Last night I watched Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. As you’re probably aware, it’s built up quite the reputation for being one of the worst episodes, and stirred up quite a bit of controversy upon its release, something I, like many people my age, jumped on the bandwagon for. Is it really all that bad though? And are we only hurting our own creativity by bashing it?
This eventually all comes down to our own subjective opinions, but last night I watched it again for the first time in a while and I watched it unbiased. I accepted it as a new branch of George Lucas’ own vision of the story that captured an entire generation and to be honest, I actually enjoyed it! I still find Jar Jar to be a little overly annoying at times, there are a few scenes that could be eliminated for consistency and speed and then there’s also a bit of bad acting, but then, the original trilogy certainly had its share of bad acting as well.
I wound up saying a similar statement on my Facebook profile, to which an old college friend pointed me toward an in-depth video review of why The Phantom Menace is such a terrible movie. I didn’t watch it all, in fact I only watched enough to get the understanding that he hated it and he was very upset with George Lucas for “screwing up the backstory.”
Did George Lucas really screw up the backstory though? Not at all. It’s his universe, and thus, his story. He can make the story do whatever he wants. He was never required to check with his fans before shooting each prequel to make sure everyone approved. As a result, he took his story in what he thought was an interesting direction, deciding to show the downfall of Anakin Skywalker rather than the failing of Obi-Wan Kenobi as an instructor. With that, people outright rejected Episode I as Star Wars, as well as for other reasons. From what I’ve heard, read and watch over the years, that’s one of the primary reasons.
But why? It’s not their story after all. It’s someone else’s. Why would people completely reject someone else’s vision so fervently? What happened was people, over the nearly two decades between the releases of Episodes VI and I, created their own story of what should happen. They created in their mind what should be the appropriate backstory and just about every single Star Wars fans’ story was going to differ not only from George Lucas’ story, but also each other’s. Unfortunately for George Lucas, they found a common enemy in him for not writing Star Wars the way they wanted.
The interesting thing about all of this though which finally brings me to my point, is that each one of these people made up their own story. They built up in their mind their own movie, their own branch of a well-developed universe, that with a little tweaking, could be made into their own unique vision completely free of the Star Wars universe. The problem is all these people, even over ten years after the release of The Phantom Menace, are still using George Lucas as their excuse not to exercise their own creativity because he chose to bring his story to life rather than theirs. The only thing stopping each one of these people from writing their own novel or comic book, or shooting their own movie, is that they’re still, to this day, blaming George Lucas for not bringing their creative vision to life when all this time, they have just as much opportunity and resources as he had when he first made American Graffiti, if not more so thanks to current technology. Some of these people could probably even make something more technically advanced than the original Star Wars on a fraction of the budget given the technology available.
If you do any kind of creative work, it’s essential to not block your own creative vision by putting your blame on someone else or even something else. Did another photographer get the shot that you were wanting? Don’t be upset with them. Go to that same spot and find the angle that they didn’t. Are you on a vacation and not having ideal weather in the spot you’ve been dreaming about photographing? Don’t blame the weather for impeding your photography, use the weather to do more photography, or at the very least, challenge yourself with it. If you’re constantly blaming other factors for not helping your creativity come to life, your skills are eventually going to diminish as a result. Take the challenges when they’re presented to you and when the door opens, don’t just slam it shut because someone else opened it for you, run through it enthusiastically! When you let go of the resistance that blocks creativity, in this case blame, you’ll open yourself up to allow it to flow like a river.
So true Mike. Often were surrounded by so much technology and others visions that it’s easy to lose sight of our own. At these times, we need to remember that the true path to creativity lies within.
Perfectly stated, Russ. Thank you for the comment!
So true Mike. Often were surrounded by so much technology and others visions that it’s easy to lose sight of our own. At these times, we need to remember that the true path to creativity lies within.
Perfectly stated, Russ. Thank you for the comment!
Most people are not genuinely creative themselves. This is a very great tragedy. It’s easy to follow someone else’s creative vision. Establishing your own takes a lot of energy. More than most people are willing to commit.
The Phantom Menace is NOT an effective show. The bare concept is absolutely terrible. I’m not talking about Jar Jar Binks. I’m not talking about Naboo. Not the tarriffs. Not the wooden acting. All of these things are dreadful by themselves. But that’s not why I object to the show. It’s the idea of a prequel ITSELF that I think is terrible.
Back in 1995, or ’96, when I first heard that George Lucas was planning to make a Star Wars Prequel, I thought the man had lost his mind. Why on Earth would we want to see what happened BEFORE the original three Star Wars films? We already KNOW what came before. Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. We were told this on “Return of the Jedi.” We don’t want to see what happened BEFORE the first three movies. We want to see what happens AFTER.
We want to see the continuing adventures of Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, our old friends Chewbacca and the droids, the Millennium Falcon…If a Star Wars movie doesn’t have these EXACT things in it, then it isn’t Star Wars. It’s something else. The magic is gone. The honeymoon is over.
The idea of a PREQUEL strikes me as astonishingly unimaginative and dull. A PREQUEL is the kind of movie a person makes when they have nothing new left to say. No original ideas.
Just the notion, just the bare CONCEPT of a prequel, is unpleasant in a way I have never seen before. This is backward thinking of the very worst sort. The opposite of creativity. I can’t even comprehend what state of mind a person would have to be in to come up with an idea this bad.
Even if the prequels were good, it wouldn’t matter. The idea itself is bizarre.
I remember when The Phantom Menace first came out (gosh, how I hate that ugly name. So un-Star Warsy. Reminds me of a seance). All the guys at my job were so excited to see it.
I wasn’t. No interest at all. Everyone wondered why I, the biggest sci-fi fan in town, didn’t care. I told them that even if The Phantom Menace was good, it wasn’t Star Wars. No Han Solo. No Millennium Falcon. No Princess Leia. None of our old friends. To this day, I have never actually seen The Phantom Menace all the way through for these reasons. It isn’t Star Wars at all. It’s just some story set in the Star Wars universe. That’s not Star Wars. That’s just a waste of time.
George Lucas literally doesn’t seem to function the same way he did when he was younger. His creativity is not the same. The ideas he values nowadays are very, very different than in the 70’s and 80’s. Less original. Less odd. He used to have a brilliantly weird imagination. Almost like that of Jim Henson. Now he has a dull mind. Every single idea that comes out of it is pedestrian and boring. His values appear to have completely shifted.
Instead of a giant slug that tries to swallow the Millennium Falcon, Lucas gave us the Trade Federation. Instead of the Wampa Ice Monster, Lucas came up with Jarr Jarr Binks. (I’ve seen the commercials.) Instead of
the Death Star, Lucas gave us Trade Routes and taxation and Naboo. Is this the same man who created the first three Star Wars movies? It’s almost like we’re dealing with a completely different person.
Interestingly, Lucas continued to have good ideas for a several years after finishing “The Return of the Jedi.” He made the movies “Caravan of Courage,” and “The Battle for Endor” (for television). He made “Willow,” an absolutely delightful movie. He made the T.V. series “Droids,” and “Ewoks,” both of which display the same wonderful ideas at work that he introduced in Star Wars. His mind was still ticking over. He brain was still operating at full force, in its own unusual way, producing unusual ideas and uniquely weird, wonderful concepts. All of them new. All of them charming, original and utterly different.
So different from now. So unlike his present work.
And I’m amazed how boring he is when he talks.
I think Lucas stopped creating for far too long. He stopped trying for nearly a decade. This is the kiss of death for a creative person. If you’re not always trying something new, your talent will rot. You will not progress. You’ll stagnate. “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it,” as they say. This seems to be literally true.
Maybe the old George Lucas is hiding somewhere deep inside George Lucas somewhere. Sadly, I doubt we’ll ever see him again.
Let me point out why this is an idiotic comment.
Reason 1.
“Why on Earth would we want to see what happened BEFORE the original three Star Wars films? We already KNOW what came before.”
So I’m guessing you also hate film adaptations of plays or books (Lord of the Rings, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.), as well as any film that’s based on a true story (Titanic, Remember the Titans, Apollo 13, etc.) since you usually already know what happens before you see the movie…
Reason 2.
“We don’t want to see what happened BEFORE the first three movies. We want to see what happens AFTER.”
Then later…
“All the guys at my job were so excited to see it.”
Looks like they wanted to see what happened before. Or do they (as well as millions of other fans) not count? Substitute “we” for “I” in that first part and you’re good.
Reason 3.
“The idea of a PREQUEL strikes me as astonishingly unimaginative and dull. A PREQUEL is the kind of movie a person makes when they have nothing new left to say. No original ideas. Just the notion, just the bare CONCEPT of a prequel, is unpleasant in a way I have never seen before. This is backward thinking of the very worst sort. The opposite of creativity. I can’t even comprehend what state of mind a person would have to be in to come up with an idea this bad.”
Gooood. GOOOOOOD. Let the hate flow through you!
No really, you are the first person I have EVER seen who hates the very concept of the prequel. And really LOATHES it, it would appear… but apparently sequels are totally okay. Makes perfect sense. Also reinforces my theory that you hate adaptations and films based on real events.
Reason 4.
“I told them that even if The Phantom Menace was good, it wasn’t Star Wars. No Han Solo. No Millennium Falcon. No Princess Leia. None of our old friends. To this day, I have never actually seen The Phantom Menace all the way through for these reasons. It isn’t Star Wars at all. It’s just some story set in the Star Wars universe. That’s not Star Wars. That’s just a waste of time.”
Would it kill you to have a more open mind? So Star Trek: The Next Generation isn’t Star Trek because it doesn’t have Kirk or Spock or the original Enterprise? So not only do you hate prequels, adaptations, and films based on true events, but now you also hate anything that in anyway is remotely a “spin-off”. Man, seeing a movie with you must be a depressing experience.
Reason 5.
“The Phantom Menace is NOT an effective show.”
Then of course:
“To this day, I have never actually seen The Phantom Menace all the way through for these reasons.”
Really? I’ll let you figure this one out for yourself. Let’s look at another one:
“Even if the prequels were good, it wouldn’t matter. The idea itself is bizarre.”
So you haven’t seen The Phantom Menace all the way through, and you hate prequels, so I’ll assume you also haven’t seen Attack of the Clones or Revenge of the Sith. So how do you know if the prequels were good or not…? It certainly seems like you wouldn’t like them anyway, but come on, if you haven’t seen them, you can’t say if they were bad or good, you should know this.
Most people are not genuinely creative themselves. This is a very great tragedy. It’s easy to follow someone else’s creative vision. Establishing your own takes a lot of energy. More than most people are willing to commit.
The Phantom Menace is NOT an effective show. The bare concept is absolutely terrible. I’m not talking about Jar Jar Binks. I’m not talking about Naboo. Not the tarriffs. Not the wooden acting. All of these things are dreadful by themselves. But that’s not why I object to the show. It’s the idea of a prequel ITSELF that I think is terrible.
Back in 1995, or ’96, when I first heard that George Lucas was planning to make a Star Wars Prequel, I thought the man had lost his mind. Why on Earth would we want to see what happened BEFORE the original three Star Wars films? We already KNOW what came before. Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. We were told this on “Return of the Jedi.” We don’t want to see what happened BEFORE the first three movies. We want to see what happens AFTER.
We want to see the continuing adventures of Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, our old friends Chewbacca and the droids, the Millennium Falcon…If a Star Wars movie doesn’t have these EXACT things in it, then it isn’t Star Wars. It’s something else. The magic is gone. The honeymoon is over.
The idea of a PREQUEL strikes me as astonishingly unimaginative and dull. A PREQUEL is the kind of movie a person makes when they have nothing new left to say. No original ideas.
Just the notion, just the bare CONCEPT of a prequel, is unpleasant in a way I have never seen before. This is backward thinking of the very worst sort. The opposite of creativity. I can’t even comprehend what state of mind a person would have to be in to come up with an idea this bad.
Even if the prequels were good, it wouldn’t matter. The idea itself is bizarre.
I remember when The Phantom Menace first came out (gosh, how I hate that ugly name. So un-Star Warsy. Reminds me of a seance). All the guys at my job were so excited to see it.
I wasn’t. No interest at all. Everyone wondered why I, the biggest sci-fi fan in town, didn’t care. I told them that even if The Phantom Menace was good, it wasn’t Star Wars. No Han Solo. No Millennium Falcon. No Princess Leia. None of our old friends. To this day, I have never actually seen The Phantom Menace all the way through for these reasons. It isn’t Star Wars at all. It’s just some story set in the Star Wars universe. That’s not Star Wars. That’s just a waste of time.
George Lucas literally doesn’t seem to function the same way he did when he was younger. His creativity is not the same. The ideas he values nowadays are very, very different than in the 70’s and 80’s. Less original. Less odd. He used to have a brilliantly weird imagination. Almost like that of Jim Henson. Now he has a dull mind. Every single idea that comes out of it is pedestrian and boring. His values appear to have completely shifted.
Instead of a giant slug that tries to swallow the Millennium Falcon, Lucas gave us the Trade Federation. Instead of the Wampa Ice Monster, Lucas came up with Jarr Jarr Binks. (I’ve seen the commercials.) Instead of
the Death Star, Lucas gave us Trade Routes and taxation and Naboo. Is this the same man who created the first three Star Wars movies? It’s almost like we’re dealing with a completely different person.
Interestingly, Lucas continued to have good ideas for a several years after finishing “The Return of the Jedi.” He made the movies “Caravan of Courage,” and “The Battle for Endor” (for television). He made “Willow,” an absolutely delightful movie. He made the T.V. series “Droids,” and “Ewoks,” both of which display the same wonderful ideas at work that he introduced in Star Wars. His mind was still ticking over. He brain was still operating at full force, in its own unusual way, producing unusual ideas and uniquely weird, wonderful concepts. All of them new. All of them charming, original and utterly different.
So different from now. So unlike his present work.
And I’m amazed how boring he is when he talks.
I think Lucas stopped creating for far too long. He stopped trying for nearly a decade. This is the kiss of death for a creative person. If you’re not always trying something new, your talent will rot. You will not progress. You’ll stagnate. “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it,” as they say. This seems to be literally true.
Maybe the old George Lucas is hiding somewhere deep inside George Lucas somewhere. Sadly, I doubt we’ll ever see him again.
Let me point out why this is an idiotic comment.
Reason 1.
“Why on Earth would we want to see what happened BEFORE the original three Star Wars films? We already KNOW what came before.”
So I’m guessing you also hate film adaptations of plays or books (Lord of the Rings, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.), as well as any film that’s based on a true story (Titanic, Remember the Titans, Apollo 13, etc.) since you usually already know what happens before you see the movie…
Reason 2.
“We don’t want to see what happened BEFORE the first three movies. We want to see what happens AFTER.”
Then later…
“All the guys at my job were so excited to see it.”
Looks like they wanted to see what happened before. Or do they (as well as millions of other fans) not count? Substitute “we” for “I” in that first part and you’re good.
Reason 3.
“The idea of a PREQUEL strikes me as astonishingly unimaginative and dull. A PREQUEL is the kind of movie a person makes when they have nothing new left to say. No original ideas. Just the notion, just the bare CONCEPT of a prequel, is unpleasant in a way I have never seen before. This is backward thinking of the very worst sort. The opposite of creativity. I can’t even comprehend what state of mind a person would have to be in to come up with an idea this bad.”
Gooood. GOOOOOOD. Let the hate flow through you!
No really, you are the first person I have EVER seen who hates the very concept of the prequel. And really LOATHES it, it would appear… but apparently sequels are totally okay. Makes perfect sense. Also reinforces my theory that you hate adaptations and films based on real events.
Reason 4.
“I told them that even if The Phantom Menace was good, it wasn’t Star Wars. No Han Solo. No Millennium Falcon. No Princess Leia. None of our old friends. To this day, I have never actually seen The Phantom Menace all the way through for these reasons. It isn’t Star Wars at all. It’s just some story set in the Star Wars universe. That’s not Star Wars. That’s just a waste of time.”
Would it kill you to have a more open mind? So Star Trek: The Next Generation isn’t Star Trek because it doesn’t have Kirk or Spock or the original Enterprise? So not only do you hate prequels, adaptations, and films based on true events, but now you also hate anything that in anyway is remotely a “spin-off”. Man, seeing a movie with you must be a depressing experience.
Reason 5.
“The Phantom Menace is NOT an effective show.”
Then of course:
“To this day, I have never actually seen The Phantom Menace all the way through for these reasons.”
Really? I’ll let you figure this one out for yourself. Let’s look at another one:
“Even if the prequels were good, it wouldn’t matter. The idea itself is bizarre.”
So you haven’t seen The Phantom Menace all the way through, and you hate prequels, so I’ll assume you also haven’t seen Attack of the Clones or Revenge of the Sith. So how do you know if the prequels were good or not…? It certainly seems like you wouldn’t like them anyway, but come on, if you haven’t seen them, you can’t say if they were bad or good, you should know this.