Why the Phantom the Menace isn't that bad.

Star Wars The Phantom Menace is often considered to be the worst movie of the saga, but I would like to offer a different view. The film is built up with a range of aspects which I believe make it one of the better films in the franchise. This includes an engaging fantasy race; introducing politics into a vastly unpolitical franchise; creating character arcs and origins; real-world comparisons and relatability; a look into the intricacies of the Force; and finishes with exceptional moments binding it together.

The part that receives some heavy criticism in the film is the Podracing sequence. “Watching the race, you don’t focus on Anakin winning or losing, you focus on how boring everything is.” I would say Podracing is one of the film's most iconic parts. This fast-paced race is unique to Star Wars while also “translating the high-octane thrills of motorsports to the context of a galaxy far, far away.” With its insane speeds, this race doesn’t just set a standard for the prequels, it also shows that Anakin Skywalker is starting to live up to his potential set up by the original films, “your father was already a great pilot”. In contrast to this action is the bureaucracy in Coruscant, which is where most people watching tune out.

Many people found the political side of the film uninteresting but these crucial scenes lay the foundation for the saga. “The taxation of trade routes and debates are the times I notice the time pass, am I actually bored at a Star Wars movie?” but these scenes build up to where the original films take off with the Empire. The heart of this can be seen when Chancellor Valorum’s administration is seen as “the epitome of corruption and bureaucracy”. This is revealed during the Naboo invasion which requires an immediate response but none is made. During this time Anakin's character arc starts to take shape but also his criticism begins to develop.

People make fun of characters throughout the entire film for either acting, appearances or dialogue. However, the main characters that get the most criticism are Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker. Unsurprisingly, as people get older and watch The Phantom Menace they critique more of the humour and childish parts. Jar Jar from a kid's perspective is a funny creature that does silly things, which was the intention behind his creation, to be comedic relief. But as the audience ages, their dislike of him continues, no longer seeing humour as they once might have, “Annoying. A danger to himself and others.” Anakin is disliked for his childish and annoying behaviour. “A pre-Vader version saying, ’Yippee,’ wasn’t so Vader.” He was supposed to be relatable to the new young generation watching the franchise. “I found Anakin to be a relatable character in age and Jar Jar Binks as genuinely entertaining”. For the older audience members this was needed so people could separate Anakin from Darth Vader, as he is an entirely different person at this point in his life.

Star Wars as a fantasy franchise is widely accepted as being unreal. However, the film brings relatability to its sci-fi universe by highlighting the wealth disparities between different peoples and planets. It's no secret that the Outer Rim is full of poverty, and being run by the Hutts makes it even less desirable to live in. This is a complete contrast to the wealth of Coruscant, in which the entire city covers the planet. This mirror’s our real world with third world countries barely surviving in great poverty, some run by terrorist organisations like the Taliban, and first world countries like America with underlying corruption, as in Coruscant’s underworld. The wealth of these countries is going to affect its people fundamentally which is probably one thing most civilizations have in common. This leads to one of the most debated topics of the film, Midi-chlorians.

Many people heavily disliked the introduction of Midi-chlorians as it changes the mystery of the Force or “Space magic!” However, I think it adds ways of explaining more of the Star Wars Law, while also leading to technical ways of measuring how powerful the Force was - if there is any limit. This leads to a greater exploration into the Force with a defined way of how it functions. “Midi-chlorians are a microscopic life-form that resides within all living cells.” Many fan theories and stories have arisen from this one conversation between Anakin and Qui-Gon. The best parts of the films though are recognized even by those who otherwise criticise it. One example is the soundtrack Duel of the Fates, composed by John Willams, one of the most iconic themes from the entire saga. This music not only amplified the well-choreographed lightsaber combat but also led powerfully into one of the saddest Jedi Master death scenes of Star Wars.

Critiques were mainly made, from what I can see, about characters that people no longer find relatable; people not wanting to have a complex understanding of the politics; or complaints about too much depth concerning the Force. However, I believe if these people chose to look objectively, rather than subjectively, they could appreciate the power of the film even if they don’t personally enjoy it.

Bibliography

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