10 Things You Learn Rewatching Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

following on from this prequel starting tales re-release in cinemas all over the globe during this year's May the 4th be with you weekend it's time to talk about all the things that stuck out when revisiting this first chapter in the Skywalker Saga a quarter of a century on now this is list making and I am Gareth this is what culture Star Wars and here are 10 things learn from rewatching Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace number 10 just how strong some of the performances were and how bad others were while it's nothing new to note that the likes of Liam niss and Ian mcdeid put in some truly fine work as Jedi Master Quon Jin and the eventual Emperor shiv Palpatine during this particular episode respectively a rewatch of the 1999 Space Opera makes you realize just how unfairly a young Jake Lloyd was treated back when it premiered all those years ago Floyd simply did not deserve the level of criticism and hate sent his way following on from a performance that actually feels like one of the more charming and moving on show during a revisit the youngsters exchange with panila August schme Skywalker as he leaves his mother behind on taten is one of the most powerful and underrated beats of the entire picture and hopefully Lloyd who has been dealing with mental health issues in the Years following his appearance as Anakin but still loves the worlds of Star Wars according to his mother Lisa Lloyd he given a bit more love for his turn in 2024 because he's pretty damn good elsewhere though obviously not helped by Lucas's infamously awful dialogue at times a young Natalie Portman just comes across as painfully flat and uninterested for much of her debut as Padme amadala often delivering her lines as both the 14-year-old queen of nabo and undercover handmaiden like she was reading them right off the page again you can only do so much with dialogue this robotic but a usually mesmerizing Portman's first turn as Luc and Leia's mother is somehow blander than you likely already remember and serves as a reminder of just how much her talents were wasted under Lucas's Direction now while we're talking about the performances seen in Star Wars I've got a quick question for you what is your favorite Star Wars performance of all time was it one found in The Phantom Menace or somewhere else you let me know in the comments section down below number nine just how well George Lucas redefined the franchise with his world design as noted George Lucas evidently isn't a director known for pulling masterful performances out of each and every one of his Stars however if you're looking for a bold and inspired world to be built then this legendary filmmaker is definitely your man and that much was clear throughout the phantom menace back in 99 and is still true all these years later some of the costumes technology and World design on show here were decades before their time with the planets of corant and nabo in particular aging like a fine wine Lucas and his team of VFX Wizards seamlessly combine practical and digital effects to successfully transport you to entire planet cities and utterly gorgeous palaces also it really sinks in during a rewatch just how big a job Lucas and design director Doug Chang had on their hands when it came to risky taking the franchise in a completely different direction visually for a Time pre Galactic Civil War throwing out everything from an entirely CGI race like the gungans to the cold and deadly Trade Federation droids all complete with their own distinct technology looks and mannerism for example is no small feat but the fact these aliens droids worlds outrageous costumes amadala wardrobe is still just as iconic and landmarks like the palace and the Senate retunda are still largely breathtaking to this day and are also generally taken for granted when discussing the universe as we know it today tells you all you need to know about how great a job Lucas and Co did when crafting this bold new prequel aesthetic number eight the most disappointing space Battle of the it simply would not be a Star Wars Adventure without a couple of heroic Starships clashing With the Enemy Among the Stars but during what is otherwise a properly thrilling closing act it's this chunk of action that unfortunately lets the side down a little when returning to the battle of nabo the gungun collision with the Trade Federation Droids on the fields below bols an entrance from the latter that will have your hair standing up even 25 years on and even the sillier and more cartoonish aspects of the explosive ground fight are not as eye rolling as they were when compared to they fly now and cancel bite sequels nonsense oh we'll get to that duel as well don't worry but while the space set portion of the battle does at least give a young Chosen One something meaningful to do as he takes out the bades command ship the entire sequence just feels and looks dull compared to pretty much every other enthralling space Showdown we've been treated to in this franchise over the decades a death star run or Battle of croissant this is not none of it is particularly memorable or in a way that forces you onto the edge of your seat with there also being no real tension present at any point due to not caring about many of the forgettable Naboo pilots and Skywalker's survival being guaranteed because we know what's coming right you just find yourself longing for the sound of lightsabers clashing and Boomers smashing into Vehicles whenever the scene cuts to the N1 star Fighters taking it to the Trade Federation but I will say that the star Fighters are a stunning design that has just gotten more delightful with age number seven it still boast the greatest duel in Star Wars history the moment just about every single soul who walked into theaters recently was giddily waiting for it's not exactly hard to see why many would be quick to class The Duel of the Fates as the greatest lightsaber showdown of all time even before rewatching episode one but after putting yourself through the absolute roller coaster that is this effortlessly badass and ultimately devastating battle for the future of the Galaxy on the big screen again after all this time it is official folks this bad boy is the Undisputed King of the laser sword clashes Darth Maul's menacing dual-bladed introduction is an altimer the hyper athletic and intense choreography executed by y McGregor Liam NES and Ray Park Trump's just about anything that followed it and John Williams titular theme has you simultaneously humming along and dodging every single swing of a lightsaber along the way lightsaber duels honestly peaked right here in 1999 that much is clear After experiencing this classic sequence in a post pre sequels and TV spin-off World Owen Kenobi's cradling of his poor Fallen Master also hits differently during a rewatch 2 which brings us nicely to number six the Clone Wars and other New Cannon material enhances it while watching a young Obi-Wan Kenobi lose his master Qui-Gon during that aforementioned fight with Darth Maul was obviously a heartbreaker all the way back in 99 as well it was arguably more so with the knowledge many a Star Wars fan possesses today you see for those who have now taken in the beautifully animated and routinely affecting animated the Clone Wars series watching Kenobi cradle Qui-Gon here likely brought back the emotional visual of the Jedi performing a similar action when his beloved Satine cre was again cut down by his death and Miran Nemesis poor Obi couldn't catch a break eh but that isn't the only moment you realize is now enhanced by Star Wars material that would only be released many moons after episode 1's Premiere Maul himself now feels like a far more compelling character than the one once classed as arguably the most wasted figure in the franchise's history all thanks to his intriguing backstory and life post Phantom being explored in the likes of the Darth Maul age of Republic and Son of damir comics and in the Clone Wars and Rebels shows knowing just how much anger and rage mul would unleash as he looked to get revenge on both Kenobi and Darth cidus in the time that followed Obi-Wan's epic slice maneuver makes the Duel of the Fates climax feel that little more impactful too but simply The Phantom Menace is a better watch if you really immerse yourself in the Star Wars stories away from the feature length Tales cheers for checking out this video today folks now go and click on that subscribe button down below for more what culture Star Wars in your life number five the re shoots Obi-Wan hair is more distracting than ever for those somehow unaware at this point even after you McGregor himself has openly talked about it over the years the re-shoot for episode 1 came at a pretty bad time for the Obi-Wan Kenobi actor with the being forced into a wig due to cutting his locks for another project while McGregor Lucas and Cole were likely hoping they could get away with it without anyone clocking the fake hair that did not happen and honestly it stands out like an even Sora thumb during the 4K resolution version that was beamed into theaters across May the 4th weekend particularly during Obi-Wan's conversation with Quon about the latter thinking the former will become a great Jedi on the boo worst hair in movie history well possibly number four this is isn't the pod race you remember if you are not someone who has regularly Revisited the Phantom menaces pulsating midm movie buer Eve pod race over the last 25 years then you would likely have been left feeling a little surprised by the action that burst onto the screen on tne here so much new material has been added to this high-speed Star Wars F1 race in the time since its 1999 release that it almost feels like an entirely different sequence that George loves a good Tinker doesn't he an extended lineup sequence anakins ation with his mother pre-race an aliens selling treats in the stands and a bunch of clashes between the pods in an extended second lap were not included in that original theatrical coat many will remember viewing the last time they sat down for a phantom screening at the cinema the end result is still a far beefier slice of Anakin battling against the likes of saula amidst the sand than the one that Lucas first showed the world a long time ago in a Galaxy not that far away number three remembering that rats tyell family watched him die in the Pod Race oh and while on the subject of episode one's epic race sequence a rewatch brings with it one hell of a grim piece of information that had likely been lying dormant in your mind for an age you see as the race heats up there's a point there where a little Alina pilot by the name of rats Tyrell unfortunately crashed in the middle of the lagona caves a moment which tragically kills him right there and then anyone who treated themselves to the deleted scenes found on that aforementioned DVD release release of The Phantom Menace will likely have remembered a detail during the rewatching of this moment on the big screen that makes that occurrence even more traumatizing tyrell's whole family had actually come along to watch the guy do his thing in a pod meaning that his wife and kids were very much present on the day he shockingly bit the dust on twine a film for children this was apparently number two ja Bings is a treasure we need to talk about Binks baby for far too long this bumbling G was mocked by some viewers as one of the worst things to ever happen to not just the galaxy far far away but Cinema as a whole and the actor behind the comedic character Ahmed best found himself being targeted by the worst corners of the internet and critics for his performance with the actor even considering suicide following that terrible media backlash and in the wake of best making a triumphant comeback to Star Wars in the Mandalorian recently it finally feels like the star and jaar are getting the flowers they deserve it's difficult not to feel some form of wonderful Nostalgia seeing best flailing his way through a war zone or trying to sneak a little snack at the market when hopping back into this first episode all these years later and a film which spends decent stretches perched in senates and measuring medoran actually benefits from these occasional bouts of goofiness more than folks were probably prepared to admit back when they were fuming over the ways Lucas had ruined their childhoods with this return to Star Wars with without Jaa the first ever fully CG supporting character there would be no Gollum Thanos or na'vi and the groundbreaking visual effects used to bring the character to life in the film have largely aged remarkably well for a movie which just turned the big 25 Number One the 4K restoration takes away some of the magic while many of The Magnificent Visual and practical effects on show in The Phantom Menace unquestionably HED up during a theatrical rewatch you'd still be forgiven for thinking Lucas had just created his own real army of B1 series battle droids for the gungan war sequence for example something still felt a little bit off about the overall big screen episode 1 experience make no mistake this is certainly still the best looking film of the entire prequel trilogy with the fact it was shot on 35 mm instead of the digital used in episode 2 and 3 making for a much better looking picture in general but the 4K cut off the film Unleashed in cinemas for the re-release actually ended up negatively impacting those stunning visuals with it often feeling desaturated and even blurry during certain moments now none of that completely spoiled things like the introduction of gunga city or Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's attempts to negotiate with the Trade Federation early on by any means but it was a bit disappointing making the effort to relive this galaxy changing feature in all its big screen Glory only to realize early on that you could have probably had a slightly more satisfying viewing experience in front of your tell at home even with that being said though chilling with jarar and speeding away from digital underwater monsters will forever be 134 minutes well spent and a rewatch simply confirmed that folks here's to the next 25 years Phantom Menace we love you

Channel: WhatCulture Star Wars

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Length: 13min 45sec (825 seconds)

Published: Mon May 13 2024