Don't waste money on 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' re-release, even in 3-D

[marmar]

from the Detroit News:



Don't waste money on 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' re-release, even in 3-D

By Adam Graham
The Detroit News


'Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace" gets re-released in theaters on Friday, this time in 3-D.

.....(snip).....

1 It's terrible. Doesn't matter how good the 3-D effects are, they won't compensate for the fact that with its wooden acting, laborious plot and flat directing, "The Phantom Menace" is — given its expectations versus what it delivered — the most disappointing movie ever made.

2 Everyone agrees it's terrible. In 2002, I interviewed a "Star Wars" fan who admitted he didn't much care for "The Phantom Menace," but he still saw it in the theater 57 times. "Star Wars" fans are notoriously willing to put up with any shlock they're shoveled — another re-released DVD set? Sold! But isn't it time they stood up, pulled a Twisted Sister and said, "We're not gonna take it?"

.....(snip).....

7 Do it for "Star Wars." "The Phantom Menace" is currently the seventh highest grossing film of all-time, with a total of $431 million in the bank. The re-release will likely push it up to No. 4, past "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (No. 6, $435 million), "Shrek 2" (No. 5, $441 million) and the original "Star Wars" (No. 4, $460 million). Do you really want "The Phantom Menace" to be the highest grossing film of the "Star Wars" series? (The 3-D rerelease of "Star Wars" will likely eventually put it back on top, but still.) ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120209/ENT02/202090301/

[JCMach1]

1. Still the best of episode 1-3

of course that merely defines the level of suckage...

[charlie and algernon]

12. idk, I thought the 3rd was the best of the prequels

The massacre of the Jedis and the final battle gave the movie at least some semblence of a heart, which the first two decidedly lack.

[JCMach1]

14. I was almost ready to scream burn you dumb arse bastard burn!

Ugg, but yeah Luca did his best to ruin all 3.

[momto3]

17. Ep. 2 was by far the worst.

At least Ep. 1 and 3 had decent battle scenes. I think that the actual fight scenes were bearable due to the lack of dialogue.

Unfortunately, my 2 grade school age boys think these movies are great. When you are 9, there is no accounting for taste! So, my husband and I will have to fight over who has to take them to see it in the theater.

[fishwax]

2. I didn't think Ep 1 was terrible, though it was certainly flawed.

Episode 2 was terrible, though.

[marmar]

3. Too much Jar Jar and the atrocious Jake Lloyd ruined Episode I for me.

nt

[LanternWaste]

4. I think I'll see it. I've only seen the most recent three when they hit the theaters in first run...

I think I'll see it. I've only seen the most recent three when they hit the theaters in first run, and what with all the fan-boy overreactions and self-proclaimed movie critics giving it three balloons down, I figure I'd see it alone, minus the Melodious Soundtrack of Pseudo-Criticism from family and friends, and judge the movie on its own merits this time around.

And, as I've seen the (arguably) worst movie ever made (Reefer Madness) over fifty times since when I was in college, I figure this isn't much worse one way or the other.

[Nye Bevan]

5. Mesa not seeing it.

It's not the movie I'm looking for.

[stevenleser]

6. LOL, please warn us if you are going to do something like that again!

Mesa...

[quakerboy]

7. My what rosey glasses and irrelevant arguments you have, mr columnist

All of the star wars movies lacked depth. The new ones are no different from the old, no better no worse.

Its all entertainment. Who cares what movie has the highest gross or if a director makes money or whatever other extraneous objections may be made. Barring some actual moral question (does Lucas use that money to oppress gypsies? Are small children sold into slavery if Phantom menace becomes #4 on some otherwise irrelevant list?), who gives a rats patute? Watch a movie if you want, don't if you don't.

[hunter]

8. Somebody could have made an interesting movie out of the wreckage...

... probably for less than Lucas spent re-rendering it in 3D.

[ikri]

9. Like...

This one?

There's a small industry re-editing films, there are dozens of Star Wars re-edits with The Phanton Edit being the most famous.

[hunter]

15. And it's only going to get better...

I think eventually we'll have inexpensive or open source software that can model and resynthesize sets, props, and even actors.

Anakin: "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth."

Padme: "I've filed a restraining order against you, freak. See those little red dots of laser light decorating your crotch? Leave now, or my body guards will remove your family jewels."

Without an uber-charismatic Anakin Skywalker, a larger-than-life Errol Flynn sort of character, or even an evil Johnny Depp, Star Wars makes no sense.

[Deep13]

10. There were only 2 really good SW films. nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. I liked Episode I when I first saw it

but I was lost as hell for quite some time afterwards because they threw a whole bunch of new characters, planets, and terms about that were never referenced in the OT (i.e. Naboo, Gungans, "Sith", "Midichlorians&quot and it wasn't really until after seeing Episodes II & III that I fully grasped what Episode I was trying to set up for us. As a dyed-in-the-wool Star Wars fan, I was definitely excited to have more Star Wars to enjoy after a severely LONG hiatus following ROTJ in 1983 and I really enjoyed Episode III and, to a lesser extent, Episodes II & III but the one major problem I had with the PT was that, in most respects, the story bore little resemblance IMHO to how the events that preceded the OT seemed to be described by the surviving characters in the OT (i.e. Obi-Wan, Yoda). I also felt like, especially in Episode I, that there were way too many contrivances such as having Anakin Skywalker be the one who built C-3P0, R2-D2 originally being just another random astromech droid servicing the Queen's ship. Plus, I always thought it was weird that Naboo would ELECT a 14-year old Queen! Really? I know that there are old monarchies where somebody her age might have taken the throne upon their parents' death (with no other older heirs available) but it just seems weird having the Naboo ELECT her to the position, particularly since people in this country can't vote let alone run for public office at least until they're 18 but, hey, this IS fictional after all. I guess people just grow up QUICK in the Star Wars universe? Setting up Anakin and Padme as potential love interests seemed a little creepy too considering that he was only a 9-year old prepubescent boy and she was already a teenage girl. I guess I'm glad at least that they didn't take things too far with the two of them in Episode I.
The movie did have some high marks such as the opening fight aboard the Trade Federation battleship. It gave me goosebumps to see Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon ignite their lightsabers and kick some machinery. I loved that they got Liam Neeson a role in the movie! The 3-way battle at the end was also quite fun and well-done, particularly the triple lightsaber duel with Darth Maul. John Williams also turned in a good score and awesome original theme ("Duel of the Fates&quot , probably the best of the PT. I'm glad that he didn't choose to just recycle old cues from the OT though I loved his placement of the "Imperial March" theme at the end of Episode II as it suddenly becomes apparent that the Republic is doomed to ultimately become the dreaded "Empire" from the OT.

[Scurrilous]

13. This was posted here some time back:

Hilarious!

[momto3]

16. I have 2 grade school boys.

I am hoping to only have to see it once!