8) Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Directed by: George Lucas
Written by: George Lucas
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Ahmed Best, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Terence Stamp.
As soon as Darth Vader said the immortal words, “I am your father,” in The Empire Strikes Back he went from being a sinister villain to being the key to understanding the entire galactic conflict. So, many fans were cautiously optimistic at the announcement of a Prequel Trilogy, centred on the early life of Vader.
There were several reasons why the Prequel Trilogy, and The Phantom Menace in particular, did not work, however. Firstly, though it was the creative vision of Star Wars creator George Lucas, the films relied heavily upon CGI landscapes, characters, and computer augmented situations – which meant that the overall aesthetic of the movies was drastically changed. While the original trilogy had a grounded texture to it that made it relatable – despite being a space opera – The Phantom Menace did not, which intensified a sense of disconnection from the story.
In addition, the film lacked enjoyable characters. Again, looking at the original trilogy, those entries succeeded largely thanks to the dynamics between characters that became beloved – Han as the lovable rogue, Luke as the idealist, and Leia as the formidable leader. The relationships between these three icons, and their interactions with equally iconic supporting characters made Star Wars a franchise that audiences wanted to revisit, time and again.
The Phantom Menace, by contrast, is largely filled with very serious, stilted characters. C-3PO and R2-D2 have little to do, and the new character of Jar Jar Binks – far from being comic relief – is simply a distraction. The exception, perhaps, is Jake Lloyd as the juvenile Anakin Skywalker – but with no real verbal sparring partner, his efforts fall decidedly flat.