Have you ever had a movie or television show that you remember but not a whole lot? You think to yourself – perhaps this is the Mandela Effect. Was this real? Was this something else? Was this even good? I was eight years old, the first time, I ever watched The Phantom Menace. For a while, I went through this phase where I didn’t really go back and re-watch movies. It just wasn’t something I did as a child until I hit my teenage years. I’ll confess that I largely loomed in the audience’s gray memories and hated this film because it was cool to do. I held true to that up till about a year ago. It was this period in my life, where I started to unsubscribe to YouTube channels which were solely movie critics. I wanted to make my mind up for myself.
Then a couple of months ago, Soul Pancake, told the story of Ahmed Best. If you don’t know who that is, he is the actor responsible for bringing Jar-Jar Binks to life. He talked about his suicidal depression following the release of Episode One and how toxic the fandom was to him in that time. I wanted to know if my toxic memories of the first prequel to one of the most beloved franchises was accurate or not. So here, we are.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace tells the story of two Jedis, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) & Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), who come across a young child (Jake Llyod) who is prophesied to bring balance to the force – though their discovery hinges on the heels of all out war. Phantom Menace feels problematic within its opening frames. Viewers are dropped into this sequence of Neeson and McGregor embarking on a journey, though it’s without context at first. It eventually does get fleshed out but feels like an odd narrative choice to open with. This has become almost a signature of the Star Wars prequels trilogy to be honest. Picking up from a random spot in the narrative and then fleshing itself out as it goes along.
The opening narrative issues are quickly forgivable because of its mesmerizing fight choreography. With strong performances from Neeson and McGregor both – Menace feels visually compelling as it is entertaining. The sheer lightsaber battles are astonishing and one of the strongest features from the film. Menace feels like a dual beginning. These prequels are mostly remembered as the origin story for Darth Vader, one of the most beloved cinematic antagonists ever to be set to reel. However, they are equally telling the tale of the infamous clone wars saga as well. Much of the narrative is dedicated to that very idea and concept. Viewers are taken on a journey of the beginnings of war, started because of a treaty and a trade goods – vastly mirroring our own world. There is a layer of reliability which writer and director, George Lucas, is able to create here. He is masterful at just that.
Though, that mastery, can be short lived at times. While a good amount of the narrative is poured into this treaty and trade arc, some of it comes apart simply for the sake of being out of tone. Jar-Jar Binks and the pod racing sequences are largely to blame for such crimes. Jar-Jar, feels misplaced within the film. As if Lucas wanted to tell this story but also felt the pressure to make this a dumbed down to be a children’s movie. While not a bad character, Binks feels misplaced within the context of the larger story. As does the pod racing. While it does make for a pretty cool sequence, it overstays its welcome and runs way longer than it needs to.
Overall, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, falls slightly short of its source material. Menace boasts strong leads in Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor – who carry the film with utter brilliance and charm. Not to mention, it has some strong fight choreography that is meant with some truly electrifying visuals – thanks to the lightsabers. Though, not all of the visuals, boast that strength. Clearly there is a power outage in a galaxy far, far away as the CGI of some of the creatures feels poorly done or unfinished. Cap that off with some tonal inconsistencies in side characters and stories – Phantom Menace can feel a bit jarring at times. Phantom Menace is an engaging, yet intimate, narrative which has strength and weaknesses alike. The force needs balanced with this one!
RORSCHACH RATING
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