Whilst some use this as an accusation that the movie is too jam-packed with content, I would resist this argument. We see similar things in all the prequels, but it was The Phantom Menace that introduced them and did them best. It has lightsaber combat, political intrigue, podracing, space battles, and comedy throughout, providing something of interest for every viewer. And I mean that in the best possible sense. More than any other movie in the Skywalker Saga, The Phantom Menace is a variety show. Love them or hate them, one has to respect George Lucas for these bold choices. Lucas has been vocal about his love for new, different films and the story decisions of the prequels are the perfect example of this. What’s more, by subverting audience expectations, Lucas strengthens the creative, innovative spirit that is at the heart of Star Wars. This makes the ascendancy of the dark side over the course of the prequels all the more believable and tragic. When seeing the Jedi as fallen and the Senate as corrupt, the audience is meant to be shocked and, through this, realize how broken the galaxy is. It presents the Jedi as fallen, not the great warriors that Obi-Wan spoke of in A New Hope, it focuses on the politics of the galaxy, rather than swashbuckling adventure, and it makes the protagonist a child, not a teenager on the cusp of adulthood.īut these decisions are among the best in the Saga because by depicting the galaxy as not what we expected, George Lucas highlights to the audience the corruption which pervades it at this point in galactic history. The movie subverts audience expectations in so far as it is wholly different from what came before, which is why it received such a backlash from those who had grown up with the originals. Since its release, The Phantom Menace has been the subject of great controversy that can ultimately be put down to its subversive nature, but this is actually one of its great strengths.
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Now free of his slavery, the boy joins the group as they return to Naboo, only to find the situation much more dire that they thought-the evil Sith Lords have returned and Darth Maul is bent on revenge!
Already a master inventor and pilot, Anakin displays his ability with his newly built C-3PO protocol droid and daring pod-racer skills. Forced to stop for repairs on Tatooine, the trio and their R2-D2 astromech unit meet a young boy (Anakin Skywalker), who Qui-Gon quickly realizes may be the "chosen one" spoken of in prophecy.