind), learning reality doesn't match his dreams (the galaxy can be cold and lonely) etc etc. I was inspired to cut my own fan-edit and successfully addressed many of the issues I could ... toning down the over-cheesy, silliness-factor and even turned a less-silly Jar Jar into a hero in the battle on Naboo, so there is enough in the film for a reasonably enjoyable experience that focuses on the positives my friend and I discussed during those original viewings. I can't watch the theatrical release of The Phantom Menace any more, but I do prefer it over Attack of the Clones which is less-silly but just feels so much more wooden. In particular, I think that Liam Neeson's performance elevates the film. To close ... I didn't like The Force Awakens, and for me The Last Jedi is just an abomination ... I'm now a happy retro Star Wars fan and won't be spending any more money on 'new' Star Wars until Lucasfilm proves it can do it right.

[@atrahasis3899]

I can honestly say that I've never stuck an ignition key in a transmission.

[@cesareborgia1251]

Atra Hasis then you're doing something wrong bub

[@atomicdancer]

You don't need an ignition key to start a transmission, you just need a transmitter chip and a holo-emitter. The ignition key actually goes into the thermal detonator, to prime it before you activate it with your thumb. Didn't they teach you anything at the Academy?

[@atrahasis3899]

This is why I was placed in charge of the vending machines at the Academy.

[@RonMar]

Thank your for your insightful analysis. This is something that is lacking today esp. with respect to The Last Jedi (TLJ) and other large genre properties (DC and Star Trek).

[@MrColuber]

I wonder, have you seen SFdebris The Hermit's Journey? It explains the making of the prequels very well. It even states that the story for Attack of the Clones was supposed to come first. That being said, I'm still astonished that there are people who think that The Last Jedi is better than the prequels. The comment section of Mr. Sundaymovies' latest video (Star Wars Ruined) is particularly venomous. BTW, in case your interested, the Hermit's Journey can be found here: www.sfdebris.com/videos/special/hermitsjourney.php

[@igelkott255]

I thought the style of the ships was brilliant. Because it takes place decades before the original trilogy, he wanted to make them older styled, so he merged a little stainless steel art deco and a little of the Flash Gordon vibe merged with futuristic visions to give them a unique futuristic/retro look. I thought it was very well done. There's a lot about the movie that I enjoyed. I thought the slightly comical battle droids were fine. Quigon and Amidala I thought were well done, the Gungans (except for jarjar) were fine. Yeah, if JarJar were toned down (a lot) and they removed the podrace scene, the movie would have been much better. Although, The Last Jedi makes ep.1 look like a masterpiece of filmmaking!

[@SaturdayAMFan]

I think that the basic problem was that when Lucas made the OT, he was making films HE wanted to see, while when making the PT he was making films he thought his children wanted to see. I think that explains most of the points you covered in your excellent analysis.

[@simplythebest2k]

Now that I've seen your list I can say that it's probably why I liked the prequels, considering to me Return of the Jedi left the biggest impression. Which why I don't really like the new ones. It was understandable in 1977 to the 80's that the world was run mostly by humans. The prequels fixed that and made it that the Empire was racist. However, fast forwad to this new trilogy and we are back to Two warmongering human factions and the rest of the universe has no say. They are pretty much background decoration to remind people it's starwars. For so much diversity talk they pretty much killed the diversity starwars stabblished.

[@spacevspitch4028]

Jar Jar is the key to all this.

[@macmcleod1188]

Absolutely. The universe where Lucas didn't balk and kept Jar Jar Binks as the phantom menace would have been an incredible payoff.

[@WhatsTheTakeaway]

Mac Mcleod Yeah my opinion too.

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

I should just link the reddit thread to all comments referencing Jar Jar for future posterity's sake, haha! xD Here it is: www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/3qvj6w/theory_jar_jar_binks_was_a_trained_force_user/

[@wpooch]

This is a well articulated analysis, and I appreciate the thought put into it. There is just one thing I want to point out regarding your comments on midichlorians, since it highlights a common misunderstanding that people have. Midichlorians do not redefine anything about the force, nor are they merely introduced to explain Anakin's force abilities (though that is one of the purposes they serve). The fact of the matter is that there has always been a biological element to force sensitivity within the lore of Star Wars, going back to the OT itself. Remember how Yoda tells Luke that the force runs strong in his family? That alone establishes this concept. The dialogue in TPM makes it clear that midichlorians are separate from the force itself ("Without the midichlorians, life could not exist and we would have no knowledge of the force."). I'm not sure why so many people misunderstood this and somehow think that Lucas was retconning how the force works. The force is the same mysterious energy field that it always has been. Midichlorians have a direct connection with it and they pass this knowledge onto their hosts. Really it's just a means of explaining why some people have more innate ability to use the force than others in the Star Wars universe. And like I said, this goes all the way back to the OT.

[@coolman229]

I think the misunderstanding comes from complaints (particularly from RLM) that the Midichlorians ARE the Force. Despite the fact that the Prequels still treat the Force the same way as before and includes all the mystical elements (including visions of the future) many people have a kneejerk reaction and hate the Midichlorians. And like you said there's always been a biological element to the Force. If Luke and Leia have the Force because they're Anakin's children there HAS to be something biological about it.

[@InventorZahran]

Actually, Naboo doesn't have a "water core". If a planet's core were full of water, there would be very little magnetic materials in it, resulting in vastly minimized local gravity. Naboo appears to have the same gravity-level as Earth, which means it has the same amount of magnetic material in the core. However, Naboo does have sub-terrainean oceans that can be used to travel deep into the planet's crust (but not as deep as the core).

[@HappySqrl]

This actually touches on a lot of your points, but after I saw The Phantom Menace I came up with the following list of changes I would have made to the movie: 1) The Trade Federation would have invaded Naboo, killed off Princess Amidala's parents (the King and Queen), and been rushing her coronation to legitimize the occupation; and they believed a teenage queen would be easier to control. This simplifies the politics in this movie because Palpatine could be seen using this situation to gain influence with the queen; and you don't really need to be setting him up to take over the galaxy at this point in time. 2) Anakin would a teenage boy who was an orphan that was raised by Shmi Skywalker. He would be similar to Luke Skywalker in that he was looking for adventure but would have a cocky arrogance similar to Han Solo. If you have a 20 year old actor playing a 15 year old it makes the romance more believable, and it makes more sense why he would want to be as involved in many parts of the plot. Beyond that, having a 15 year old leave his adopted family is a bit more believable than having a 10 year old leave is mother. 3) I would cut out the Gungans, they don't really provide any real narrative benefit and the ground battle could be run on two fronts by the Naboo. The time freed up by eliminating this could be used to make Darth Maul a more active character in the movie; and sequences involving him pursuing the Queen could involve him being intimidating to people he encountered. 4) I would have kept R2D2 and C3PO out of the movie. Adding these characters into the movie only made the universe seem smaller, and it seemed remarkably convenient that these droids were owned by Luke and Leia's parents. These characters didn't need a back story like this.

[@superheartattack7498]

Fantastic video! Ultimately, I feel as though people keep dissecting these films over and over because there aren't that many movies scratching the Star Wars itch. I think if we had more movies or shows that did, people would care a lot less right now about the direction of the franchise.

[@cptace]

Great analysis!!! I've always enjoyed the prequels but this really helps me see why others did not and why their expectations were different from mine.

[@gex8297]

Episode 1 was a good movie for me. I was not a hardcore SW fan at the time and had exactly zero expectations. What I loved the most was when Dark Maul came out with his double bladed light-saber and the music hit me with chills up and down my spine. Something I have yet to feel in a movie since the ending of the movie "Inception" by Christopher Nolan.... A must See. I even liked the Force Awakens and could forgive a lot of the mistakes that movie made. But, the Last Jedi made me so angry and a lot of the audience was literally saying, "What the hell!!" and "Common". I saw people get up and leave when the purple haired chick smashed into the enemies ship at light-speed. The Last Jedi is worse than the Phantom Menace on a grand scale. If anyone disagrees with me on that I would like to read your arguments on why.

[@justanormalfreak6855]

Regarding the "New and exciting planets," I think the world would have been more well received if it was Alderan instead of Naboo. I don't know if it ever showed up in the Clone Wars show or not, but I haven't seen that and don't think I ever got to see the planet in the movies. If they had made it the base setting in Episode 1, it would have made seeing it destroyed more emotional on rewatches of Episode 4, and been kind of poetic that Luke was hidden on the planet his father was from, and Leia on her mother's. Instead they kind of shoehorned in a line here or there about "Here's the guy from Alderan," then chucked the baby at him at the end of Episode 3.

[@GamerLord821]

Hey david I wonder if you saw the Phantom Mantle Edit. It uses Japanese Audio so that the Viewer doesn't know what the characters are saying and added subtitles with a changed script. Also they turned all 3 Movies into one making it start in Medias Res starting with EP1 Duel of the fates then skipping to EP3 and using EP1 and EP2 clips as backstory to further contextualize whats happening with Anakin. It's completely different from the original versions and it doesn't fit with the established canon but I found it very fascinating to watch.

[@DVSPress]

+XrosSpirit sounds cool

[@WorldofGeekdom]

Dude this may be my favorite video you've ever produced

[@dansmitham2437]

Loving the videos David. I'm noticing that your videos manage to stay quite coherent across a considerable amount of time, (20-40 minutes or so). I haven't noticed you occasionally glancing toward one specific place to indicate that you're consulting cards or anything like that. I wonder if you would care to do a video detailing how to organize your thoughts and keep them eloquent across an extended time frame.

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

I always loved the prequels and that includes the Phantom Menace. You don't know how satisfying that is to say after the Last Jedi showed people how bad a Star Wars film can really be.

[@joshuacooley1417]

I enjoyed the video. You are right on about casting Annakin as a child. That became a crippling blow to the rest of the movie. You are also right on that it was the major failures in execution, not the things like including complex politics that really killed the movie. I tend to think that most people don't really know, or don't take the time to analyze what makes a story good and as a result when they don't like something they latch on to little annoyances that they would completely dismiss if the story was actually structurally sound and well executed. I know I do this and am more conscious of it as I learn more about story structure and story telling. For me the number one problem was not having a clear protagonist. You mentioned that Qui Gon Jin was the main character, and I can see that, but until you mentioned it I would never have actually picked him out as the main character because he doesn't fit the protagonist arch type very well. As you pointed out, he has no character arch really so not a good fit. Annakin could be the protagonist but casting him as a child pushes him dangerously into "gary stu" / Wesley Crusher territory. I think one of the things that hurt Lucas here was his conception that Star Wars is essentially a family drama completely centered around the Skywalkers. As a result I think, in his mind, the story has to be about Annakin first and foremost. I don't think most of the fans saw or see it that way and they would have been fine with the story being about Obi Wan, for example, and then introducing Annakin as a side character or supporting character. Messing up Annakin's character in Phantom Menace, I think, goes on to ruin episodes II and III. Amidst all the failures in those movies, Annakin stands out as the most annoying and most wrong. I think it would have fixed a huge amount of the problems if Lucas had decided to make Obi Wan the main character of Phantom Menace, and introduce Annakin as a supporting character, with a young adult actor. Regarding Annakin's mother issues, I think this could still have been salvaged with Annakin as a young adult. They could simply have framed the issue not so much as a childish attachment, but as a deep seated guilt over having abandoned his mother in slavery while he went off to live the action packed life of a Jedi. In fact, I think that would have been better psychologically and more identifiable to an adult audience. To be honest, this probably could even have been handled in characterization and exposition. Rather than bogging down the movie with a bunch of scenes on tatooine that don't feel like they don't belong in the rest of the movie, have this revealed in intimate conversations between Padme and Annakin. That could also serve to sell the connection between them and the association in Annakin's mind that though he failed his mother he won't fail Padme. The number 2 problem for me in Phantom Menace is that the whole plot and pacing of the movie feels jumbled. We start on Naboo, then we jump to Tatooine, then coruscant, then back to Naboo. When we look at the movie from the outside, we can see that going to Tatooine is so that Annakin and his mother can be introduced and these are important plot points. However, within the movie, it doesn't really feel like it fits with the rest of the story. I think that can work when you are splitting between an A arc, and a B arc, but it seems bad to me if your A arc feels like it doesn't fit. So, using Empire Strikes Back as an example. After Hoth there is a split where Luke goes to Degobah and kind of drops out of the main story. Han and Leia carry on the main story as they chased by Darth Vader and the Empire. If we look at that from the outside, the larger 'meta' plot we could almost say that Luke's diversion to Degobah is the real main story. However, within the individual movie, the plot is the rebel alliance being hunted down by the empire. Luke on Dagobah has nothing to do with that. The way this is constructed in Empire allows me as the viewer to feel like the main plot is still going on, and keeping up tension, but then the scenes with Luke and Yoda provide tension releases and it works together nicely. In Phantom Menace, the main plot of the individual movie just kind of stops, or disappears, while they are on Tatooine. This makes the whole section feel like it is just an intrusion that gets in the way of the rest of the movie. *add* I think Qui Gon could have made a really good main character if the story had been shifted to center more around his conflicts and struggles with the Jedi Council. In this model the story could have been more about why the Jedi fell. How their arrogance and rigidity blinded them etc. It could about more exposing the flaws within the Order that allowed Darth Sidious to rise etc. In that model you could have had movie 1 been Qui Gon's story, 2 be Obi Wan's story, and 3 be the fall of Annakin. Each of them set against the overarching backdrop of the collapse of the Republic due to corruption and short-sighted self interest etc.

[@thomascarroll5750]

This analysis is absolutely fantastic. You did such a great job with this.

[@Mr.Honest247]

Funny because I actually loved the prequels more than the originals. They were just more epic and they had some great scenes. People blow the "cheesyness" way out of proportion. A lot of the corny dialogue gave the movie a kind of light hearted charm whereas without it, it might've felt more flat in its overall delivery. The old ones were actually very cheesy as well if not moreso and people overlook that. The prequels are some of the most misjudged movies of all time imo. It's a shame because I think they did a great job. Anakin, Qui Gon and Obi Wan had great chemistry and we can't forget that great pod racing scene! Not to mention the Darth Maul fight and even the later amazing scenes like the Coliseum in part 2 or the final dramatic battle between Obi Wan and Anakin and some iconic lines like "You were the chosen one!" It worked in such a heart breaking way and people treat it like it was garbage when it actually wasn't. Plenty of HORRIBLE movies exist out there that are actually hypocritically well received which is stupid. I stand by my statement, the prequels are their own little masterpieces in my book!

[@OmegaPointZen]

The thing about Midi-Chlorians, for me, was that Yoda never mentioned them to Luke, while he was being trained to be a Jedi. When you are informed about them in TPM, it takes you out of the film. If it's not a continuity error, it definitely is a tremor.

[@adamhay9208]

4TH!!!!! keep up the great work your one of the more intellectually stimulating youtubers

[@captaingrub2228]

"And that's all I really have to say. . " (46 minutes later). I'm sold.

[@prodf]

I feel already more educated about the elements that did not work on Phanton Manace, thank you.

[@TeenAsty]

Unpopular opinion coming through: I LOVE THE PREQUELS ^_^

[@93greenstrat]

I would just like to make a general statement about the entire Star Wars franchise: the Empire was too evil for its own good and the Rebel Alliance was too good to be believable.....having said that, I love Star Wars despite its shortcomings.

[@macmcleod1188]

The defeminized edit is pretty good. It does't remove women (liea and Rey are still in it and Rey has a major role) - it removes extreme feminism, it removes men being unrelistically dumb, and it removes the humiliation of Luke Skywalker. It suffers that it is limited to existing footage (except for one nice twist) but it will be the 8th movie in my "head canon".

[@the_narthex]

I'm annoyed when people say it was my "high expectations" that made me dislike Episode 1. If anything, my high expectations (and good will) kept me in denial about my true feelings of the movie for several days. I went back THREE TIMES before admitting to myself, "I don't really like this." Usually I know immediately the first time. But with Star Wars, especially if you go opening night, the hype and fan reactions are so fun, you enjoy even mediocre movies as though they are amazing. But, no, I'm not someone who dislikes a movie for 18 YEARS (after many, many viewings) merely because I expected too much.

[@codyreece7080]

Enjoyed the analysis. I liked the power point, easier to take notes. Much appreciated

[@jessiefox3739]

The jagged look was also part of the Punk aesthetic which was huge in 1976 and 1977.

[@DaiBenduMonk]

After you mentioned it, it was a huge missed opportunity to make chemistry and relatability between Anakin and Padmé due to them being overachievers and people around them still not giving them enough credit they deserve, purely because of their age. Now in TPM it’s really hard to tell how old Padmé is and if even her age is a concern. Anakin also, nobody really talks about how young he is and all that. It’s like oh he’s just dokng this because he can, ala Rey in TFA.

[@letmewatchthedamclip]

I remember my next door neighbour blasting duel of the fates out of his bedroom window for weeks after this film came out

[@Tareltonlives]

I love the Phantom Menace, mostly because I just wanted more Star Wars action and worldbuilding; I didn't have the same agenda much older fans did.

[@Tareltonlives]

I loved the Aesthetics, effects, idioms, characters, and story. I had fun, just like Star Wars. I don't care if something looks used, as long as it's creative, and looks like it was made from a real culture. I don't care if they use CGI instead of practical effects. I don't care if they use the same archetypes-mythical archetypes extend to so, so many others than just the few in the OT. You can't say that Journey to the West is garbage because it's not like Mort du Arthur just because it uses different archetypes. I do find it interesting that they want a feel-good story where the good guys win, but they also want a DARK and GRIM story were tons of characters die and there's grit and gore and etc. Make up your mind! I love the politics and worldbuilding in TPM. That's something the sequels DESPERATELY need. Yeah, sure the EU did it too but it's better to get it in the film itself. I watched the prequels at the right age to watch Star Wars: 11 to 17 I don't think any of those missteps were that big-Anakin should have been 12 and Jar Jar should have been less over the top, but they don't ruin the film for me one iota. The rest are POSITIVES to the film, not actual flaws. And there IS character growth-Obi-wan learns to value his master's authoritiy and courage. Padme learns that sometimes you have to resort to your own initiative rather than expect the best out of everyone else. Anakin learns that leaving home means losing a great deal and getting in over your head. Only Qui-gon doesn't grow at all, which is problematic, but since he dies at the end, it doesn't matter since Obi-wan didn't grow either in ANH. The Podrace isn't a bad thing, just not for anyone who doesn't like races. Lucas loves his dragsters and car racing, so that scene is to appeal to those people. Unfortunately, there's not much else you can use to establish Anakin's piloting skills other than another battle, which would be quite redundant given the big battle at the end. Even if you did improve TPM (and the next two films did), they'd still be hated because the audience just can't connect to George Lucas. It's like friends who discover they disagree on something big, and that ruins the friendship that they thought was much stronger.

[@gallendugall8913]

Speaking to the point you made; TPM came out at the height of the dark and gritty trend in entertainment and audience expectations.

[@OmegaPointZen]

If I could only change one thing about TPM, I would change the boy, rather than remove Jar Jar. When Anakin is in the final battle, and he says, "Let's try left.", it makes me feel sick.

[@ChristnThms]

I totally agree with your "big miss" list, and the observation about the lack of expectations for the first trilogy, versus the mega-expectations for the prequels. Even the "big miss" could have been accepted if they'd been just a little less big... If Jar Jar had been annoying and CGI, but a tiny bit more palatable. If Anakin had been JUST a little older and thus enabled a more skilled actor to be cast. If the expositional dialogue and political subplots had been glossed over just a bit. Basically, I think people really did want to accept it, and in fact I remember that the initial responses people had were far more positive than it is remembered now. If those things that are now seen as the major failings had been just a LITTLE better, they'd have been received seamlessly. But then, we have the benefit of 40yrs of hindsight. Given what Lucas had to work with (regarding knowledge of his fan base and their expectations), I don't think even the worst bits could have been avoided. Annoyingly goofy characters had worked in other movies. Child actors had worked in other movies. Political subplots within action movies had worked. Expositional backstories had worked. All of the things we call failings had been done in other movies and worked. Lucas just caught the "IMperfect" storm with their details.

[@willnitschke]

A major change which I think is at the core of why so many fans disliked the prequels was what I would call the mythological aesthetic. The original Star Wars borrowed many of the themes of the Arthurian Legends. I.e., apprentice, wizard, Knights with a chivalric code, a princess to rescue from the Dark Knight, etc. On the other hand, the prequals focused on the politics and intrigues of a Roman Republic in decline.

[@battletoads22]

Am I the only one who doesn't think Star Wars is for children? I mean, children can watch it, like it, and get things and life lessons out of it, but when I consider how dynamic the story is, the characters are, and how deep the concept of the Force along with the battle between good and evil goes, I find Star Wars having a lot more to offer for an older audience than a younger one. Not to mention, by saying Star Wars is for children or for everyone, you run into problems with how to market these movies because you don't know who your main audience is and then you have to worry about story limitations based on who your audience is. Looking at the original trilogy, it seems quite obvious to me that Star Wars is meant for an 18 to 30 audience first and foremost.

[@cstick2664]

One other problem I noticed is that the antagonist is in the wrong place. The antagonist is not Darth Maul it's the viceroy. The viceroy is actively opposing the main characters while maul is more or less a tool used by sidious and the viceroy

[@degrelleholt6314]

I didn't have high expectations for the Phantom Menace. Years (1983?) back when I saw The Return of the Jedi in the theatre, I was deeply disappointed by the film. I know most would hotly disagree, but Jedi was bloody awful. I was pleasantly surprised by Phantom. I thought it wasn't bad, and I very much liked the "Flash Gordon" look of it. Phantom was still a "kiddy" movie just like Jedi, but the dialogue was a little better even if a lot of the action was gratuitous and unnecessary.

[@MichaelNNY]

I admit it. I had expectations for TLJ, as follows: 1) I expected a solid plot, with drama, excitement, buildup, resolution. Didnt get that. 2) Expected full, rich characters, with motives and adventures. Didnt get that. 3) Expected Luke to train Rey, in order to carry on 10,000 years of Jedi traditions. Didnt get that. 4) Expected to be entertained. Wasnt. So I guess my expectations did ruin the movie for me.

[@IvorMektin1701]

My sights for TPM were considerably lowered by the Special Editions. Han shot first!

[@SirJamesDTech]

Thank you for describing the reaction to the Load album.

[@RuneForumwalker]

28:50 Yeah, I think Anakin should have been a teen (13-15) pilot on Naboo. He could be an apprentice to an older pilot that are rescued along with Padme, and then the older one dies in the escape and Anakin gets them past the blockade with excellent piloting. From there Qui-Gon could sense the force in him, test him, and you can still have a race on Tatooine where Anakin wins what they need for parts to get out of there.

[@_arkel7374]

Best review of phantom menace that I've seen. Now my expectations for your future reviews are higher. Don't disappoint :) 😉

[@theatheistpaladin]

"There is a push to make Vader a greater villain than he was." You should see the Vader comics that are coming out. He is badass as hell.

[@351cleavland]

Please, do a breakdown of the Star Wars Holiday Special. And include how Bea Arthur's character fits into the overall canon of the Star Wars universe.

[@madmusic341]

If stupidity is only funny to children why do so many adults enjoy Monty Python, Mr Bean, Pink Panther (Peter Sellers version) and Charlie Chaplin? The problem with Jar Jar Binks is not that he's stupid, the problem is that he's aware of his own stupidity, a self aware idiot is not relatable to adults, an unaware fool however is very relatable. If you look at the enduring successes of Don Quixote and Candide (who are both unaware fools) you have to conclude that stupidity is not only very much enjoyable to adults, but that it has always been so.

[@Todaviho]

True... but those actors where in comedies... which Star Wars isn't. Now if you had made Star Wars into a comic... Spaceballs style... JarJar could have been good as he was (well less sucky). But in this setting... ewwww.

[@autumneagle]

I love B. Sandersons systems, there is an art to how he crafts them that I don't think a lot of authors could replicate. Btw, good review on the Phantom Menace.

[@Crumplepoint]

Good stuff DaveStu. This needs to talked about more, i have been trying to talk about this in regards to Watchmen revival. Expectation is like an elephant in the room and people seem wilfully ignorant both on side of the consumer and the producer.

[@garydawson6346]

Sorry I missed this when you first posted it. Fantastic analysis. Possibly the best TPM discussion I have seen in the last 15 years. I agree with you entirely, except that I really did enjoy TPM, because my expectations were actually in-line with GL's. I wanted the exposition and history. Having young children of my own at the time I was able to enjoy and appreciation for the Child Anakin and Jar Jar because I had their reaction to the characters, and the children's movie take which certainly tempered my experience. Not saying they weren't miss-steps, but I had a different perspective. I've caught a few of your videos here and there, but this made me a subscriber.

[@eliasarches2575]

The prequels aren't infallible but I thought they were great!

[@DVSPress]

I enjoy them a lot.

[@KoZSeC]

Here's the problem with expectation, George's vision changed over that 15 years. But the vision of the movie stops when the movie ends. It's like a cryogenic memory that has been frozen over 15 years, and that's why there are a lot of misses in the Prequel in general. The Sequel's problem is that it's a Disney movie.

[@DaiBenduMonk]

Problem with Palpatine I feel is the fact that we are exposed to him being a bad guy so early, there is no surprise, we can see it a mile away, so it becomes hard to empathize with the Jedi, who we are suppose to be rooting for. They who should be a step ahead of the audience, yet are lagging behind for all 3 movies. If Palpatine was portrayed as straight up nice guy, the twist would be more exciting and more believable from the Jedi point of view, we could have understood why they might have not suspected an evil man. Also Chancellor Velorum is kind of a weird character I still don’t know if he was a bad guy or a good guy and on what circumstances... At the beginning he seems like a guy who cares sending Jedi to resolve the crisis, then is reluctant to help Naboo. It was very complicated, we needed some context for him. Maybe it was just left on the floor.

[@BirdsElopeWithTheSun09]

The studio letting George Lucas do whatever the fuck he wanted without any sort quality control is what ruined it.