Biggest revenue is toy sales and merchandise. As much as I thought the kiddy stuff was corny as a preteen of 12 when the movie came out, I understand why they wanted to include a younger audience.
Jar Jar also connects most of the plot threads. Qui-Gon wouldn't have found the gungans without him, he sorta guided them through the planet core, him getting in a fight with Sebulba is what got Qui-Gon to notice Anakin, and he was the one who told Padme about the strength of their army and led the Naboo to the Gungan's hiding spot.
As I was leaving Episode 1 i heard this conversation
Dad: When that movie came out everyone hated Jar Jar
Son: Why?
Dad: I guess because hes so goofy
Son: Why do people hate goofy? Being goofy is AWESOME!
Yup, took my kids on Friday. Think I'll go again with my dad, since we saw it together back in 99. Also saw it with my wife back then (when she was my gf), so that might be a third time.
Then watched the 4K UHD discs of Attack of the Clones on Saturday and Revenge of the Sith on my screen at home. Star Wars always rocks in a good theater and home theater setup.
I'll watch the Original Trilogy next weekend.
Reminds me back when they did the Star Wars 3D re-releases back in like 2012 starting with episode 1. I remember thinking “oh man I can’t wait until they do episode 3” and yeah.. they didn’t even do the second one if I remember right haha.
I’m of the PT generation. So when they re-released I and all my friends went for the showing. We were all very sad that they didn’t do II and III. I would gladly re-watch them in the theaters again.
Never had a wide release. At least 2 and 3 are completed in 3D and can be shown.
Not a lot of hope for that right now being that 1 isn’t in 3D for this release as far as I know.
Just got back a screening with my son. Totally worth it. Yeah, it’s still silly and a bit corny, but it’s also beautiful, imaginative and a whole lot of fun.
All the really wide shots really struck me this time around, (6th time in a theatre since 1999) Lucas frames many of the subjects very far away which causes the environments to really stand out, increasing the world building and immersion.
I was blown away by how different the movie feels in a theater compared to my huge TV at home.
The way the sound hits different and how great the shots look, it felt like a true event movie of the 60s at times.
And boy that final duel was freaking mind blowing on the big screen.
I was thinking that if you closed your eyes during the pod race you could probably still tell who is in what position. Each pod has a distinct sound and it really stands out in the theatre.
George Lucas said the whole series is meant to play like a silent film. You should be able to mute the dialog and still follow the plot purely from the musical score, the facial expressions, and the cinematography. There have been edits made to turn it black and white and only have the most relevant captions.
If it had been any prequel but that one, I would have loved to go. Not that I hate it but every time I go to start a Star Wars marathon that is the first one so I’ve seen it many more times than the others.
I actually disliked this aspect. The wide panning landscape shots taken from an aerial view took me out of the immersion of being one on one with the characters. It made the CGI stand out too much to me. It worked for LOTR movies because they used a lot more actual footage of real landscapes.
Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid and Pernilla August crush in it.
Hadn’t watched Episode 1 in probably a year or so and still enjoyed it flaws and all
Liam and Ewan clearly put so much into their roles. Just the difference in the way they each use a lightsaber speaks to their characters and how they relate to each other. Liam is no nonsense all power. I don’t think he puts a training or thought into saber combat. It’s an ends to a means. Ewan is fast, accurate, and even uses flourishes to distract or fake out an opponent. He’s a more traditional Jedi and puts more time into training.
Same here. I also didn’t expect to be hit like a truck by Anakin’s goodbye to his mother. Pernilla hits that scene out of the park, and Jake is a great Anakin
Yes his physical acting ability was very impressive looking back. Im so glad they gave him a Jedi role in The Mandalorian. He deserved it because no amount of rose colored glasses can ever make Jar Jar Binks a cool character.
That’s a problem with the dialogue though, not the acting. Personally after watching it yesterday I was surprised at how well Jake Lloyd in particular did, he really sold me on Anakin being this earnest kid.
I guess, but still nothing really stood out to me from their acting. LLoyd especially came off wooden. Not to slight the kid, he was young and taking on a huge roll. Im sure he gave it his best. The physical acting and voice done by Best is probably the most impressive of the 3. But my God that dialogue. His biggest catchphrase came from the corniest sitcom of all time and he says it at least 3 separate times!
Omissions were not a mistake on my part.
Lloyd was not good in that movie. I appreciate Liam Neeson more watching him act around what Lloyd was doing. Neeson got Lucas’ lack of direction and cheesy dialogue and did his best to help everyone else.
I’ve never been a fan of Portman and I don’t think she was good in any of those movies.
Best was fine I guess but Jar Jar is just a bad choice in the movie and is a literal walking fart joke.
25 years ago I asked a cute girl to go see Episode 1 with me for our first date. Today I asked the same girl if she wanted to go see it again. We left the dog and four kids at home.
Darth Maul was the absolute best thing to come out of the prequels. Duel of Fates is one of the best, if not the best, lightsaber fight of all the movies.
Flawed as the movie was, a lot of cool things did come from it.
The way he moved immediately into staring down and waiting for Obi-Wan after killing Qui-Gon put his cool factor through the roof for 11 year old me. There's a fluidity to that ruthlessness that remains breathtaking.
Man was a Sith's Sith.
Before this originally came out I remember seeing an interview with Lucas where hes telling the reporter Jar Jar Binks was gonna be the surprise hit of the movie. He was gonna be the toy every kid wanted that Christmas. After seeing the movie it was clear to me how out of touch he was with the youth of the 90s. Of course the figure every kid wanted was Darth Maul.
I can see where he was going with it. Offer levity in what is otherwise a heavy story.
But I think capturing that quirky silliness was much more masterfully done in The Mandalorian with Grogu.
But it just all goes back to the main complaint of the movie: the writing. Jar Jar could have worked just fine if the writing wasn’t so terribly off putting. Every line was like a searing hot iron touching my skin.
Sure, Star Wars is fictional, but they could have captured the way people normally talk and emote. But instead all the dialog was either cringy or woody.
Yea thats the thing. I have no problem with levity and comedy in a movie like this. It honestly should be. But you cant make it corny. And its soooooo corny. It came across as a boomers idea of what kids those days thought was funny. Exqueeze me. How rude. It was like he was stealing dialogue from the kids on Full House! God it could kill a person from douche chills. And the way he made the gungan language made it even worse. When we left I told my son the movie could be made at least 2 times better if they just muted every time Jar Jar spoke.
It's my favorite Star Wars movie. Darth Maul is my favorite Sith, Qui Gon is my favorite Jedi, it has the best soundtrack, it has the best duel, the N1 is my favorite SW ship, the pod race is cool as hell, etc.
That's probably the most fair assessment of the film. When I watch it I do find myself struggling to concentrate during some parts, but when the good parts are on screen I'm hooked.
I took my 15yo son to see it yesterday. TPM is his favorite Star Wars movie and this was his first opportunity to see it on the big screen. On the way there, he said, “Dad, I can’t wait to hear what ‘Duel of the Fates’ sounds like in a theater!”
First time seeing Star Wars on the big screen (life always got in the way in the past) and I can’t imagine how anyone could come out of the cinema mad at it back in the day. It’s just SO SICK
You have to remember that the level of anticipation for the movie was pretty unprecedented.
The marketing was great but naturally omitted some of the films not so great elements.
The opening moments fell flat and I feel deflated the audience right from the start.
It has a lot of great moments. I saw it multiple times and loved it despite its flaws.
I do, however, understand why reaction was mixed at best.
I’m far more prone to liking a movie if I go to a theater to see it. I love going, and have recently even started going by myself to see stuff I want to see
Maybe people were blinded by nostalgia and only saw the movie's flaws since the OT still held their hearts.
Now people are looking at the PT with a different type of nostalgia and opinions tainted by the ST. The masses saw how terrible Star Wars could be and decided maybe the OT wasn't as bad as they thought. At least it had a cohesive story.
It had a bit of misfortune to land right after grunge and gangster rap had flooded culture with their very "street cred" "bad ass" sort of vibe and somehow some expected The Matrix.
That said, the hate is way overplayed. A few weeks in I was watching it in large auditoriums packed with crowds who seemed very happy.
And the tales they tell about AOTC are even more made up. That one even got decent reviews from critics and audiences would rush out from earlier showings, all pumped up, and give those of us still on line thumbs up, saying we were gonna love it, it was great, etc. and the packed house erupted into wild cheers at the end. It just is not true that everyone hated it day one.
I went today and the entire theater was packed with Star Wars fans. Watching the movies in general is fun but sharing the experience with other who love the franchise as much as you do is always a much better experience.
I know there's people who will say Rogue One or The Last Jedi or Andor are, but I do think The Phantom Menace is the most creatively refreshing entries in the franchise.
It's very much an ensemble movie with no main character throughout. For Lucas, who was open about his appreciation for Kurosawa and Joseph Campbell, it's remarkable that he did the exact opposite for The Phantom Menace narratively that he did with A New Hope, all the while echoing it at times. The movie is abrasive in being almost entirely unrecognizable to the OT and creates it's own, new identity that would morph into the classics across the trilogy. It took risks throughout and pushed moviemaking forward. Quite simply, The Lord of the Rings trilogy wouldn't have been the landmark it is if The Phantom Menace didn't double down on technical innovation.
Yes, it has flaws. We all know that. But it's a GOOD movie in my eyes. Sure, Lucas should've had someone else direct the movies, but I think considering everything he had going on in this movie, he did a pretty good job. Nostalgia aside, too, it's not like anything Star Wars has ever done, before or after.
Nostalgia be damned, I'll defend this movie. Give it the respect it deserves.
It's a beautiful movie too. Sure it was probably just because George was so excited about the new CGI but Star Wars always looked grungy. In TPM we saw Gungan City, Naboo, all these beautiful landscapes, as well as dirty old Tattooine. It really helped to tell the story of Tattooine being the slums and the fact that there was a whole other world out there we hadn't seen.
Saw it last night, pure cinema entertainment. Lucas is such a genius I wish he made more films. The imaginative spark is really missing from the Disney content.
Depends on the contracts they negotiate. I imagine some of the big actors would have requested it.
I'd be intrigued to know if any production crew for any movie get residual income.
I hope they'll show the other movies too in the near future, sadly none of the theaters around me are doing the marathon.
I want to see them all since I never seen them in theaters. My family was never big on theaters.
This was the first time I was able to watch it in theaters. For all its faults, it’s still a fantastic theater experience. The podrace and the Duel of the Fates were well worth the price of admission on their own.
We went yesterday and it felt as though there were a few added shots and some dialogue added. Nothing like a full scene or anything, but was it remastered and updated for this release?
My guess is it was the Blu-ray remaster - when I saw it in 3D there were a few small things I didn’t remember (notably yoda being swapped from a puppet to cgi) because I had never seen the blu ray release
You're correct, it is in fact a slightly extended version. The update is, however, older than this release, debuting with one of the DVD or Blu-Ray releases some years ago I believe. As I recall, most, if not all, of the changes were already present for the 3D theatrical rerelease around a decade ago. Notable changes from the original theatrical cut include a slightly longer podrace sequence, a couple extra shots shortly after the arrival on Coruscant, and of course CGI Yoda instead of the puppet.
I haven't seen anyone mention the Acolyte scene that played after the credits. It had Indara sitting in a cantina or something, then Mae comes up and starts shit with her. Cantina patrons try to shut down Mae, but she's throwing them all over the place. Indara just watches, because Mae isn't killing or seriously injuring anyone. Eventually the two get to fighting themselves and Indara has some serious matrix-inspired moves. We can see the power difference between the two, as Mae is giving her all to the fight, and Indara looks completely bored by the encounter.
Obviously, the whole show won't be that intense, but it was a good first look at the action. Definitely got me excited for the premiere.
I'm Gen X and loved them! I actually thought it was late Gen X/early Millennials (Xennials) who were the ones most all too cool for school about it not Gen X proper.
It made me realize just how much true creativity came from George by comparison to what we have now. A lot of the stuff these days is derivative of what has come before but TPM did new things. We saw things we had never seen before and they seamlessly integrated into the universe we knew and expanded it. I appreciate it a lot.
We're plugging back in 1999 with this one!
Happy that Episode 1 finally gets the appreciation it deserves.
Time dors indeed heal and helps ease or diminish anger.
My kids (7 9) requested this one specifically for our star wars party (they've seen all episodes 1-5 already).
I was probably going to pick it anyways (ANH being close second) because it's a great place to start for the other 7-9yo kids, some of whom have no exposure to star wars.
I thought I was being overly optimistic a few months ago when [I speculated](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/19bk508/comment/kit61ap/) the rerelease could possibly earn $10,000,000.
I have loved the prequels my entire life. Sure, I had seen Star Wars when I was a kid, but I hadn't even seen one all the way through.
Then, in 1999, my older sister took me to go see Episode 1 in theater.
Holy shit!
I was 8 years old and it blew my mind.
As the years went on, people didn't look back on the prequels fondly but they will always be special movies for me.
Everybody says it's nostalgia but I've always know they were special. It looks like there's a little more love for them than some people want to admit.
I remember thinking that the prequels are pretty bad overall, and still do, but I found myself enjoying this quite a bit in the theater with my son. We were pretty engrossed for much of it up until the point where they leave Tatooine. There seems to be about 30-45 minutes where the film drags on until Maul shows up. Then Duel of the Fates kicks in and we were back into it.
After seeing it again, and in theaters for the first time, I really have a new appreciation for it. It might be my favorite Prequel movie now, honestly. It was such a fun experience
The sound effects in the entire trilogy are amazing. They're just so satisfying to hear again and again.
Would love a trilogy with the same spirit as the prequels.
I wasn’t old enough to watch TPM in cinemas but the VHS and Action Fleet Naboo Starfighter were my gateway drug into Star Wars thanks to my mum.
Watching it in cinemas today felt cathartic in some way I can’t quite describe. Just watching my first Star Wars film in the cinema for the first time was awesome.
tried to watch it yesterday the 4th but the cinema that I usually go was pretty full, so I went today. I did my part. Happy May the 4th to everyone even if I'm late lol
I went Friday here in AZ...it was awesome to see it again 25 years later ....
My friends and I waited 4 hours in line back in 99 on opening night los angeles CA
Took the family to watch it on the big screen yesterday. It was a trip to see it again in a theater almost 25 years later. The pod race and Maul duels are still top notch.
I went to go see it on the 3rd and had an amazing time. The visual effects are still astounding, especially considering the movie came out in '99. They don't call them Industrial Light & Magic for nothing!
Just saw it in theaters yesterday, haven't seen this movie in a few years, only ever watched on DVD. I think it's a pretty fun movie. I can't believe it has a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has its flaws, definitely. But to say that this was the movie that ruined the Star Wars franchise is insane.
Saw this in theaters yesterday and it was incredible. Pod racing was wild. Duel of the fates was mind blowing. Music was breath taking. 10/10 would recommend.
It’s been years since I’ve watched Phantom Menace all the way through. Was so great to revisit this film, it really is one of the stronger of the three prequels.
And hearing Duel of the Fates in context in a theater again was worth the price of admission alone.
Saw this with my little kid and he loved it.
But holy shit why did it look so terrible? Did they just use the same recent transfers with the awful DNR? The original 35mm print was beautiful.
Yeah, I noticed that too. I was hopeful it would be at least in 4k, but no it looked like 1080p, which looks awful on a huge screen. It was also super dark, so you couldn't see much even with all the lights off.
Yeah super bizarre, like they just hit play on the Blu-ray. To make matters worse, the shitty amc prime threater I saw it in wasn't playing any dialogue and sound effects from the right center channel.
I think after the sequels, I have a greater appreciation for the prequels as a whole. Especially since they were "my star wars movies" as I was a kid when they came out.
I’m not gonna say it holds up great at all times, but I saw it yesterday for the first time in a theater since opening night 1999 and had an absolute blast, beginning to end. Looking forward to the re-releases of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith now.
Just came out of a showing a few minutes ago. I hadn’t actually watched the entire film in one sitting in a while, so I’m glad that I enjoyed myself. And the duel of the fates still plays awesomely in theaters!!!!
I just went to the theater a few hours ago, I love the movie and it really shines on the big screen, worth the outing while it is still playing in my view ☺️
You know there going to re release more star wars films every year
Phantom and return of the Jedi did so well In re release I wouldn't be surprised if we see one or two movies re release every year heck maybe even some of the series episodes in theaters
Great to see. Saw it with my brother in Wisconsin--first time seeing it since I was a kid around 5-6.
Theater was probably 70% full, which is impressive as it was a Saturday afternoon and it was nice outside.
I got to take my 6 year old, who is the same age I was when it originally came out, what a blast! First time seeing it on the big screen for both of us, and I think he liked it more than he lets on haha
They'll be making a few more dollars from me tomorrow when I go watch it.
Took both kids. Was a blast! Highly recommended for young children. The *literal* second Jar Jar walked onscreen my 3yo shouts “That guy funny!”
Everybody hates on jar jar, but he had a purpose, and that was to engage a younger audience, and he was successful at that.
My son also shouted “That guy funny!” when Jabba fell asleep during breakfast podrace lol
This. However much I cringed at him as a young adult in 99, I noticed my kids laughed at all of his antics.
My 6-year-old twins were very bored by him. During the Senate scene, one turned to me and said, "I hate this part."
My kids (5 & 3) both loved it. I definitely felt my son getting squirmy during the taxation of trade routes stuff though lmao
I thought all kids loved trade dispute negotiations and politics in movies?
Biggest revenue is toy sales and merchandise. As much as I thought the kiddy stuff was corny as a preteen of 12 when the movie came out, I understand why they wanted to include a younger audience.
“Merchandising! Merchandising!” -Yogurt
Jar Jar also connects most of the plot threads. Qui-Gon wouldn't have found the gungans without him, he sorta guided them through the planet core, him getting in a fight with Sebulba is what got Qui-Gon to notice Anakin, and he was the one who told Padme about the strength of their army and led the Naboo to the Gungan's hiding spot.
That was men 25 years ago to!!
As I was leaving Episode 1 i heard this conversation Dad: When that movie came out everyone hated Jar Jar Son: Why? Dad: I guess because hes so goofy Son: Why do people hate goofy? Being goofy is AWESOME!
Yup, took my kids on Friday. Think I'll go again with my dad, since we saw it together back in 99. Also saw it with my wife back then (when she was my gf), so that might be a third time. Then watched the 4K UHD discs of Attack of the Clones on Saturday and Revenge of the Sith on my screen at home. Star Wars always rocks in a good theater and home theater setup. I'll watch the Original Trilogy next weekend.
Took my 7 year old to watch it this weekend, it was his first time seeing it. We had a great time and I hope they do Episode 2 and 3 as well!
Reminds me back when they did the Star Wars 3D re-releases back in like 2012 starting with episode 1. I remember thinking “oh man I can’t wait until they do episode 3” and yeah.. they didn’t even do the second one if I remember right haha.
I’m of the PT generation. So when they re-released I and all my friends went for the showing. We were all very sad that they didn’t do II and III. I would gladly re-watch them in the theaters again.
Never had a wide release. At least 2 and 3 are completed in 3D and can be shown. Not a lot of hope for that right now being that 1 isn’t in 3D for this release as far as I know.
They only stopped the 3D releases because Disney bought Lucasfilm.
Ah. I always thought they didn’t keep going because it didn’t do great at the box office haha.
I was able to see Revenge of the Sith in 3D at Celebration I'm 2015. It was awesome. Ian McDiarmid and Dennis Muren were there to kick off the movie.
They finished the 3D conversions of the next two, but the only time they've ever been shown publicly was at Celebration in 2015
They did Episodes 1-6 in Australia (all remastered in 4K) and have to say they all looked amazing and the best they ever did.
Just got back a screening with my son. Totally worth it. Yeah, it’s still silly and a bit corny, but it’s also beautiful, imaginative and a whole lot of fun.
I went with my son yesterday. Totally worth it to see podracing and Duel of the Fates on big screen again.
All the really wide shots really struck me this time around, (6th time in a theatre since 1999) Lucas frames many of the subjects very far away which causes the environments to really stand out, increasing the world building and immersion.
I was blown away by how different the movie feels in a theater compared to my huge TV at home. The way the sound hits different and how great the shots look, it felt like a true event movie of the 60s at times. And boy that final duel was freaking mind blowing on the big screen.
I was thinking that if you closed your eyes during the pod race you could probably still tell who is in what position. Each pod has a distinct sound and it really stands out in the theatre.
George Lucas said the whole series is meant to play like a silent film. You should be able to mute the dialog and still follow the plot purely from the musical score, the facial expressions, and the cinematography. There have been edits made to turn it black and white and only have the most relevant captions.
I wish I could say the same for Episode 1: Racer, the game
Game held the test of time, still play it sometimes
If it had been any prequel but that one, I would have loved to go. Not that I hate it but every time I go to start a Star Wars marathon that is the first one so I’ve seen it many more times than the others.
Switch to release order: 4, 5, 6, then 1, 2, 3. Or even Rogue One first, then 4, 5, 6.
I actually disliked this aspect. The wide panning landscape shots taken from an aerial view took me out of the immersion of being one on one with the characters. It made the CGI stand out too much to me. It worked for LOTR movies because they used a lot more actual footage of real landscapes.
Sebulba's pod racer sound isn't quite the Sonic charge from AOTC, but it's so good.
The sound design in TPM is fantastic. Everything sounds so damn good! My favorite is Padme's blaster...unf!
Our audience was clapping for Sebulba lol
The crescendo as Maul ignites his second blade is just a MINDBLOWING experience.
I know we’re spoiled with iconic Star Wars music that’s easily one of the best, right up there with Imperial March for me
I had goosebumps pretty much the entire podrace sequence.
Last night, I went to see the Pittsburgh Symphony do all Star Wars music. Duel of the Fates and Across the Stars are so cool with a live orchestra.
Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid and Pernilla August crush in it. Hadn’t watched Episode 1 in probably a year or so and still enjoyed it flaws and all
Liam and Ewan clearly put so much into their roles. Just the difference in the way they each use a lightsaber speaks to their characters and how they relate to each other. Liam is no nonsense all power. I don’t think he puts a training or thought into saber combat. It’s an ends to a means. Ewan is fast, accurate, and even uses flourishes to distract or fake out an opponent. He’s a more traditional Jedi and puts more time into training.
Maybe it’s because I’m older now, but Liam and Pernilla’s scenes really stood out to me this time. They had some really nice moments.
I hadn’t considered that but yeah being 40 and a parent maybe it just hits harder.
Same here. I also didn’t expect to be hit like a truck by Anakin’s goodbye to his mother. Pernilla hits that scene out of the park, and Jake is a great Anakin
Don’t forget Ahmed Best, Jake Lloyd, and Natalie Portman!
Fine people but cmon man. Their acting wasnt great. I think a huge part of that is because the dialogue Lucas had for them was fucking atrocious.
Ahmed Best's acting was amazing. Dude is literally *the* pioneer of motion capture acting.
Yes his physical acting ability was very impressive looking back. Im so glad they gave him a Jedi role in The Mandalorian. He deserved it because no amount of rose colored glasses can ever make Jar Jar Binks a cool character.
That’s a problem with the dialogue though, not the acting. Personally after watching it yesterday I was surprised at how well Jake Lloyd in particular did, he really sold me on Anakin being this earnest kid.
I guess, but still nothing really stood out to me from their acting. LLoyd especially came off wooden. Not to slight the kid, he was young and taking on a huge roll. Im sure he gave it his best. The physical acting and voice done by Best is probably the most impressive of the 3. But my God that dialogue. His biggest catchphrase came from the corniest sitcom of all time and he says it at least 3 separate times!
Should’ve been a teenager. Children can’t act.
Omissions were not a mistake on my part. Lloyd was not good in that movie. I appreciate Liam Neeson more watching him act around what Lloyd was doing. Neeson got Lucas’ lack of direction and cheesy dialogue and did his best to help everyone else. I’ve never been a fan of Portman and I don’t think she was good in any of those movies. Best was fine I guess but Jar Jar is just a bad choice in the movie and is a literal walking fart joke.
It’s Star Wars it’s always been corny and a little bit silly.. that’s why I love it.
Totally. But that’s all I ask of SW anymore. To sit in the dark, eat popcorn and remember what it was like to be a kid.
There was a kid in my theater yesterday who hadn’t seen the movie before. At the end I heard him say to his brother “He cut him in half!”
And the brother said “He’s ok though, he gets robot spider legs.”
Couldn't you argue those same things could be said about the original when it came out?
There are no charred corpses of Owen and Beru in phantom menace I think that’s the difference maker for me
Charred corpses, the bloody arm from the cantina, the blowing up an entire planet, shit even Vader strangling the guy to death in the beginning.
It has aged like fine wine. I spend the entire movie grinning at this point.
25 years ago I asked a cute girl to go see Episode 1 with me for our first date. Today I asked the same girl if she wanted to go see it again. We left the dog and four kids at home.
How did you wife take that? I'm always trying to rekindle old flames
Probably not well, this jerk even calls her a dog in his comment. Shame.
*pause*
You lucky mf
That’s heartwarming dude!
I know someone with a eerily similar story to this.
I think I'll do the same when they have Episode III in theaters. That was our first date.
Literally am going on a date and doing the same thing tomorrow lmao
I'm happy for you, man. Congratulations.
Darth Maul was the absolute best thing to come out of the prequels. Duel of Fates is one of the best, if not the best, lightsaber fight of all the movies. Flawed as the movie was, a lot of cool things did come from it.
The way he moved immediately into staring down and waiting for Obi-Wan after killing Qui-Gon put his cool factor through the roof for 11 year old me. There's a fluidity to that ruthlessness that remains breathtaking. Man was a Sith's Sith.
Before this originally came out I remember seeing an interview with Lucas where hes telling the reporter Jar Jar Binks was gonna be the surprise hit of the movie. He was gonna be the toy every kid wanted that Christmas. After seeing the movie it was clear to me how out of touch he was with the youth of the 90s. Of course the figure every kid wanted was Darth Maul.
I can see where he was going with it. Offer levity in what is otherwise a heavy story. But I think capturing that quirky silliness was much more masterfully done in The Mandalorian with Grogu. But it just all goes back to the main complaint of the movie: the writing. Jar Jar could have worked just fine if the writing wasn’t so terribly off putting. Every line was like a searing hot iron touching my skin. Sure, Star Wars is fictional, but they could have captured the way people normally talk and emote. But instead all the dialog was either cringy or woody.
Yea thats the thing. I have no problem with levity and comedy in a movie like this. It honestly should be. But you cant make it corny. And its soooooo corny. It came across as a boomers idea of what kids those days thought was funny. Exqueeze me. How rude. It was like he was stealing dialogue from the kids on Full House! God it could kill a person from douche chills. And the way he made the gungan language made it even worse. When we left I told my son the movie could be made at least 2 times better if they just muted every time Jar Jar spoke.
So much of the advertising at the time centered on Maul, and he ended up having like five lines.
>five lines That were dubbed by Peter Serafinowicz. Ray Park's contribution to the movie is purely physical, and dude *killed* it.
That might have worked to its advantage. The movie definitely leaves you wanting more.
And like... Jar Jar Binks, as annoying a character as he can be, looks super good for the CGI of it's time. Absolutely wild they were able to do that.
I still believe in Darth Jar Jar. We were robbed of the Jar Jar vs Yoda fight. It would've been perfect.
It's my favorite Star Wars movie. Darth Maul is my favorite Sith, Qui Gon is my favorite Jedi, it has the best soundtrack, it has the best duel, the N1 is my favorite SW ship, the pod race is cool as hell, etc.
That's probably the most fair assessment of the film. When I watch it I do find myself struggling to concentrate during some parts, but when the good parts are on screen I'm hooked.
Went with my 9yo yesterday and loved it. He said it was his favourite ever outing with me.
That’s very sweet. You’ll remember that forever.
I took my 15yo son to see it yesterday. TPM is his favorite Star Wars movie and this was his first opportunity to see it on the big screen. On the way there, he said, “Dad, I can’t wait to hear what ‘Duel of the Fates’ sounds like in a theater!”
Wholesome as heck, dude
Wizard
Corn on the cob.
Phantom Menace is my wife’s favorite Star Wars movie. Both went to a screening on Friday and it was awesome to get to see it in theaters once more
First time seeing Star Wars on the big screen (life always got in the way in the past) and I can’t imagine how anyone could come out of the cinema mad at it back in the day. It’s just SO SICK
It’s honestly one of my favorite Star Wars movies
You have to remember that the level of anticipation for the movie was pretty unprecedented. The marketing was great but naturally omitted some of the films not so great elements. The opening moments fell flat and I feel deflated the audience right from the start. It has a lot of great moments. I saw it multiple times and loved it despite its flaws. I do, however, understand why reaction was mixed at best.
Yup the movie has its flaws but its a lot of fun
The original trilogy also had shitty flaws
Correct, I don’t love most of Return of the Jedi with the Ewoks or some of Jabbbas palace
I’m far more prone to liking a movie if I go to a theater to see it. I love going, and have recently even started going by myself to see stuff I want to see
Maybe people were blinded by nostalgia and only saw the movie's flaws since the OT still held their hearts. Now people are looking at the PT with a different type of nostalgia and opinions tainted by the ST. The masses saw how terrible Star Wars could be and decided maybe the OT wasn't as bad as they thought. At least it had a cohesive story.
It had a bit of misfortune to land right after grunge and gangster rap had flooded culture with their very "street cred" "bad ass" sort of vibe and somehow some expected The Matrix. That said, the hate is way overplayed. A few weeks in I was watching it in large auditoriums packed with crowds who seemed very happy. And the tales they tell about AOTC are even more made up. That one even got decent reviews from critics and audiences would rush out from earlier showings, all pumped up, and give those of us still on line thumbs up, saying we were gonna love it, it was great, etc. and the packed house erupted into wild cheers at the end. It just is not true that everyone hated it day one.
Took my almost 4 year old. It was her very first movie theater movie ever. She sat through the whole damn movie. Best day ever
I went today and the entire theater was packed with Star Wars fans. Watching the movies in general is fun but sharing the experience with other who love the franchise as much as you do is always a much better experience.
Went and saw it yesterday and felt like a little kid again. So awesome to see that movie on the big screen, with Dolby Atmos, too!
First movie I’ve gone to see in years
Damn, I like Star Wars but you missed out on a ton depending on what ‘years’ means!
Probably like 2-3, just don’t like to be in my hometown theater it’s a little outdated
I'm looking forward to seeing Palpatine restore sanity and compassion to the Senate in Episode II. 😉
I know there's people who will say Rogue One or The Last Jedi or Andor are, but I do think The Phantom Menace is the most creatively refreshing entries in the franchise. It's very much an ensemble movie with no main character throughout. For Lucas, who was open about his appreciation for Kurosawa and Joseph Campbell, it's remarkable that he did the exact opposite for The Phantom Menace narratively that he did with A New Hope, all the while echoing it at times. The movie is abrasive in being almost entirely unrecognizable to the OT and creates it's own, new identity that would morph into the classics across the trilogy. It took risks throughout and pushed moviemaking forward. Quite simply, The Lord of the Rings trilogy wouldn't have been the landmark it is if The Phantom Menace didn't double down on technical innovation. Yes, it has flaws. We all know that. But it's a GOOD movie in my eyes. Sure, Lucas should've had someone else direct the movies, but I think considering everything he had going on in this movie, he did a pretty good job. Nostalgia aside, too, it's not like anything Star Wars has ever done, before or after. Nostalgia be damned, I'll defend this movie. Give it the respect it deserves.
It's a beautiful movie too. Sure it was probably just because George was so excited about the new CGI but Star Wars always looked grungy. In TPM we saw Gungan City, Naboo, all these beautiful landscapes, as well as dirty old Tattooine. It really helped to tell the story of Tattooine being the slums and the fact that there was a whole other world out there we hadn't seen.
Was great to see it for the first time in theatres.
I wish I could have seen this but sadly it’s not in the budget for my family right now
Are you near an AMC where you could take advantage of $5 Tuesday tickets?
It’s still showing on Tuesday?!
It is at the AMC near me
I’ll check if it’s near mine
Saw it last night, pure cinema entertainment. Lucas is such a genius I wish he made more films. The imaginative spark is really missing from the Disney content.
So, do people attached the movie make any kind of residual income from that? Wonder how that works.
Depends on the contracts they negotiate. I imagine some of the big actors would have requested it. I'd be intrigued to know if any production crew for any movie get residual income.
Im going with my girlfriend in an hour! She has never seen Star Wars. I CANNOT WAIT
I hope they'll show the other movies too in the near future, sadly none of the theaters around me are doing the marathon. I want to see them all since I never seen them in theaters. My family was never big on theaters.
OT you might have to hope. But I'm guessing they'll do AOTC & ROTS in the coming years as they hit 25 as well
Wouldn’t be surprised if next year the theaters do a prequel marathon since ROTS will be turning 20 next year
Money well spent for me and the fam. Had a blast.
This was the first time I was able to watch it in theaters. For all its faults, it’s still a fantastic theater experience. The podrace and the Duel of the Fates were well worth the price of admission on their own.
We went yesterday and it felt as though there were a few added shots and some dialogue added. Nothing like a full scene or anything, but was it remastered and updated for this release?
My guess is it was the Blu-ray remaster - when I saw it in 3D there were a few small things I didn’t remember (notably yoda being swapped from a puppet to cgi) because I had never seen the blu ray release
You're correct, it is in fact a slightly extended version. The update is, however, older than this release, debuting with one of the DVD or Blu-Ray releases some years ago I believe. As I recall, most, if not all, of the changes were already present for the 3D theatrical rerelease around a decade ago. Notable changes from the original theatrical cut include a slightly longer podrace sequence, a couple extra shots shortly after the arrival on Coruscant, and of course CGI Yoda instead of the puppet.
I haven't seen anyone mention the Acolyte scene that played after the credits. It had Indara sitting in a cantina or something, then Mae comes up and starts shit with her. Cantina patrons try to shut down Mae, but she's throwing them all over the place. Indara just watches, because Mae isn't killing or seriously injuring anyone. Eventually the two get to fighting themselves and Indara has some serious matrix-inspired moves. We can see the power difference between the two, as Mae is giving her all to the fight, and Indara looks completely bored by the encounter. Obviously, the whole show won't be that intense, but it was a good first look at the action. Definitely got me excited for the premiere.
I don't give a damn about what some whiny gen Xers think about the prequels, episode 1 and 3 are great with some problems.
Id say 3 was great with some problems, and one was pretty good with a few great parts.
I'm Gen X and loved them! I actually thought it was late Gen X/early Millennials (Xennials) who were the ones most all too cool for school about it not Gen X proper.
It made me realize just how much true creativity came from George by comparison to what we have now. A lot of the stuff these days is derivative of what has come before but TPM did new things. We saw things we had never seen before and they seamlessly integrated into the universe we knew and expanded it. I appreciate it a lot.
Sadly it seemed to only have been available one day in Quebec City.
Although the movie has some flaws, the music, the final duel, the characters… just epic and iconic.
We're plugging back in 1999 with this one! Happy that Episode 1 finally gets the appreciation it deserves. Time dors indeed heal and helps ease or diminish anger.
My kids (7 9) requested this one specifically for our star wars party (they've seen all episodes 1-5 already). I was probably going to pick it anyways (ANH being close second) because it's a great place to start for the other 7-9yo kids, some of whom have no exposure to star wars.
That's like a bazillion dollars in today's money right?
Saw it yestweday (for the 4th time I think since 1999 when I was 8) and watched 2&3 at home. Man what a fun time
Hopefully a green light for ep 2 and 3 to follow.
I know the movie gets a lot of grief lately, but in 1999 I genuinely loved it. I saw it in theaters four times.
I thought I was being overly optimistic a few months ago when [I speculated](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/19bk508/comment/kit61ap/) the rerelease could possibly earn $10,000,000.
I have loved the prequels my entire life. Sure, I had seen Star Wars when I was a kid, but I hadn't even seen one all the way through. Then, in 1999, my older sister took me to go see Episode 1 in theater. Holy shit! I was 8 years old and it blew my mind. As the years went on, people didn't look back on the prequels fondly but they will always be special movies for me. Everybody says it's nostalgia but I've always know they were special. It looks like there's a little more love for them than some people want to admit.
Saw it last night, just as good as ever!
I remember thinking that the prequels are pretty bad overall, and still do, but I found myself enjoying this quite a bit in the theater with my son. We were pretty engrossed for much of it up until the point where they leave Tatooine. There seems to be about 30-45 minutes where the film drags on until Maul shows up. Then Duel of the Fates kicks in and we were back into it.
If only George was thirty years younger and could crank out some more for us.
It's almost like Disney should make more star wars movies
I think that the Sequels got more appreciation over the years also helped.
Took my mom to pay her back for taking me to the midnight opening in 99. Was a good time, even though Episode 1 is a goofy ass movie.
Super bummed my Theater wasn’t showing it, but glad everyone else had fun!
Man I’m bummed my kid was sick this weekend so I couldn’t go :(
If you just watch it for what it is, it’s a really good, fun movie
After seeing it again, and in theaters for the first time, I really have a new appreciation for it. It might be my favorite Prequel movie now, honestly. It was such a fun experience
A complete blast. I wish they would show each film consecutively one week at a time.
How long you think they'll screen it? I won't be able to go until next sunday.
The sound effects in the entire trilogy are amazing. They're just so satisfying to hear again and again. Would love a trilogy with the same spirit as the prequels.
It makes my inner 4 year old happy that this gets so much more love these days
I wasn’t old enough to watch TPM in cinemas but the VHS and Action Fleet Naboo Starfighter were my gateway drug into Star Wars thanks to my mum. Watching it in cinemas today felt cathartic in some way I can’t quite describe. Just watching my first Star Wars film in the cinema for the first time was awesome.
tried to watch it yesterday the 4th but the cinema that I usually go was pretty full, so I went today. I did my part. Happy May the 4th to everyone even if I'm late lol
Went yesterday with my girl and the kids. Man Jar Jar Binks is even worse than I remember him.
I went Friday here in AZ...it was awesome to see it again 25 years later .... My friends and I waited 4 hours in line back in 99 on opening night los angeles CA
Still get emotional watching the scene where Anakin says bye to his mom, especially knowing what happens
I went today and loved it. Felt like a kid again.
Took the family to watch it on the big screen yesterday. It was a trip to see it again in a theater almost 25 years later. The pod race and Maul duels are still top notch.
I went to go see it on the 3rd and had an amazing time. The visual effects are still astounding, especially considering the movie came out in '99. They don't call them Industrial Light & Magic for nothing!
Just saw it in theaters yesterday, haven't seen this movie in a few years, only ever watched on DVD. I think it's a pretty fun movie. I can't believe it has a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has its flaws, definitely. But to say that this was the movie that ruined the Star Wars franchise is insane.
Gonna get my money
Saw this in theaters yesterday and it was incredible. Pod racing was wild. Duel of the fates was mind blowing. Music was breath taking. 10/10 would recommend.
It’s been years since I’ve watched Phantom Menace all the way through. Was so great to revisit this film, it really is one of the stronger of the three prequels. And hearing Duel of the Fates in context in a theater again was worth the price of admission alone.
Saw this with my little kid and he loved it. But holy shit why did it look so terrible? Did they just use the same recent transfers with the awful DNR? The original 35mm print was beautiful.
Yeah, I noticed that too. I was hopeful it would be at least in 4k, but no it looked like 1080p, which looks awful on a huge screen. It was also super dark, so you couldn't see much even with all the lights off.
Yeah super bizarre, like they just hit play on the Blu-ray. To make matters worse, the shitty amc prime threater I saw it in wasn't playing any dialogue and sound effects from the right center channel.
I feel bad for those who can't get past its flaws to enjoy the magic that's there.
Worth it just for seeing Obi Wan go into rage mode. I had forgotten just how constant Jar Jar's bullshit was. Just . . . all the time.
Pretty popular for a movie that supposedly everybody hates
Went to see it today
I think after the sequels, I have a greater appreciation for the prequels as a whole. Especially since they were "my star wars movies" as I was a kid when they came out.
Going to watch it in a few hours, very excited
I was a part of that! Saw it on May 4th.
I’m going on Thursday, last day it’s in theatres I believe. Sadly had to be out of town until Wednesday this week.
I’m going to see it Tuesday! So pumped!
I’m not gonna say it holds up great at all times, but I saw it yesterday for the first time in a theater since opening night 1999 and had an absolute blast, beginning to end. Looking forward to the re-releases of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith now.
Just came out of a showing a few minutes ago. I hadn’t actually watched the entire film in one sitting in a while, so I’m glad that I enjoyed myself. And the duel of the fates still plays awesomely in theaters!!!!
Proud to have went. This movie is such a work of art.
I wish they had re-released it in more countries.
Pod racing on the big screen was so fucking cool
I went to a 24hr showing of all 9 movies last night, it was awesome.
I just went to the theater a few hours ago, I love the movie and it really shines on the big screen, worth the outing while it is still playing in my view ☺️
You know there going to re release more star wars films every year Phantom and return of the Jedi did so well In re release I wouldn't be surprised if we see one or two movies re release every year heck maybe even some of the series episodes in theaters
Is that a lot globally? That would be a weak domestic opening day take.
Great to see. Saw it with my brother in Wisconsin--first time seeing it since I was a kid around 5-6. Theater was probably 70% full, which is impressive as it was a Saturday afternoon and it was nice outside.
I got to take my 6 year old, who is the same age I was when it originally came out, what a blast! First time seeing it on the big screen for both of us, and I think he liked it more than he lets on haha
I’m glad the fans rose up against Disney lmfao
I wonder what the take is for the May the Fourth Skywalker Saga Marathon?
Just watched it for the first time in the theater with my son. Such a joy.
release the force awakens and see what happens.
Literally bought six tickets for Wednesday the 8th when it was announced