Star Wars Episode I: The Plinkett Menace part 1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- In this two-part series we take a look at the Phantom Menace in detail and argue the points of Mr. Plinkett and other critics.
For part II click here: • Star Wars, Episode I: ...
Jar Jar mimicking Panaka's lines could be the animators having a bit of fun. Actors often mime their castmates' lines unintentionally. I used to do it when I acted in school plays. An actor has memorised the script, and has probably rehearsed the scene many times. So it's like a subconscious muscle memory: you're aware you have a line or action coming up, and so you're following what is happening intently, ready to react as you've been directed to. I know I've seen examples of this in movies, i just can't recall which ones. Maybe Ahmed Best did it in a lot of his scenes, and the animators wanted to poke fun at it. A little easter egg like a Hidden Mickey or Wilhelm Scream that has no real meaning outside of being an inside joke.
You're doing good work, Sir, subbed instantly after the Alien videos:)
I wish the prequel trilogy had more politics since the collapse of a republic is a complex event.
I remember watching the Phantom Menace in my mid-twenties. I did not like it at all or the subsequent movies but I did not hate them, hate is reserved for other things in life.
You shouldn't hate anything or anyone. Even Star Wars teaches that.
I don't think the 'Plinkett' was about hating, but about the Norms of Screenplay making. I think you missed the point there - The movie was weak (Not bad) because Lucas did not conformed to the rules of screenplay writing. It was his fault from the beginning (also later by appointing KK to head LucasFilm)
It was bad. Lucas can't write and he can't direct.
@@abstudio4294 He admitted it once about his directing
@@abstudio4294 Brevity is good, so the ball is firmly in your court I would say.
@@Marc76-qt7vp The truth is a bitter pill.
@@abstudio4294 Are you still at it?
(50.00) I've always thought the Numonians are not really soldiers they are company managers having to be commanders, finding out that managing a war is massively different from managing the office. That's why they're so enept - they're middle management.
I always hated that fuckin song. George made your childhood foo
Politics don't belong in star wars? So tell me why you hate worldbuilding?
I felt the prequel trilogy was bad a decade before I watched a RLM review.
I enjoyed them at the time. Now I wouldn’t watch episode 1, I’ll watch episode 2 skipping any scene with anakin and padme, episode 3 is ‘ok’ but still fast forward vast parts of it.
I could watch original trilogy weekly.
NEVER watched episode 9 and never will.
The prequels are a pile of shit, driven by one mans ego that no one would challenge.
no, the Disney movies are
Prequels are masterpieces. At least the first 2 are. Sith is the weakest
I'll say this, you made me dislike the prequels slightly less.
I thank you for that Notavailable, even if you still don't like them I really appreciate you commenting and hope to see more of you in the future.
> Jar Jar is the key to all of this
I think George Lucas was only referring to the meeting with Jar Jar as the key incident in the story. Screenwriting talk. Almost none of the plot happens without meeting Jar Jar.
While your commentary is good, my issue with the prequils was the presentation of the material. A lot of it just wasn't well shown, and too much information that is central to the story is needed to be guessed at or inferred, rather than be explained in some way.
It just makes the movies feel less coherent as a whole. Along with the "silly stuff" added to the movies just make it feel less "believable", as opposed to the original trilogy overall.
I can definitely understand your point of view and it is absolutely valid. Really appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
@@RepresentThis Thanks. I found your channel at random from your excellent Bladerunner 2049 video, and have been binging your stuff since, heh. Keep up the great work.
@@LordJaroh Very glad your here. Hope to hear more from you in future comments.
There are FOUR FOUR main characters. Get it? Four lights? Never mind.
chain of command!
I see you
I managed to snag a Pepsi Darth Maul statue.
He stood proudly in my bedroom until marriage claimed me and he was sold off.
I hated the bloody film.
I used to work at Showcase too. Though the UK arm.
I saw Star Wars when it was released 18 times and I was 9 years old. As an adult when the prequels came out, I was very disappointed. I didn't even bother to go to the theater to see attack of the clones.
erm... nah not really, after watching intro. There's nothing in those plinkett reviews that people werent talking about and thinking everywhere. Some of it was put more concisely or direcft than many people could realize before, the opening character analysis is an excellent example of this. the movie is a mess, and has a dumb plot, and as a sw film, completely fails, ruining the force and many other staples of that universe.
Well put, I agree.
Plinkett made it mainstream
the plot is fantastic and more complex than the OT!
when Hollywood took RLM's advice we got the Sequel trilogy and Lucas selling
I’m 11 minutes in and here’s a major problem: you’re arguing for phantom menace from the point of knowing all the prequels. Also hard disagree that original SW is told from droids’ perspective, that’s ridiculous.
Secondly, whatever Lucas’s intentions for the characters, plot or the worldbuilding, much of it fails because of his stunted dialogues, poor direction and meandering plot. The end product doesn’t stand on its own legs.
The thing with Plinkett is that he’s a caricature that people took too seriously or simply aped for easy clicks. Being a contrarian asshole tends to sell on the internet, shocker.
Your video would be great to show to the EFAP guys, as I’m sure they’d pick your arguments apart and either validate or poke holes in them thoroughly, for the benefit of the discourse, of course.
That's fine if you disagree with the droids not being the perspective of the film but unfortunately that is what Lucas himself claims and that's why I put his commentary track in the video. I just echoed what he said.
I understand your misgivings with the prequels, and we all see films as we choose. That is the beauty of cinema. Interpretation and personal biases define our tastes (and that includes me) and I bet someone in the world once thought that Edward Woods Glen or Glenda was the best film ever made. That is why if any channel wanted to EFAP my videos, I would have no problem with it.
It's all an opinion. I love RLM though. I also love the prequels. Back when starwars was good
I wish I could agree that it's all opinion because the film novel and supporting material released a month before the film came out backs up the majority of points I raise. That is why I specifically mentioned pre-release material in the video. Though I understand why many would not accept the points I raise because of demanding such details in the movie. Regardless, thanks for your thoughts.
I don't think this movie deserves as much hate as it gets but it was really disappointing to me when I saw it. This was a sentiment shared by almost everyone I talked to well before the Plinkett review came out. I just don't enjoy the prequel movies anywhere near the original trilogy and every time I decide to revisit them, I just end up getting irritated. Then again, I love Alien 3 so take that into consideration when placing value in my opinions. Great job on the Alien 3 videos by the way, really enjoying your channel.
Glad to have you here. In about 2 days the final instalment for Alien 3 will be up. Interested in your take on our views then as well.
I’m your 276th subscriber, not bad , I can tell you’re going to have hundreds of thousands in the next couple years
Well, thanks for joining. Glad to have you.
Confused Matthew's reviews are great in addition to the Plinkett series. Plinkett's criticisms are relentless and devastating, but I feel like you skipped over many of them. Quite frankly, these are movies that didn't need to be made. In 16 years, Lucas evidently couldn't come up with anything interesting enough to justify another trilogy, so he should have just let it be. Not everything needs a backstory. Some things are best left to the imagination. No one can defend the absurdity of midichlorians, Jar Jar Binks, and a child Darth Vader squealing “yippee!” You would try, I have no doubt, but would it be remotely convincing? Hell no.
I appreciate your opinion and glad you chimed in.
Will you be responding to Matthew's reviews?
@@ArnoldTohtFan Someday I would like to remake my prequel coverage because these vids were my first editing ever and I've learned a lot about pacing, cutting, sound, etc... since then. I will check out the Confused Matthew's videos since you mentioned them, and I will never say never but my time is focused on many other films currently. However, the day may come when I remake this series. However, I doubt my views towards the movie will change much. I pretty much think what I said in my videos. Despite some flaws I think the first prequel is brilliant, but I don't mind people disagreeing and in fact like that as we should respect all views rather than be in camps. So, I do look forward to listening Confused Matthew's reviews for a different take. Thanks again for being here Arnold.
28:20 So it should be noted that later on, there's a brief exchange between Sidious, Gunray, and Haako. Gunray mentions how the invasion is "on schedule" and Sidious responds by saying that he has the Senate "bogged down in procedures" and that by the time they actually vote on the matter, they'd have no choice but to accept the Trade Federation's control of Naboo. So it seems to be that Sidious has deceived Gunray into thinking that he can get the Senate to accept the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo. This isn't exactly a perfect answer, but given how terrified the Neimodians are of Sidious, and how willing they are to believe and do basically anything he says, I don't think it's to much of a stretch to believe this.
Anyways, have a great day, man. May the Force be with you (god, that sounded corny. Worth it, though).
Really appreciate your insights, thanks.
I'm 26:00 mins in - it occurs to me that you might have missed some of the joke of Plinkett. Yes he obviously doesn't like the movie, but he is intentionally over nit-picky maybe he never realised it at the time, which I doubt, but for reference look at his latest video about TNG!
I'm glad you showed how the other reviewers seemed to just copy his points - I'd heard RLM make reference to such hacks but had never seen the receipts before!
The In-universe reason the Trade Federation lacked interceptor fighters is that their weapons platforms all had to also plausibly qualify for civilian use, as there was a ban on commercial spaceships having more than defensive capability. The Trade Federation was successfully getting around this ban at the time--after all, they had tanks and armed droids onboard in cargo holds, and they were firing at the Queen's ship with some guns they had ready somewhere. But technically these were all just cargo. I assume having a fleet of fighters was either just too obvious to Republic inspection, or they simply hadn't been bought or developed yet.
The Trade Federation could have followed the Queen but I'm thinking Palpatine warned them off so his apprentice could assassinate the Jedi without making Galactic headlines in doing so---Queen goes into exile, meets fate in a den of scum and villainy tends to make less of a headline than directly being hunted and killed by a Trade Federation that would quickly have talked about someone who directed them.
Everything you talked about I completely overlooked all your talking points and I am the biggest prequel fan ever. Thank you.
It's ridiculous for Lucas to say Jar Jar's speech is not influenced by Jamaican stereotypes.
it wasn't. That was how Ahmed Best played it
I don't see how a Jamacian accent is a "steryotype"
@@wa-bu3ke that's ridiculous.
@@dittm3r you’re ridiculous for thinking an accent is a stereotype
Regarding Queen Amidala, there is actually historical precedence for elective monarchy. The Anglo-Saxon kings (prior to Bill the Bastard conquering England) were elected by a council, and the Scots had a similar system. Hereditary kingship was even outlawed in parts of ancient Greece.
the holy roman empire was also an elective monarchy.
Don't forget the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth!@@chads.1726
Phantom is my favourite of the prequels. #2 is a close second.
Phantom is wonderful to be sure.
@@RepresentThis The podrace swings it. And I love the relationship between the two Jedi. MacGregors arc across all three films is wonderful. In this he really plays an almost teenager.
@@RepresentThis great videos BTW. It's been a while since I've discovered such a positive channel.
@@coinopanimator Not all of our videos are so positive as we railed on Alien Resurrection a bit, but we do try to look at all sides and we love when folks disagree with us intelligently.
I was going to go and watch every day for a month. Once I got in I was starting to worry after about 20 minute. A big bunch of us couldn't wait and we all thought it was awful and that was in the first week. It was gutting as the trailers were absolutely amazing.
I lived in Toledo when you worked at that store!
The video store or the Toys R Us?
@@RepresentThis Yup
"If someone doesn't like these movies, they're lying!"
Lol. Okay. You have the same takes on movies that you had when you were a child, right? Does that make sense at all?
This channel definitely did not say anyone is lying if they don't like this movie as it is everything this channel is against. We want people to like and dislike what they want even if it means they hate what we like. It's the discussion that matters. And if anyone likes the prequels and the classic movies it doesn't mean they have the same takes on movies they liked as a child.
👍
The Force is The Main Character of Star Wars. Don't care what Disney says at all. Have Kyle Katarn & The Yuuzhan Vong in my Collection.
Its always nice to hear from someone who was an adult at the time these movies released. People my age get dismissed 100% immediately because I was a child when these films came out.
I can provide them with numerous reasons why these films still hold up even when viewing the trilogy as an adult. However, this gets ignored and I get the "nostalgia" or "rose colored glasses" card pulled out faster than I can say "podrace"
I believe there is more of us that genuinely love the prequels and those who dismiss us are outnumbered. This is my theory but I'm glad our love for this movie is something we have in common. Someday all of us will not be ignored.
@@RepresentThis The problem with prequel love as it currently stands is the fact that a lot of people vocally talk about the superficial stuff. "Oh I liked that lightsaber fight" and whatnot, when the movies are far more than just that. I think in the future, we'll see more deep dives into the films.
@@bilbobaggins9451 Well I hope our video helps in that goal. :)
@@RepresentThis I'll get through it eventually. I have a 4 day weekend, so I'll definitely watch most of it. 😃
Well the reason why you get dismissed is because even viewing it as an adult, you still don't really understand where adults in 99 were at. Or even high school students. Context is everything. Watching Jaws in 2024 is way different than watching it 1975.
Seems like once again Lucas is ripping off Dune. Naboo is the home of an important resource in Plasma (spice) and also home to an unregarded army in the form of the Gungans (Fremen)
I enjoyed the prequels while growing up. But it was years between viewing each film, then years after I saw Ep III was when I first encountered prequel criticism/hate online. I fell for the bad representations because my memories had faded somewhat & knew little about the making of the films. I foolishly liked the Plinkett reviews for years. But eventually I watched the whole trilogy back to back, followed by the OT. I saw the prequels as a unit and saw them in context of the whole saga. I realized the plot and characters were good, actually, and George Lucas carefully crafted his story. I now have greater appreciation for Star Wars than I even had as a kid. I've also learned more about the behind the scenes. Literally every argument & claim in the Plinkett reviews is wrong.
I think fewer people would fall for the lies if: 1. they actually watch the movies for themselves, 2. watch the prequels back to back as a single unit, and 3. researched the making of the Star Wars films. Too many people just don't bother.
I completely agree with you. Today I can watch the Plinkett reviews for fun and I appreciate their humor and the effort they put into their review as it takes work to make such videos. For serious film analysis though I obviously have issues with them. There have been comments that I'm wrong and that the Plinkett reviews are taught in colleges as if it's the model of criticism which I wouldn't be surprised since it seems colleges really focus on singular views rather than a global outlook towards others and their opinions. Your advice for how to watch the films and do research is a good one. Hopefully people will learn the patience to avoid 10-minute research for in depth research to appreciate the depth of their pasts and the prequels.
love uncle nutsy's funhouse
I thought Palpatine ordering the Trade Feds to kill the Jedi was the best move in that situation. It resembles a tactic Saddam employed with his own creatures where he would have members of government perform executions thus implicating them in his crimes which would bind them closer to his regime since they were liable for its crimes. Last thing Palpatine wanted is these craven morons to spill the beans to the Uber Chad Jedis and sign some deal behind his back. Best have them commit a major war crime and control the consequences rather than being subject of a crucial negotiation he wasn't privy to.
Those are very interesting takes William. So glad you gave them, thanks.
Plinket's review is without doubt the best appraisal of any film I have ever watched. I therefore look forward to watching this...
Thanks, it's my first editing experience ever so it's a little rough compared to my Planet of the Apes video, but I hope it grabs you at least.
Shrek is a movie for children and everyone explicitly loves it because of the juxtaposition of kid stuff and not kid stuff. And Disney doenst get to decide canon. they bought it, they didnt make any of it. We have more right to star wars than those sharks ever did.
Well said!
This was the first Star Wars I ever saw and when I watched it in the theaters when I was six it blew my mind just seeing the spaceships flying was so exiting it was almost overwhelming
That's awesome, I felt the same way in 1977.
Was Qui Gon ACTUALLY the chosen one?
No, he was just a true jedi who supposedly found the chosen one until Rey replaced Anakin in Disney Star Wars.
If a movie manages to make the Caserta Palace look dull and lifeless, something's very wrong.
In the theater watching phantom. I love it more every time I see it. If you put aside all the bs it’s mysterious and magical. Thanks for your excellent videos
These films would be so much better if Jar Jar was an alien Han Solo expelled for being a rebel instead of a giant idiot.
I loved it when it first came out although I did watch it at a cinema in Amsterdam 😉😁
I think it's totally believable and acceptable for Jar Jar to be force sensitive. There is no shortage of beings sentient and animal with affinity for the force and natural force powers. force powers does not make one a sith or a jedi. I find it very plausible that Jar Jar is an untrained force sensitive who maybe has "cursed" himself thus his predilection for accidents. He doesn't need to know he taps into the dark side in order to do so. and he doesn't need to do it for selfish gain or cruelty or sadism. That is just short sighed blinders caused by expectation. Vader is a Love powered sith his hate is a direct byproduct of his love and Jar Jar could be self doubt in the extreme. He is clumsy because people expect him to be. Bad things happen when he is around because people expect them to. He is exiled and given the death sentence for what? clumsiness? It seems much more reasonable that he would be a suspected dark sider.
All fair here, but something I should note is that one of the main variants of the Darth Jar Jar theory is that he was intended to be a Sith, but the idea was scrapped due to backlash towards the character, and the reason Dooku is introduced in Episode II when he was nowhere to be seen in Episode I when it would make perfect sense for him to be a character in that film is because Jar Jar's original role was changed. For what we _do_ actually know about changes prior to Episode II's release, Jar Jar was going to have a bigger role in the story. An early detail includes the notion he was once supposed to be a deceptive character. He was apparently going to have a scene where he discusses an Empire with Palpatine (according to Ahmed Best), and according to a script leak from I believe 1997 (so before Episode I even came out), he was supposed to have a scene where Palpatine thanked him for his help in Episode II (possibly the same scene). I don't know if I buy into the idea he was meant to be a Sith outright, but combing the information we have from various things he was once intended to a lot of things that actually made it into The Phantom Menace (the drunken master stuff was very deliberate, meaning he was supposed to be more competent than he presents outwardly), it seems very likely he was supposed to be a competent agent of some sort who collaborates with Palpatine (however much he might actually be in on his plans isn't as clear, and you could say he still does unwittingly during his political career as presented in the movies), and as far as I'm concerned, he is force-sensitive, and is using it unconsciously at the bare minimum.
35:00 Yeah, the problem is, Jake Lloyd is wrong. Star Wars was not , Star Wars is a , and they are NOT the same thing.
JJB is not a 'kid's character' JJB is a childish character. There is no comparable character in the OT and that didn't hurt them, there is in the PT and it does.
The difference would be probably best made against R2 and 3PO. Kids, generally, really like the droids, and mostly because 'they're funny' and they are, and that's great, but, there's nothing about R2 and 3PO that adults won't enjoy. JJB is obnoxiously repellent for adults, and it does not matter that kids like him. There ought to be nothing in a family film that unsettles half the audience. There's not much about the Ewoks that will unsettle adults, even though they're, you know, stupid.
That's the balance line - a family film isn't switching between pleasing young and old, it ought to please both on different levels. JJB isn't that, at all, the voice is annoying, the lines are annoying, the glued on look is annoying, the lisping, slapstick two year old 'comedy' is annoying, and none of it needed to be. JJB is hated because he drops you out of suspension of disbelief and you don't ever want that to happen, so, he's just feeble movie making on every level you can think of.
45:00 Yes, Lucas should have used a different word. That's not Plinkett being obtuse, that's Lucas being sloppy.
And, no, what JJB says IS gibberish. It is not explained on screen, so, there is no way for us to know what the hell he's meant to be speaking about, ergo, it is gibberish. Chuck put this best, IMHO, 'you don't get to rely on things that are not in the movie because, and this is real simple, YOU DIDN'T PUT IT IN THE MOVIE.'
Not knowing WTF JJB is talking about, not knowing what the terrain is, not getting the base for the political worries, all of that, and more, is not resolved by external retcons, it is NOT in the f*^king movie so it doesn't count, the movie is THE MOVIE. The fact that almost all of the lazy bullshit of the PT would have been fairly easy to resolve, but wasn't, is why these movies suck in comparison tot he OT. It just needed a wee bit more professionalism to bring it up to par and that just wasn't done. You don't have Nass say 'the planet core' you have him say 'the mantle caverns' boom, fixed, move on. You want JJB to explain why he was banished? Who cares? Have him be vague. Boom. Fixed.
Plinkett starts by telling you there's no point bringing him a book and pointing at it because that's not the movie. So you come along and point at books and, was there something you just didn't get? Having to do homework to understand a movie doesn't make the movie work. The fact that you have to go to a book demonstrates that
Perhaps you should read our channels description as our intention is to explore all facets of the film and anyone can decide if they want to accept it or not. People can watch movies the way they want to. They can see Disney stuff as cannon, EU novels as cannon, the Christmas special as cannon and we have zero intention of arguing their tastes. We appreciate your view, but we stand by everything in our video, otherwise we wouldn't have made it.
Jar Jar's jibberish is a perfect example. Anyone who watches the film on DVD with subtitles understands every word he says by subtitles. They don't need to be told it's not in the movie since it is.
Best regards
I genuinely respect your opinion (Why else would I listen to you defending a movie I don't like?) and I agree that the Plinkett reviews should not be the gold standard of judging the prequels >BUT< even at age twelve in the year 2000, after being introduced to Star Wars by my best friend via the special editions and then Phantom Menace on VHS, we immediately felt that one was not like the others. We still kept up hope, arguing that this was the first trilogy planed out in advance and that this might be the reason it felt so unsatisfying to watch the first episode on its own and that things surely would get better in the next movie. And it's not like we were overly analytical or too emotionaly attached to the OT, the new movie just didn't resonate with us the way the old ones did. This makes me suspect that the difference between the OT and the PT isn't so much an intellectual one (The OT is full of inconsistencies, while many of the points Plinkett criticizes about the PT can be nicely explained away.) as much as it is about a difference in gut reactions.
Thanks for sharing your views as a constructive and logical discussion is what we value. In the end there are so many different tastes and expectations we individually have for films that all of us will never match. I remember when everyone was saying how great Superman 2 was back in the day and I just didn't like how satirical it was. I loved the performances but there were many zany and common-sense breaks of reality that I could never take the second film as serious as the first one. At the time, that made me kind of an odd view and I'm sure many would disagree with me still today. I think that's why Siskel and Ebert were always my favorite critics because there were two sides commonly in opposition. I would love to see your side in my other videos as well to keep a discussion alive.
I never understood the hate for the prequel movies, I have always defended them for the most part. The phantom menace is excellent, great fun and looks great too. You have actually opened my eyes even further so now I like it even more. Thank you.
It's one of the reasons I made the channel because there is so much missed about this movie and folks attack it and diminish the opinions of those who like it. Looking back on the vids I see their quality is not to the level that I do now, but at the time I made these videos it was the first time I ever edited a video in my life. I'm glad you got something out of the vid.
They are terrible mate
@@craiglittle1437 There are many out there that disagree with you, and I laid out in my vids why I do as well. So, unless you have specific reasons why you denounce our views, your blanket comment will not convince anyone of your view.
Hey @RepresentThis, I believe you blocked my newest comment left on this video out of a misunderstanding. This is one of the best Star-Wars analysis/defense I have seen, and I was pointing out that we agreed that the state of current internet analysis leaves a lot to be desired, and that state stemmed from the poorly structured arguments of the Plinkett review. I only feel the need to clarify this because I enjoy your videos a lot and I wish more arguments were as neatly crafted and informed as yours. Although the fact that you misread my initial praise for you as insulting says something about the shattered state of the Star Wars Franchise and it's public perception than anything.
I have to be honest Xeno that misunderstanding is totally on me. When I read the comment, I thought it was a standard attack on the channel rather than about Plinkett, and it was 4 in the morning. Our Episode I video gets some really mean attacks and it is common because a lot of folks out there think Plinkett is a God and that no one has the right to like the prequels. Some of the attacks on our commenters is often barbed with hate and if you go on my Alien 3 video you will see that a lot of mean comments are tolerated and left alone so we are not in the habit of blocking folks. There's something about Episode I that just brings out the hate and there is such vitriol. So, I apologize personally to you for misreading it and having a knee jerk reaction and ask that you reply with the name of the account blocked so I can unblock it. I'll also look for the comment later today to see if I can reinstate it so all can see your original thoughts.
@@RepresentThisTotally understand man. My other account is Adam H
@@Xeno-oy1fq Here is your first comment for those who are interested.
AdamH
Thanks for further highlighting the long-running poor state of film "criticism" on TH-cam. It's unfortunate that a random guy can put his poorly thought-out complaints of a movie online and it becomes the popular opinion of wider culture just because he was one of the first to do so in that format.
I don’t like this film, not because it is particularly bad, but it is because it breaks the continuity. It also makes the Jedi ineffective. Why send only 2 Jedi is fight the biggest threat to them in 1000 years, why kidnap kids at a young age and why can’t jedi get married?
I was at that TRU on Reynolds Rd.I was there 5 hrs. early.😂 I was at that same theater at midnight. It's all gone now.
Yeah, South Toledo has changed so much. It's barely recognizable today.
I have to go back there in May. Haven't lived in Ohio for 21 years.
lol, the UHF reference
It's like poetry
This whole thing makes you seem strangely insecure. If you like the prequels, that's grand. Why do you give a shite what other people think?
Because it's a discussion and it's something fans like to do. Only people who lack maturity or who are actually insecure judge or attack others for talking about movies whether positive or negative.
@RepresentThis well that's a view point I guess.
What a strange thing to say.
Have you never defended something you liked against unjust (from your perspective) criticism?
I believe, according to the Phantom Menace novelization, that Jar Jar joined the group in Mos Espa to make Qui-Gon seem less conspicuous in a “multinational spaceport”
That does make sense. Thanks for the insight.
@@RepresentThis Thank you for the great deep dives!
There are certainly issues with the prequel scripts, but the overall vision behind these films is incredibly admirable and potent. If the OT showed how an immiserated people organize to overcome fascism, the PT shows how the inevitable erosion of neoliberal democracy at the hands of corporate interests facilitates fascism, as we see again and again through history. It's an incredibly brave and sophisticated -- yet completely natural -- direction to take the story after Return of the Jedi.
The artistry is second to none, employing the best and most stunningly creative concept designers in the world from Iain McCaig to Doug Chiang, who along with many others created iconic designs which were skillfully realized via miniatures, models, sets, and yes, back-breaking CG artistry. The conviction to expand the visual language beyond what was established in the OT was another bold step to take, as was the decision to deliberately examine the Jedi in their increasingly compromised role as defenders of a corrupt status quo. John Williams was at the absolute peak of his abilities.
These are movies that a cynical corporation would never, ever make, as evidenced by the creatively bankrupt regurgitation of New Hope we saw in 2015, and most everything since then. Matthew Stover's brilliant novelization of Revenge of the Sith deftly harnesses every ounce of potential in Lucas' story, sorting out some of the logic issues in plot and characterization, and proves that the only thing standing between these films and unambiguous greatness was a second pair of eyes on the scripts. You can have valid critiques of these movies, but to dismiss them in their entirety is incredibly myopic, and says more about the limited perspective of the critic than it does about the films.
I got goosebumps Ciel, preach keep singing that song. Love it!
I was well into being an adult when I saw Phantom Menace. I never hated Jar Jar. The only thing I ever found grating was his "How rude" quotes. I think by the 3rd one the editor should have had him say something different.
I totally forgot that I read the hardcover novel as well before the film opened AND I was on a local afternoon tv show in Knoxville, TN where myself and other SW fans gathered to play Star Wars Trivial Pursuit live on air. The winner got free tickets to TPM, which he had already pre-bought. I saw the film two more times after the premiere night that I saw in Cambridge, MA and a fourth time when TPM came out in 3-D. It's very likely I'll see it on 3 MAY this year as it's not that bad of a film. Great video!
Thanks for sharing your experience with the film. Awesome.
The prequels had none of the magic of the original trilogy.
Phantom and AOTC did
Yeah no… I’m sorry but Plinkett was right. When I rewatched SW at a later age, I realized that I liked the OT more than I had as a kid… and that the prequels by comparison now seem cringey. In the way that a lot of things you used to like as a kid that were actually poorly made. They’re awful and haven’t stood the test of time.
I appreciate and respect your opinion Motinuppi and thank you for giving us your take.
saw this in theaters. owned it on DVD many times over. watched it at least 50 times lmao.
I watched all your Alien stuff (hoping for some more, maybe AvP or Prometheus/Covenant), and I saw this and I decided to give it a watch. I'm always hesitant to watch commentary/video essays on Phantom Menace cos I get angry/sad at the way people view it. I grew up watching the original trilogy on VHS tapes at my grandfathers house during school holidays. Phantom Menace was the first time my brother, my cousins and I got to have our own Star Wars movie that we watched at the same time as my grandfather and uncles. It was a huge event in my family. And i really loved it, and i still do. Yeah, the acting is a bit low-energy and the dialogue isn't amazing, but the story itself is compelling. I was never bored by the politics, even as a kid, and as an adult, I appreciate the politics way more. Lucas has an amazing understanding of how governments/elites use their power to manipulate and even start crisis in order to profit (politically and financially). He understands that war is often driven often by personal ambition. Phantom is a great example of this. The only Star Wars movie I think is bad is Rise of Skywalker. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest, and continue to enjoy the Disney era streaming series. When people say George Lucas ruined their childhoods, I have to wonder why the adults who watched this film were still consuming content like children. This is mature deconstruction of political nature and how it affects the average person. The orginal trilogy is very clear on who are the bad guys and the good guys. Here it is a lot more nuanced and realistic. The movies grew up, and maybe George made the mistake of assuming the fans did too.
Really enjoying this video. Thanks for making it and defending my childhood 😅
I thank you for sharing your experiences. I myself have always been perplexed with the sheer hate some have for not only this movie but those who like it. I agree with your sentiments and think this movie always deserved better. This is why it was the first video I ever made, and it birthed this channel. I am interested in your thoughts in my other Star Wars videos whether pro or con and hope you enjoy them.
@@RepresentThis I'm about to watch the next one, so look out for my comment! 😁
In honesty I don’t care for the prequels but I must admit it’s delightful they've gained a second life and now they’re appreciated fans, though these film don’t do it for me you raise good points.
Because disney made such shit producs that mediocre things now feels like masterpieces.
@@Jimoshi1 Similarly Alien3 was despised upon its release only to garner a supportive following ages later. There’s definitely a lot criticises with the recent Star Wars sequels Spin offs unplanned mess that turned out, quality wise I give Revenge of the Sith a pass that one I’m ok with mostly, didn’t care for the Darth Vader’s “NO moment to be honest” but it’s the best of the prequel, I was ok with Force Awakens seeing the old cast and new, a lot to call out on how some were handled and missed opportunities, it admittedly played it safe with repeating plot point but like the potential it set up only for the scatterbrained all over the place mess that occurred but that’s just me.
You said you were not aware of anybody else covering the plinkett reviews in length, I suggest Icy the fire mage! Maybe you did discover him later down the line, but I feel like he deserves a mention, he covered the tpm review and uploaded one part of the aotc review.
I appreciate you letting me know about him. I found the videos you are talking about, and I plan to listen to them while I am at work tonight. I love the debate whatever the side.
@@RepresentThis I havent finished your video yet, but Im interested to see how you two compliment each others arguments
That one guy sure sounds like the possum
This movie is bad, period.
Phantom Menace is a great movie! It sets up the future failure of the Jedi. Their ways lead to their downfall. Which is why Luke was successful. He did things his way which worked. Obi-Wan and Yoda also changed their ways in defeat. Compare their characters to the original trilogy they are cleary different people after defeat. Just like people in real life. We learn from our mistakes and others mistakes and change as we grow. Anakin was a good kid and his life experiences change him. Made him turn to the darkside. Just like some kids in real life. Some kids life experiences make them evolve into good adults and some the opposite route. This movie sets all this up!
I agree completely, thanks for speaking your mind.
I love the originals, I love the prequels, I love Clone Wars and Rebels… I love the live action series and even love Rogue One. Solo, Binks and the sequels I do hate.
I never liked the Prequels but I'm not against those that appreciate them. To each his own, right? I think I hyped them up for all the wrong reasons and when they didn't meet my expectations, I just tossed them aside in disappointment. There are specific things that bother me about these films, but I'm not about to debate them here...would be pointless. But there are a lot of things I love about the films too, I just wished I loved them as a whole rather than bits and pieces. You and Plinkett both have valid arguments and take completely opposite approaches to reviewing these films. I appreciate both, to be honest. I'll just stick with episodes IV, V and VI...maybe watch I, II, and III once in a blue moon. But please don't ask me to watch and enjoy VII, VIII and IX...that will NEVER happen. I got as far as VIII and then GAVE UP...those films I absolutely loath.
Don't worry we would never ask you to watch the Disney trilogy on this channel. Trust me.
@@RepresentThis Thank God for that. It's a sad thought, but I really think they need to stop with Star Wars now...before there is nothing left of it. But maybe that's me being pessimistic again.
@@guardiane I'm afraid with Filoni in charge there is nothing left. It's a vapid company now with no idea what Star Wars truly is. Thanks for your comments.
Finally! 🥰
This is very good and I like it a lot.
Glad to share it with dittm.
Its funny how some people can't understand why Palpatine might do something that if it goes sideway would ruin his plans. Like Jeremy Jahns talking about how if Padme signs the treaty it would derail Palpatine's plan to become Chancelor. But we know, even from Return of the Jedi, that Palpatine is nothing if not a high stakes gambler. That's the essence of his character. He's an arrogant gambler. In Return of the Jedi he allows the Rebels to gain access to Endor so he can get them all in one place and wipe them out for good. Is it risky? Yes. Would it be better to just keep fighting the Rebels in smaller battles across the galaxy until they dwindle to nothingness? Probably, yeah. He could just wait until the second Death Star is complete and start wiping them out planet by planet. But instead, he uses the existence of Death Star II to lure them in and take them out quickly, even though if something goes wrong it's possible the Empire is crippled badly at Endor. In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine allows Mace Windu to corner him, presenting a situation to Anakin that looks less like the Sith are taking over and more like Palpatine is a pitiable victim. Exactly what he wants Anakin to see in order to manipulate him. Again, Palpatine is a high stakes gambler. It's possible Anakin might have sided with Mace. The reason Palpatine gambles like this is A) he enjoys it, and B) the rewards for winning are literally astronomical. He almost always wins these wagers. And think about two examples where his gambles paid off. In both cases it's with people he knew personally and could manipulate: Anakin and Padme. With Endor he was fighting against a more mercurial collection of people he couldn't possibly know, a (to him) largely faceless collection of humans, Wookiees, Mon Cals, Ewoks, etc. Ironically, the more entrenched in power Palpatine became, the more detached from people he became, and the less able he was to manipulate the finer details of his gambles. Fact that reviewers like Jahns and the others can't comprehend this stuff says more about them than Lucas. It's all there in the 6 movies clear as day.
I agree that there is a disconnect with many critics when it comes to flexibility on understanding elements of the prequels. Overcomplicating Palpatine or most plot points in this film is the first sign of prequel hate. Thanks for your thoughts chungking.
Those who deride the “politics” of the prequels, love the politics in GOT, HOTD, and The Expanse.
To be honest I never thought about that Tenebris. That's a great point.
lol how do you know this? did you just learn how to make a straw man and thought you'd give it a try?
Thank you for making this video. You have won my respect.
I was just given your channel as a suggestion and to sum up my take - your videos deserve way more likes and views than it has so far. Can't wait to check out Part 2 and yes, for the fun it, I subscribe to the Darth Jar Jar Theory - but more so, I've been a supporter of the Prequels since Day 1 as well.
Very glad to have you here. Our next video on Empire Strikes Back comes out tomorrow with another 2 weeks after that.
The hate for Jar Jar has always been my biggest bugbear with most people who criticised this film. He's fine, likeably annoying and a technical masterclass at the time.
Jar Jar is when the idea that "it's a space wizard movie for kids" and "why the politics" come most visibly to a head.
Lucas was in a tough position - appeal to people who are now adults, yet make it accessible to children who have no reference frame.
Unfortunately, the voices of the man children sounded loudest I believe, hence why they pivoted into Attack of the Clones - not that there is no merit in that movie, but they certainly dropped some avenues hard.
I hate red letter media, so fucking much. it's why I don't watch smiling friends.
Thank you for this. The hate for these prequels is waaay over the top.
I understand that after waiting so many years, one can be disappointed by not getting what one dreamed of the last 30 years. But you can't possibly please everyone, and I'm very happy that George took his opportunity to create the prequel trilogy HE wanted to make. It's not often a director gets to make a trilogy that's successful, and even rarer, he gets to have a go at a prequel trilogy to the first.
I totally get why George stopped directing. No matter what you do, there will always be a massive group telling you, how you should have made it, and all the things they believe, you did wrong.
Make the film YOU want to make, if you have the possibility.
I feel the same about his changes to the originals. Do I like all of them? Well, no. But none ruins any movie for Me.
And if I had made any movie, even one so massively successful, and I ten years after it released finally had the tech to add those gummy bears, I always wanted, god damn it, I would add them! It's my movie! I can correct any mistakes I want, whether other people agree or not.
Thanks for your insights and glad you checked us out.
The Prequels are better than the original trilogy.
Prequel haters are incels!