Movie Notes: Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

August 29th, 2009

= 2 stars

Starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman
Directed by George Lucas

Synopsis

Jedi Knights Qui Gon (Liam Neeson) and Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) escort queen Amidala (Natlie Portman) from the planet Naboo, being played as a piece in a galactic political struggle. On the planet Tatooine, they meet a young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) who is strong with the Force.

The Good

• Ewan McGregor fills the role of a young Obi Wan perfectly. Much of my amusement in watching the prequels lies in his steady transformation into the Obi Wan of A New Hope. Natalie Portman fares okay, although is often stifled beneath the stultifying lines she’s asked to deliver and heavy costumes.
• Some pretty cool sequences, namely the Pod Race, and the final action-in-three-places-simultaneously ground war, space battle, and lightsaber duel between Darth Maul, Obi Wan, and Qui Gon.
• A few satisfying parallels to the original trilogy: the death of Qui Gon / Obi Wan, culminating in a similar funeral pyre that Vader eventually lies in, Anakin’s space battle foreshadows the destruction of  both Death Stars, and some of Amidala’s attitude during gun battles hints at Leia’s DIY approach.
• The gilded, ornate look of the Republic is visually inventive, populated heavily with droids having one think that the mystifying self-reliant world of the Jedi is under stress by the technological capabilities of the burgeoning Empire.
• The Sith Lord who will be the future emperor, only appears briefly and at this point, it’s not clear Senator Palpatine is in fact this person. The hint of the evil to come in future episodes is very subtle, but note that one profile shot during Qui Gon’s funeral.

The Bad

• Jar Jar Binks. He’s essentially a useless character and his bumbling persona quickly wears thin. Also awkward is Jake Lloyd as young Anakin, who with talents beyond his age, often comes across as a show-offy brat. It’s also kind of icky to realize he will eventually become Padme’s lover.
• There’s a feeling that this ride isn’t as much fun as it could be. Obi Wan and Qui Gon travel through underwater without much shock or surprise at what they’re seeing. Padme undergoes much trial and tribulation with a steely seriousness. There is none of the humor, confusion, or romance displayed by Han, Luke, and Leia in Episodes IV and V.
• Despite his scary looks and the novelty of a dual-bladed lightsaber, ultimately, Darth Maul is a pathetic villain. My biggest complaint is the lack of competitive banter during the lighsaber battles — a big part of all the other lightsaber battles — as the villain tries to convince the hero to “come to the dark side.” Instead, Qui Gon sits down in a meditation pose and Maul paces back and forth, and the tension flows out of the scene.
• There are many additions to the original trilogy that still rankle my brow. I still take great umbrage at giving a biological counterpart to The Force in the form of the Midichlorians. That physical component takes away some of the mystique, and also has me wondering why in a world with such technological prowess — and cloning technology — wouldn’t the Jedi just start cloning those people with a high Midichlorian count? Second, the “virgin birth” of Anakin is retarded. Lastly, to learn Darth Vader created C-3PO makes little sense, and also to have Artoo hanging out with Padme and Obi Wan this whole time. I can hear Luke asking “You knew Artoo? Why didn’t you tell me about that, either?”

Conclusion

A decade later (meaning today), I felt I could finally watch The Phantom Menace objectively — and it was a disappointment. While the gilded world of the Old Republic pre-war and pre Empire is superficially interesting, the annoying Jar Jar and young Anakin really drag things down. I seriously recommend starting with Episode II.

IMDB: The Phantom Menace
Wikipedia: The Phantom Menace
Rotten Tomatoes: The Phantom Menace