Star Wars: Revisiting the Menace of Episode I
In 1999, George Lucas reignited his lightsaber and took us back to a galaxy far, far away with the first film of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, The Phantom Menace. At its time, it was the most heavily promoted film of the decade due to the fan base and culture the franchise created. However, it was also the most divisive and critical film of the franchise, with a raging fan base that went out to insult, belittle, and bully anything related to it.
This year, the film was released on May 3 in celebration of May 4, the birthday of George Lucas, and the celebration of Star Wars as a whole. Regardless of the criticism it got in the past, the current fan base was ecstatic and excited to watch it again in theaters. But why is that?
There’s three generations of Star Wars fans. The first generation who grew up on the Original Trilogy, the second generation that grew up on the Prequels, and the newest generation that saw the sequels. The fans who enjoyed the prequels saw episode 1 as their introduction to Star Wars, which is why there was so much hype for its re-release back in 2011 and this year. These are the kids from the 90s and the 2000s, who watched the films in chronological order and the originals in their remastered format.
This is one of the reasons why the first gen didn’t like the film; The Phantom Menace was essentially a family film. Its cinematography, color, and tone portray a more calm and innocent era. The film takes place 19 years before the rule of the Galactic Empire, where the Republic was still alive and the Jedi Order kept peace and order across the galaxy, and Darth Vader was just a 9-year-old boy named Anakin Skywalker.
The most critical and controversial criticism regarding this film was Jake Lloyd’s portrayal of the young prodigal Skywalker. The amount of hate and bullying he received led him to the actual “Dark Side,” going through drug abuse and mental health problems because of this fanboy hate that the first generation put him through. No one got as much as much hate and criticism as he and Ahmed Best, the man who played the elephant in the room: Jar Jar Binks.
His experience was the most depressing given the amount of parody, jokes, and insults given to his character. Ahmed Best had to battle through depression and suicide because of the harsh attacks he got and the typecasting that lead following the film’s release. Jar Jar even got labeled as a “racist stereotype towards black Caribbeans.” Ahmed and Jake did not deserve to deal with that amount of hatred brought by the fanbase.
The biggest reason that’s been used by “purists” for their hatred towards The Phantom Menace was the politics. The argument was that it was too convoluted, but arguably, by today’s standards the plot wasn’t that complicated. The plot of episode I is best summarizes as the following:
The peaceful planet Naboo is being invaded by the Trade Federation, a powerful corporation that holds an army of battle droids at is disposal. The Galactic Republic sends Jedi master Qui Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi Wan Kenobi to fix the situation but things turn to worse.
Star Wars was always political. The Original Trilogy was influenced by the Vietnam War while the Prequels touched the War on Terror. In A New Hope, it touched on the Empire’s autocratic and despotic power over the galaxy. In Phantom Menace, we see how it led to that, with the Republic falling weak under the influence of the Trade Federation’s corruption. Which led to the rise of the film’s true villain, Senator Palpatine. The same Palpatine that would become Emperor of the Galactic Empire. The fact that the Prequels reflected more of American politics during that year was the real reason why the original fans hated it, but it didn’t make the plot boring or complicated.
Overall, The Phantom Menace is by far the worst Star Wars film. There’s other films that arguably deserve that title (at least in my opinion) but this film is no longer hated, it’s instead cherished by the generation that grew on it. Star Wars was never intended for a mature audience, it was always meant for children. George Lucas always stated in interviews that the prequels were meant for a new generation of fans. Also, he never does the same film twice, which is why every Star Wars film he made feels and looks different. In terms of visuals, the CGI isn’t bad, the lightsaber duels are still top-notch and livid in choreography power, and the soundtrack is still the most recognizable, with Duel of Fates becoming one of the most well-known pieces in the franchise. The character Darth Maul, the film’s antagonist, has become a fan favorite on par with Darth Vader and has made continuous appearances across Star Wars media.
The Star Wars films aren’t your typical blockbusters for the box office — they’re a modern mythology, a set of stories that teach all forms of lessons through its science fantasy world. Each trilogy caters towards that, and its diverse fans’ opinions need to be respected. The Star Wars fan base is the second most known toxic fanbase next to comic books. Everyone’s a critic, and they make the most outrageous commentary ever, and what they did was unspeakable when the Prequel films came out.
Being a Star Wars fan who was born in the generation of the Prequel Trilogy, I’ve seen this film about five times, twice in theaters. And in the theaters, I watched with my family, because that’s what this film is. It’s a family flick, with a hidden message. All I can say is that I’m glad the hatred for this film is no longer present, and that my generation can be proud to say it’s their favorite film in the franchise.