Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace | 25 Years Later 

I recognize the flaws with the prequels but these films are so important to me. Obviously the original trilogy cant be touched but the prequals were the Star Wars i grew up with

Loved the Phanton Menace and the whole prequel era. It was really an era of discovery, the back story we had waited decades for was unfolding. The Jedi would finally be seen in their prime. Regardless of how anyone feels it played out, TPM was the moment it was all still in front of us. Now......there is so much Star Wars, it gets overwhelming. Part of that was inevitable, but 1999 - 2005 was a special time.

I noticed some western elements on this 25th anniversary viewing. Qui Gon is the white hat cowboy who emerges into the fatherless family, but he knows more than he is willing to share (think Hondo with John Wayne). Darth Maul is the black hat assassin/bounty hunter, but the Jedi and Sith share the combat styles of samurai’s rather than gunslingers. It is fascinating how Lucas weaves genre functions, tropes and elements into films that somehow manage to feel fresh and interesting.

Heath, I missed seeing the first Star Wars movie in 1977, I was serving overseas in the Coast Guard and missed the opening. When I returned home my sister asked what I wanted to do after being away for 18 months. I told her I wanted to see Star Wars. We went to a dollar theater in Worcester, Massachusetts to see it. I went three times over the next two weeks to see it again. When Episode I came out my sons took me to the midnight show of the opening weekend. I loved it. I recently picked up Obi-wan and Andor steel books from Disney. Even at 67 years old I will always be a Star Wars fan. I love your videos, and didn't know what Kino Lorber was, and now have picked up quite a few titles.

I agree so much with the things you said here, man. I absolutely love Phantom Menace-messy, but absolutely awesome and memorable. Really brought my fandom to its peak, when I was a kid.

Being a child during the prequel era of Star Wars was a really great time to be a young fan. Free of cynicism of the internet and able to just be excited for Star Wars spread out during a 9 year period. Good times.

Darth Maul was the best choreographed duel in all of the movies. That was my favorite part. I saw it in 3D… Actually my favorite of the prequels is the one no one liked, AOTC

Quinlan Vos is actually in the movie! He can be seen for a second in the scene where Sebulba is yelling at Jar Jar.

It always amazes me to hear people talk about how joyful and fun it is to watch the prequels, and then almost in the same breath turn around them and criticize them as "flawed." Not every film needs to have Oscar worthy acting and dialogue. Just because the prequels are different from the original trilogy doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them.

I’m a prequel era Kid TPM was the first movie I saw in theaters and Darth maul left a very big impression on me to where I went as Maul for Halloween that same year. To me the prequel era just had everything you could imagine we had some of the best video games that are still talked about to this day, the books the comics the toy lines. It wasn’t just a celebration of the new era it was a celebration of Star Wars as a whole and tbh I miss it sure there were always arguments if the prequels were good or bad but to me I’ve always loved them I related too Anakin so much and I still do.to think next year my all time favorite Star Wars film is turning 20 years old is nuts

I was 24, a month or so earlier, I had waited in line half a day for tickets which will forever be one of highlights of my movie life. Opening day came and it was sensational. Loved it then, loved it now. Not saying it's a perfect film but it was a great one with a perfect experience.

Just saw it in theaters today.. what a great way to spend May 4!

You pretty much spoke my mind. Remember leaving the theater being blown away as a 15 year old.

James Rolfe did a video about the prequels and I’ve come to the conclusion that they’re not as bad as we remember them. Maybe a couple decades did it good

The movie actually ends with the bad guys winning. Qui Gon had to be taken out for everything to fall into place, and what happens on Naboo leads to the CIS and Palpatine becoming Chancellor, which was, of course, always part of the plan. It appears hopeful tho and thats whats cool about it

Great video. Yes it was fantastic. What a magical time

Episode I was a huge deal and that was perhaps the most hype I ever witnessed for a movie. Immediately after the credits rolled the division started. At the time I thought the movie was a necessary setup for the darker elements to come. I thought the movies would get better. That didn't happen, with Episode 2 being one of the few movies I ever considered walking out of. But the kids who grew up with it, for the most part seem on board with it and remember it fondly. For me I learned to just enjoy the stuff I like and not get too mad about the ruination of things I loved as a kid, because there was so much more to come. Transformers alone almost cause me to have an aneurysm and there has been good moments for Star Wars throughout all the nonsense. I even went to see the re-release of Episode I and enjoyed it. In comparison to what came later it is a revelation.

Sounds like you had a great time. I can hear it in your voice. That’s awesome. You get to relive that moment. Keep up the great work on this channel.

Just got back from the pictures now watching it, felt as special as ever.

The analogue for Jar Jar Binks in the OT is the first five minutes of Yoda acting like a buffoon in ESB, before he reveals himself to Luke. Lucas clearly intended Jar Jar to be revealed as a Sith lord in Episode II but chickened out due to understandable fan backlash. He probably should have committed to the reveal in Episode I but i think he was going for a big twist in the second movie, as with the Vader twist in the second movie of the original trilogy. Consequently we were left with Jar Jar the clown rather than Darth Jar Jar. But hey we got Christopher Lee shoehorned into the next movie so it's not all bad. I didn't love TPM or AOTC at the time (always thought ROTS was a major achievement) but I've seen them so many times since then, and they got integrated into the pre-Disney expanded universe so thoroughly, that I can't help but love them at this point. Good recap!

Happy May the 4th! My love for the Phantom Menace has really grown over the years, and I think compared to the other 2 prequels it feels the most like the OT. I loved growing up in this era of Star Wars; the toys and merchandise alone were spectacular! Everytime I wander down the toy aisle today I see hardly any Star Wars toys, and the ones I do see seem more catered to adult collectors. Maybe it's just my location, but it makes me sad for today's young Star Wars fans.

Excited to see it in the theater today!

TPM is one of my favorites. You just have to get over the kids stuff. Took my daughter and her friend to see it on the big screen today, they laughed at some of the scenes that make adults grown.....as intended by the director. Imagine that.

I’m planning to watch this in the theaters soon! I will probably take my 8th grade nephew since I don’t think he’s seen it before. It’s my least favorite of all Star Wars films I think but it’s got some great moments especially both the duels and death maul as you mentioned. RoTS is my favorite tied with Empire!

Love the prequels, especially episode 3!

*off-topic apologies* It finally hit me with your sweet shirt and the Disney+ series Carl Weathers was in with Pedro Pascal: You could say they were “Lando and Mando”! (seems he was the only one calling him that- perhaps now we know why) 😄

Phantom menace is amazing. The start of Palpatine’s masterful manipulation of all sides. The movie was just a big change from the gritty originals. CGI was used heavily, back then was unusual, now it’s normal. Ahead of its time. The pod race is one of the best scenes of any Star Wars film . The prequels are severely underrated. The storyline is far superior to the originals.

If you consider everything that has been done in SW since 1999, Jar Jar as a character is not that outlandish. The prequel era wanted to introduce these other species as fully moving characters instead of just puppets drinking at a bar. The issue with this film is that our generation wanted more of what we got in the original trilogy so it was jarring to see a different style at that time. I get it now and think Lucas made the right decision by going in the direction of using CGI to create more worlds instead of being limited to what can be shot on the planet Earth where he had exhausted in terms of the locations he could shoot.

I also went to the midnight premier back then (it was the opening of a new AMC multiplex). It was exciting at the time. I saw some of the flaws right away, but had blinders on in all the buzz. In retrospect, I’d rather the prequels didn’t even exist because of the retcons (especially midi-chlorians). That said, I was taking an English course for college that summer and wrote a poem about the excitement of the wait for more SW.

I look at these movies a little more fondly following J.J.'s two unbelievably cynical retreads. ROTS is really the only one i love, the emotions finally click in, the scope is huge but palatable. as far as early CGI-heavy lore-heavy setpiece cross-cutting spectacles go I will always prefer the Wachowski's Revolutions though.

When Phantom Menace came out, I hated it. I also didn't like the two other prequels as well. As the years have gone by, I have softened on them. The Last Jedi trilogy was even worse, so it made me look back on and even appreciate the prequels. They just were not what I was expecting at the time. It was more on me than the movies, and I know that now. I do wish that Darth Maul had a bigger role, along with Count Dooku as well for what it is worth. Love that Lando shirt, nobody beats Lando.

Have to agree that Episode 1 is my favorite of the prequels, but I think much of the difference between the two trilogies are the hard limits George faced in creating the first 3 vs the near carte blanche to do as he pleased with the prequels. Not just limits in the goofy visuals he could put on the screen, such as the cantina, but even push back from his talent in some of the bad dialog. He didn't direct episodes V & VI, which probably helped with the more serious tones conveyed, but did come back to direct the prequels. Not having enough creative push back, there are a lot of cringey scenes and bad lines in the prequels that just don't need to be that way. Had George made the movie he wanted the first time around, rather than much of it having to be more realistically grounded, I doubt Star Wars would have seen the same success.

Not being a kid when this movie was released, I sat in a theatre in 1999 thinking: is Jar-Jar going to break into a rendition of Zippity Doo Dah before this movie is over? I suppose going to a re-release like this is all about nostalgia and the Spielberg platitude about an enduring childlike sense of wonder. Sadly, I just can't help being cynical about Lucas and company.

Saw the movie right before my 14th b-day, only thing I didn't quite like was the acting and some dialogue but I didn't fully realize that until Attack of the Clones came out

Its a good kids Star Wars movie and I personally like it more than A New Hope and Return of the Jedi.

Seeing TPM on opening day was a trauma I cannot forget.

I guess it's all about which Trilogy you first saw in Theaters/Grew up with...?? 1960/70s kids probably love 456, then 90s kids 123 ..?? Nothing comes close to Original Trilogy IMHO ❤🎉 Best thing about TPM is Ray Park/Darth Maul, "hands/sabers-down" 🎉

I remember being so disappointed with this when I first saw it, and I avoided the hype too but that didn't help. However many years later I have revisited this with the hindsight of having watched the brilliant Clone Wars animated series and they really expands out this different view of the Star Wars universe Lucas was trying to establish and explore with the prequals. Of course the dire and pathetic Disney sequal trophy also helped elevate the status of the prequals despite Lucas getting some heat back in the day. To be honest I always enjoyed Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith but always disliked and struggled with Phantom Menace. But even Jar Jar doesn't bother me now as I came to be .. well.. not fond of him as such ... but he grew on me to a degree. There is some fan work online where someone has combined all the Clone Wars series into film cuts as well as creating extended editions of the prequals trilogy with deleted scenes added in. With Revenge of the Sith they have blended it with some Clone Wars episodes. Going through and watching these in order has been great fun and definitely gave me a new appreciation for what Lucas was trying to do. Although as you say it's highly flawed and a little clunky I think what he was trying to establish with these was different to what our original Star Wars generation of fans were expecting and basically I think they were just a bit ahead of their time. For anyone who still has doubts about Phantom Menace watching it in conjunction with the Clone Wars tv series definitely helps it to shine and flourish more than it really does as its own entity IMHO. But.. the practical effects of rhe original trilogy still age better than the prequals CGI I feel. Pity all rhe 4k discs (New Hope aside) were far from reference quality. By the way that time when Phantom Menace came out probably wasn't my favorite time in Star Wars fandom, I was a bit older then, nearly 30. I was the right age when Empire and Jedi came out to be caught up in that (plus the Indy films) and that was the most magical time in Star Wars fandom history for me, and probably just in cinema in general for me personally that I will always look back on fondly and with great nostalgic warmth.

after listening to this I am now curious about your thoughts on the clone wars show?

Killing off Darth Maul was a major mistake. His character could have scanned all three with Anakin killing him off in Revenge of the Sith. Ooops

I remember skipping class just to make a line at the movie theater to be able to see this movie on the premier day and get good sits. Very exiting time seeing a start wars movie again in the theater but then, all was good until Jar Jar shows up LOL. Being hones this is my least favorite movie, when someone recommends what order to watch the movies if they haven't seen anything i usually say they can skip this one entirely (along the new trilogy). I think the only two good things this movie has, personally, is qui gon jinn and the duel at the end with Darth Maul; and of course the music by John Williams, specially duel of faith. I think I will skip this one and wait for Episode 2 :)

I was 24 when Phantom Menace came out and maybe I was just too old for this movie. I remember being very disappointed. To this day it's still my least favorite Star Wars film and that's saying something because I have really not enjoyed Disney Star Wars for the most part. My nephew was 8 years old when Phantom Menace came out and he loves it. He also loves the other prequels because he grew up with them. Maybe Star Wars is just a generational thing. For me the OG trilogy is really all the Star Wars I need.

I grew up on the original trilogy, and absolutely loved it. (Though I agree that the teddy bears bring down Return of the Jedi just a little. Still, the final act--cutting between the three storylines--is pretty awesome.) I've tried, but I've just never been able to warm to The Phantom Menace... didn't like it upon its release, and though I've returned to it a few times, subsequent viewings just haven't seemed to help matters for me. I agree that the final duel with Darth Maul is pretty awesome, but most of the rest of the movie... just no. Poorly scripted, poorly acted, and worst of all, the digital special effects look horrible, especially the video game-like pod race. (I like the seeming homage to Ben-Hur, but otherwise I don't even really like the pod race in theory.) Contrary to what seems to be the general consensus, I think Attack of the Clones is the best of the prequel trilogy. For me, that's the prequel movie that is decidedly flawed but which I like much of anyway. I actually quite like Hayden Christensen in the movie, and that scene on the Lars homestead between him and Padme ("I killed them... I killed them all") is easily the most effective and convincing instance of the dark side taking hold of Anakin. And the whole arena sequence is thrilling imo. Heath, you may have been excited about The Phantom Menace; for me, it was Attack of the Clones. (For what it's worth, I was generally disappointed in Revenge of the Sith, and pretty much hated the sequels [Episodes VII, VIII, IX], which I thought were lazy and unfocused. But really liked Rogue One... and LOVED Andor Season One.)

You can't deny it's originality. George definitely didn't repeat himself. Thanks to the laughably bad Disney Star Wars films/TV, the prequels look like Citizen Kane by comparison.

Bull. It’s still a movie about a boy from Tatooine with a special destiny that meets Obi Wan Kenobi, learns about the Jedi, and blows up a round thing in space to save the day.

Star Wars is a kids movie.

Ewoks: nothing will ever be as annoying as us. Jar jar: hold meesa beer.

Jar jar is no different then c3po. Comedy relief character who’s silly and annoys the characters. You just don’t hate 3po because you were young. Tpm is great

In 1999: Poor writing and poor performances. A bad movie. In 2024: See above.

I loved this movie from day 1. I totally got what George Lucas was doing with this movie. I loved Jar Jar, I got his character especially how he comes into play later. I wanted to see this in theaters again but probably won’t be able to. I saw this in theaters 3 times when it was originally released as a film presentation. I also saw the first ever digital presentation in Paramus NJ which was one of only 2 theaters that did that.

Best of times as a SW fan? Wow, hard disagree. The release of Episode One signaled the begining of the hate. Up till that time SW was pretty close to untouchable. Phantom Menance was a massive dissapoitment for a lot of the fan base, for the reasons you mentioned.

The prequels have grown on me over time, but Phantom Menace is the most problematic for me. Stilted dialogue, ponderous plot, and the tech just wasn't there. Look at the gungan vs. droid battle - it feels like a cartoon because it is. Ep. I ushered in an era of overreliance on CGI.

This is fantastic, it's so bad it's the best film to ever be😊

The writing/directing and acting are subpar compared to the original Star Wars trilogy.

Love the prequels ,all the star wars movies are "children movies" . I would not go back to theatre to see episode 1 because I despise DNR !

I grew up loving Star Trek more than Star Wars. The prequels helped me start to really get into Star Wars (before Disney chased me away). In my opinion, flaws and all, the original trilogy needs the prequels to be a full story.

The Phantom Menace sucked back in 1999 and it still sucks 25 years later in 2024 and it will suck forever terrible movie.... 🤮

Tpm doesn’t have bad acting wtf? It’s far more natural than American graffiti. Graffiti has more volume and emphasis on delivery because they’re rowdy. This is about space monks. Also the kid complaints fee like reaching

If they'd not done the gungans, jar jar and the boring trade federation stuff his would be great. The CGI Ruins it too, looks awful. Love Maul, anakin, pod race, Liam Neeson too. Great score

The CGI is so bad on these lol