Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Review: An Erratic but Entertaining Prequel
When Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace hit cinemas in May 1999, it was the first Star Wars movie in 16 years since Return of the Jedi back in 1983. Anticipation hits an all-time high as die-hard fans and audiences who grew up watching the original trilogy were looking forward to seeing how it all began.
The first time I watched The Phantom Menace back in the day, endured a long queue to get a ticket and eagerly awaited the movie as much as the rest of the audience in a packed cinema hall. After the logo and fanfare of then-20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm Ltd. appeared in the background followed by the static blue text of “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….“, I had goosebumps from the moment John Williams’ main theme filled the hall as the movie began with the title and its signature opening crawl. Was the movie great after all the massive hype? Frankly, I had a mixed feeling, even though The Phantom Menace did benefit from a few memorable characters and great action sequences.
I revisited The Phantom Menace just in time to celebrate its 25th anniversary this month. George Lucas’s screenplay remains the biggest issue here, complete with cheesy and sometimes atrocious dialogue. Lucas may have been a visionary filmmaker and he knows well how to put together a blockbuster movie that embraces pop-culture filmmaking and above all, his cinematic influence in taking inspiration from other classic films. Among them, of course, is Ben-Hur as seen in one of the best thrilling set-pieces in The Phantom Menace — the young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) taking part in an exhilarating pod race sequence, which is inspired by that 1959 movie’s famous chariot race.
Back to the screenplay, it’s not like Lucas doesn’t try to shape an intriguing story. There are shady political manipulations orchestrated by Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) that reflect real-world conflicts and Padmé Amidala’s (Natalie Portman) advocacy of pacifism and steadfast passion for democracy. But the execution is where the plot fails to delve deeper beyond its surface-level storytelling. The political aspect of The Phantom Menace feels more tedious than keeping me invested in the story.
What matters the most is the introduction of the 9-year-old Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd). He is a bright and hopeful slave boy and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) sees him as the chosen one to become a Jedi one day. The Jedi Council, notably Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) remains sceptical about the boy’s future as a potential Jedi apprentice. The story surrounding the origin story of Anakin and how he would become Darth Vader in the later movies is far more interesting than the politics-heavy attempt in The Phantom Menace. I initially found Lloyd’s acting annoying but rewatching the movie again somehow changed the way I look at his performance. His coming-of-age innocence and how he finds himself unexpectedly being chosen to embrace his destiny is where his character arc makes the otherwise uneven story forgivable in some parts.
Now, looking at the CGI again, Lucas’s insistence on pushing the technology in The Phantom Menace remains as misguided as ever. It’s ugly, cartoonish and even a step down from what I’ve seen in the original trilogy. The supposedly majestic battle scene between the Gungans led by Jar Jar Binks (voiced by Ahmed Best) and the battle droids suffers from the distracting digital fakery. Speaking of Jar Jar Binks, his bumbling character still bothers me even after all these decades.
The Phantom Menace excels in the action department and the opening scene already proved that with Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) fending off the battle droids with their lightsabers. The aforementioned pod race sequence aside, the movie is also notable for its Duel of the Fates set-piece — a climatic two-against-one lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi against the formidable Darth Maul (Ray Park). The showdown is thrillingly staged with enough verve and superb agility while John Williams’ orchestral theme enlivened the already-remarkable set piece altogether. Even after the Star Wars movies evolved, for better or worse, with the divisive sequel trilogy as well as spin-offs and its Disney+ TV series, the Duel of the Fates lightsaber duel remains undisputed as the greatest action scene ever made in the franchise’s history.
The Phantom Menace gets an extra boost from Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor as the two deliver engaging performances as Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ray Park’s imposing Darth Maul character is one of Lucas’s best creations for the major antagonist in the Star Wars universe. He certainly impresses with his nimbleness and the only gripe I have about him is his lack of screentime.
