Even on DVD "Phantom Menace" is still stinky

[Gemini Cricket]

Is it just me or was "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" really bad?

I didn't go into it with high hopes in the theatre, but yet it's truly a bad film.

Oh, and yes, I do honestly believe What's-Her-Face was excellent.

[cstephens]

I liked Phantom Menace a lot. I got more out of it each of the 4 times I saw it in a theatre. I haven't seen the whole thing on DVD yet (just the final battle sequence that takes place on 3 fronts), but it was awesome, especially on our big TV. I can't wait to be able to watch the whole movie, regularly and with the commentary. I saw a bunch of the special features last night, and they were awesome, especially the documentary.

I can't wait for next May.

[Doodle Duck]

I thought 'what's her name' had the best portrayal of a person in a coma I've yet seen....I'm assuming it mirrored Lucas' state while directing.


Ponderous comes to mind.

[EandCDad]

I consider myself a person of relatively low standards. I didn't think it was a very good movie but I've certainly seen worse. The continuing characters were all fine (except the lothesome Jar-Jar) so I have (restrained) anticipation for Part II.

[pheneix]

Whoever decided to put this movie on anamorphic widescreen needs to be beaten to a bloody pulp.

I despise all widescreen formats, but I can tolorate the "standard" widescreen. This, however, is just utterly ridiculous.

And unlike Terminator 2, the movie is not good enough to make up for this fault.

Pheneix

[lisap]

Originally posted by pheneix
Whoever decided to put this movie on anamorphic widescreen needs to be beaten to a bloody pulp.
Pheneix

Dude, maybe you should save this type of rhetoric for child molestors and drunk drivers--where do you go after beating people to a bloody pulp for making a movie format you disagree with?

[JRob2k1]

We all know my stance on the 1st episode....

But in all seriousness, the scenes without *ahem* were really bad. I didnt like this movie at all, and there was only one reason I actually saw it again in the theaters...

-JRob

[Bill Catherall]

Ehem...pardon me while I raise my voice.

pheneix - Don't buy the DVD. Nobody is forcing it down your throat. Please....stick to VHS. Do you complain at the movie theaters because they show them in widescreen there too?

Sorry. That's just one my biggest pet peeves. DVD is a format that is meant to show movies as they are meant to be seen. Clean picture, clean sound, and proper aspect ratio.

Anyway, sure The Phantom Menace is no great film. But it is a good movie. It's entertaining. In that sense, I do like it. I find it quite funny that so many people find it fun to jump on the "hating Ep. 1" bandwagon. It's an easy movie to criticize. But it is a fun flick. Lot's of eye and ear candy.

[EandCDad]

Originally posted by Bill Catherall
I find it quite funny that so many people find it fun to jump on the "hating Ep. 1" bandwagon. It's an easy movie to criticize. But it is a fun flick. Lot's of eye and ear candy.

Bill, I like you, I'm not trying to get into a fight or anything, but why is someone not liking Phantom Menace a "bandwagon." People have opinions about movies, amusement parks, music, books, etc. If someone doesn't watch the movie and says that it sucks, then I would agree with you. But I have seen the movie and I thought it was ok but could see how someone wouldn't like it. They have a right to their opinion, don't demean it by acting as though it is motivated by something else.

[Bill Catherall]

I didn't mean to imply that the people here are on that bandwagon. I say it's a bandwagon because I participate in other movie and home theater related internet forums where people just seem to come out of the woodwork when it comes to bashing The Phantom Menace. Of course everyone is entitled to their opinions. It seems to be more so with TPM than any other bad movie. Probably because everybody went in with such high expectations.

[Doodle Duck]

For my own part...Ep 1 lacked the story telling flow and the ability to pull me into the proceedings like the other eps did.
I sat through it much in the way I sat through Howard The Duck...less than involved. Paramount was the lack of real 'character'...Obi Wan was Bland...Darth Maul while making a few neat moves looked pretty stupid (to me) rather than menacing...the afore mentioned 'lady' was somnabulistic...and Jar Jar..well...(silent scream)

There is no way I could believe Obi Wan grew from that dullard into Alec Guiness. And finally it seemed to lack 'Heart' and decidedly lacked 'Soul'....Lucas was techincally distracted is my only figuring.

Not on a bandwagon...just agreeing with Doc.

Wide Screen, TEN. Pan & Scan, ZERO.

[Morrigoon]

I hated Jar-jar, and there was one scene with REALLY badly dubbed audio.

THAT SAID, I liked ep1, saw it many times and bought the video. It's a fun little movie.

[Ex Cast Member]

I agree with Bill.

If someone doesnt like widescreen, BY ALL MEANS STAY WITH VHS.
They obviously dont care about the movies integrity, so pan and scan VHS is perfect for them.

I thought the movie was a fun watch. Not super. I did buy the WIDESCREEN vhs, and the DVD now that Lucas has decided to grace us with it a year after the vhs release.

[cstephens]

Originally posted by Ex Cast Member
I did buy the WIDESCREEN vhs, and the DVD now that Lucas has decided to grace us with it a year after the vhs release.

I'd say it was definitely worth the wait.

[Doodle Duck]

Rented the DVD today...will be interested in all the behind the scenes goodies as well as the 7 new scenes.
If you hear screams, it's just me sitting through Jar Jar which is akin to watching Rosanne and Diane Keaton read the phone book while scraping steak knives acroos the dinner ware.
But hey..I'm tough.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'm a die hard SW fan, and I saw Ep 1 in the theaters 6 times, including twice on a digital screen.

Here's why I saw it in the theaters all those times - the pod race. The Darth Maul battle. The sights, the sounds, the action. That's why I shelled out the bucks.

Yeah, I too was disappointed by certain things in this movie. Jar-Jar was a stupid concept, the acting by the kid and Miss Portman was less than enthralling, etc. There are plenty of "SW freak only" gripes as well, about how things match up in the saga, and I won't bore you with all that.

But I'm still on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next one. I can't help it, I love the saga. I make no guarantees to myself that this one will match any of the other good ones.....I often wonder what I would do if Ep 2 is WORSE than Ep 1.

[Andrew]

Originally posted by Cadaverous Pallor
I often wonder what I would do if Ep 2 is WORSE than Ep 1.

Wait for Ep. 3, of course...

[Doodle Duck]

Hey CadaverousP...I was just going to post this when I read your post and you hit the DVD success on the head...
Go DIRECT to the Chapter index and watch them all seperately! It was cool!
The Giant Fish...The Pod Race...the Victory parade (and fun music)...the Light Saber battles...doesn't have to make sense this way...just see it for the spectacle. Worked for me. Smooths over many of the flat performances as you can avoid them.

[Bill Catherall]

I bought the DVD last night and watched it. EXCELLENT DVD by the way! The extended 2nd lap of the pod race was cool. You could finally see how Anakin was able to take second from second-to-last in that lap. The surround sound was INCREDIBLE. The surrounds were put to great use to really pull you into the scenes. And what can I say about the bass. I think "thunderous" is the word I'm looking for. So now I have a new reference disc when demo-ing my system.

[zapppop]

I think the Phantom Menace was good.

However, Darth Maul should've had Jar Jar for breakfast !

[Gemini Cricket]

I don't know, maybe I'm just turning into a bitter old queen....