Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Summary
Star war : Episode I - The Phantom Menaceis quickly approaching its 25th anniversary , but upon rewatching it , there are some aspects that are improbably heavy to overlook . While the movie introduced a whole new cast of characters and a young era of a galaxy far , far forth , it was critically panned by critic and viewers alike when it was free . While the prequel trilogy as a whole was negatively regarded for some years , opinions have start to wobble , and to many theStar Warsprequel trilogy are some of the most beloved movies .
The Phantom Menaceintroduced audience to a untested Obi - Wan Kenobi and his master key , Qui - Gon Jinn , along with other key characters like Padmé Amidala and a young Anakin Skywalker . There was always the looming threat of what audience knew was add up , but seeing the political science ofthe Galactic Republicand how they were already being kick downstairs down was absorbing . WhileThe Phantom Menacedid at times feel like the prequel to the prequels , it ’s a life-sustaining news report for understanding Anakin Skywalker ’s character arc , as well as lay up how the Empire ’s seeds we plant .
The cast of the Star Wars prequel trilogy features great actors like Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , and Samuel L. Jackson playing iconic characters .
10Darth Maul Was Cool But Had No Character Development
Maul’s Moment to Shine Would Come in The Clone Wars
The introduction of Darth Maul was one of the most anticipated aspects ofThe Phantom Menace . Not only did Maul look awful , but he had something completely new : a threefold - sided lightsaber . Whilelightsaber variantsaren’t that rare now inStar Warscanon , whenThe Phantom Menacecame out , it had never been seen before . Despite all the build - up and expectancy for Maul ’s reference , he ultimately diminish flat . He was a one - dimensional type that only existed to duel and kill Qui - Gon Jinn . Maul also only had three demarcation in the whole movie , meaning audience never got to know him .
Darth Maul would get cut in half by Obi - Wan Kenobi in the third act ofThe Phantom Menace , but would later be revealed to have live on more than ten years later inStar state of war : The Clone Wars . The alive show permit Lucasfilm to dive into Maul ’s quality and has at last made him one of the most compelling resister in all ofStar Wars . His final electric discharge and eventual death inStar war Rebelswas amazing and was one of thebest installment ofStar Warstelevisionto escort .
9Star Wars Failed Jake Lloyd
The Young Anakin Actor Quit Acting Soon After Starring in TPM
Jake Lloyd was just eight eld old when he became the first youngAnakin Skywalker actor . Lloyd brought ingenuousness and sweetness to the child who would grow up to become Darth Vader . His connection with his mother Shmi , along with Padmé Amidala , was endearing but raised questions about how such a child could grow up to perpetrate untold atrocities .
Lloyd still lovesStar Warsand is enjoying the late shows that have been free on Disney+ .
While Jake Lloyd did his good , with what many call a less - than - stellar handwriting , Lloyd was trash by audience and critics alike . The reception was harsh , and the actor took the brunt of the literary criticism . It ’s never okay to berate a child , and the torment that Lloyd suffered through made him cease pretend by 2001 , when he was 12 year old . Lloyd has gone on to have genial health issues , but a recentupdate from Lloyd ’s mothershows that Lloyd still lovesStar Warsand is enjoy the late shows that have been released on Disney+ .
Custom Image by Sam MacLennan
8Padmé Having A Body Double Wasn’t Clear
Even Keira Knightly Wasn’t Sure Who She Was Playing
One of the most perplexing aspect of Natalie Portman ’s case , Queen Padmé Amidala , was that it was never clear who she was . The final routine ofThe Phantom Menacerevealed that Padmé was utilizing a body two-fold , herhandmaiden Sabé . InThe Phantom Menace , Sabé was portrayed by a unseasoned Keira Knightly , who has since say she ’s still not trusted who exactly she play inStar Warsor when it was her in the elaborate Naboo royal raiment .
Rewatching the movie , it ’s a lot gentle to spot when the two character swap plaza , but it ’s still confusing , and is never really explained well . If George Lucas had explain sooner what was happening with Padmé ’s role , then this confusion likely would n’t be an issue 25 yr after the movie ’s release . The Phantom Menacewasn’t the only time Padmé used a body twofold , but in later movies , it was clear and resolved quicker .
7The Jedi Council’s Blindness Was Incredibly Naive
Their Arrogance Would Be One of The Reasons For the Jedi’s Downfall
When Qui - Gon Jinn returned to Coruscant after encountering Darth Maul on Tatooine , the Jedi Councildid not believe that it could ’ve been a Sith whom he fought . Ki - Adi - Mundi was adamant that the Sith had been extinguished a thousand years prior . The Jedi ’s hubris was always that they think they were untouchableand that they had nothing to fear . However , if they had direct Qui - Gon ’s warning seriously , the Jedi Master may not have died .
This was n’t a one - off incident either . In fact , the other two prequel movies , as well asThe Clone Wars , highlight just how flawed the Jedi Council was . They routinely made avertable fault , which was one of the direct causes of their eventual fall . Their inability to sense the dark side and even admit that there was a dark side user within the Republic was naïve , and finally cost thousands of Jedi their life-time .
6Qui-Gon Jinn’s Dying Wish Was Unfair To Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Jedi Master Forced His Apprentice to Take a Padawan Before He Was Ready
With Qui - Gon Jinn ’s concluding breaths , he made his learner Obi - Wan Kenobi promise to train Anakin Skywalker . At that stage , Obi - Wan was still technically Qui - Gon ’s Padawan , but he still promised . After being grantedthe social status of Jedi Knight , Obi - Wan immediately asked to take on Anakin as his apprentice . It ’s probable that Obi - Wan was n’t quick to take on an apprentice , and that he was n’t the adept to train him .
Obi - Wan was never allow to figure out what kind of Jedi he was without Anakin .
Qui - Gon cornering Obi - Wan with his dying indirect request was incredibly unfair . Obi - Wan was never allowed to figure out what sort of Jedi he was without Anakin . With Obi - Wan being so untested , it did n’t make horse sense for him to instantly take on a Padawan , specially one who was already so powerful . If Qui - Gon had hold out , he would ’ve been the perfect instructor for Anakin , but Obi - Wan ’s rawness was a hindrance .
In Star warfare : Episode I - The Phantom Menace , Darth Maul is able to defeat Jedi Master Qui - Gon Jinn , so why ca n’t he gravel his Padawan , Obi - Wan Kenobi ?
5Jar Jar Binks Is That Bad, But Ahmed Best Deserved Better
The Actor Found Redemption More Than 20 Years Later
Even 25 years afterward , Jar Jar Binks is one of the most annoying character inStar Wars . The character was originally supposed to be the heart of the picture , grounding the story and bring in comic sculptural relief ; however , George Lucas did n’t recognize that the character just did n’t fit . Jar Jar ’s poor audience reception eventually led to his actor , Ahmed Best , getting harassed . expert recede from the public optic and struggled with constant dour thoughts .
year later , Ahmed Best would triumphantly return toStar Wars , take an coming into court asJedi Master Kelleran BeqinThe Mandalorianseason 3 . He was revealed to be the person who save Grogu from the Jedi Temple duringOrder 66 . The quality is amazing , and it ’s easily one of Best ’s finest performances . While Jar Jar Binks is still a sore issue for many , Ahmed Best deserved easily than the hate he got , and audience should be thrilled he get redemption in the enfranchisement that hurt him so greatly .
4Podracing Was Fun, But Unnecessary
Anakin’s Path Toward Freedom Was Not Needed
One of the oddest parts ofThe Phantom Menacewas the podracing sequence . While it was interesting to see , and showed off Anakin Skywalker ’s born talent as a pilot burner , it did n’t add anything to the narrative . In fact , it felt very Byzantine . Racing has been seen in other configuration inStar WarsandThe Phantom Menace ’s attempt at it was n’t most as successful as other title likeStar Wars : Resistance , which race actual spaceship .
Podracing was a means to get Anakin freed from slaveholding , but even that detail seemed fairly odd . Having Anakin and his mother being slaves finger wrong , especially since Shmi was not justify inThe Phantom Menace . Anakin ’s past as a slave was scarce mentioned again , and only really came to mind during an arc inThe Clone Warswhere he , Obi - Wan , and Ahsoka Tano meet and fight slaver .
3Star Wars Wasted the Introduction of Midi-Chlorians
And Still Doesn’t Know What To Do With Them
The Phantom Menaceintroduced the micro-organism call musical instrument digital interface - chlorians , which are supposed to go inside all experience thing . Those with a particularly high-pitched midi - chlorian enumeration were more attuned to the Forceand were likely Force - tender . Anakin Skywalker was said to have a midi - chlorian count of over 20,000 . However , this scientific answer to how the Force exists did n’t sit well with a lot of the religious mysticism that the Force had been introduced with in the originalStar Warstrilogy .
Even 25 years afterward , midi - chlorians are just being reintroduced inStar Wars : The Bad Batchseason 3 . It seems the Empire is using individuals with high midi - chlorian reckoning to facilitate furtherPalpatine ’s Project Necromancer . While the word “ midi - chlorian ” has only been spoken once in the show ’s third season so far , it ’s nice to see this aspect ofStar Warsreturn , even if their purposes still are n’t entirely clear .
2Character Ages Didn’t Feel Reminiscent of the Original Trilogy
Certain Characters Should’ve Been Aged Up More
WhenThe Phantom Menacecame out , it feel odd that so many of these iconic characters were so new . In particular , Obi - Wan Kenobi was only 25 year sure-enough in the motion picture , meaning that he was only 57 years older when he was killed by Darth Vader on the first Death Star . Alec Guinness was 62 while filmingA New Hope , so while that age gap is n’t meaning , Obi - Wan was portrayed as a much older and saucy Jedi than his historic period suggests .
Other characters likeAnakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala also felt a niggling untested , peculiarly sinceThe Phantom Menacewas patently setting up the pair to be romantically involved . Padmé was 14 twelvemonth previous , while Anakin was conjecture to be 9 . This means that Padmé was only 27 when she die out shortly after giving giving birth to her twins . Meanwhile , Anakin was only 22 when becoming Darth Vader , and 45 when he die out in his Logos ’s arms aboard the second Death Star . take these characters age up slightly would ’ve helped align the movies with the originalStar Warstrilogy .
Character
Age ( Youngest Seen )
Age ( Oldest Seen )
Obi - Wan Kenobi
25 ( The Phantom Menace )
57 ( A New Hope )
Anakin Skywalker
9 ( The Phantom Menace )
45 ( Return of the Jedi )
Padmé Amidala
14 ( The Phantom Menace )
27 ( retaliation of the Sith )
1Darth Sidious Didn’t Feel Threatening
Palpatine Focused on Politics in TPM
One of the downfalls ofThe Phantom Menacewas that there did n’t seem to be much risk . The stake were n’t that high and the only truly menacing mortal was Darth Maul . For the big badness of the prequels , Darth Sidious was merely a background role . Throughout the movie , he can be escort directing others . Sidious ’ alter ego , Senator Sheev Palpatine , was working in the Senate to get things how he want , but there was no real threatening aura coming from the lineament .
For the heavy badness of the prequels , Darth Sidious was simply a backcloth character .
Audiences lie with that Palpatine should ’ve been scary and intimidating , yet that was n’t the causa . Everything that Palpatine did inThe Phantom Menacerevolved around politics . While that would eventually lead him to become Emperor , it ultimately fell flat . WhileThe Phantom Menaceis far from the perfect motion picture , it does n’t merit all the hate it develop ; it establishes a lot of common law that otherStar Warsmovies and video showshave cover to keep up to this daylight . WhileThe Phantom Menaceisn’t the in force movie , it is one of the most crucial inStar Wars .
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