Just watched Force Awakens, and don't see how it is 2.2 points higher
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
ja227 — 10 years ago(December 24, 2015 09:17 PM)
Force Awakens is just a hodge podge of ESB and ANH. It didn't take any big chances like TPM. It's a decent movie, but nothing in the high 8 range. Phantom Menace tries to show the scope of the Star Wars galaxy. It is an expanded view of what Star Wars is from Lucas. A time of peace before a great war, started by internal machinations. If you can take out all the purposely cheesy "battle droids" and take Jar Jar for the hapless idiotic hero that he is, it's got a lot going for it.
I think in general the prequels are underrated. JJ just took the original movies that everyone liked and aged the core characters. Lucas had to make a backstory for everyone in the original trilogy, and introduced all types of new ancestor characters. Sure, peacetime Jedi sitting around aren't too exciting to watch, but TPM is all about the Jedi becoming complacent, and not seeing a threat rising right underneath them. -
maxx816 — 9 years ago(July 23, 2016 09:27 AM)
When you have 2 people in one shot you have focus issues. Something Revenge of the Sith pulled off with no blurry in the shot.
Oh is that right Francis? Hey I really loved your work on The Godfather and your other great films as well. Oh you're not Francis Ford Coppola? You don't even have any directing experience? You've never made or even worked on a film in your life, you say? That's what I thought! Now sit down and stfu with your bullsh*t "focus issues"!!!!! -
doctorcrimedog — 9 years ago(December 05, 2016 05:15 PM)
You've never made or even worked on a film in your life, you say?
Actually, no, he didn't say that. You did, which makes it a meaningless strawman argument. It's a poor argument aside from that, like saying that one has to be a car manufacturer to complain about bad performance, or that you have to have your own band to know that Nickelback sucks. It also, in case you didn't think it through, makes your own opinion of the film equally invalid unless you are yourself a director. I'm guessing that's not what you meant to imply, was it? But how is it any different, just because you liked the film and he didn't?
-There is no such word as "alot." -
FX_Lord — 9 years ago(February 10, 2017 01:08 PM)
It's called a 'rack-focus'. You're only supposed to focus on one character at a time, it is intentional.
It's a film made in the classic style of the 70s with some of the original lenses from the first film, back when everything wasn't made to look in perfect focus like every frame of a videogame.
Scenes were built impressionistically cutting shots together with a large depth-of-field (selective focus). I happen to consider the use of telephoto lenses, instead of always using wide angle lenses where everything is in focus (Hardcore Henry), far more attractive to look at. I'm sorry if you disagree.
Play a lot of videogames?
"I don't reckon I got no reason to kill nobody." -
alexcregan1998 — 10 years ago(January 02, 2016 04:39 AM)
The Force Awakens is better executed because I actually cared about what was happening. The Acting was leaps and bounds above the Prequels don't even start with that.
Tiniest Example. When Finn was getting stabbed through the shoulder with Kylo Ren's Lightsaber Hilt I was wincing and feeling the pain he must be going through, as opposed to the Prequels where a main character gets stabbed full on in the stomach and I barely even flinched. Anakin gets burned alive. Made me go "oh,that looks painful." Nothing more. Didn't even wince at that. There was no connection between the audience and the characters in the Prequels. -
elgaroo — 10 years ago(January 02, 2016 10:45 PM)
The pod racing scene is the Endor speeder bike chase drawn out WAY too long..P Risks are not inherently "good", especially when they are poor fits, conceptually, and in execution. George Lucas having a go at just tossing in whatever random passing interest he had at the time in the hopes of once again stumbling into genius was just uninhibited laziness annyone could have done better, which I believe strongly posterity will precisely assess of the latest trilogy, etc.
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mrdjx — 9 years ago(July 30, 2016 08:54 AM)
Umm.. by itself the scene is technically a well directed piece of work and a showcase for ILM's abilities. BUT the scene really doesn't have a place in the film, since the time taken to set it up is disproportionate to the overall stakes of the films narrative-in this case I'm referring to the fact that Qui Gon, Obi-Wan and Amidala ultimate goals are to reach Coruscant so they can inform the Senate of the blockade and prevent the Citizens of Naboo from dying. Part of the problem is that the threads in the Podrace plot do not get revisited once the scene is over. Sebulba is set up as an antagonist, then discarded from the storyline once he loses. Watto is only reintroduced briefly in Episode 2 to give exposition on the whereabouts.
The next point is one that I believe is one of the most critical flaws in the PT trilogy. That is, a substantial amount of screen time is given to Qui-Gon and his relationship with Anakin. As we all know, at the end of the film Qui-Gon dies, leaving Obi-Wan to train Anakin. However Qui-Gon's relationship with Anakin does not get revisited in Episode 2 or 3 and does not play much of a role in Anakins development. This results in Anakin and Obi Wan becoming friends offscreen, and the first time we see them as having any kind of relationship is in Episode 2, where its clear that they seem to hate eachother. Since we never see them as friends, the emotional punch behind Anakins betrayal is simply non-existent.
If George Lucas had swapped Qui-Gon with Obi Wan in the Podrace plot, the PT trilogy would've have been far better received, as the audience would've seen the development of a relationship which would become a key plotline in the Star Wars Saga. -
soundoflight — 10 years ago(December 27, 2015 08:40 PM)
I agree. While this movie is incredibly flawed, there were moments of "Star Wars" in it, particularly the epic final battle with Darth Maul. I FELT something during those scenes. I was on the edge of my seat. The Force Awakens did not evoke this feeling even once.
I consider the Phantom Menace to be a slightly superior film to the force awakens (though I think the second and third prequels are gutter trash).
Ranked:
Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, A New Hope, The Phantom Menace, The Force Awakens, Revenge of the Sith, Attack of the Clones -
dellaroccokc — 10 years ago(December 28, 2015 09:52 AM)
Can you describe what you "felt" during the lightsaber battle against the guy you know nothing about and the two Jedi's you can't relate to? Was it the ninja moves and flipping that put you on the edge of your seat as you shoveled popcorn into your face? I admit Duel of the Fates is a good score but literally thats the only thing that made it interesting.