A new, amazing, thorough and hilarious critique of The Phantom Menace (1 Viewer)

[Tim Mauldin]

A post about a 10 year old Star Wars movie, and RobertR is bashing Lucas. I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you!

 

[RobertR]

No less shocked than I am that some people would rather talk about ME than the movie. /img/vbsmilies/htf/biggrin.gif

 

[Tim Mauldin]

I guess you're talking about the movie. It sounds to me like you're crying over nit-picky details like a woman.

 

[RobertR]

I don't have to guess about what you're obviously obsessed with talking about. /img/vbsmilies/htf/biggrin.gif

 

[Tim Mauldin]

Well if the movie is as bad as you say, might as well talk about something else.

 

[RobertR]

You should take your own advice if you think I'm "bad". Your obsession with me ignores the fact that I didn't start this thread, and I'm far from the only person critiquing the film.

 

[Tim Mauldin]

"if the movie is as bad as you say"

Never said YOU were "bad".

 

[RobertR]

I'm sure you only think positive things about me.

 

[Tim Mauldin]

Really don't give you much thought, I'm just trying to kill time at work. I suppose I'm just a troll.

 

[RobertR]

Yes, now let the rest of us get back to film discussion.

 

[Tim Mauldin]

Who died and made you the king of the board?

 

[Sam Posten]

He might not be king but the OP (me) has asked you two (politely) to take your tiresome bickering to another arena multiple times.

 

[Tim Mauldin]

So I guess that makes you the king. Ahhhhhh, no I believe this is the first time.

 

[TravisR]

Originally Posted by Paul_Scott /forum/thread/296068/a-new-amazing-thorough-and-hilarious-critique-of-the-phantom-menace/90#post_3641301
Geez, the hostility in this thread reminds me of a past skirmish

Just to clarify, I've got no hostility towards the people that I've responded to in the thread. Maybe they're hunting me down as I type but I've got no problem with any of them.

 

[RobertR]

Actually, I thought we were having a mostly civil discussion, at least for those who were talking about the subject at hand.

 

[TravisR]

Originally Posted by RobertR /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Actually, I thought we were having a mostly civil discussion...

Especially since the discussion involves Star Wars. That's a topic that can get real ugly, real fast.

 

[Pete-D]

The funny (or not) thing about some of the criticisms is that George himself had originally planned to go in the direction the "fanboys" wanted.

For instance, in earlier drafts of Episode I, Obi-Wan WAS the main character. He discovers Anakin and all that. Qui-Gon only shows up later when they arrive on Coruscant. Now I like Liam Neeson in TPM a lot, but this would've considerably streamlined the story and given the audience a definite protagonist to get behind.

Darth Maul was supposed to have more dialouge/scenes.

Anakin was originally supposed to be 13/14, not 8/9.

I think if he had gone with his initial instincts on that and made a couple of other changes --

1.) Jar-Jar is the outcast wandering warrior-type, not a goofball take on Roger Rabbit

2.) Darth Maul doesn't want to get the Queen to sign a treaty -- he wants to KILL the Queen, and is relentless in hunting the heroes (an inexperienced Obi-Wan) throughout the film. Lets raise the stakes here, treaties and trade blockades aren't terribly exciting on screen.

3.) The Midicholrian thing ... uh, just axe that stuff entirely. It belongs in Star Trek, and not even good Star Trek.

Those changes in unison with what Lucas had originally I think would've resulted in the film a lot of people wanted and those who liked Episode I anyway probably would've liked this iteration just as much if not more.

 

[Brent M]

I certainly would've enjoyed TPM more if things had gone in that direction.

 

[Chris Atkins]

On #2, raising the stakes is nice, but the PT is all about intrigue, betrayal, plotting, and revenge. There's a reason these stories didn't get made first, after all. It's why the OT is a lot more fun (though I still find the PT interesting).

On #3, I think the failure here was in the execution, not the idea. The OT already established that the Force was at least partially hereditary...the midis were just the explanation behind that. Still, could have been explored differenty/better for sure.

Originally Posted by Pete-D /forum/thread/296068/a-new-amazing-thorough-and-hilarious-critique-of-the-phantom-menace/90#post_3641398

2.) Darth Maul doesn't want to get the Queen to sign a treaty -- he wants to KILL the Queen, and is relentless in hunting the heroes (an inexperienced Obi-Wan) throughout the film. Lets raise the stakes here, treaties and trade blockades aren't terribly exciting on screen.

3.) The Midicholrian thing ... uh, just axe that stuff entirely. It belongs in Star Trek, and not even good Star Trek.

 

[RobertR]

I like it much better, Pete. I can't imagine anyone saying he'd prefer what we got to what you described.