Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (1999)

[filmlover]

Because it is necessary. Fire away!

[SteveJaros]

I recall that this was the first time i ever bought tickets to a movie over the internet. Was living in Louisiana at the time but was going to be visiting someone in Phoenix on opening day, and so logged on at the appointed time and grabbed tickets for a 4 AM showing at a cinema there. Demand was so great that there was no separation between the "midnight" showings and next day showings, they just started showing it around the clock as soon as they could.

 

Like many, I was annoyed by the Jar-Jar Binx character and felt the film fell flat, had no "feel" as a "Star Wars" film. I expected this, as Lucas had indicated in interviews that PM was aimed at a younger generation of moviegoers, not the original audience that made the franchise famous 15-20 years earlier, and that he was excited by the chance to use all the shiny new digital SFX bells and whistles that hadn't existed back then. He was not interested in doing a nostalgia trip.

 

To my perceived detriment, he succeeded. PM was a big hit at the box office so plenty of Gen-Yers or whatever 10 years olds in 1999 were called liked it, and to this day PM has never felt like the Star Wars that I grew up with.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2017 by SteveJaros