Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Directed by:
George LucasScreenplay:
George LucasCinematography:
David TattersallComposer:
John WilliamsCast:
Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Pernilla August, Ian McDiarmid, Oliver Ford Davies, Hugh Quarshie, Anthony Daniels, Ahmed Best (more)VOD (4)
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Sci-fi adventure which takes place before the birth of Luke Skywalker, featuring the friendship between the young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, who would later become Darth Vader. The galactic government has been weakened, and when the peaceful planet of Naboo is threatened by the giant Trade Federation, it seems that nobody will step in to defend Queen Amidala and her people. Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to find a settlement and discover the extent of the planet's peril. In the course of their adventures, they find a young slave, Anakin, whom Qui-Gon senses is destined to bring balance to the Force. Against Obi-Wan's suspicions, he decides to train Anakin as a Jedi Knight. (official distributor synopsis)
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What was cute in the original films is infantile here, what was thrilling in the original films is infantile here, what was charming in the original films is infantile here. George Lucas simply sewed up a teddy bear for big money, put a lot of stupid episodes in it that are hellishly melted, a demented eared reptile that pissed me off more than any other hero, and, by the way, there are moments spread out in there that are worthy of Star Wars. I am pleased only by the cast (but not the acting performances) and the excellent duel with Darth Maul. But as a whole, an almost perfect flop, and it’s better not to compare it to Episode IV and Episode V - otherwise there is the risk of cardiac arrest...
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Long-winded and, apart from the race scene and a couple of duels, offers nothing but “empty" over-combination that is so childish (the Ewoks etc.) that it borders on being a parody of itself. Not even Teletubbies give us such lameness given to us by the “fun element" Jar-Jar Binks and all of his people. This wouldn’t matter so much if Binks wasn’t given more room here than probably anybody else. Even if I ignore his presence, then the infantile nature of this, despite finding the complete opposite in the following, darker episodes, really bothers me and is worse than anything I have seen even in the very worst movies for kids. But I mustn’t only throw dirt on this... In technical terms, this movie is great, from special effects through production design to the music. But everything is just here for effect and flawless special effects don’t make a good movie. If it weren’t for Darth Maul and his duel underscored by “Duel of the Fates", then nothing at all works here, apart from the audiovisual side. I suppose it is good in a way, but only at about eight in the morning, as a double feature with Teletubbies.
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One film legend says that there was a fundamental difference in the approach to the world of cinema among the three most influential filmmakers of the 70s, namely Spielberg, Coppola, and Lucas. While Spielberg and Coppola literally lived for movies, exhaustively watched the performances of acclaimed film classics in film clubs, passionately discussed cinema with similarly affected individuals late into the night, and tried to push the world of film forward, Lucas was an enthusiastic reader of outdated comics, a viewer of 1950s TV space operas, and film theory was inherently foreign to him. However, he was able to capture the essence of popular culture and the transformation of the film audience from the 40s to the 70s, when the average age of cinema-goers continued to decrease. At the same time, due to sociological processes and the enrichment of society, there was a change in the perception of film. The infantilization fully manifested itself and the concept of a family film with a lower standard prevailed to be understood by a wider range of potential viewers. This is how Star Wars came into being, where a fairytale was wrapped in cosmic technology and the nonsense of the then-popular New Age movement. Lucas filmed it as visually and naively as possible, and precisely because of that, it had such a penetrating success. What succeeds attracts attention and the desire to imitate, and at a certain stage, when it becomes a cult, it is practically unquestionable and by itself carries the seal of quality regardless of its content. I saw the first three films of the famous series at an age when I found the motifs and execution, especially the "intellectual superstructure," laughable. Otherwise, the course of events is such that you see it for the first time at the age of 8-9, and then with an iron regularity, so you grow up with it and it has emotional and nostalgic value for you. Even if I grew up with it, I still would have most likely become a fan of the Star Trek series, which, despite its clichés, naivety, and the ideological basis that stems from multiculturalism, represents an honest work from the sci-fi genre. Star Wars only shares the space settings with the sci-fi genre. It is a fairytale fantasy that is neither clever nor innovative nor brilliantly directed. The later three episodes of the series are loaded with bombastic special effects, but they are more childish than anything, and they also lack the confident ironic detachment that emanates from every smirk of Han Solo. His portrayal by Harrison Ford somewhat resembles the much more pronounced ironic detachment of the Indiana Jones character. Personally, the entire series has nothing to offer me, and although there are understandably significant nuances between each film, what bothers me, such as the frenzied waving of lightsabers, the babbling about the Force, and the cute plush creatures as extraterrestrials, are typical of all the episodes. Therefore, this commentary applies to all parts of the Star Wars series. Overall impression: 20% for the set design.
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Episode I is paradoxically Lucas’s only perfect Star Wars. Only with this one was Lucas not constrained by budget and the technological level of the tricks as in the first film; he was the main creative force behind the project unlike in Episode V and was not as limited by the unfolding story as in the other two parts of the prequel trilogy and Episode VI. Thus, he was able to fully let go of childishness and naïveté, build the narrative around spectacular adventures and expand the fairy-tale concept into an opulent mise-en-scene. Unlike the following two instalments, Episode I has a narrative that is entirely its own, with only sub-motifs establishing continuity with the series as a whole.
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Practically incomparable with the older films. This one is much faster, more colorful, and even more childish by the most part. For a modern viewer, let alone someone not interested in the original series, it will be a fantastically flashy popcorn movie full of amazing visual effects and excellently filmed battles. The best part is, of course, at the end and I dare say that we won't find a better one in the entire Star Wars saga. The demonic aspect is further enhanced by the genius musical score by John Williams. Jar Jar is embarrassing, just like most scenes with the Gungans. Why the director incorporated such a fool into this fateful story is a mystery to me, but there is no other option than to accept it. Let's dig in with gusto.
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Photo © 20th Century Fox
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