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Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D (1999)

Director: George Lucas

Time Out rating

Average user rating

9 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Online

‘George Lucas ruined my childhood!’ cried the fanboys when this ungainly, frequently idiotic prequel to the director’s game-changing ‘Star Wars’ trilogy lumbered into cinemas back in 1999. Such a reaction seems a little overemotional – but then, if someone’s memories of youth are so fragile as to be shattered by a single film, they’re probably not the most reliable cultural commentator to begin with.

The story – such as it is – sees jobbing Jedi ambassadors Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) packed off to the lush planet of Naboo to break a blockade by the scheming trade federation. Little do they know that this seemingly ordinary (and spectacularly tedious) tax dispute is in fact just the cover for a dark power to start meddling in the affairs of the Galactic Republic.

The passage of time has not improved Lucas’s grand folly – and neither has the addition of an extra dimension. The dialogue is still disastrous and weirdly repetitive, the performances are still robotic and the plot is still riddled with inconsistencies. The 3D remastering is often so subtle as to be almost unnoticeable: even the podrace sequence – the heart-pounding highlight of the film – doesn’t seem to have much in the way of added depth, and the frantic pace of the action renders many elements blurry and indistinct.

What does come alive in the new print is the background detail – this was always a beautifully designed film, crammed with gorgeous costumes, sleek CG spacecraft and knowing nods to the earlier films: check out Watto’s junk shop, in which every corner is stuffed with busted robots and rusting detritus from Lucas’s Industrial Light & Magic warehouse. So while ‘The Phantom Menace’ is still a frustratingly flat experience, it’s at least a visually sumptuous one.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out Online

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User reviews of this film

Ian said...

Posted on Feb 19 2012 14:24 The review is right to an extent as this is a prettier film than it was in 1999 but the film equivalent of botox and breast implants doesn't hide the empty soul of the film.
The plot and script are still poor and there seems little benefit of the 3D. In fact as I got up to leave I felt really quite dizzy. The 3D left me really disorientated..
I am less diasppointed than I was originally by the film but still not really pleased by it.

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Alphamail said...

Posted on Feb 16 2012 18:18 I saw the film with my 5 year old son. I just realised that George Lucas is brilliant if not genius at desigining inorganic space craft and absolute crap at designing and c creating creatures.

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Feb 14 2012 22:41 The initial shock (for a 29 year old in 1999) WELL over, separating these CGI, kiddy pleasing piece's is far easier now. MUCH enjoyment is to be had viewing them in this mode (far better than ANY Potter!) it does it's franchise stoking job,
sadly not anything else for 7 year old's in 1977. bottom in tact though! 6+/10

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peter magill said...

Posted on Feb 11 2012 15:15 Not even bothering to watch this load of crap in 3D, I turned over when it was on tv last year, now 'Star wars ' empire strikes back ' and 'Return of the jedi' would well be worth watching in 3D on the big screen.

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Dongus said...

Posted on Feb 11 2012 10:32 People should go and see this movie for the nostalgia of 90's. Re-live again those moments of expecting new Star Wars movies and those times when you were younger and more naive to the ultimate disappointment of delivered product.

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mister_x said...

Posted on Feb 09 2012 17:09 3d was fun for final destination 5 as all the weapons seemed to come out at you but unless youre using it like that, it seems quite useless. well, unless your aim is to get cash registers ringing a bit more. which is the only reason its around really isnt it? to make people think they cant watch it at home.

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Stuart Barr said...

Posted on Feb 09 2012 15:42 Lovely comment Roger Rabbit, very constructive. One might think the reviewers remarks that the 3D in this case doesn't add anything would be enough. In any case try watching Hugo. Toodles

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George Lucas said...

Posted on Feb 09 2012 13:56 I'm actually preparing new prequel (yes just one movies) to my 70's-80's movies to replace those bad ones. This new ones will be again scripted by Lawrence Kasdan, I will mostly use models, someone else will direct it and most of all there won't be any toys or other products to accompany the movie just pure cinematic experience.

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rogerrabbit said...

Posted on Feb 09 2012 13:09 er when is someone going to say..3d is utter crap it does not work ..extra 2.50 for stupid specs for a movie thats been played to death yyyyyyyawn

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