I’m only halfway through the video and agree with literally every word (also you dumbing down the plot for those who thought the politics were confusing is just hilarious to me because I watched this when I was a kid and understood everything with ease)
I'd say Count Dooku is more underrated. He probably had just as big of a role as Qui-Gon did in the original 6 movies, but I've seen him being credited less.
Something I always loved about the prequels is that it really gives you a feel for life in the galaxy. You get to see city streets, the clothing they wear, their politics. It really makes the world feel alive. Also, I thought that the CGI allowed the movie to be more ambitious with the world and show just how vast and alien the world is. Without CGI, we'd just have, like you said, "some place on Earth but THE WHOLE PLANET!"
But you’re not watching a world, you’re watching a film. The smaller the scale, the more intense the drama - that’s because planets are not relatable to the audience, people are.
@@ChristianSopa in the prequels, the main characters are joyless, sexless, stoic, wooden interchangeable alien weirdos. There are next to zero normal people, like us, the Earth audience - (compare that to the OT!) motivations, goals, emotions DO need to be relatable, and it helps if the characters are like us. The main conflict is between disposable clones and disposable robots. The stakes just don’t matter. Order 66, the fall of the Jedi and the time jump between trilogies completely paint the writing into a corner, and leaves so few places to go. Besides, the more we learn about the universe and background of the story, the cheaper and less interesting the story of the originals. It cheapens the mystique of the OT. Less is more- at best, the prequels were completely pointless and at worst, set the series in a path that made it incredibly limited and dull
My take on midichlorians was always that they were a sign of the degradation of the Jedi. They were measuring their connections to the force biologically rather than spiritually. Rather than understand the force, they were quantifying it, and that misguided focus on worldy matters and things is exactly what gets them all killed. It makes total sense to me that a Jedi order so lost from their original purpose would have also made this mistake of relying on numbers and blood tests
I can't agree with that take. That they know about midichlorians is a sign of the golden age of the jedi, that they explored, experienced and mastered the force in a variety of ways. They didn't end their journey as weird magic hermits, they had philosophies, discoveries and personal spiritual enlightenment to guide their interaction with the force. Yoda didn't teach Luke everything, just enough to fight Vader and the Emperor, it was bare bones and not nearly enough to really revive the jedi order. That's what the midichlorians, the disagreements in the council and the entire character of Qui-Gon were supposed to show; that there is more to the jedi than just a lightsaber, there's an entire culture that was lost when they were destroyed.
I don't agree with this take, if The Force was based on spiritually, the Star Wars trilogy would be unrecognizable when absolutely everyone and anybody could use The Force. It was established in the OT by Yoda that the Force ran strong within the Skywalker family, so clearly it's not a metric of spiritually to begin with. It's this focus on worldly matters that results in them watching over Luke Skywalker which brings about the end of the Empire instead of spending all day eating mushrooms and meditating.
@@Edax_Royeaux But the Force is based on spirituality. Since the beginning the Jedi have been recognized as a religion. The Force has a will, and those through whom it runs strongly have been chosen by it to enact that will. The core purpose of the Jedi is to follow the will of the Force, while the goal of the Sith is to take the power granted to them and use it to their own ends, the greater good be damned. Sure it runs strong in the Skywalkers but not in all of them. It is strong in Anakin for reasons that can only be guessed at, and it seems to be strong in his son (and daughter to a lesser extent) as more a matter of fate, of divine intervention, than in blood. Consider why they would develop midichlorian tests in the first place. Any trained force user can sense when another has that connection. They can even recognize the strength of that connection. I would imagine they once stumbled into the knowledge that the force acts through midichlorians by accident, and with time have simply put too much emphasis on their importance, to the point that they can just throw around a high count like a power level in dragon ball to prove their power. Obi-Wan mention's Yoda's count as being high, but only ten years later Yoda and all the other masters are losing their connection to the force, because it was never a primarily biological phenomenon.
@@dehistoriapisciumfish7639 that’s not true. Go read the reviews that came out with the movie. Rolling Stone was positive. Kevin Smith was positive. Fans were positive. It took a few months for people to decide they didn’t like it, and about 15 years for them to realize that they did, again.
The internet definitely made people into haters. I remember prior to internet and RUclips when you watched a movie you just talked about how funny or cool it was with your friends.
Before the release of Attack of the Clones, I remember people questioning if Palpatine and the Emperor were the same person. Sidious is so well written and acted.
I saw Revenge of the Sith in cinema when I was 10. And I was indeed shocked when it was revealed. If watched it then at the age I am now, maybe I could have connected the dots a bit easier but hey, I was a kid then.
It was obvious for most of fans right after release of Episode 1 because Palpatine cast is the same actor(Ian McDiarmid) as Emperor cast in Return of Jedi.
@@Ale-dd3ek In the original novel of Star Wars from 1976, the prologue mentions a Senator Palpatine becoming President of the Republic and then an Emperor, IIRC. So the name was always there from the start, just not used in the OG trilogy, same as the Sith name.
My first memories in life are watching Return of the Jedi and Phantom Menace. I spent years reading thr books,playing the games,researching online. Before the dark times...before the sequels
The big reason that many people dislike the prequel trilogy overall is because they don't realize it isn't REALLY just Darth Vader's origin story; it's Palpatine's/the Empire's. Every movie we see him maneuving into more and more power, all the while corrupting an incredibly powerful, but vulnerable, young jedi to be his most useful weapon. It's literally in the name, Palpatine is "the Phantom Menace!"
Yeah, we do not realize that it's not a story about a character we meet at the 45 minutes mark. OMG you are so right, we've never realized that, thanks for pointing that out... :/ The problem lies in "it's not what a movie is about, it's HOW it goes about it"! As you can see, it's you who are missing more than just one piece of the puzzle, it does not matter what you or any other think this movie is "clearly" about, because it was made poorly. Another thing, if something is clear people do not argue about it, because it's clear to anybody, if it's clear only to you (and people who like what you like).. than my firend it's time to stop and think about it. I am very sorry to burst your bubble, but Jar Jar WAS SUPPOSED to be the phantom menace, but Lucky Lukie chickened out because of the backlash, which he did not understand, just like you, so he changed the whole plot after the ep1, you can still see Jar Jar manipulate the senate to create the Empire in the last movie, but that's only left for interpretation, that is the reason btw for the "out of nowhere" another stupid, boring plot point with Dooku. It's a last minute bullshit changed halfway into more last minute bullshit, I struggle to even call it a proper screenplay. These are the facts, so please tell me again, what do I not understand about this movie? google "theory_jar_jar_binks_was_a_trained_force_user" /watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI "Jar Jar is the key to all this." Jorge
@@Vejita12 Dude jar jar didn't use the force. That's fan theory crap. He was a pawn from a 3rd world country that was manipulated by rich white politicians into voting for their illegal war, illegal increase of power.
The Prequels are what got me into Star Wars. I had never seen the original trilogy before. I still remember ditching high school to catch Revenge of the Sith on opening day. 😂
Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars movie I watched as a kid and I absolutely loved it. It's still one of my absolute favorite things ever. The world building, the characters, the interesting story, the stunning soundtrack, the amazing fight choreography, the fairy tale like character mixed with religion. It's so fascinating and beautiful! I never understood how this could have been hated.
The Phantom Menace was also my first Star Wars film growing up,Jar Jar was hilarious wen he spoke,and the pod racing scene was actually really nice. It's like if Anakin does not win that pod race,Qui-gon and the others are stranded. It easily raised the stakes for Queen Amidalas' possible capture.
@Omega_1998_ the reason the race was so important made sense aswell. They were on a planet outside of Republic space. Even though they likely had money with them it just wasn't accepted on that planet just like if we tried to use foreign currency abroad. The quickest way for them to buy the parts they needed to fix their ship was the prize money from the race
Out of all six now nine movies the phantom menace is probably the one movie I seem to go back to most often. And it's the movie that made me a Star Wars fan. FYI Han shot first.
I know Anakin and Padmé's relationship development isn't for everyone, but in a world where so many on-screen relationships are no more than shallow lust that people confuse for romantic chemistry, their more innocent and awkward romance is honestly so refreshing to me. Anakin is ALWAYS respectful of Padmé's boundaries and backs off when she tells him to; he's never pushy about his feelings nor tries to coerce her into anything, and ultimately, it was Padmé who chose to start their courtship-and it _is_ a _proper_ courtship, instead of the meaningless, lust-driven, and short-lived passion that passes off as dating nowadays. I like that he's just an awkward boy trying to express his feelings, I like that his intentions toward her are pure-it not only makes sense that she'd be more drawn to him because of that, but it also makes him more attractive to me. This is why I don't like that TCW basically turned him into a suave dude-bro-that's *not* who Anakin is. Obi-Wan is the flirty one. It's also why I don't like that TCW gave Padmé an ex-boyfriend; she's obviously as inexperienced as Anakin by the time they got together and it makes no sense anyway because part of why their relationship was hard to have and keep hidden is because they're both really busy with their duties. The best parts of their relationship are the quiet moments where they just talk about life. This is why I really wished Lucas had made director's cuts of the prequels and included all the deleted scenes between Padmé and Anakin in AotC and Padmé's scenes in RotS; those scenes genuinely add more to both their characters, and it pains me that they were cut. (Edited for typo)
I've said it before somewhere else, but Anakin being cringe around Padmé makes perfect sense when you remember he is literally a celibate 19 year old space monk in AOTC. Doesn't help that he's talking to Natalie Portman either.
I like that Anakin is socially awkward, especially "I hate sand" haha. Who doesn't remember saying something cringe inducing, to a beautiful young lady, when you were a teenager. It shows that despite Anakin being the chosen one with limitless potential, he is still just a young man.
When's the last time you watched Attack of the Clones? Did you pay attention to the stuff Anakin was actually saying or did you just look up the I don't like sand clip and that's all you've seen of the movie? Anakin talks and acts like a creep all throughout AOTC. He sounds unhinged and like at any moment he could snap and go on a killing spree.
At the time of Anakin's arrival to the Jedi Temple, there were over 10,000 Jedi and only 3 Sith (I say three because not only were Palpatine and Maul alive and active, but Dooku was on his way). As Mace went and confronted Palpatine after Grevious's defeat, there were a bit less than 10,000 Jedi, My guess would be around 8,000, and of course, there was only one Sith. Anakin was prophesied to bring BALANCE to the force. Not victory for the Jedi. Not victory for the Sith. BALANCE. When Anakin turned and fell, the Jedi to Sith ratio went from ~8000 to 1 to only 2 to 2. He brought balance. And by the time Luke finished his training on Dagobah, Obi Wan and Yoda were both dead, and Luke was not a Jedi YET. So the ratio between Jedi to Sith in the Galaxy was 0 to 2. Once again, OUT of BALANCE. Anakin, by turning back to the light and sacrificing himself, brought both of the Sith down with him. In the end, only one Jedi remained and two Sith remained. So, not balanced, but as close to balanced as the Force could get.
The funny thing is the target audience of the PT (people like me) always loved all three of these movies. The OT fanboys were unhappy with the fact that Lucas didn't live up to their dreams and wanted Lucas to basically rewrite the Originals. Cringy dialogue? That's always been a part of Star Wars! Jar Jar? Yes he was slightly annoying but Threepio's comedy was irritating as well from time to time. Anakin not knowing how to flirt? Uhhh, duh, Anakin was a slave and raised by emotionless warriors and didn't know how to flirt. Literally, common sense applies...
We didn't want George to "re-write the OT". We just wanted him to stick to the story he hinted about in the OT,...AND have Anakin be a more relatable age when he met Obi-wan (as was suggested in the OT). To make a long story short. A lot of us simply felt too old for the PT.
@@lookingforwookiecopilot George Lucas DID stick to the story he hinted at in the OT. He even showed that Yoda trained Obi-Wan through the scene where Yoda was shown training children in Attack of the Clones. Qui-Gon didn't take over until Obi-Wan was a teenager. Star Wars didn't change. The fanbase did. They thought they were too mature for movies that George Lucas explicitly stated multiple times are designed for children first and foremost. Ironically, that ended up making them look more childish than the literal children the movies were made for. Here's a quote from C.S. Lewis to emphasise my point. "Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence." He then went on to say this: "When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
@@lookingforwookiecopilotYou all wanted Anakin to be a psychopath murdering people left and right from the world "go" - you were *offended* that Darth Vader was actually a child at one point - a child with huge dreams like we all had at that age, and one who actually got the chance to fulfill them until he was drawn in by the forbidden power to cheat death because of so many he lost before. He lost Qui-Gon. He lost his mom. He had visions of losing his wife, who he held a flame for from the moment he met her for a decade until they met again. Of course he took the only lifeline thrown to him, by the one father figure he had, a man who told him he believed in him every time he saw him while everyone else doubted him. Your problem is that none of you waited to see how the whole story turned out, instead looking only at TPM itself, which while it can stand on its own as a movie with a beginning, middle, and end, truly is the exposition of the entire hexaology, and so moments you think are "bad" are just setups that won't get called back to for a while. Is the clock tower donation lady a bad part of BTTF? Alone, maybe. But as a setup for how Marty knows when the lightning will hit? It's perfect. Midichlorians? They prevent Palpatine explaining that Plagueis forced the Force to force life to remain. Maybe it's because that's right around when mitochondria and chloroplasts were first introduced to me as a concept, but I knew exactly what George was going for with them, and he probably only did so because they stood out to him on his own kids' homework. George's only mistake with the prequels was in thinking audiences were smarter than they are.
@@doomsdayrabbit4398 We wanted to like Anakin before he turned. We wanted him to be an actual hero who fell. We wanted him to be a relatable age when he met Obi-wan (like Luke when he met Han). We wanted his turn to make sense. George gave us the exact opposite.
One thing I love about Jar Jar is how he builds Qui-Gon's character. Qui-Gon is stern and even a bit rough around the edges (something that makes George's decision to retroactively make him the apprentice of Dooku a genius move), but he's much more compassionate than any of the other Jedi we see in the prequels. He has the ability to see the potential in anyone. While everyone scoffs at Jar Jar for his stupidity and clumsiness, Qui-Gon sees the bigger picture and his ability to see this is the reason Jar Jar is able to have such a positive impact on the story. Yes, the poop jokes are terrible and forced, but the character as a whole is very important and for good reason.
@@alejandrojuarez5640 I explained his purpose in the story and how it builds Qui-Gon's character and adds nuance to what it means to be a Jedi AND also feeds into exposing the closed mindedness of the council. It's the same reason as to why Qui-Gon wants to train Anakin and the council doesn't. There's a reason every other character is perpetually pissed off at Jar Jar's existence (aside from Padme who is established as a very compassionate character as well-ohhhhhh it's almost like George thought through the characters and their dynamics and utilized Jar Jar's character to display these things as of the whole story was carefully planned out! Hmm!) Again, some of the kids juvenile jokes don't land, but that doesn't mean Jar Jar doesn't have good reason to exist as a character.
@@advancedstupidity5459 So Jar Jar is a good addition to this movie because it shows Qui Gon is nice? Is that really your whole argument? How did Jar Jar grow as a character by interacting with everyone? How did Obi Wan, Padme, and Anakin develop as characters because of Jar Jar being in the movie? Heck, how did Qui Gon develop as a character by interacting with Jar Jar? Qui Gon is annoyed by Jar Jar the entire movie like everyone is. He berates Jar Jar for being clumsy and getting in the way the whole movie. None of these characters learn to be kinder to or more appreciative of Jar Jar. And Jar Jar doesn't learn to be less clumsy or less cowardly or less stupid by interacting with them either. Nobody in this movie develops as a person, especially not because of anything to do with Jar Jar.
@@alejandrojuarez5640 you missed the point by a mile, dude. Sure if you reframe my argument to being just about Qui-Gon being "nice," then it sounds pretty dumb, but that's a total straw man. I never used the word, "nice." First of all, Boss Nass definitely learned to be nicer to Jar Jar lmao. Qui-Gon was annoyed with Jar Jar too, but the difference is that he had compassion and saw his value and potential, and he took the same approach to Anakin. Padme finds Jar Jar endearing at first, but starts getting annoyed with him throughout the movie until she too learns he's more useful than he seems. It's because of Qui-Gon and Padme's open minds that Jar Jar was able to play a pivotal role in uniting the gungans and the humans of Naboo. So Padme learned from Jar Jar too. Obi-Wan is shown in stark contrast to Qui-Gon and Padme's outlook. He has no patience for Jar Jar, and he doesn't understand why Qui-Gon keeps him around. In the same way, he doesn't trust Anakin and agrees with the council that Anakin shouldn't be trained. Jar Jar serves more to expose how characters are different than to teach them lessons, but he does that a little bit as well. Jar Jar is also the audience's window into the battle on the Naboo plains, and there's actually an interesting aspect to that because it gives Jar Jar a minor arc where he actually displays some bravery, fighting on the front lines despite knowing how much of a screw up he is. I mean, he's very likely to die in this battle especially because he has no idea what he's doing, and he just does it because it's the right thing to do. That's actually kind of valiant. They definitely could've expanded on this a little more to give it a stronger narrative impact, but as it stands, it's not bad. George uses Jar Jar brilliantly in Attack of the Clones too by showing the flip side of his potential. He's so naive that a master manipulator like Palpatine played him for his own gain. Jar Jar becomes responsible for Palpatine being granted emergency powers, which gave him everything he needed to puppeteer the war from both sides. TL;DR: My entire argument is that Qui-Gon is "nice" 🥰🥰
Lot of haters just wanted 'A New Hope' all over again. Until they got it with 'The Force Awakens.' They complained about the politics, "But you have people sitting around discussing politics in 'A New Hope' as well, and we didn't totally understand what they were discussing at the time. Also, 'The Phantom Menace' takes place before the birth of the empire, at the end of a republic-era. The world-building in the movie was excellent--creating the feeling that we are living in a republic that is weak and complacent but doesn't realize it, and the evil of the SIth is lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
A New Hope does it in an interesting punchy way. For example Vader Force choking someone during a debate. It's INTERESTING to watch his meeting. No unnecessary exposition about trade deals and nonsense. It's over very quickly and gets to the point in a new Hope
Phantom menace and it's soundtrack, are my favorite of the saga. Just take the soundtrack alone and listen to it. It pretty incredible. Epic, high adventure, majestic, beautiful, mysterious. I saw episode 1 in theaters when it came out. I was never one of those, "these people who are star Wars fans hated it, so I'm going to work on making myself hate it too". I always loved it and it ages perfectly.
Oh absolutely! The Phantom Menace without a doubt has my favorite Star Wars movie score. There's not enough appreciation shown for it, and obviously I'm not just talking about Duel Of The Fates, but the whole package. Especially when you consider that John Williams came back IN HIS ELEMENT 16 years after Return Of The Jedi. Like, just look at some of these tracks: Duel Of The Fates: Epic, brilliant, quintessential. I don't think I need to add anything else. Except the fact that I was scared of this song as a kid, so clearly they were doing something right. Anakin's Theme: Absolutely majestic, emotional, and all the more heartbreaking when you realize the foreshadowing of Anakin's fall to the dark side through the subtle hints of imperial march's melody thrown in parts of the song. Great stuff. The Swim To Otoh Gunga: Something about that angelic choir just sets the tone amazingly for Naboo's underwater city, and it's a very underrated moment. The Sith Spacecraft And The Droid Battle: This one has SO many moving parts to it, between the fortissimo and the dramatic percussion and strings, you can really feel how much the tension and action are at their peak here. My second favorite right behind Duel Of The Fates. The Flag Parade: BANGER ALERT... seriously though, this is the perfect song to hype up the podrace, everything here is pure uncut excellence. And a lot of fun too. Anakin Defeats Sebulba: Similar to the sith spacecraft, I love the dramatic percussion in this one. It's not the most special but it's definitely underrated. I had to hear it so many times trying to beat the damn podrace level on LEGO Star Wars and I guess that developed a stockholm syndrome type of deal for me. The Arrival At Coruscant: Sounds very thrilling but also has a strong sense of formality to it, which fits the setting of Coruscant's federal district very well. Makes me just wanna visit the Star Wars universe so badly. Pretty please? Just one day... Panaka And The Queen's Protectors: In context of the film, it's awesome. But who cares about that, this is the music that plays when you successfully finish a level on LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga. We all love it for that reason. Qui-Gon's Funeral: DELIGHTFULLY dark. Even though Naboo has their victory against the greedy trade federation, it did not come without sacrifice, as they lost a very important and wise Jedi. I love that this track is used both here, and again in Revenge Of The Sith during Anakin's final transformation into Darth Vader.
@@-curtiscamp it was a time of high adventure, mystery, and awe You could put this soundtrack on and it would always be great, and you wouldn't even have to have seen the movie either.
I appreciate your support for Padme, because as you said she is actually a strong female character without being a know it all or jerk. She is actually my favorite stat wars character.
It so happened to be my 1-st Star Wars movie. Then I watched OT and then other prequels as they came out. Also I've read book before movie and was fascinated by it. So yes it's mine fav too
endor4757 The Phantom Menace was the second or third Star Wars film I’ve seen. Despite me watching other movies like Return Of The Jedi AND Empire Strikes Back growing up, The Phantom Menace was one I watched a lot and one I watched the most. Unlike other Star Wars films, I actually did had a book based on The Phantom Menace AND I even have a cook book that is based off of scenes from The Phantom Menace as well. So it’s a film I have a huge impact on as well.
I was 12 at the time Phantom Menace came out, so I grew up with the prequel trilogy. Episode 1 is highly underrated, definitely. It shows the beginning of the downfall of the Republic. Years of corruption and greed, and as Palpatine points out, the Chancellor has little real power. His machinations like manipulating Padme into voting out Valorum, thus paving the way for his rise to power. As we go on to see in Episodes 2 and 3, he engineers the Separatist movement so the Senate will grant him dictatorial powers.
The piece of dialogue that really intrigues me from TPM is when Darth Sidious replied "I will make it legal" to Nute Gunray on whether invading Naboo was a legal course of action. That was the empire before the empire so to say. Also, there is a wonderful scene in TPM which I really love: the dialogue between Anakin and Padme when travelling to Coruscant. Before the dialogue Padme listens to the communications sent from Naboo about the catastrophic death toll. That is a very dark subject for a Star Wars movie. After that the dialogue between Anakin and Padme I think felt so natural and spontaneous like they really feel something for each other.
The generation that grew up with the prequels is now old enough to be able to defend that trilogy to the end. I definitely can relate with these videos defending the prequels.
@@eugenekrabs516 yes... He grew up w the prequels. That's why he can defend them. Because he has nostalgia for them. Had you guys not grown up w them you could see they were trash.
Revenge of the Sith is objectively a good movie. Anyone who disagreees is a straight boomer still living on the ‘nostalgia’ of the original trilogy. So don’t slam new generation for nostalgia when that’s exactly what you have for the original trilogy… the irony
@@Finbar-eh8jw empire strikes back is consider the best sequel to a movie of all time. And I was born in 1987. I saw the movies well after they came out. I didn't grow up with them. Therefore my opinion is based on them being good movies, not just growing up with them. My point also wasn't that noone has nostalgia for them. My point was that people thinking the original trilogy is good isn't ONLY because of nostalgia. The prequels is basically only because of nostalgia. The prequels are not good.
Qui-Gon was essentially the father figure Anakin needed but due to his death, Palpatine essentially takes that role and leads Anakin slowly towards the dark side.
The main point of this movie's villain plot, is how people with evil ambitions can use what should be mundane, boring issues, to rise to power by escalating them into major crises. If you're stuck on the trade negociations or that the main evil plot here seems to be the signing of some accord, then you're missing the deeper layers, and are exactly the kind of person real world villains prey on.
And now we’ve gone from too politically meek in entertainment to too politically divisive. Maybe a different support should be made for the argument, considering how present and overbearing the political undertones are in every movie being made right now. Oh, wait- that’s why there’s a strike right now, isn’t it? Because of political posturing? Sometimes people just want good plot and need a break from reality for two hours.
@@isaacmcallister5649 yes, that's true. But it seems to be that those striking want more control to inset overt real world politics, while the studios are looking to cut people who want to use blockbusters for real world political posturing
@@shadeblackwolf1508 well it’s gotten to the point where it’s affecting big actors and even talk show hosts. Half of the ones on strike, or at least a good third, are like Laura what’s her name with Netflix’ “The (Not) Witcher(But every female character and we hate both the games and actual source material/intellectual property that we want to violate).” So yeah, I think I’m okay to some degree with the strike happening. It’s time for the West to finally wake up.
Blockading an entire planet isn't some mundane, boring issue. There has to be a reason for why the Trade Federation did that beyond some nonsensical treaty they never even explain why they want signed. If you're an evil mastermind who needs pawns to help you complete your goal, those pawns need something out of the deal too or else they would never help you. So why did the Trade Federation decide to help Palpatine in the first place, even though he turned his back on them in the end anyways?
What I always liked about Palpatine's plan in this movie about becoming chansellor, is that he purposefully made Trade federation to invade Naboo, his home planet, so the senat will elect him out of empathy. Like, he literally said this himself, but none of the characters did get what he really meant.
why would a trade war make all of the star system vote palpatine as the chancellor? wouldnt you want to have the best person with the qualification to run the senate? and not a small time planet senator that cannot even figure a way out of a trade war without the republics help? honestly, the previous chancellor were portrayed as a lame duck for the plot but in a believable movie, the chancellor can and would of used force ( republic UN forces? ) to alleviate the trade war. the plot was very weak with this movie, i think lucas should of made the real star wars movie of epic fight between good and evil and not a movie that will sell lucas more toys...
@lovespy Wasn't the deal the Republic should have stepped in, but Palpatine was making a show that they were too weak or toothless to do so? Palpatine set himself up as the strong one would embody a fight for the Republic over a private group. It didn't matter that he was from a small system, as it was not technically about the force such a system. He made it look like if he was that tough without much power in fighting bureaucracy, he would be better at the top. It also in turn created the perfect seeds for encouraging Separatists as an icon that those more private groups might be against.
@@DuskyPredator so the senate voted for palpa because he showed how strong he can be with words? and also i cannot believe that no one in the whole galatic senate wanted to be the challancer except palpa?? hmmm the forced plot is strong with this one...
@@lovespy Selling toys is what financed the future movies. That's where the majority of the cash came from. Remember Palpatine is a Sith Lord, and he uses his force to manipulate others for his benefit. It's totally believable. Look at politics in this world. Look at how the people of Germany loved and served Uncle Adolph, a tyrant that cost the lives of millions of people and changed the course of history in the world. One man, Hiter or Palpatine.
Qui-Gon Jinn is the only reason I put The Phantom Menace higher than every single sequel movie in my ranking. Dude is my favorite Jedi, and Liam Neeson did a fantastic performance. Great character! 👍
I'm a turn cloak then. Star Wars is dead now the last movie came out in 2005. Who would have thought the goofy prequels could be loved so much after so much hate. Its pretty funny
I'm so happy this video showed up in my feed! I've always loved the prequels and never understood the hate they got. I didn't know how exactly to explain why I thought they were good, so thank you for this clear explanation. I've also always loved the goofy Jar Jar. He's just a fun character and I'm sad that he was pushed aside after this movie.
I think the reason audiences feel confused about who the main character is is that, even though Qui-Gon is the most pro-active character with the most screen time, it's Anakin's plot line that carries more emotional weight. Basically this is a result of the A-plot (the invasion of Naboo) being not that emotionally-engaging while the B-plot (meeting Anakin and the start of his journey) outshines it.
Honestly the "main character" and the character who the movie is actually about can be 2 different things. As others have pointed out, the prequels are about the fall of the republic and rise of the empire. It's about palpatine and his machinations. He's the one driving the plot forward. To a lesser extent it's about anakin and his fall to the dark side and his role in the formation of the empire. Doesn't mean palpatine is the main character of every prequel movie.
@@cloudmaster182 watch the Silas Carson interview video in the description that I used some clips from and you'll understand better the origin of the accents.
C’mon, the racial caricatures of some of the alien characters were 100% on purpose, but that doesn’t make it bad. Since almost every depiction of sentient aliens uses humanity as a reference point, it should be expected.
Typical racist talks. It was full of racial caricatures, but I ignored them, because I was a fan of Star Wars and trusted George Lucas wasn't being malicious. Racists try to ignore racism or race and put their aggressions on their target, like your stupid post. You could've saved that bullshit.
The best part? How the various plot points all reach a satisfying conclusion simultaneously... (after appearing hopeless just moments before) I'm talking about space station battle/throne room/droids vs. Gungans/lightsaber duel. It's impressive how George weaves these 4 threads together into one thrilling story, esp. when compared to the writing incompetence of the sequel "trilogy".. 3 films that have almost nothing in common w/ one another
When I was like 5 years old I would watch this movie over and over on VHS. And that was before I understood the plot and politics. Now that I do, I appreciate the scope and pacing and editing of the film even more.
When not dazzled with the graphics and action, the politics is very interesting. I have been studying the rise of Uncle Adolph and Nazi Germany. Lots of parallels. Palpatine did it differently, but he and Uncle Adolph are close to being the same.
I must say that the laser shots and saber blows were much more powerful in this movie. Not so many, not so fast, but powerful. ❤ I remember the camera shaking as Amidalas ship tried to break through the trade federation borders. And of course Ray Park, the reason behind actually mindful and powerful saber blows. What a choreography. ❤
Dude, what the hell are you smoking?! The "choreography" is a bunch of meaningless and flashy sword flling, with a lot of it seemingly not intended to even look like it was aiming for the enemy, but just smacking sticks together.
@@InkyBlitz That is absolutely not the case. Very few are, and you really would never notice them unless you go slower than watching the movie in normal speed. Additionally, in certain examples, there are other explanations/reasoning for the them being there. In terms of the cinematography, the speed, the SFX, the acting, and other factors, they’re some of the best in the series
As someone who saw the OT before the prequels (Parents had me watch it a little before Phantom Menace showed up). I always loved them because they ultimately expanded the Star Wars universe and told a complete story (Anakin's Downfall and Redemption) despite the flaws people still point out.
I could not agree with you more. I always liked the Prequels, I grew up with them, and I never understood why so many people seemed to hate them with a burning passion. I liked that we got to see the world before the Empire, how we saw the Jedi at the height of their powers, and what caused their fall. It was cool to see Anakin's journey to become Darth Vader, and I loved to learn about the hierarchy of the Jedi. Who was the master of the master and all that jazz. And I always thought Jar Jar was funny as hell, and I never understood why so many seemed to be so upset that a Star Wars movie had humor. But it's nice to see people finally realizing they were actually good. Guess the new Sequel series is good for one thing :D
Oh wow, this will be a good watch. The Star Wars prequels are often dismissed for largely inaccurate/petty reasons and its great to see a relatively successful RUclipsr praise these movies rather than parrot the inaccurate criticisms which have been floating around the internet for many years now. People are of course free to dislike these movies but they get such an unfair rep and it’s always great seeing people praise these movies for the good movies they are.
I’ve watched the video and it was great. There is something relating to the CGI I would like to mention. While I absolutely agree that the CGI was revolutionary for its time and it has aged pretty decently considering how old the movie is, I think it’s also important to mention that the movie still uses a lot of practical effects. Yes, the movie isn’t afraid to use CGI where it is appropriate but the movie still has plenty of practical sets and effects scattered throughout, mixed in with CGI in places. It is incredible just what they were able to achieve in 1999 and it still holds up well for the most part.
@@bigbangbot-SuperSqankTo piggyback off your mention of the CGI/practical effects, TPM used more physical models for the podracing sequence alone than the entire original trilogy combined. The amount of hard work and love poured into these movies cannot be understated.
Agree with most of your sentiment, but not on Jake Lloyd's performance. He was playing as seven-year-old adolescent boy. Most kids that age are annoying af! George wrote the character as probably the most relatable and realistic out of the entire ensemble. It was intentional. At the time my nephew and many like him "yipped" their way through many of his mannerisms. It wasn't until jaded "edge lords" like rlm made a national pastime of shitting on everything they were too dense to understand. That was about the time I started to check out of fandom and started to see it for what it really was..."a wretched hive of scum and villainy!"
LMAO, I love when prequel fanboys like you try to act like RedLetterMedia is just too dumb to understand the prequels. You don't make several 1 hour+-long reviews critiquing the flaws of these movies unless you have something to say about why they're so bad. It's fine if you're a fanboy who doesn't mind the flaws in these movies, but don't act like people who can see they aren't perfect masterpieces are just too stupid to get them.
@@ZeroFilmClips The editing team did their job. That is what they were paid for. Of course people like George Lucas rely on their employees to do a good job. Thats why he hired them. George Lucas had a vision and instead of doing what was possible at that time he pushed the limits of the possible
@@mr.azizkovich There's a difference between the director leading an editing team, and an editing team saving a film from disaster. Lucas's early cuts of the film were unwatchable, and Marcia Lucas (always seen by their friends and peers such as Scorsese and DePalma as the much more talented of the two) brought her considerable skills and intuition to the project, and went above and beyond what most editors would be required to do. (You will never hear Lucas acknowledge her massive contribution to the edit, and also the script). This lazy idea of "a vision" is much overblown. A vision has to be REALISED, and a great many iconic things we now love about Star Wars were not part of George's "vision", and he actively fought against many of them even being in the film. His subsequent tinkering with the OT "special edition" has only damaged and degraded those films, not enhanced them. The terribly written and ineptly made Prequels say everything about how Lucas is a man of limited talent, who got extremely lucky.
@@ZeroFilmClips What exactly is the difference? Can any film be watchable without editing? Especially a Sci Fi movie like Star Wars. I think you don't give George enough credit. He has a passion for his movies, he built everything by himself around him to make the movies possible so he isnt dependent on Hollywood. ILM, THX, Lucasfilm. Nobody can do everything. When doing such groundbreaking work, you can't do it alone, you need help. George did his part and hired the right people and allowed them to do their best to make the films work. The Prequels can't compare to the OT (except maybe ROTS some would argue) but they aren't bad movies. They have strengths and weaknesses. Btw Jar Jar was created for children and children actually like Jar Jar
@@mr.azizkovich Obviously film has to be edited to be viewed. Lucas's initial edits were unwatchable. You have to know more about the making of these movies to appreciate how lucky Lucas got. Those cutting edge special effects? Lucas was constantly livid with John Dykstra (who invented new cameras and new computer systems to achieve those effects) because of the time he was taking, and a general disapproval of his methods. He fired him from ILM straight after Star Wars (Lucas and ILM continued to use his inventions, of course). Lucas constantly battled with Irvin Kershner (a director who knows what he's doing) over Empire, and thought he had "ruined Star Wars". Lucas tried to recut the film. Again, Lucas's edits were a disaster, and the film was eventually put back to how Kershner intended. It is long been recognised as probably the best Star Wars film. People had to argue with Lucas to use Anthony Daniel's voice as C3P0 - Lucas wanted him to sound like "a used car salesman from Brooklyn". Thankfully Lucas ran out of time and had to reluctantly "settle" for Daniels. There are a hundred such stories. Lucas's "vision"? Don't make me laugh. Everything Lucas has touched outside of Star Wars and Empire (except Indiana Jones - Thank Spielberg for those), has ranged from disappointing to awful. You give him way too much credit.
I really love the point about Padme. She’s a total badass in the first two episodes. She’s a very well-written character. Would love a movie centered around her (Natalie Portman has said she’s open to this) as opposed to another movie about Rey 🤮
@@alejandrojuarez5640 if getting a movie about dexter jettster means we don't have to get a movie about rey palpatine, then I will gladly accept that movie and die on that hill holding it in my hands.
The prequels so didn't deserve the hate they got when they came out, all the toxicity, all the harassment towards the actors, all unwarranted. The prequels are prenominal movies, i'm glad MOST people have woken up to that fact, and those who haven't.... well they are usually the kind of people who praise the sequel trilogy so i need not say much more. Just saying people you can like the sequels there is no problem with that but to act like the prequels are the bad movies while praising the sequels just shows a blatant double standard
@@lookingforwookiecopilot I admit that I bash on the sequels, but only when it comes to the writing and not any of the actors. In fact I think the actors and producers who made those movies did a fantastic job, those movies are visually stunning and the acting is quite good. I just felt like it was a cutout of the original trilogy with a few tweaks. That’s just my opinion tho, I understand that there are a bunch of ppl who love the sequel trilogy, and I do not bash on other people with different opinions
To be fair Jake was bullied in school. Also most people had no idea that Jar Jar was motion captured back then. The press went after the character more for being a racial sterotype
One of the most saddening things about the sequel era was to see history repeat itself so utterly... The very same young fans who were criticized and belittled for their love of the Prequels Then carried that same hatred for the sequels. It's why I washed my hands of the whole arrangement. Star War just want fun any more. I'm glad that the TV shows are around those seem more fun. I'm sick and tired of people going 'this isn't my star wars' no it isn't you can't own a story. And stories change and adapt. But every Star Wars film has ushered in a quantum leap forward in visual effects the likes of which change Hollywood to its core... Instead of worrying about arbitrary 'rules', 'dynasties' or some other small meaningless thing. Let's look to all the amazing people should give so much of themselves to his weird fictional world.
In my opinion, there was nothing groundbreaking about the sequels@@KrazyStargazer . Also the movies were mostly about the Skywalker family hence the family dynasty. You have to stick to the rules established within the universe as if you are consistent in the sci-fiction and fantasy world that was created it is believable. If you change the rules to advance the narrative it is not believable. Rey not knowing who her parents because she was Anakin reborn. The biggest issue with the prequels was Marcia Lucas not being there. George listened to her advice. Even if he wanted Marcia to come back she had retired from editing and was never was trained as a non-linear editor which is a different skill set than a linear editor. TLJ and The Rise of Skywalker used and/then way too much to connect the story beats instead of thefore/but. Rian Johnson is ana amazing director but is not the best with writing if he is playing in someone else's sandbox. If Rian was given Lucas's outline and told to keep the story beats the same in my opinion the narrative would have been much better than JJ Abrams. Luke in the original ending of Return was supposed to be worn out and ridden off into the sunset to find his sister who was not Leia in that version. Episode 9 should used Carrie's daughter as Princess Leia and aged up her face.
George Lucas always made Star Wars the way he wanted. After the OT, some people, got it in their heads, the idea of, what a Star Wars movie was "supposed to be," but that was never up to them. It's like everyone just expected George to completely rehash the same thing, with a 3rd Death Star, with all the OT trimmings, and we all know how that turned out with Episode 7.
SO here, you are OBJECTIVELY wrong. Empire I think even you would say is the best starwars movie, and that one he did not direct and had help with the script. In the prequals he did not seek any outside voices and it shows.
I knew Disney Star Wars was going to be bad when I saw episode 7, just A New Hope with a new coat of paint. I was surprised people were praising it as much as they were. I suspect many just did it as a reflex, same as they did with hating on the prequels, they just did it because they were "supposed to".
@deathtube76 very true. And Lucas had plans to go off in a completely different direction AGAIN with a proposed sequel trilogy, but Disney wasn't interested in listening to him and we all know how that turned out.
Count Dooku is my favorite character. I wish he had made an appearance here somehow (albeit this was Qui-Gon’s story). It just would’ve been so great to see Sir Christopher Lee and Liam Neeson in the same film playing two of their most iconic roles.
Thank you so much for this video! I am a huge prequel fan myself and I always thought that the Phantom Menace was an underrated movie! I absolutely love Qui Gon Jin’s character and the tragedy that he cannot train Anakin so he makes Obi Wan, who doesn’t trust Anakin, promise to him that he will train Anakin. An other fact about the Phantom Menace is that George Lucas started using a lot of GCI only from Attack of the Clones so most of the sets are actually real!
What I like about this channel is that, Rockotar is not afraid to voice his opinions about his likes or dislikes. My favorite videos from him are the ones that talk about why a certain movie is overrated, or underrated. Like “Why the Lion King is overrated” and “Why Monsters University is underrated”. And he backs it up using a careful analysis of the film in question. Scream “rOcKOtar yOu mORon! tHis mOvIE iS tHe bESt/wORst!” All you want, but he puts genuine effort into explaining why he does, or doesn’t like a movie that everybody hates/loves. Instead of just going “the movie is (blank)” and repeating it over and over again. Rockotar if you are reading this comment. You have truly inspired me to make reviews of my own someday, thank you for your videos.
Anakin will be in the Ahsoka show in ep 5, 7 and 8, in the world between worlds, as a hologram, and as a force ghost. Marrok is nobody important, and Ahsoka will have a near death experience of some kind.
The cgi in the prequels has aged more gracefully than some Marvel movies released only a few months ago seriously though, I always disliked the too much cgi arguments because it never ever felt like they were taking the time the movies were made into account
Never have I hated this movie, in fact this is my third favourite Star Wars movie after Empire and Revenge. It is such a charming and beautiful film, and I genuinely see it as perfect. If you asked me to name one thing in it that I didn't like, I wouldn't be able to tell you. 10/10. Thank you for making this video because I am beyond tired of people sleeping on this movie, it is phenomenal!
This video is perfect, even in this time where the prequels are universally praised there are still people out there who somehow will continue to bash the prequels. This video pretty much explains what me and millions of other people think, the prequels were great, accept it people.
I feel that this movie just gets better with age. As a kid I loved the lightsaber stuff and flashy stuff, as a teen I liked how it just felt a very ambitious project that wanted to say a lot of stuff, and now as an adult I appreciate the ins and outs of how this movie approached the political aspects and stepping stones of the rise of the sith and eventually the empire being created with palpatine’s rise to power, as his rise is similar to that of real world dictators such as hitler
I honestly dont see what people find "boring" about TPM. Theres always something visually interesting happening, plus I find it to be decently well paced.
I'm in the TMP is boring camp. Something about the way it's presented. It's more fun and happy, and there's a lack of threat or intrigue I guess. Idk. Unlike other movies that I find boring, even A New Hope, I can't quite put my finger on what actually makes it boring for me. Only one "watch it by myself" session was entertaining, but I didn't finish it in that session, so then I came back the next day to watch it, and it was boring again. When I've watched it with others, it was entertaining to me, but most of the time when I'm by myself, it just isn't. It is interesting to consider that maybe there is some bias here? I only watched TMP a couple times when I was young before we couldn't play it anymore because we got rid of the VHS player. But, I would totally watch 2-3-4-5-6 over and over. However, as I said, I find A New Hope boring too, so maybe it's not bias?. They share similarities in being the start of a trilogy and share a similar mood. But my main problem that I can actually pick out with A New Hope is that the Death Star section is kinda boring visually, and also plot wise. And then the final x-wing attack on the Death Star is similarly boring visually and not very active action. I actually commend The Force Awakens for being a much more entertaining A New Hope, even though Rey isn't as interesting as Luke, and it overall means nothing in the long run.
I’d consider myself to be a casual movie goer. I take movies at face value. I’m not one of those people that always need complex plot twists or a ton of action in order for a movie to be not boring. Pacing is important but if the plot is too busy it takes away from the dynamics. Maybe highly analytical people need that kind of stimulation to not be bored, but that’s not me. I’m simple-minded and can appreciate a good movie that even lightly hits all the bases. Except for a few moments, I enjoyed TPM. As mentioned in the video, nothing was too cringey - and I fully agree. Also, the soundtrack is awesome as ever. Duel of the Fates is one of my favorites for battle music. Another one I like is the opening battle scene in Episode III.
I know you didn't mention it, but another way the whole "different time" feel of TPM comes from the design of Coruscant and Naboo. Theed feels like and looks like ancient Athens, with Coruscant having an ancient Rome feel. (look at the statue in front of the Senate building, the senate guards, and the various busts in Palpatine's office). It gives this period in Star Wars an almost mythical quality, like it really is an ancient and more prosperous past.
The politics in star wars is one of the best part! The jedi lost their way and started following the wills of senators instead of the force, and the sith knew this and took advantage it. It depicts how deep the jedi dug themselves. If i was in the star wars universe during the clones era, i would have seen them as corrupt, and lose faith in them.
Using Waluigi Stadium music for the pod racing scene is literally one of the most fitting things I've ever seen in an analysis video. If you have ever played Mariokart Double Dash, you know the feeling of frustration that anakin has as he's racing.
I agree over all. I always thought the Prequel Trilogies were good (Not *AS* good as the OT, but few things are) and one of the best things was how different it was from the originals.
I've been saying this for years! TPM clearly nails everything it sets out to do, but gets zero credit for it. Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn was an incredible portrayal of a Jedi, one of the best ever in live action. The visuals hold up insanely well, better than Attack of the Clones in my opinion. The beginning of Anakin's/Vader's arc was a lonely, fatherless, yet gifted slave boy adopted by a Jedi who completely believed in him -- but left in the care of his own skeptics once his adoptive father died. Padme's identity swap and her characterization as both an individual (disguised as a handmaiden) and a leader (revealed as the Queen of Naboo) were excellent. I love rewatching this movie so much.
As a 90's kid, I couldn't be happier that this movie was my first star wars experience. I love the prequels & I have all the respect in the world for George Lucas.
Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars film I've ever watched. When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ignited their lightsabers and got into the fight with droids at the Trade Federation station, I immediately fell in love with this franchise.
Imagine how we, who watched Star Wars A New Hope when it came out. Seeing those two ships appear from above was awe inspiring. That set the tone for Star Wars. What a great series. BTW, loved Anakin and the Pod Racing. Wow, I can watch pod racing all the time. Even the pod racing video game was great, taking us to different planets and different environments. So glad you enjoyed The Phantom Menace.
I completely agree with everything you said! I grew up with the OT and saw Phantom Menace opening night at midnight. I loved every second of it! I feel I was just old enough to not be cynical or a man that saw the originals in theaters and couldn't handle something different in star wars or understand it. I have never understood the amount of hate for the prequels and have always been a huge fan. I even read literally every single "legends 🙄" book and I can't stand what Disney has done to star wars 😔
It's childish, it is a fairytale and I love it. Because it also has Liam Neeson, Darth Maul, Duel of the Fates, beautiful fighting choreography and so on.
I've always enjoyed this movie as well as the rest of the prequels, its as inventive as the OG trilogy and is a a somewhat perfect way to show the fall of the Jedi and Anakin and rise of Vader and the Empire
One thing with TLJ that really bothers me is channels and certain writers saying at least the film was bold. Anyone who ever listen to George knows he made each of his films different. Return had similar beats because episode 4 had the ending of Return with the Death Star moved into that movie. George knowing there would be quite a wait for episode 7 was not able to put his original ending into Return as well. Luke not knowing who she was rode off into the sunset worn out to find her.
Something I really love about the series, that involves Qui-gon; he's the start of a chain of super rebellious jedi! Qui-Go would ignore orders from the council and the senate if he felt the force needed a different course of action. He trained Obi Wan, who will take unconventional action and occasionally bend or ignore orders. He trained Anakin, who is SUPER rebellious and will constantly ignore, bend, or outright disobey orders if he feels it's necessary. He trains Ahsoka, who throughout the clone wars gradually learns from him and becomes just as rebellious! And of course, Anakins' children are luke and leia; Leia is the leader of the rebellion, and luke is the one who ultimately brings the empire to an end by rebelling not just against the empire, but against vaders seemingly impentrable inhuman facade. Qui-Gon is the start of a huge jedi family of super rebels, and I love it X3
And the reason I am super rebellious is because the Jedi taught me to stand up to tyranny, authoritarianism, stand up against the dark side of human nature, to stand for the truth and for the light
I'm no Star Wars fan, but Episode I is my favorite of all the movies. It's just an big adventure that is fun to watch. There is something for everyone in this moevie, young and old.
I'm glad people are starting to acknowledge the good stuff about the Prequels after listening to people whine about them and George Lucas for nearly 20 years, especially now in the Disney Star Wars era where people are going, "Maybe Lucas wasn't the monster I made him out to be"
Even though I think it's not a good film I do have a soft spot and enjoy watching it unironically like a guilty pleasure. I do think qui gon is an incredibly underrated character. And a lot of your points are pretty good
I recently watched the first six movies in release order in a marathon with friends. I think Phantom Menace was my favorite of the prequels. I was so upset about Qui Gon and I knew he was going to die when I started the movie! Also I really loved Padme, but I have to admit, a big part is her fashion lol ;;;; She's really nice of course! I just also really love how amazing her clothes and hair are, and her makeup is admirable too. As far as the plot goes, I had questions about what was going on, with the Senate, but the rest of the plot was relatively easy to follow, and it was like 10:30 at night after three other movies so we weren't in like, top form LOL anyway great video as always, stay iconic! :)
That last point is one I don't think I've considered is how light-hearted and naive the first movie is. It's a welcome change from the depression and seriousness of the later ones (which is also good). You absolutely need to show that change in tone - like Fellowship of the Ring in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I rewatched this movie for the first time in years last year and was thoroughly blown away by how good it was. I grew up watching it and always liked it, but I was still shocked by just how much I was enjoying it lol
I rewatched the PT again recently and I have to agree. I really, really loved TPM on my rewatch. It's the most like the OT of the PT as well, and is actually just as good as ROTS. Qui Gon is super likable as a protag and I think Anakin and Shmi are very underrated in Ep 1. TPM feels like an updated take on ANH in a way, just in the style it's directed and put together. AOTC and ROTS are great too but they feel much closer together as a 2 parter while TPM really can be seen as a great standalone film. It honestly surprised me how much I enjoyed it, I think I liked TPM more than the OT films actually it's just good in many parts. I can't believe people disliked this film on release. Boggles my mind. TPM and ROTS are both near perfect films. The only PT film that has issues is AOTC because too much got cut out, the fan edits of AOTC that put all the deleted scenes back in really elevate AOTC to be on the same level as TPM and ROTS though, AOTC just needed more time. I recommend everyone check out the extended fan edits for AOTC, it improves the film so much.
You're right, most of the best Padme and Anakin bonding scenes were deleted for some reason, meanwhile "I don't like sand" made the final cut lol (btw I don't hate that line, I'm just memeing).
@@xaropevic7918 While you are at it, the extended cuts of TPM are also pretty good but not as necessary as AOTC's. The entire Tatooine segment of TPM is greatly improved in pacing and flow and Anakin's character is greatly improved with all of Ep 1's Tatooine deleted scenes put back in. But there are also some unneeded scenes earlier in the film put back in that do interrupt the pacing. Ep 1 extended is a mixed back but is worth watching. I really wish George would just go back and release an official extended cut of the entire PT with the deleted scenes finished up in HD and properly put back into the film.
@@Rockotarthepurplehatguy It's like George got it all right of the bat, but then lost faith in himself at the last minute and just butchered it in the edit. A real shame. I also think Obi Wans investigations plot makes a lot more sense with his deleted scenes being added back in too. George should have just accepted that Ep 2 had to be a longer movie than he anticipated. He should not have stuck to his 2 hour rule. Unlike Ep 1 or Ep 3, Ep 2 doesn't have a single bad or unnecessary deleted scene.
Also, the Midochlorians offer an explanation as to why you can't just clone hyper powerful force wielders. Palpatine didn't clone Anakin and let the original die because the Midochlorians mean you can't clone force sensitive
I grew up with the prequels myself, and loved them as a kid. As I got older though, and hearing nearly everyone claim them to be some of the worst movies ever, I jumped on the bandwagon and also spoke crap about them. Years later, and getting to see what a bad Star Wars trilogy is actually like, I reevaluated them and realized they are so much better than people give them credit for, and I'm so glad they finally seem to be getting recognition that it deserves. Sure, there's still plenty of people who will die on the "prequel sux" hill, but they don't seem nearly as common as they were in the mid-late 2000s.
I rewatched it a few months ago. Really realize the amount of creativity shown, between the design of the droids, and the naboo guard, the underwater city, the introduction of acrobatic lightsaber fights, possibly the best soundtrack in the series, the pod race scene was actually great. Jar jar is a bit annoying, and anakin can be very annoying. But outside of that, it’s really an amazing film. Definitely better than the slop we’re fed now with these Disney movies and tv shows
The Prequel hate comes from Star Wars "fans" that don't actually understand Star Wars. If you're one of the people that think Qui-Gon is a "Grey Jedi" then you didn't comprehend anything in Episode 1.
I've recently rewatched ep I and I was honestly surprised how it was better than expected. (Especially in the details) And I really liked the phantom menace already.
I attended one of the very first screenings of this movie. A Midnight showing on the night before he film's release date, or rather, the very first minute of the film's release date, on The U.S. East Coast. People were cheering and were swept up in the film, blown away by the extraordinary visions, the likes of which had never been seen before. After the film ended there were news reporters waiting outside the theatre. "What didn't you like about the movie?" they asked. George Lucas famously fought the studios, and Hollywood, while making The Empire Strikes Back, and won. Hollywood never forgave him. He then told Hollywood he was making Episodes I-III by himself; the biggest independent films ever made at that time (Luc Besson recently passed that mark with Valerion). Hollywood set out to kill the films, and extinguish Lucas's flame. When I heard people parrotting compaints about the movie it became suddenly clear to me that they hadn't paid attention to the original trilogy. I remember hearing people say that there was no mention of a senate in the original films. Grand Moff Tarkin's first line in the move is about The Senate, and The Republic. They have a political discussion about how The Emporer has just dissolved The Senate and an insulting remark promps Vader to use The Force to choke someone as a demonstration. Lucas purposely chose to tell the story from the middle because he felt the introduction parts are the most tedious and boring; he wanted to leap right into the middle of The Second Act. Imagine if the first Harry Potter film-without there having been the books beforehand-was Order of The Phoenix, and everybody wanted to know what happenedn before, so they went back and made The Philosopher's Stone. This is the same thing. I work in film and TV and I was shooting a series with a lead actress who is also a top model. The first day I met her she asked me what my favourite Star Wars movie was. Wow, gorgeous and a nerd! I told her it was a hard question to answer and gave her reasons why certain episodes rate higher for me in certain areas, and how they kind of battle each other for top place. She looked a bit disappointed by that and said, "Oh..." Then looked back up at me with eyes gleaming and said, "Mine's The Phantom Menace," and went on to explain the reasons why. Some of them you mention in this video. We got on great from that point onward. I recently remdinded someone that The Phantom Menace changed the way movies are made. He and another brainless git merely laughed derisively and offered no counter. What's the point? I don't need to pick up any more pathetic lifeforms.
To add a little to what you said about the press: Ahmed Best actually put the blame on the media for the hate he got. Interesting... Especially since he was so involved in bringing JarJar to life....
@@WaterShowsProdvery interesting reads thanks for the insights I’m very curious. With your perspective and experience in film and TV what are your thoughts on Terminator 3? I personally find it extremely underrated and view it has the 2nd best film in that franchise after the original. I personally find T2 extremely overrated it was definitely ahead of its time in cgi and effects but I have many issues with it’s story and the ideas that were put into the film.
@@calisthenicsmachine9725 I didn't watch Terminator 3. I felt the same way about Terminator 2. The effects at the time were groundbreaking (reflective surfaces were cutting edge CG at that time) but as a film it didn't grab me. Funny enough I recall my brother watching it again only a few years later and I noticed how stiff the walk cycle looked in comparison to animation that had come afterward. It is funny though how people (and the press) will give praise to James Cameron for doing things that they condemn George Lucas for doing.
I was 8 year old when the Phantom Menace came out, i loved that movie and recorded it on VHS to watch it over and over again. jar jar wasn't annoying to me, the podracing gave me chills, same for the battle of Naboo mix with the lightsaber dual. Even the politics was kind of intriguing as a child, I couldn't understand everything that was said, but I could somewhat follow.
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Qui-Gon is probably the most underrated Star Wars Character ever.
I’m only halfway through the video and agree with literally every word (also you dumbing down the plot for those who thought the politics were confusing is just hilarious to me because I watched this when I was a kid and understood everything with ease)
I like tpm
I'd say Count Dooku is more underrated. He probably had just as big of a role as Qui-Gon did in the original 6 movies, but I've seen him being credited less.
@@joeyk107That’s why I appreciate tales of the Jedi so much because it fills in the gaps of Count Dooku’s story
I agree
Nothing wrong with Jake Lloyds Anakin. He actually acts his age in the movie apart from other kids in other movies.
Also, he just did what the writers and George wanted, can't blame him. He still wasn't that good of an actor, just watch Jingle All the Way.
Agreed Jake Lloyd was out of his element. I think the best example is his delivery of the "what are midiclorians" line
@@JoakimOtamaa Given his age, he was most definitely a good actor. Do you expect 10 yearolds to have the acting skills of Leonardo DiCaprio?
@@TraceguyRune Well there's been plenty of way more talented child actors + Lucas' dialogue and directing probably hurt his performance too.
I loved the kid, love his scenes.
Something I always loved about the prequels is that it really gives you a feel for life in the galaxy. You get to see city streets, the clothing they wear, their politics. It really makes the world feel alive. Also, I thought that the CGI allowed the movie to be more ambitious with the world and show just how vast and alien the world is. Without CGI, we'd just have, like you said, "some place on Earth but THE WHOLE PLANET!"
They accomplished a lot with miniatures.
But you’re not watching a world, you’re watching a film. The smaller the scale, the more intense the drama - that’s because planets are not relatable to the audience, people are.
@@jameswaller5676 I didn't need Mustafar to be "relatable".
This is why the prequels are the best star wars content: They have the best world building.
@@ChristianSopa in the prequels, the main characters are joyless, sexless, stoic, wooden interchangeable alien weirdos.
There are next to zero normal people, like us, the Earth audience - (compare that to the OT!) motivations, goals, emotions DO need to be relatable, and it helps if the characters are like us.
The main conflict is between disposable clones and disposable robots. The stakes just don’t matter.
Order 66, the fall of the Jedi and the time jump between trilogies completely paint the writing into a corner, and leaves so few places to go.
Besides, the more we learn about the universe and background of the story, the cheaper and less interesting the story of the originals. It cheapens the mystique of the OT. Less is more- at best, the prequels were completely pointless and at worst, set the series in a path that made it incredibly limited and dull
My take on midichlorians was always that they were a sign of the degradation of the Jedi. They were measuring their connections to the force biologically rather than spiritually. Rather than understand the force, they were quantifying it, and that misguided focus on worldy matters and things is exactly what gets them all killed. It makes total sense to me that a Jedi order so lost from their original purpose would have also made this mistake of relying on numbers and blood tests
that was in eu at this point lucas was all in on the eu make darth bane specifically for this trilogy
I can't agree with that take. That they know about midichlorians is a sign of the golden age of the jedi, that they explored, experienced and mastered the force in a variety of ways. They didn't end their journey as weird magic hermits, they had philosophies, discoveries and personal spiritual enlightenment to guide their interaction with the force. Yoda didn't teach Luke everything, just enough to fight Vader and the Emperor, it was bare bones and not nearly enough to really revive the jedi order. That's what the midichlorians, the disagreements in the council and the entire character of Qui-Gon were supposed to show; that there is more to the jedi than just a lightsaber, there's an entire culture that was lost when they were destroyed.
I don't agree with this take, if The Force was based on spiritually, the Star Wars trilogy would be unrecognizable when absolutely everyone and anybody could use The Force. It was established in the OT by Yoda that the Force ran strong within the Skywalker family, so clearly it's not a metric of spiritually to begin with. It's this focus on worldly matters that results in them watching over Luke Skywalker which brings about the end of the Empire instead of spending all day eating mushrooms and meditating.
That's actually a really interesting take.
@@Edax_Royeaux But the Force is based on spirituality. Since the beginning the Jedi have been recognized as a religion. The Force has a will, and those through whom it runs strongly have been chosen by it to enact that will. The core purpose of the Jedi is to follow the will of the Force, while the goal of the Sith is to take the power granted to them and use it to their own ends, the greater good be damned.
Sure it runs strong in the Skywalkers but not in all of them. It is strong in Anakin for reasons that can only be guessed at, and it seems to be strong in his son (and daughter to a lesser extent) as more a matter of fate, of divine intervention, than in blood.
Consider why they would develop midichlorian tests in the first place. Any trained force user can sense when another has that connection. They can even recognize the strength of that connection. I would imagine they once stumbled into the knowledge that the force acts through midichlorians by accident, and with time have simply put too much emphasis on their importance, to the point that they can just throw around a high count like a power level in dragon ball to prove their power. Obi-Wan mention's Yoda's count as being high, but only ten years later Yoda and all the other masters are losing their connection to the force, because it was never a primarily biological phenomenon.
I’m old enough to remember when people liked the Phantom Menace before they were convinced they didn’t.
Most people hated it when it came out. It’s just now people pretend the prequels are good, when the sequels were better made
@@dehistoriapisciumfish7639 that’s not true. Go read the reviews that came out with the movie. Rolling Stone was positive. Kevin Smith was positive. Fans were positive. It took a few months for people to decide they didn’t like it, and about 15 years for them to realize that they did, again.
@@dehistoriapisciumfish7639 said the person who liked The Rise of Skywalker , looool
@@dehistoriapisciumfish7639 "the sequels were better made" LOL I'm sorry for you
The internet definitely made people into haters. I remember prior to internet and RUclips when you watched a movie you just talked about how funny or cool it was with your friends.
Anakin may have been fake when he said “Yippee!”, but he also may have been obligated to express gratitude for being released for the day.
Before the release of Attack of the Clones, I remember people questioning if Palpatine and the Emperor were the same person. Sidious is so well written and acted.
I saw Revenge of the Sith in cinema when I was 10. And I was indeed shocked when it was revealed. If watched it then at the age I am now, maybe I could have connected the dots a bit easier but hey, I was a kid then.
Hold on seriously? I thought the name Palpatine was already used in some SW book/ comic before prequels (dark empire maybe?)
@@Ale-dd3ek It was I think, but many of us hadn't read the books or comics.
It was obvious for most of fans right after release of Episode 1 because Palpatine cast is the same actor(Ian McDiarmid) as Emperor cast in Return of Jedi.
@@Ale-dd3ek In the original novel of Star Wars from 1976, the prologue mentions a Senator Palpatine becoming President of the Republic and then an Emperor, IIRC. So the name was always there from the start, just not used in the OG trilogy, same as the Sith name.
"You think The Phantom Menace is underrated?"
"I do, and I'm tired of pretending its not"
I grew up with both the prequels and the originals, Phantom Menace has always been one of my favorites
Same here
Same
It's actually my favorite out of the prequels
Love the originals and prequels only. Always loved Phantom Menace, but my favorite was Revenge of the Sith.
My first memories in life are watching Return of the Jedi and Phantom Menace. I spent years reading thr books,playing the games,researching online. Before the dark times...before the sequels
The big reason that many people dislike the prequel trilogy overall is because they don't realize it isn't REALLY just Darth Vader's origin story; it's Palpatine's/the Empire's. Every movie we see him maneuving into more and more power, all the while corrupting an incredibly powerful, but vulnerable, young jedi to be his most useful weapon. It's literally in the name, Palpatine is "the Phantom Menace!"
Really, you think people don't know that? 😂
@@TheTyjah They don't though. They expected DARTH VADER OMFG SO HYPE SO EVIL ORIGIN STORY
Yeah, we do not realize that it's not a story about a character we meet at the 45 minutes mark.
OMG you are so right, we've never realized that, thanks for pointing that out... :/
The problem lies in "it's not what a movie is about, it's HOW it goes about it"!
As you can see, it's you who are missing more than just one piece of the puzzle, it does not matter what you or any other think this movie is "clearly" about, because it was made poorly.
Another thing, if something is clear people do not argue about it, because it's clear to anybody, if it's clear only to you (and people who like what you like).. than my firend it's time to stop and think about it.
I am very sorry to burst your bubble, but Jar Jar WAS SUPPOSED to be the phantom menace, but Lucky Lukie chickened out because of the backlash, which he did not understand, just like you, so he changed the whole plot after the ep1, you can still see Jar Jar manipulate the senate to create the Empire in the last movie, but that's only left for interpretation, that is the reason btw for the "out of nowhere" another stupid, boring plot point with Dooku.
It's a last minute bullshit changed halfway into more last minute bullshit, I struggle to even call it a proper screenplay.
These are the facts, so please tell me again, what do I not understand about this movie?
google "theory_jar_jar_binks_was_a_trained_force_user"
/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI
"Jar Jar is the key to all this." Jorge
@@Vejita12 Dude jar jar didn't use the force. That's fan theory crap. He was a pawn from a 3rd world country that was manipulated by rich white politicians into voting for their illegal war, illegal increase of power.
Qui Gon Jinn is the main character. Dumb argument tho cuz main characters are unnecessary.
The Prequels are what got me into Star Wars. I had never seen the original trilogy before. I still remember ditching high school to catch Revenge of the Sith on opening day. 😂
@@AmericanPaisa99 the prequels suck, watch the original trilogy
Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars movie I watched as a kid and I absolutely loved it. It's still one of my absolute favorite things ever. The world building, the characters, the interesting story, the stunning soundtrack, the amazing fight choreography, the fairy tale like character mixed with religion. It's so fascinating and beautiful! I never understood how this could have been hated.
The Phantom Menace was also my first Star Wars film growing up,Jar Jar was hilarious wen he spoke,and the pod racing scene was actually really nice. It's like if Anakin does not win that pod race,Qui-gon and the others are stranded. It easily raised the stakes for Queen Amidalas' possible capture.
@Omega_1998_ the reason the race was so important made sense aswell. They were on a planet outside of Republic space. Even though they likely had money with them it just wasn't accepted on that planet just like if we tried to use foreign currency abroad. The quickest way for them to buy the parts they needed to fix their ship was the prize money from the race
the phantom menace had more model shots for visual effects than the entire original trilogy combined
I guess people seem to forget that more CGI doesn’t mean less practical effects
I never found this to be a bad Star Wars movie, i really liked how ambitious it felt. Also GAMING CHANNELS BACK LETS GO
Yeah I exited to about the gaming channel.
Out of all six now nine movies the phantom menace is probably the one movie I seem to go back to most often. And it's the movie that made me a Star Wars fan. FYI Han shot first.
@@timothyskidmore1554 9? Nope, only six.
@@timothyskidmore1554 It's actually my favorite Star Wars prequel and the one Star Wars movie I watched first, I also became a fan after that.
I know Anakin and Padmé's relationship development isn't for everyone, but in a world where so many on-screen relationships are no more than shallow lust that people confuse for romantic chemistry, their more innocent and awkward romance is honestly so refreshing to me. Anakin is ALWAYS respectful of Padmé's boundaries and backs off when she tells him to; he's never pushy about his feelings nor tries to coerce her into anything, and ultimately, it was Padmé who chose to start their courtship-and it _is_ a _proper_ courtship, instead of the meaningless, lust-driven, and short-lived passion that passes off as dating nowadays. I like that he's just an awkward boy trying to express his feelings, I like that his intentions toward her are pure-it not only makes sense that she'd be more drawn to him because of that, but it also makes him more attractive to me. This is why I don't like that TCW basically turned him into a suave dude-bro-that's *not* who Anakin is. Obi-Wan is the flirty one. It's also why I don't like that TCW gave Padmé an ex-boyfriend; she's obviously as inexperienced as Anakin by the time they got together and it makes no sense anyway because part of why their relationship was hard to have and keep hidden is because they're both really busy with their duties.
The best parts of their relationship are the quiet moments where they just talk about life. This is why I really wished Lucas had made director's cuts of the prequels and included all the deleted scenes between Padmé and Anakin in AotC and Padmé's scenes in RotS; those scenes genuinely add more to both their characters, and it pains me that they were cut.
(Edited for typo)
I've said it before somewhere else, but Anakin being cringe around Padmé makes perfect sense when you remember he is literally a celibate 19 year old space monk in AOTC. Doesn't help that he's talking to Natalie Portman either.
true
I like that Anakin is socially awkward, especially "I hate sand" haha. Who doesn't remember saying something cringe inducing, to a beautiful young lady, when you were a teenager. It shows that despite Anakin being the chosen one with limitless potential, he is still just a young man.
@@InvertedGigachad she’s like the first girl minus his mother that showed him kindness. Of course he’s gonna get attached.
When's the last time you watched Attack of the Clones? Did you pay attention to the stuff Anakin was actually saying or did you just look up the I don't like sand clip and that's all you've seen of the movie? Anakin talks and acts like a creep all throughout AOTC. He sounds unhinged and like at any moment he could snap and go on a killing spree.
Anakin is the chosen one and DID bring balance to the force. Just took him a while and it was more murderous than anyone expected
This really has no one can spot you if no one is alive vibes
It's not HIS fault the Jedi couldn't do math and realize that the odds weren't stacked in THEIR favor
At the time of Anakin's arrival to the Jedi Temple, there were over 10,000 Jedi and only 3 Sith (I say three because not only were Palpatine and Maul alive and active, but Dooku was on his way). As Mace went and confronted Palpatine after Grevious's defeat, there were a bit less than 10,000 Jedi, My guess would be around 8,000, and of course, there was only one Sith.
Anakin was prophesied to bring BALANCE to the force. Not victory for the Jedi. Not victory for the Sith. BALANCE.
When Anakin turned and fell, the Jedi to Sith ratio went from ~8000 to 1 to only 2 to 2. He brought balance.
And by the time Luke finished his training on Dagobah, Obi Wan and Yoda were both dead, and Luke was not a Jedi YET. So the ratio between Jedi to Sith in the Galaxy was 0 to 2. Once again, OUT of BALANCE.
Anakin, by turning back to the light and sacrificing himself, brought both of the Sith down with him.
In the end, only one Jedi remained and two Sith remained. So, not balanced, but as close to balanced as the Force could get.
The funny thing is the target audience of the PT (people like me) always loved all three of these movies. The OT fanboys were unhappy with the fact that Lucas didn't live up to their dreams and wanted Lucas to basically rewrite the Originals. Cringy dialogue? That's always been a part of Star Wars! Jar Jar? Yes he was slightly annoying but Threepio's comedy was irritating as well from time to time. Anakin not knowing how to flirt? Uhhh, duh, Anakin was a slave and raised by emotionless warriors and didn't know how to flirt. Literally, common sense applies...
We didn't want George to "re-write the OT". We just wanted him to stick to the story he hinted about in the OT,...AND have Anakin be a more relatable age when he met Obi-wan (as was suggested in the OT).
To make a long story short. A lot of us simply felt too old for the PT.
@@lookingforwookiecopilot George Lucas DID stick to the story he hinted at in the OT. He even showed that Yoda trained Obi-Wan through the scene where Yoda was shown training children in Attack of the Clones. Qui-Gon didn't take over until Obi-Wan was a teenager.
Star Wars didn't change. The fanbase did. They thought they were too mature for movies that George Lucas explicitly stated multiple times are designed for children first and foremost. Ironically, that ended up making them look more childish than the literal children the movies were made for. Here's a quote from C.S. Lewis to emphasise my point.
"Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence."
He then went on to say this:
"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
@@lookingforwookiecopilotYou all wanted Anakin to be a psychopath murdering people left and right from the world "go" - you were *offended* that Darth Vader was actually a child at one point - a child with huge dreams like we all had at that age, and one who actually got the chance to fulfill them until he was drawn in by the forbidden power to cheat death because of so many he lost before. He lost Qui-Gon. He lost his mom. He had visions of losing his wife, who he held a flame for from the moment he met her for a decade until they met again. Of course he took the only lifeline thrown to him, by the one father figure he had, a man who told him he believed in him every time he saw him while everyone else doubted him.
Your problem is that none of you waited to see how the whole story turned out, instead looking only at TPM itself, which while it can stand on its own as a movie with a beginning, middle, and end, truly is the exposition of the entire hexaology, and so moments you think are "bad" are just setups that won't get called back to for a while. Is the clock tower donation lady a bad part of BTTF? Alone, maybe. But as a setup for how Marty knows when the lightning will hit? It's perfect. Midichlorians? They prevent Palpatine explaining that Plagueis forced the Force to force life to remain. Maybe it's because that's right around when mitochondria and chloroplasts were first introduced to me as a concept, but I knew exactly what George was going for with them, and he probably only did so because they stood out to him on his own kids' homework.
George's only mistake with the prequels was in thinking audiences were smarter than they are.
@@tomnorton4277 If this is what you chose to believe, sure kid, lol.
@@doomsdayrabbit4398 We wanted to like Anakin before he turned. We wanted him to be an actual hero who fell. We wanted him to be a relatable age when he met Obi-wan (like Luke when he met Han). We wanted his turn to make sense.
George gave us the exact opposite.
One thing I love about Jar Jar is how he builds Qui-Gon's character. Qui-Gon is stern and even a bit rough around the edges (something that makes George's decision to retroactively make him the apprentice of Dooku a genius move), but he's much more compassionate than any of the other Jedi we see in the prequels. He has the ability to see the potential in anyone. While everyone scoffs at Jar Jar for his stupidity and clumsiness, Qui-Gon sees the bigger picture and his ability to see this is the reason Jar Jar is able to have such a positive impact on the story. Yes, the poop jokes are terrible and forced, but the character as a whole is very important and for good reason.
LMAO, people actually trying to justify Jar Jar being in these movies now. Give me a break.
@@alejandrojuarez5640 I explained his purpose in the story and how it builds Qui-Gon's character and adds nuance to what it means to be a Jedi AND also feeds into exposing the closed mindedness of the council. It's the same reason as to why Qui-Gon wants to train Anakin and the council doesn't. There's a reason every other character is perpetually pissed off at Jar Jar's existence (aside from Padme who is established as a very compassionate character as well-ohhhhhh it's almost like George thought through the characters and their dynamics and utilized Jar Jar's character to display these things as of the whole story was carefully planned out! Hmm!) Again, some of the kids juvenile jokes don't land, but that doesn't mean Jar Jar doesn't have good reason to exist as a character.
@@advancedstupidity5459 So Jar Jar is a good addition to this movie because it shows Qui Gon is nice? Is that really your whole argument? How did Jar Jar grow as a character by interacting with everyone? How did Obi Wan, Padme, and Anakin develop as characters because of Jar Jar being in the movie?
Heck, how did Qui Gon develop as a character by interacting with Jar Jar? Qui Gon is annoyed by Jar Jar the entire movie like everyone is. He berates Jar Jar for being clumsy and getting in the way the whole movie.
None of these characters learn to be kinder to or more appreciative of Jar Jar. And Jar Jar doesn't learn to be less clumsy or less cowardly or less stupid by interacting with them either. Nobody in this movie develops as a person, especially not because of anything to do with Jar Jar.
@@alejandrojuarez5640 you missed the point by a mile, dude. Sure if you reframe my argument to being just about Qui-Gon being "nice," then it sounds pretty dumb, but that's a total straw man. I never used the word, "nice."
First of all, Boss Nass definitely learned to be nicer to Jar Jar lmao.
Qui-Gon was annoyed with Jar Jar too, but the difference is that he had compassion and saw his value and potential, and he took the same approach to Anakin. Padme finds Jar Jar endearing at first, but starts getting annoyed with him throughout the movie until she too learns he's more useful than he seems. It's because of Qui-Gon and Padme's open minds that Jar Jar was able to play a pivotal role in uniting the gungans and the humans of Naboo. So Padme learned from Jar Jar too.
Obi-Wan is shown in stark contrast to Qui-Gon and Padme's outlook. He has no patience for Jar Jar, and he doesn't understand why Qui-Gon keeps him around. In the same way, he doesn't trust Anakin and agrees with the council that Anakin shouldn't be trained. Jar Jar serves more to expose how characters are different than to teach them lessons, but he does that a little bit as well.
Jar Jar is also the audience's window into the battle on the Naboo plains, and there's actually an interesting aspect to that because it gives Jar Jar a minor arc where he actually displays some bravery, fighting on the front lines despite knowing how much of a screw up he is. I mean, he's very likely to die in this battle especially because he has no idea what he's doing, and he just does it because it's the right thing to do. That's actually kind of valiant. They definitely could've expanded on this a little more to give it a stronger narrative impact, but as it stands, it's not bad.
George uses Jar Jar brilliantly in Attack of the Clones too by showing the flip side of his potential. He's so naive that a master manipulator like Palpatine played him for his own gain. Jar Jar becomes responsible for Palpatine being granted emergency powers, which gave him everything he needed to puppeteer the war from both sides.
TL;DR: My entire argument is that Qui-Gon is "nice" 🥰🥰
That's why I love the sequel trilogy : it made people start appreciate the prequel trilogy.
I’ve always loved the prequels (apart from jar jar and AOTC dialogue), but the sequels reminded me how good they are in contrast.
Instead of saying "why", I would've said "what" I love in the sequel trilogy, more accurately...
There's nothing to appreciate except that it shed a new and better light on the prequels
I always appreciated the prequel Trilogy
They're only "good" in comparison, not actually good.
Lot of haters just wanted 'A New Hope' all over again. Until they got it with 'The Force Awakens.' They complained about the politics, "But you have people sitting around discussing politics in 'A New Hope' as well, and we didn't totally understand what they were discussing at the time. Also, 'The Phantom Menace' takes place before the birth of the empire, at the end of a republic-era. The world-building in the movie was excellent--creating the feeling that we are living in a republic that is weak and complacent but doesn't realize it, and the evil of the SIth is lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Also an annoying cartoon rabbit
A New Hope does it in an interesting punchy way. For example Vader Force choking someone during a debate.
It's INTERESTING to watch his meeting. No unnecessary exposition about trade deals and nonsense. It's over very quickly and gets to the point in a new Hope
Phantom menace and it's soundtrack, are my favorite of the saga. Just take the soundtrack alone and listen to it. It pretty incredible. Epic, high adventure, majestic, beautiful, mysterious. I saw episode 1 in theaters when it came out. I was never one of those, "these people who are star Wars fans hated it, so I'm going to work on making myself hate it too". I always loved it and it ages perfectly.
I agree, the music of the prequels was great. I enjoy listening to it often, but the writing was pretty trash.
@@TheTyjah Kids' movie. I was a kid. Liked it. Didn't care about the writing.
@@vgrepairs that’s fine.
Oh absolutely! The Phantom Menace without a doubt has my favorite Star Wars movie score. There's not enough appreciation shown for it, and obviously I'm not just talking about Duel Of The Fates, but the whole package. Especially when you consider that John Williams came back IN HIS ELEMENT 16 years after Return Of The Jedi. Like, just look at some of these tracks:
Duel Of The Fates: Epic, brilliant, quintessential. I don't think I need to add anything else. Except the fact that I was scared of this song as a kid, so clearly they were doing something right.
Anakin's Theme: Absolutely majestic, emotional, and all the more heartbreaking when you realize the foreshadowing of Anakin's fall to the dark side through the subtle hints of imperial march's melody thrown in parts of the song. Great stuff.
The Swim To Otoh Gunga: Something about that angelic choir just sets the tone amazingly for Naboo's underwater city, and it's a very underrated moment.
The Sith Spacecraft And The Droid Battle: This one has SO many moving parts to it, between the fortissimo and the dramatic percussion and strings, you can really feel how much the tension and action are at their peak here. My second favorite right behind Duel Of The Fates.
The Flag Parade: BANGER ALERT... seriously though, this is the perfect song to hype up the podrace, everything here is pure uncut excellence. And a lot of fun too.
Anakin Defeats Sebulba: Similar to the sith spacecraft, I love the dramatic percussion in this one. It's not the most special but it's definitely underrated. I had to hear it so many times trying to beat the damn podrace level on LEGO Star Wars and I guess that developed a stockholm syndrome type of deal for me.
The Arrival At Coruscant: Sounds very thrilling but also has a strong sense of formality to it, which fits the setting of Coruscant's federal district very well. Makes me just wanna visit the Star Wars universe so badly. Pretty please? Just one day...
Panaka And The Queen's Protectors: In context of the film, it's awesome. But who cares about that, this is the music that plays when you successfully finish a level on LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga. We all love it for that reason.
Qui-Gon's Funeral: DELIGHTFULLY dark. Even though Naboo has their victory against the greedy trade federation, it did not come without sacrifice, as they lost a very important and wise Jedi. I love that this track is used both here, and again in Revenge Of The Sith during Anakin's final transformation into Darth Vader.
@@-curtiscamp it was a time of high adventure, mystery, and awe
You could put this soundtrack on and it would always be great, and you wouldn't even have to have seen the movie either.
I appreciate your support for Padme, because as you said she is actually a strong female character without being a know it all or jerk. She is actually my favorite stat wars character.
Ah yes... the stat wars
Natalie Portman deserved more credit for her performance as Padme, especially in Revenge of the Sith.
👸
@@earth2deathliterally every rpg
same I love Padme
Unpopular opinion: The Phantom Menace is my favorite Star Wars film.
I just realized my favs are 1, 3 and 5. No even numbers for me (I still freaking love 4 and 6, 2 is the worst, still not bad).
It so happened to be my 1-st Star Wars movie. Then I watched OT and then other prequels as they came out. Also I've read book before movie and was fascinated by it. So yes it's mine fav too
endor4757 The Phantom Menace was the second or third Star Wars film I’ve seen. Despite me watching other movies like Return Of The Jedi AND Empire Strikes Back growing up, The Phantom Menace was one I watched a lot and one I watched the most. Unlike other Star Wars films, I actually did had a book based on The Phantom Menace AND I even have a cook book that is based off of scenes from The Phantom Menace as well. So it’s a film I have a huge impact on as well.
My childhood introduction to SW ❤
@@JoakimOtamaa Honestly 2 was made for the ladies. My girl LOVES episode 2.
I was 12 at the time Phantom Menace came out, so I grew up with the prequel trilogy. Episode 1 is highly underrated, definitely. It shows the beginning of the downfall of the Republic. Years of corruption and greed, and as Palpatine points out, the Chancellor has little real power. His machinations like manipulating Padme into voting out Valorum, thus paving the way for his rise to power. As we go on to see in Episodes 2 and 3, he engineers the Separatist movement so the Senate will grant him dictatorial powers.
It is actually brilliant, and the PT and OT together from one of the best stories ever told in all media
@@pyropulseIXXI It's a great tale of the rise, the fall and redemption of Anakin wrapped up in an incredible six-part story.
@@bondgabebond4907 Don't forget the rise, the rule and fall of Sheev. Which makes Anakin's journey possible in the first place.
The piece of dialogue that really intrigues me from TPM is when Darth Sidious replied "I will make it legal" to Nute Gunray on whether invading Naboo was a legal course of action. That was the empire before the empire so to say. Also, there is a wonderful scene in TPM which I really love: the dialogue between Anakin and Padme when travelling to Coruscant. Before the dialogue Padme listens to the communications sent from Naboo about the catastrophic death toll. That is a very dark subject for a Star Wars movie. After that the dialogue between Anakin and Padme I think felt so natural and spontaneous like they really feel something for each other.
The generation that grew up with the prequels is now old enough to be able to defend that trilogy to the end. I definitely can relate with these videos defending the prequels.
And that's what this is. Defending nostalgia. Not good movies. You... basically just proved that.
@@josereyes1148what he said was true, from a different point of view.
@@eugenekrabs516 yes... He grew up w the prequels. That's why he can defend them. Because he has nostalgia for them. Had you guys not grown up w them you could see they were trash.
Revenge of the Sith is objectively a good movie. Anyone who disagreees is a straight boomer still living on the ‘nostalgia’ of the original trilogy. So don’t slam new generation for nostalgia when that’s exactly what you have for the original trilogy… the irony
@@Finbar-eh8jw empire strikes back is consider the best sequel to a movie of all time. And I was born in 1987. I saw the movies well after they came out. I didn't grow up with them. Therefore my opinion is based on them being good movies, not just growing up with them. My point also wasn't that noone has nostalgia for them. My point was that people thinking the original trilogy is good isn't ONLY because of nostalgia. The prequels is basically only because of nostalgia. The prequels are not good.
Qui-Gon was essentially the father figure Anakin needed but due to his death, Palpatine essentially takes that role and leads Anakin slowly towards the dark side.
The main point of this movie's villain plot, is how people with evil ambitions can use what should be mundane, boring issues, to rise to power by escalating them into major crises. If you're stuck on the trade negociations or that the main evil plot here seems to be the signing of some accord, then you're missing the deeper layers, and are exactly the kind of person real world villains prey on.
I was 6 years old and understood this when I watched it. Most adults are actually just stunted morons
And now we’ve gone from too politically meek in entertainment to too politically divisive. Maybe a different support should be made for the argument, considering how present and overbearing the political undertones are in every movie being made right now. Oh, wait- that’s why there’s a strike right now, isn’t it? Because of political posturing? Sometimes people just want good plot and need a break from reality for two hours.
@@isaacmcallister5649 yes, that's true. But it seems to be that those striking want more control to inset overt real world politics, while the studios are looking to cut people who want to use blockbusters for real world political posturing
@@shadeblackwolf1508 well it’s gotten to the point where it’s affecting big actors and even talk show hosts. Half of the ones on strike, or at least a good third, are like Laura what’s her name with Netflix’ “The (Not) Witcher(But every female character and we hate both the games and actual source material/intellectual property that we want to violate).” So yeah, I think I’m okay to some degree with the strike happening. It’s time for the West to finally wake up.
Blockading an entire planet isn't some mundane, boring issue. There has to be a reason for why the Trade Federation did that beyond some nonsensical treaty they never even explain why they want signed. If you're an evil mastermind who needs pawns to help you complete your goal, those pawns need something out of the deal too or else they would never help you.
So why did the Trade Federation decide to help Palpatine in the first place, even though he turned his back on them in the end anyways?
What I always liked about Palpatine's plan in this movie about becoming chansellor, is that he purposefully made Trade federation to invade Naboo, his home planet, so the senat will elect him out of empathy. Like, he literally said this himself, but none of the characters did get what he really meant.
why would a trade war make all of the star system vote palpatine as the chancellor? wouldnt you want to have the best person with the qualification to run the senate? and not a small time planet senator that cannot even figure a way out of a trade war without the republics help? honestly, the previous chancellor were portrayed as a lame duck for the plot but in a believable movie, the chancellor can and would of used force ( republic UN forces? ) to alleviate the trade war. the plot was very weak with this movie, i think lucas should of made the real star wars movie of epic fight between good and evil and not a movie that will sell lucas more toys...
@lovespy Wasn't the deal the Republic should have stepped in, but Palpatine was making a show that they were too weak or toothless to do so? Palpatine set himself up as the strong one would embody a fight for the Republic over a private group. It didn't matter that he was from a small system, as it was not technically about the force such a system.
He made it look like if he was that tough without much power in fighting bureaucracy, he would be better at the top.
It also in turn created the perfect seeds for encouraging Separatists as an icon that those more private groups might be against.
@@DuskyPredator so the senate voted for palpa because he showed how strong he can be with words? and also i cannot believe that no one in the whole galatic senate wanted to be the challancer except palpa?? hmmm the forced plot is strong with this one...
@@lovespy Selling toys is what financed the future movies. That's where the majority of the cash came from. Remember Palpatine is a Sith Lord, and he uses his force to manipulate others for his benefit. It's totally believable. Look at politics in this world. Look at how the people of Germany loved and served Uncle Adolph, a tyrant that cost the lives of millions of people and changed the course of history in the world. One man, Hiter or Palpatine.
Just chalk it up to him using mind-tricks on weaker minds, or implied backroom deals, or both.
It's fiction, don't get too worked up on minor details.
Qui-Gon Jinn is the only reason I put The Phantom Menace higher than every single sequel movie in my ranking. Dude is my favorite Jedi, and Liam Neeson did a fantastic performance. Great character! 👍
Fun fact: Liam also voiced Aslen in the Narnia movies, and Good/Bad Cop in the LEGO Movie.
Qui-Gon is a straight G. He’s getting stuff done the whole movie.
I'm glad to be among those who always liked the prequels, and not the turncoats who recognized them only after they saw the disney trilogy.
goats like us always know wassup
🙌
Some of us still know they are terrible
I'm a turn cloak then. Star Wars is dead now the last movie came out in 2005. Who would have thought the goofy prequels could be loved so much after so much hate. Its pretty funny
Me too. I dislike the "grass is greener" types
We need more Qui-Gon! Such a tragedy that he isn’t used more he’s one of the best characters
I'm so happy this video showed up in my feed! I've always loved the prequels and never understood the hate they got. I didn't know how exactly to explain why I thought they were good, so thank you for this clear explanation. I've also always loved the goofy Jar Jar. He's just a fun character and I'm sad that he was pushed aside after this movie.
I think the reason audiences feel confused about who the main character is is that, even though Qui-Gon is the most pro-active character with the most screen time, it's Anakin's plot line that carries more emotional weight. Basically this is a result of the A-plot (the invasion of Naboo) being not that emotionally-engaging while the B-plot (meeting Anakin and the start of his journey) outshines it.
Honestly the "main character" and the character who the movie is actually about can be 2 different things. As others have pointed out, the prequels are about the fall of the republic and rise of the empire. It's about palpatine and his machinations. He's the one driving the plot forward. To a lesser extent it's about anakin and his fall to the dark side and his role in the formation of the empire. Doesn't mean palpatine is the main character of every prequel movie.
If you’re seeing racist stereotypes in these characters, that says a whole lot more about you than it does about George lucas
Exactly.
Idk, the Nemoidian accents were kinda crazy lol
@@cloudmaster182 watch the Silas Carson interview video in the description that I used some clips from and you'll understand better the origin of the accents.
C’mon, the racial caricatures of some of the alien characters were 100% on purpose, but that doesn’t make it bad. Since almost every depiction of sentient aliens uses humanity as a reference point, it should be expected.
Typical racist talks. It was full of racial caricatures, but I ignored them, because I was a fan of Star Wars and trusted George Lucas wasn't being malicious. Racists try to ignore racism or race and put their aggressions on their target, like your stupid post. You could've saved that bullshit.
The best part? How the various plot points all reach a satisfying conclusion simultaneously... (after appearing hopeless just moments before)
I'm talking about space station battle/throne room/droids vs. Gungans/lightsaber duel. It's impressive how George weaves these 4 threads together into one thrilling story, esp. when compared to the writing incompetence of the sequel "trilogy".. 3 films that have almost nothing in common w/ one another
When I was like 5 years old I would watch this movie over and over on VHS. And that was before I understood the plot and politics. Now that I do, I appreciate the scope and pacing and editing of the film even more.
Same. My copy broke because I rewatched it so many times. Still humming Duel of the Fates to this day.
I can relate. As a kid I didn’t understand much of the overall plot, but I still loved every minute of it and watched it many times.
When not dazzled with the graphics and action, the politics is very interesting. I have been studying the rise of Uncle Adolph and Nazi Germany. Lots of parallels. Palpatine did it differently, but he and Uncle Adolph are close to being the same.
I must say that the laser shots and saber blows were much more powerful in this movie. Not so many, not so fast, but powerful. ❤ I remember the camera shaking as Amidalas ship tried to break through the trade federation borders. And of course Ray Park, the reason behind actually mindful and powerful saber blows. What a choreography. ❤
Dude, what the hell are you smoking?! The "choreography" is a bunch of meaningless and flashy sword flling, with a lot of it seemingly not intended to even look like it was aiming for the enemy, but just smacking sticks together.
yeah!
@@InkyBlitz
Troll?
@@Jonathan-A.C. No. If you look closely, you can very clearly see that many of their swings are superfluous and not even aimed at their opponent.
@@InkyBlitz
That is absolutely not the case. Very few are, and you really would never notice them unless you go slower than watching the movie in normal speed. Additionally, in certain examples, there are other explanations/reasoning for the them being there.
In terms of the cinematography, the speed, the SFX, the acting, and other factors, they’re some of the best in the series
As someone who saw the OT before the prequels (Parents had me watch it a little before Phantom Menace showed up). I always loved them because they ultimately expanded the Star Wars universe and told a complete story (Anakin's Downfall and Redemption) despite the flaws people still point out.
I could not agree with you more. I always liked the Prequels, I grew up with them, and I never understood why so many people seemed to hate them with a burning passion. I liked that we got to see the world before the Empire, how we saw the Jedi at the height of their powers, and what caused their fall. It was cool to see Anakin's journey to become Darth Vader, and I loved to learn about the hierarchy of the Jedi. Who was the master of the master and all that jazz. And I always thought Jar Jar was funny as hell, and I never understood why so many seemed to be so upset that a Star Wars movie had humor.
But it's nice to see people finally realizing they were actually good. Guess the new Sequel series is good for one thing :D
Oh wow, this will be a good watch. The Star Wars prequels are often dismissed for largely inaccurate/petty reasons and its great to see a relatively successful RUclipsr praise these movies rather than parrot the inaccurate criticisms which have been floating around the internet for many years now. People are of course free to dislike these movies but they get such an unfair rep and it’s always great seeing people praise these movies for the good movies they are.
I’ve watched the video and it was great. There is something relating to the CGI I would like to mention. While I absolutely agree that the CGI was revolutionary for its time and it has aged pretty decently considering how old the movie is, I think it’s also important to mention that the movie still uses a lot of practical effects. Yes, the movie isn’t afraid to use CGI where it is appropriate but the movie still has plenty of practical sets and effects scattered throughout, mixed in with CGI in places. It is incredible just what they were able to achieve in 1999 and it still holds up well for the most part.
People love the prequels nowadays, the prequels mechandise sells the best.
@@bigbangbot-SuperSqankTo piggyback off your mention of the CGI/practical effects, TPM used more physical models for the podracing sequence alone than the entire original trilogy combined. The amount of hard work and love poured into these movies cannot be understated.
@@micejoint132Remember the clone trooper craze? Those still sell like hot cakes.
@@dancorneanu9144 Yeah man
Agree with most of your sentiment, but not on Jake Lloyd's performance. He was playing as seven-year-old adolescent boy. Most kids that age are annoying af! George wrote the character as probably the most relatable and realistic out of the entire ensemble. It was intentional. At the time my nephew and many like him "yipped" their way through many of his mannerisms. It wasn't until jaded "edge lords" like rlm made a national pastime of shitting on everything they were too dense to understand. That was about the time I started to check out of fandom and started to see it for what it really was..."a wretched hive of scum and villainy!"
Adolescent refers to teenagers, I think the word you're looking for is pre-pubescent
@@bj.brunerI checked to see if your comment corrected his age but was more satisfied with your reply instead.
What a glorious comment, and I'm not being sarcastic.
@@bj.bruner agreed 👍
LMAO, I love when prequel fanboys like you try to act like RedLetterMedia is just too dumb to understand the prequels. You don't make several 1 hour+-long reviews critiquing the flaws of these movies unless you have something to say about why they're so bad.
It's fine if you're a fanboy who doesn't mind the flaws in these movies, but don't act like people who can see they aren't perfect masterpieces are just too stupid to get them.
The most ridiculous thing about "Star Wars was saved in the edit" is that George Lucas was there the entire time working with the editing team.
...watching his talented wife save his previously awful film.
@@ZeroFilmClips The editing team did their job. That is what they were paid for. Of course people like George Lucas rely on their employees to do a good job. Thats why he hired them. George Lucas had a vision and instead of doing what was possible at that time he pushed the limits of the possible
@@mr.azizkovich There's a difference between the director leading an editing team, and an editing team saving a film from disaster. Lucas's early cuts of the film were unwatchable, and Marcia Lucas (always seen by their friends and peers such as Scorsese and DePalma as the much more talented of the two) brought her considerable skills and intuition to the project, and went above and beyond what most editors would be required to do. (You will never hear Lucas acknowledge her massive contribution to the edit, and also the script).
This lazy idea of "a vision" is much overblown. A vision has to be REALISED, and a great many iconic things we now love about Star Wars were not part of George's "vision", and he actively fought against many of them even being in the film.
His subsequent tinkering with the OT "special edition" has only damaged and degraded those films, not enhanced them. The terribly written and ineptly made Prequels say everything about how Lucas is a man of limited talent, who got extremely lucky.
@@ZeroFilmClips What exactly is the difference? Can any film be watchable without editing? Especially a Sci Fi movie like Star Wars.
I think you don't give George enough credit. He has a passion for his movies, he built everything by himself around him to make the movies possible so he isnt dependent on Hollywood. ILM, THX, Lucasfilm. Nobody can do everything. When doing such groundbreaking work, you can't do it alone, you need help. George did his part and hired the right people and allowed them to do their best to make the films work.
The Prequels can't compare to the OT (except maybe ROTS some would argue) but they aren't bad movies. They have strengths and weaknesses.
Btw Jar Jar was created for children and children actually like Jar Jar
@@mr.azizkovich Obviously film has to be edited to be viewed. Lucas's initial edits were unwatchable.
You have to know more about the making of these movies to appreciate how lucky Lucas got.
Those cutting edge special effects? Lucas was constantly livid with John Dykstra (who invented new cameras and new computer systems to achieve those effects) because of the time he was taking, and a general disapproval of his methods. He fired him from ILM straight after Star Wars (Lucas and ILM continued to use his inventions, of course).
Lucas constantly battled with Irvin Kershner (a director who knows what he's doing) over Empire, and thought he had "ruined Star Wars". Lucas tried to recut the film. Again, Lucas's edits were a disaster, and the film was eventually put back to how Kershner intended. It is long been recognised as probably the best Star Wars film.
People had to argue with Lucas to use Anthony Daniel's voice as C3P0 - Lucas wanted him to sound like "a used car salesman from Brooklyn". Thankfully Lucas ran out of time and had to reluctantly "settle" for Daniels.
There are a hundred such stories. Lucas's "vision"? Don't make me laugh.
Everything Lucas has touched outside of Star Wars and Empire (except Indiana Jones - Thank Spielberg for those), has ranged from disappointing to awful.
You give him way too much credit.
I really love the point about Padme. She’s a total badass in the first two episodes. She’s a very well-written character. Would love a movie centered around her (Natalie Portman has said she’s open to this) as opposed to another movie about Rey 🤮
Padme has about as much personality and character development in the prequels as Dexter Jettster. Do you want a movie about him too?
@@alejandrojuarez5640I'll gladly pay to see that
@@alejandrojuarez5640 if getting a movie about dexter jettster means we don't have to get a movie about rey palpatine, then I will gladly accept that movie and die on that hill holding it in my hands.
@@CursedAnqxl Based.
@@alejandrojuarez5640Padme is actually one of the most important characters in SW.
The prequels so didn't deserve the hate they got when they came out, all the toxicity, all the harassment towards the actors, all unwarranted. The prequels are prenominal movies, i'm glad MOST people have woken up to that fact, and those who haven't.... well they are usually the kind of people who praise the sequel trilogy so i need not say much more. Just saying people you can like the sequels there is no problem with that but to act like the prequels are the bad movies while praising the sequels just shows a blatant double standard
The same can be said of prequel lovers who bash on the sequels.
@@lookingforwookiecopilot I admit that I bash on the sequels, but only when it comes to the writing and not any of the actors. In fact I think the actors and producers who made those movies did a fantastic job, those movies are visually stunning and the acting is quite good. I just felt like it was a cutout of the original trilogy with a few tweaks. That’s just my opinion tho, I understand that there are a bunch of ppl who love the sequel trilogy, and I do not bash on other people with different opinions
To be fair Jake was bullied in school. Also most people had no idea that Jar Jar was motion captured back then. The press went after the character more for being a racial sterotype
One of the most saddening things about the sequel era was to see history repeat itself so utterly...
The very same young fans who were criticized and belittled for their love of the Prequels
Then carried that same hatred for the sequels.
It's why I washed my hands of the whole arrangement. Star War just want fun any more.
I'm glad that the TV shows are around those seem more fun. I'm sick and tired of people going 'this isn't my star wars' no it isn't you can't own a story. And stories change and adapt.
But every Star Wars film has ushered in a quantum leap forward in visual effects the likes of which change Hollywood to its core...
Instead of worrying about arbitrary 'rules', 'dynasties' or some other small meaningless thing.
Let's look to all the amazing people should give so much of themselves to his weird fictional world.
In my opinion, there was nothing groundbreaking about the sequels@@KrazyStargazer . Also the movies were mostly about the Skywalker family hence the family dynasty. You have to stick to the rules established within the universe as if you are consistent in the sci-fiction and fantasy world that was created it is believable. If you change the rules to advance the narrative it is not believable. Rey not knowing who her parents because she was Anakin reborn. The biggest issue with the prequels was Marcia Lucas not being there. George listened to her advice. Even if he wanted Marcia to come back she had retired from editing and was never was trained as a non-linear editor which is a different skill set than a linear editor. TLJ and The Rise of Skywalker used and/then way too much to connect the story beats instead of thefore/but. Rian Johnson is ana amazing director but is not the best with writing if he is playing in someone else's sandbox. If Rian was given Lucas's outline and told to keep the story beats the same in my opinion the narrative would have been much better than JJ Abrams. Luke in the original ending of Return was supposed to be worn out and ridden off into the sunset to find his sister who was not Leia in that version. Episode 9 should used Carrie's daughter as Princess Leia and aged up her face.
“What in the Phantom Menace is that guy’s problem?”
-Chris Griffin, _Family Guy_
George Lucas always made Star Wars the way he wanted. After the OT, some people, got it in their heads, the idea of, what a Star Wars movie was "supposed to be," but that was never up to them. It's like everyone just expected George to completely rehash the same thing, with a 3rd Death Star, with all the OT trimmings, and we all know how that turned out with Episode 7.
SO here, you are OBJECTIVELY wrong. Empire I think even you would say is the best starwars movie, and that one he did not direct and had help with the script. In the prequals he did not seek any outside voices and it shows.
I knew Disney Star Wars was going to be bad when I saw episode 7, just A New Hope with a new coat of paint. I was surprised people were praising it as much as they were. I suspect many just did it as a reflex, same as they did with hating on the prequels, they just did it because they were "supposed to".
@@SilortheBlade How can one be objectively wrong about something subjective?
@@SilortheBladeactually, Lucas had to basically chuck Leigh Bracket's script for ESB and rewrite it himself at the last minute.
@deathtube76 very true. And Lucas had plans to go off in a completely different direction AGAIN with a proposed sequel trilogy, but Disney wasn't interested in listening to him and we all know how that turned out.
Count Dooku is my favorite character. I wish he had made an appearance here somehow (albeit this was Qui-Gon’s story). It just would’ve been so great to see Sir Christopher Lee and Liam Neeson in the same film playing two of their most iconic roles.
Can't wait for you to tackle attack of the clones. I still love that movie and yet no one else seems to
RUclips recommending me this banger video with under 300 views after it just came out like an hour ago. Im hyped for the series, heres my sub
Nice, i remember when you told me about your project about the prequels under your Monsters university video, waited a long time for this one
I love padme so much, I wish more female characters nowadays was as good as her. Look at her designs it's amazing her drip is on point
Natalie Portman is a phenomenal actress as well and played the character so well
shes so cool i wish she got talked about more often
Padme is the 2nd most important character in the SW saga after Qui-Gon.
"It's too childish because Anakin and Jar Jar" but alsooo: "It's too political and complex for kids"
its both at the same time
As a huge fan of Avatar the Last Airbender sometimes the moments where we slow down and get to know what's going on are the most important.
Thank you so much for this video! I am a huge prequel fan myself and I always thought that the Phantom Menace was an underrated movie! I absolutely love Qui Gon Jin’s character and the tragedy that he cannot train Anakin so he makes Obi Wan, who doesn’t trust Anakin, promise to him that he will train Anakin. An other fact about the Phantom Menace is that George Lucas started using a lot of GCI only from Attack of the Clones so most of the sets are actually real!
Also regarding the CGI, most of the scenes and characters he used it for in this movie could not have been done without its use.
What I like about this channel is that, Rockotar is not afraid to voice his opinions about his likes or dislikes.
My favorite videos from him are the ones that talk about why a certain movie is overrated, or underrated. Like “Why the Lion King is overrated” and “Why Monsters University is underrated”. And he backs it up using a careful analysis of the film in question.
Scream “rOcKOtar yOu mORon! tHis mOvIE iS tHe bESt/wORst!” All you want, but he puts genuine effort into explaining why he does, or doesn’t like a movie that everybody hates/loves. Instead of just going “the movie is (blank)” and repeating it over and over again.
Rockotar if you are reading this comment. You have truly inspired me to make reviews of my own someday, thank you for your videos.
Anakin will be in the Ahsoka show in ep 5, 7 and 8, in the world between worlds, as a hologram, and as a force ghost. Marrok is nobody important, and Ahsoka will have a near death experience of some kind.
The cgi in the prequels has aged more gracefully than some Marvel movies released only a few months ago
seriously though, I always disliked the too much cgi arguments because it never ever felt like they were taking the time the movies were made into account
Seeing that it was so early CGI and Lucas was just developing the industry, that is amazing.
@@dancorneanu9144He’s always strived to revolutionize film making
he’s far from perfect, but I have a large amount of respect for artists like him
THANK YOU! I've been ranting about how good the world building in the prequels is for years.
Never have I hated this movie, in fact this is my third favourite Star Wars movie after Empire and Revenge. It is such a charming and beautiful film, and I genuinely see it as perfect. If you asked me to name one thing in it that I didn't like, I wouldn't be able to tell you. 10/10.
Thank you for making this video because I am beyond tired of people sleeping on this movie, it is phenomenal!
This video is perfect, even in this time where the prequels are universally praised there are still people out there who somehow will continue to bash the prequels. This video pretty much explains what me and millions of other people think, the prequels were great, accept it people.
I feel that this movie just gets better with age. As a kid I loved the lightsaber stuff and flashy stuff, as a teen I liked how it just felt a very ambitious project that wanted to say a lot of stuff, and now as an adult I appreciate the ins and outs of how this movie approached the political aspects and stepping stones of the rise of the sith and eventually the empire being created with palpatine’s rise to power, as his rise is similar to that of real world dictators such as hitler
I honestly dont see what people find "boring" about TPM. Theres always something visually interesting happening, plus I find it to be decently well paced.
I'm in the TMP is boring camp. Something about the way it's presented. It's more fun and happy, and there's a lack of threat or intrigue I guess. Idk. Unlike other movies that I find boring, even A New Hope, I can't quite put my finger on what actually makes it boring for me.
Only one "watch it by myself" session was entertaining, but I didn't finish it in that session, so then I came back the next day to watch it, and it was boring again. When I've watched it with others, it was entertaining to me, but most of the time when I'm by myself, it just isn't.
It is interesting to consider that maybe there is some bias here? I only watched TMP a couple times when I was young before we couldn't play it anymore because we got rid of the VHS player. But, I would totally watch 2-3-4-5-6 over and over.
However, as I said, I find A New Hope boring too, so maybe it's not bias?. They share similarities in being the start of a trilogy and share a similar mood. But my main problem that I can actually pick out with A New Hope is that the Death Star section is kinda boring visually, and also plot wise. And then the final x-wing attack on the Death Star is similarly boring visually and not very active action. I actually commend The Force Awakens for being a much more entertaining A New Hope, even though Rey isn't as interesting as Luke, and it overall means nothing in the long run.
I’d consider myself to be a casual movie goer. I take movies at face value. I’m not one of those people that always need complex plot twists or a ton of action in order for a movie to be not boring. Pacing is important but if the plot is too busy it takes away from the dynamics. Maybe highly analytical people need that kind of stimulation to not be bored, but that’s not me. I’m simple-minded and can appreciate a good movie that even lightly hits all the bases.
Except for a few moments, I enjoyed TPM. As mentioned in the video, nothing was too cringey - and I fully agree. Also, the soundtrack is awesome as ever. Duel of the Fates is one of my favorites for battle music. Another one I like is the opening battle scene in Episode III.
I know you didn't mention it, but another way the whole "different time" feel of TPM comes from the design of Coruscant and Naboo. Theed feels like and looks like ancient Athens, with Coruscant having an ancient Rome feel. (look at the statue in front of the Senate building, the senate guards, and the various busts in Palpatine's office). It gives this period in Star Wars an almost mythical quality, like it really is an ancient and more prosperous past.
The politics in star wars is one of the best part! The jedi lost their way and started following the wills of senators instead of the force, and the sith knew this and took advantage it. It depicts how deep the jedi dug themselves. If i was in the star wars universe during the clones era, i would have seen them as corrupt, and lose faith in them.
Using Waluigi Stadium music for the pod racing scene is literally one of the most fitting things I've ever seen in an analysis video. If you have ever played Mariokart Double Dash, you know the feeling of frustration that anakin has as he's racing.
the prequel trilogy defence army is growing and i am here for it
I agree over all. I always thought the Prequel Trilogies were good (Not *AS* good as the OT, but few things are) and one of the best things was how different it was from the originals.
i love how they say its confusing they're basically saying that they're to dumb to understand it
Makes me so happy to see someone bring some light to my favorite sw movie.
The Phantom Menace is easily the most upbeat of Star Wars movies.
I've been saying this for years! TPM clearly nails everything it sets out to do, but gets zero credit for it. Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn was an incredible portrayal of a Jedi, one of the best ever in live action. The visuals hold up insanely well, better than Attack of the Clones in my opinion. The beginning of Anakin's/Vader's arc was a lonely, fatherless, yet gifted slave boy adopted by a Jedi who completely believed in him -- but left in the care of his own skeptics once his adoptive father died. Padme's identity swap and her characterization as both an individual (disguised as a handmaiden) and a leader (revealed as the Queen of Naboo) were excellent. I love rewatching this movie so much.
As a 90's kid, I couldn't be happier that this movie was my first star wars experience. I love the prequels & I have all the respect in the world for George Lucas.
Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars film I've ever watched. When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ignited their lightsabers and got into the fight with droids at the Trade Federation station, I immediately fell in love with this franchise.
Imagine how we, who watched Star Wars A New Hope when it came out. Seeing those two ships appear from above was awe inspiring. That set the tone for Star Wars. What a great series. BTW, loved Anakin and the Pod Racing. Wow, I can watch pod racing all the time. Even the pod racing video game was great, taking us to different planets and different environments. So glad you enjoyed The Phantom Menace.
I completely agree with everything you said! I grew up with the OT and saw Phantom Menace opening night at midnight. I loved every second of it! I feel I was just old enough to not be cynical or a man that saw the originals in theaters and couldn't handle something different in star wars or understand it. I have never understood the amount of hate for the prequels and have always been a huge fan. I even read literally every single "legends 🙄" book and I can't stand what Disney has done to star wars 😔
It's childish, it is a fairytale and I love it. Because it also has Liam Neeson, Darth Maul, Duel of the Fates, beautiful fighting choreography and so on.
Playing a Mario Kart track in the background while talking about the podrace was a stroke of genius
I've always enjoyed this movie as well as the rest of the prequels, its as inventive as the OG trilogy and is a a somewhat perfect way to show the fall of the Jedi and Anakin and rise of Vader and the Empire
One thing with TLJ that really bothers me is channels and certain writers saying at least the film was bold. Anyone who ever listen to George knows he made each of his films different. Return had similar beats because episode 4 had the ending of Return with the Death Star moved into that movie. George knowing there would be quite a wait for episode 7 was not able to put his original ending into Return as well. Luke not knowing who she was rode off into the sunset worn out to find her.
Something I really love about the series, that involves Qui-gon; he's the start of a chain of super rebellious jedi! Qui-Go would ignore orders from the council and the senate if he felt the force needed a different course of action. He trained Obi Wan, who will take unconventional action and occasionally bend or ignore orders. He trained Anakin, who is SUPER rebellious and will constantly ignore, bend, or outright disobey orders if he feels it's necessary. He trains Ahsoka, who throughout the clone wars gradually learns from him and becomes just as rebellious! And of course, Anakins' children are luke and leia; Leia is the leader of the rebellion, and luke is the one who ultimately brings the empire to an end by rebelling not just against the empire, but against vaders seemingly impentrable inhuman facade.
Qui-Gon is the start of a huge jedi family of super rebels, and I love it X3
And the reason I am super rebellious is because the Jedi taught me to stand up to tyranny, authoritarianism, stand up against the dark side of human nature, to stand for the truth and for the light
I wouldn't mention Ahsoka. She's the reason I can't watch The Clone Wars. She's even more annoying than 3PO and has even more screen time.
I'm no Star Wars fan, but Episode I is my favorite of all the movies. It's just an big adventure that is fun to watch. There is something for everyone in this moevie, young and old.
I'm glad people are starting to acknowledge the good stuff about the Prequels after listening to people whine about them and George Lucas for nearly 20 years, especially now in the Disney Star Wars era where people are going, "Maybe Lucas wasn't the monster I made him out to be"
Even though I think it's not a good film I do have a soft spot and enjoy watching it unironically like a guilty pleasure. I do think qui gon is an incredibly underrated character. And a lot of your points are pretty good
How is it not a good film. People so dense man
@@UnityComplexx so having an opinion about the film is now considered "dense"
Got it
@@walrus6429 w/e mane, must be a weird life for how your logic works
I recently watched the first six movies in release order in a marathon with friends. I think Phantom Menace was my favorite of the prequels. I was so upset about Qui Gon and I knew he was going to die when I started the movie! Also I really loved Padme, but I have to admit, a big part is her fashion lol ;;;; She's really nice of course! I just also really love how amazing her clothes and hair are, and her makeup is admirable too. As far as the plot goes, I had questions about what was going on, with the Senate, but the rest of the plot was relatively easy to follow, and it was like 10:30 at night after three other movies so we weren't in like, top form LOL anyway great video as always, stay iconic! :)
I enjoyed Phantom Meneace as well. It's up there high on my favorite Star Wars movies list still to this day
100% agreed. It's my second favorite only behind Revenge of the Sith
That last point is one I don't think I've considered is how light-hearted and naive the first movie is. It's a welcome change from the depression and seriousness of the later ones (which is also good). You absolutely need to show that change in tone - like Fellowship of the Ring in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I rewatched this movie for the first time in years last year and was thoroughly blown away by how good it was. I grew up watching it and always liked it, but I was still shocked by just how much I was enjoying it lol
I rewatched the PT again recently and I have to agree. I really, really loved TPM on my rewatch. It's the most like the OT of the PT as well, and is actually just as good as ROTS. Qui Gon is super likable as a protag and I think Anakin and Shmi are very underrated in Ep 1. TPM feels like an updated take on ANH in a way, just in the style it's directed and put together. AOTC and ROTS are great too but they feel much closer together as a 2 parter while TPM really can be seen as a great standalone film. It honestly surprised me how much I enjoyed it, I think I liked TPM more than the OT films actually it's just good in many parts. I can't believe people disliked this film on release. Boggles my mind. TPM and ROTS are both near perfect films. The only PT film that has issues is AOTC because too much got cut out, the fan edits of AOTC that put all the deleted scenes back in really elevate AOTC to be on the same level as TPM and ROTS though, AOTC just needed more time. I recommend everyone check out the extended fan edits for AOTC, it improves the film so much.
Oh, thank you, I will check it out.
You're right, most of the best Padme and Anakin bonding scenes were deleted for some reason, meanwhile "I don't like sand" made the final cut lol (btw I don't hate that line, I'm just memeing).
@@xaropevic7918 While you are at it, the extended cuts of TPM are also pretty good but not as necessary as AOTC's. The entire Tatooine segment of TPM is greatly improved in pacing and flow and Anakin's character is greatly improved with all of Ep 1's Tatooine deleted scenes put back in. But there are also some unneeded scenes earlier in the film put back in that do interrupt the pacing. Ep 1 extended is a mixed back but is worth watching. I really wish George would just go back and release an official extended cut of the entire PT with the deleted scenes finished up in HD and properly put back into the film.
@@Rockotarthepurplehatguy It's like George got it all right of the bat, but then lost faith in himself at the last minute and just butchered it in the edit. A real shame. I also think Obi Wans investigations plot makes a lot more sense with his deleted scenes being added back in too. George should have just accepted that Ep 2 had to be a longer movie than he anticipated. He should not have stuck to his 2 hour rule. Unlike Ep 1 or Ep 3, Ep 2 doesn't have a single bad or unnecessary deleted scene.
Also, the Midochlorians offer an explanation as to why you can't just clone hyper powerful force wielders. Palpatine didn't clone Anakin and let the original die because the Midochlorians mean you can't clone force sensitive
Tru
at risk of getting nerdy, Joruus C'Boath was a clone and that book trilogy was still canon at the time of PM
@@paulstafford3422 and Luuke too.
I grew up with the prequels myself, and loved them as a kid. As I got older though, and hearing nearly everyone claim them to be some of the worst movies ever, I jumped on the bandwagon and also spoke crap about them. Years later, and getting to see what a bad Star Wars trilogy is actually like, I reevaluated them and realized they are so much better than people give them credit for, and I'm so glad they finally seem to be getting recognition that it deserves. Sure, there's still plenty of people who will die on the "prequel sux" hill, but they don't seem nearly as common as they were in the mid-late 2000s.
Defending Phantom Menace ✅
Super Mario Galaxy music ✅
Instant good video
(Ok the Skyloft theme just kicked in. I’m subscribing)
I rewatched it a few months ago. Really realize the amount of creativity shown, between the design of the droids, and the naboo guard, the underwater city, the introduction of acrobatic lightsaber fights, possibly the best soundtrack in the series, the pod race scene was actually great.
Jar jar is a bit annoying, and anakin can be very annoying. But outside of that, it’s really an amazing film. Definitely better than the slop we’re fed now with these Disney movies and tv shows
The Prequel hate comes from Star Wars "fans" that don't actually understand Star Wars. If you're one of the people that think Qui-Gon is a "Grey Jedi" then you didn't comprehend anything in Episode 1.
He is the most Jedi Jedi in those movies.
The prequels are better then the original trilogy there I said it
The Phantom Menace is epic. It’s got one of the best introductions to a film of all time.
I've recently rewatched ep I and I was honestly surprised how it was better than expected. (Especially in the details)
And I really liked the phantom menace already.
Thanks for pointing all of that out so we don't have to...the prequels are my favourite Star Wars movies. Always have been and always will be.
I attended one of the very first screenings of this movie. A Midnight showing on the night before he film's release date, or rather, the very first minute of the film's release date, on The U.S. East Coast. People were cheering and were swept up in the film, blown away by the extraordinary visions, the likes of which had never been seen before. After the film ended there were news reporters waiting outside the theatre. "What didn't you like about the movie?" they asked. George Lucas famously fought the studios, and Hollywood, while making The Empire Strikes Back, and won. Hollywood never forgave him. He then told Hollywood he was making Episodes I-III by himself; the biggest independent films ever made at that time (Luc Besson recently passed that mark with Valerion). Hollywood set out to kill the films, and extinguish Lucas's flame. When I heard people parrotting compaints about the movie it became suddenly clear to me that they hadn't paid attention to the original trilogy. I remember hearing people say that there was no mention of a senate in the original films. Grand Moff Tarkin's first line in the move is about The Senate, and The Republic. They have a political discussion about how The Emporer has just dissolved The Senate and an insulting remark promps Vader to use The Force to choke someone as a demonstration.
Lucas purposely chose to tell the story from the middle because he felt the introduction parts are the most tedious and boring; he wanted to leap right into the middle of The Second Act. Imagine if the first Harry Potter film-without there having been the books beforehand-was Order of The Phoenix, and everybody wanted to know what happenedn before, so they went back and made The Philosopher's Stone. This is the same thing.
I work in film and TV and I was shooting a series with a lead actress who is also a top model. The first day I met her she asked me what my favourite Star Wars movie was. Wow, gorgeous and a nerd! I told her it was a hard question to answer and gave her reasons why certain episodes rate higher for me in certain areas, and how they kind of battle each other for top place. She looked a bit disappointed by that and said, "Oh..." Then looked back up at me with eyes gleaming and said, "Mine's The Phantom Menace," and went on to explain the reasons why. Some of them you mention in this video. We got on great from that point onward.
I recently remdinded someone that The Phantom Menace changed the way movies are made. He and another brainless git merely laughed derisively and offered no counter. What's the point? I don't need to pick up any more pathetic lifeforms.
To add a little to what you said about the press: Ahmed Best actually put the blame on the media for the hate he got. Interesting... Especially since he was so involved in bringing JarJar to life....
I've been to several openings and premieres and have never been asked this question by reporters at any other event.
@@WaterShowsProdvery interesting reads thanks for the insights I’m very curious. With your perspective and experience in film and TV what are your thoughts on Terminator 3? I personally find it extremely underrated and view it has the 2nd best film in that franchise after the original. I personally find T2 extremely overrated it was definitely ahead of its time in cgi and effects but I have many issues with it’s story and the ideas that were put into the film.
@@calisthenicsmachine9725 I didn't watch Terminator 3.
I felt the same way about Terminator 2. The effects at the time were groundbreaking (reflective surfaces were cutting edge CG at that time) but as a film it didn't grab me. Funny enough I recall my brother watching it again only a few years later and I noticed how stiff the walk cycle looked in comparison to animation that had come afterward. It is funny though how people (and the press) will give praise to James Cameron for doing things that they condemn George Lucas for doing.
@WaterShowsProd Thanks. I appreciate the response, and I could not agree more with your last statement.
I was 8 year old when the Phantom Menace came out, i loved that movie and recorded it on VHS to watch it over and over again.
jar jar wasn't annoying to me, the podracing gave me chills, same for the battle of Naboo mix with the lightsaber dual. Even the politics was kind of intriguing as a child, I couldn't understand everything that was said, but I could somewhat follow.
Finally! I've always felt like I'm taking crazy pills for liking this movie.
Bro, the criticisms are so nonsensical It’s almost sad, They’re just mad because things are different. 💀
I was in kindergarten when this came out and I understood the plot of this movie
Really? What is the plot?