In defence of 'Star Wars: Episode One — The Phantom Menace'
From Disney+ and Lucasfilm Ltd, taken from theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan
Hello! I hope, whoever and wherever you are, you’re having a most beautiful day and that you’re staying sane indoors amid the chaos of COVID-19. For those who are still working, I hope you are safe and well. I’ve been a fan of Star Wars my entire life. An early childhood film I remember watching on VHS time and time (and time) again was The Phantom Menace, the series’ return after 16 years. Apparently, I took the family’s videotape of it with me everywhere – it and A Bug’s Life. I indeed destroyed at least one copy of each. Star Wars is most certainly one of my favourite franchises, one that has given me many fond memories over the years. I was a part of the generation that was introduced to Episode I first and foremost before I ever saw any of the others. Today, I’m very much a Baby Yoda appreciator, but then again, who isn’t? But truth be told, I decided that for the next couple of weeks, I wanted to go through the series, from Episode I to IX (just the Skywalker movies, alas). At the end of every review, I will add all each film to a list ranking the nine movies – starting with lucky number first, and my argument that The Phantom Menace is far better than people give it credit for. Strap yourselves in, folks.
Before anything, I want to get one thing out of the way: this film was already at a disadvantage for older fans, having come out well over a decade after The Last Jedi. Expectations were elevated to such unsightly levels that even if they’d released The Empire Strikes Back, many fans still likely wouldn’t have satisfied. 16 years is a long time to wait for anything, and so when Episode I came out, many were unable to see and appreciate what makes this film so good. Disappointed, is probably the word I’d use for the general consensus there. Granted, this is not necessarily the case for kids in my generation and the one immediately following, but that’s because we didn’t wait so long for it. All we saw was Star Wars. I’m not suggesting that being in my age demographic automatically suggests that we all loved it – nor am I arguing that being one among those who saw the first three films in the cinemas instantly proclaims everyone hated it. What I’m saying is that how one feels about Episode I likely has a lot to do with age.
This film, being made at a time with infinitely more potential for special effects than in the 70s/80s, remarkably still holds up today. Featuring an incredible achievement in fully rendered CGI characters, namely Jar Jar Binks (I’ll be talking about him before too long), The Phantom Menace indeed ran the risk of being outdated technology-wise after just five years. And though there are instances where the visual effects aren’t as remarkable (in particular, the characters in the Pod Race sequence, not the race itself), the CGI never became an eyesore for me. And for something more than 20 years old now, that’s insane. From space battles to more potential for fight choreography to well-done blue and green screens, the film has a lot to offer.
About fight choreography… wow. The final battle between Jedi Knights, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Sith Apprentice Darth Maul is a sight to behold. Intense, well-designed and executed, and backed with perhaps one of the series’ best pieces of music to date: Duel of the Fates. Indeed, every time I watch this film, that song gives me chills. Yet the construction of the space battle sequences, the Pod Race – which is arguably the second-best part of this film – and beyond allows for each action piece to stand out. And there is a lot of action, likely far more than people realise. In the first 25 minutes, there are four separate action scenes alone. All remarkably executed, this allows the film to ride hard and fast when it flies, especially at the beginning.
One of the best fight scenes in the Star Wars series. Taken from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace by Lucasfilm Ltd, cinematography by David Tattersall
Yet the pacing does not suffer from so much action. Though it slows down considerably prior to the climax – rather so compared to the rest of this film – the film’s tempo never feels unbalanced. The film draws the viewer in with its battle-heavy opening, then allows the story to take centre stage with regular intervals of other thrilling events. And when the climax does occur, the prior slowness allows for the film’s end to feel all the faster. In total, there are four separate events taking place in the climax – Jar Jar and the Gungans versus a droid army, Padmé and her soldiers racing through a palace in the face of constant gunfire, Anakin and other pilots trying to take down a reactor controlling the aforementioned droid army, and lastly, the Jedi versus the Sith.
Though I would potentially argue for the droid army sequence to be redone, dialling down Jar Jar’s silliness in favour of exemplifying the threat of such a colossal force, all four parts intersect and co-exist harmoniously. The space battle allows for us to see Anakin in his element, achieving a tremendous heroic act in the process. The droid army gives Jar Jar and the Gungans something valuable to do while displaying a snippet of the enemy’s might. Padmé’s part allows for her intelligence, bravery, strength, and fierceness to shine, really highlighting why she’s such a badass character. And, indeed, I could talk about the Duel of the Fates all day.
Natalie Portman as the awesome Queen Amidala. Taken from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace by Lucasfilm Ltd, cinematography by David Tattersall
Now, I’m just going to squiz this in here: John. Freaking. Williams. Anyway…
As for the characters, hear me out, because they’re actually really well-constructed. Qui-Gon Jinn has a special place in my heart as one of my long-standing favourite characters. Toddler-me apparently already understood that Liam Neeson is a badass. Similarly, I do genuinely still hate Darth Maul for killing him – some things never change, I suppose, because I hated him as much rewatching Episode I this time around as I always have. Obi-Wan is played spot-on by Ewan McGregor, who does a great job at imitating Alec Guinness’ voice – all the while happily showing us Obi-Wan’s young and daring days before becoming the wise old man we all know. Though in the Prequels, I think we can agree that he was not nearly as much of a downright fibber as in the Original Trilogy – but that’s a conversation for another day. Here, Obi-Wan is honest, young and with lots to learn, but still already honourable. Padmé is, as I said, a force to be reckoned with as the film progresses, exemplifying her various invaluable traits that prove far broader than could have been initially perceived. This is a woman worthy of being Leia Organa’s mother. And yes, Darth Maul is evil, and I can never be unbiased about that monster, while the Jedi Council – and Palpatine – only have a fraction of the spotlight, though there is a great deal of potential in Episodes II and III to let them shine.
Now, the more controversial characters. I’ll start with Anakin. He who would become one of the most iconic characters in film history, beginning here as a boy slave in Tatooine. Too many people gave Jake Lloyd a whole lot of shit for his portrayal of Anakin – I grieve so much for him and how much flack he got for a job that isn’t that bad. Great child actors are rare, and though Jake Lloyd isn’t one of the greatest child actors who ever lived, I think what most people see when they see child-Anakin are impossible expectations. Lloyd plays a child both full of wonder and a repressed fear and anger set to intensify as the years go by. His acting is good in this film, enough that I genuinely cannot see any reason to hate it beyond ‘child actors, man’ or those impossible expectations. I mean, this is the young Darth Vader – there was no way he was going to get off lightly here. Honestly, Jake Lloyd deserves a lot more respect for his portrayal, and about a billion apologies for the hatred fans have thrown at him.
Kenny Baker as R2-D2, Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker, and Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Taken from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace by Lucasfilm Ltd, cinematography by David Tattersall
The next character is Jar Jar Binks. The thought that Ahmed Best, who played this figure contemplated suicide after all the hatred forced his way is vile. As for the character he plays? Beyond what I referenced before with the character’s silliness proving somewhat excessive in the climax, this character is supposed to be silly – the characters in this film acknowledge as much. As a kid, I loved Jar Jar – he was wacky and fun and perfect for entertaining little ones. Was he the next Chewbacca as was intended? No. But was he some light-hearted entertainment fit for children? Absolutely. His character also allows for the story to progress at a solid pace, introducing a new world and new race, in all, helping reach some of the films biggest story beats come to pass. Ultimately, there aren’t any poorly-constructed characters in this movie. All the main characters, I can remember their names, they’re fleshed out to enough of a degree that I can understand why they say or do certain things… exactly as well-built characters should.
Speaking of races and worlds, the worldbuilding in The Phantom Menace is fantastic. Nothing is rushed through, and every world the characters do go to is expanded upon to some degree. Tatooine, one of the Original Trilogy’s most prolific places is further developed with new elements of culture, different races and ethnicities, to name a few. Naboo, Tatooine, and Coruscant — three easy locations to recognise and differentiate, which allows for this movie to run so cleanly. It’s remarkable.
All of this, and I haven’t entirely touched upon the story yet beyond its pace. Though some do find the politics more sour than sweet, such allows for the story to slow down so that we’re able to catch our breath and make sense of the plot. Nothing is introduced at random or three seconds before it’s most relevant. Everything ties into one another almost seamlessly. Character motivations make sense, all while not only being tethered to one of the most iconic of trilogies ever, but also establishing clear stepping stones for films yet to come. With so much to do, there is equally a lot happening in The Phantom Menace, yet it is still fun, action-packed, and meaningful, all with excellent CGI, acting, music, and beyond.
Sure, we know where the story will go, and we know who the evil mastermind is – the film never tries to even think of hiding Palpatine’s secret from the knowing audience. As for those unfamiliar with the Original Trilogy and the Emperor’s place in it all, as I once was, it’s enough to plant suspicion deep down while also not outright stating a mere chancellor is the Sith Lord. I mean, could you imagine?
Is the Phantom Menace my favourite? If we’re only looking at the one, then it’s close, but I think it just might be. Yet it’ll be curious as I review the others where its final place resides – though I suspect it’ll be higher up on my list than it’d ever dare to be for others. All the same…
1. Episode I: The Phantom Menace
So there we go! Perhaps I’ve done enough to convince you to give The Phantom Menace a second chance, to see it not as a long-awaited successor (and disappointment) of the Original Trilogy, but a film in its own right. And perhaps you might find yourself enjoying the film far more than you previously had before. Or maybe you’re like me, and you did genuinely enjoy this instalment the first time around. Either way, let me know in the comments your thoughts on Episode I!
I’m placing this here because Qui-Gon Jinn is awesome. Taken from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace by Lucasfilm Ltd, cinematography by David Tattersall
But that’s all from me today. And since it would take roughly three months to go through all nine if I posted only on Fridays, for the duration of this particular series of reviews, I will be posting on both Tuesdays and Fridays! But only for a limited time! All the same, thank you for reading, I hope you have a most beautiful day, and of course, may the Force be with you!
— Charis.
