STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE

(May 1999, U.S.)

History dictates itself. It was now sixteen years since RETURN OF THE JEDI. Young boys were men, young girls were women, the President of the United States was again a Democrat and the 1980s were now at the dawn of the new Millennium. In the fall of 1998, people actually paid to see a dud like MEET JOE BLACK simply so they could witness the new teaser trailer for STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE. Yes, my friends, George Lucas was back in the director's chair and with him came the return of our beloved STAR WARS universe!

But wait! Suddenly May 1999 arrived, and with the advanced ticket sales and overnight camp-out sidewalk lines also came a shock that no one in the enormous circle of fans of a galaxy a long, long time ago could have ever imagined possible - many thought the new STAR WARS movie sucked! Was this even possible? Yes, Lucas was already skating on thin ice by alienating his fans with his three 1997 Special Editions of the original trilogy, but could he have really given us an altogether bad movie? I had to see for myself as quickly as possible. Now, while I wasn't insane enough to stand on insane ticket lines just to be able to say I was one of the first ones to see THE PHANTOM MENACE, I and my girlfriend (later my wife) did manage to secure tickets to a late night show on a work night (this after already having seen THE MUMMY at another movie theater that same night). Needless to say, we didn't sleep much that night.

Long story short, I did not think THE PHANTOM MENACE sucked. In fact, I saw it three times that summer. But since its release, I've tried very hard to figure out why many people hate it so much. There are some obvious reasons that I can certainly relate to, the most important one being what a horrible annoyance a comic relief character like Jar Jar Binks is. To listen to his speech patterns, as well as those of his fellow Gungan mates is an exercise in patience and tolerance beyond recognition. For myself, however, I find him a lot easier to tolerate that the Ewoks of JEDI, which I considered nothing better than a cross between the classic Teddy bear and the Munchkins of THE WIZARD OF OZ (maybe that was the point, by I hated it, nonetheless!). I'm left with only the question of why comic reliefs have ever been considered a necessary element in any STAR WARS movie. There's also the plot element of Anakin Skywalker as a young boy, which left many fans feeling as if THE PHANTOM MENACE had specifically created for ten year-old boys and no one else. That may be true, but many criticized the original 1977 film of exactly the same thing. Then there's the Pod race which has been famously cited for paying homage to the infamous chariot race sequence in William Wyler's BEN-HUR (1959). While I certainly have no problem with paying homage to such a classic film that clearly influenced a man like Lucas, there's a matter of execution, and it can be argued that the Pod race falls short of any credible excitement beyond speed and mayhem. Finally, there is, in my opinion, the worst element about THE PHANTOM MENACE (as well as the two films that followed), and that is the poor casting choice of Natalie Portman! I've been knocking this girl ever since her debut in THE PROFESSIONAL (1994) because of her childish, whining, and often somber demeanor in everything she's ever done on film (she's the single reason I couldn't sit through all of THOR!). Put simply - the girl can't act!

But now let me tell you why I defend THE PHANTOM MENACE against all those who seek to condemn it. One of its strongest points is its strong political theme. Let us recall that we are now in a galactic period before the rise of the Empire, and with that comes the necessary story of just how and why it rose in the first place. As logic would suggest, the rise of any political power usually begins with a single political crisis. The Trade Federation has upset the galactic order by creating a blockade of trade to the planet of Naboo, the home planet of Queen Amidala (Portman) in preparation for a full-scale invasion. Senator Palpatine (whom we also know as Darth Sidious) is playing both sides, as he seemingly seeks to solve the problem for the good of the Republic while secretly plotting to rise as the Emperor of what shall one be known as the Empire. We know all of this already from the first three films, and we're now witness to how it all came about. Political crisis and intrigue is challenged by the Jedi knights, including a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) and his master Qui-Gon Jinn (played by Liam Neeson). While we are forced to sit through childish antics from Jar Jar Binks and even young Anakin, whom too many people insist on calling "Annie", we must remember that we are in the midst of crisis that inevitably leads to an uprising of power that will bring (unwanted) order to the galaxy. Let's also try to remember that, like it or not, we're watching a STAR WARS movie, and that always brings the excitement of laser fire, spectacular space battles and the climactic lightsaber duel we've come to know and love. THE PHANTOM MENACE offers us one of the best and most original duels, in my opinion, since EMPIRE, particularly in the use of the double lightsaber that Darth Maul (played by Ray Park) so expertly sports. I also appreciate the original look of the battle droids, which I suppose are meant to be viewed and appreciated as a precursor to the stormtroopers we're so familiar with later.

While THE PHANTOM MENACE can never be considered as fresh or original as STAR WARS and EMPIRE (and let's be honest, it would be practically irresponsible to try and make any fair comparisons between them), it does have the gift of fine British and Scotish actors as Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid, who reprises his role from JEDI. In fact, it's the diabolical scheming and plotting of McDiarmid as Palpatine that I find most enjoyable in the entire prequel trilogy, the character so well commanded in its dark intensity. And while we know the story and fate of young Anakin Skywalker already, having to sit through the likes of Jake Lloyd in order to have the story come to pass is, like Binks, an exercise in patience and tolerance. Samuel L. Jackson is a welcome addition to the cast that brings to mind the joy we first felt when we met Billy Dee Williams in EMPIRE and it's also good to see Yoda (and Frank Oz) alive and well again.

So, while THE PHANTOM MENACE may never find its way into the STAR WARS hearts of millions the way other films have, let's all try to at least be fair with it, shall we? If absolutely nothing else, it's a perfect example of Hollywood movie mediocrity: it ain't the worst and it ain't the best.

Favorite line or dialogue:

Yoda (to young Anakin Skywalker): "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate...leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you."