I have really fond memories of the Phantom Menace build up and finally seeing the film. With the Phantom Menace 3D cinema release coming closer I thought I would share some of my memories of the build up to it’s release back in 1999. Before I start I feel like I should make one thing clear. I love the Phantom Menace. I saw it five times in the cinema and plenty more on VHS and DVD. I have read countless negative reviews of the film and watched the hilarious Red Letter Media you tube reviews but that hasn’t changed my mind. I still remember how awesome the Phantom Menace was when I first saw it and that I was genuinely surprised to read the bad reviews.
But first of all let me take you back to a time when there wasn’t any new Star Wars material. This time was called the Nineties. It was a time of wonder when Boybands, Grunge bands and Jennifer Aniston haircuts roamed the earth. The Internet was just kicking off and the idea of mobile phones seemed pointless. As a Star Wars fan in the nineties you had one choice if you wanted more and that was the Extended Universe books. While I like the books, movies are the meat and potatoes of Star Wars. George Lucas threw fans a bone in 1997 when he released the special ediions of the original trilogy. This was just the beginning.
There had been speculation since the release of the original trilogy that George Lucas was going to release 9 films in total. This was fuelled by Lucas himself who said in an interview that Episodes 4, 5 and 6 were in the middle of the saga and that there would be trilogies either side of it. He later revised this saying that he effectively jumped to the end of the saga with Empire and Return of the Jedi instead of stretching it out.
So that left us with three new prequel movies that he was now planning on filming. Ever since 1977 in Star Wars when Obi Wan Kenobi mentioned the Clone Wars fans have wondered what went before. The mystery of not knowing was another element that made Star Wars so special. Having this hinted at backstory was just one element that kept the original trilogy story so engrossing. It meant that no matter how many times you watched it there was still lots of room for the imagination to wonder and fill in gaps. Why did Vader turn evil? What would the Clone Wars look like? How many Jedi were there? While I enjoyed the prequel movies I do feel that the original movies worked better with those mysteries intact. I also think that filling in the back story for fans is the reason that a lot of them hate the prequels so much. These movies could never stand up to the power of imagination that had been wondering and imagining for years. Not that everything is perfect with Episodes I,II and III but I find a lot more to love in them than to hate.
So were were we? That’s right. The Nineties. Snippets of info about the first movie started to generate some buzz. Ewan Magregor, Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman were picked to star which even then seemed like great choices. Macgregor was a likeable actor who found fame in Shallow Grave and Trainspotting and Natalie Portman was generally known as the girl from the film Leon. Liam Neeson was just born to play a Jedi.
The name of the movie wasn’t announced straight away so for months the film was only known as Episode 1. When the title of The Phantom Menace was announced it seemed like an odd choice. I was expecting something futuristic sounding even though the only futuristic sounding original title is Star Wars itself. Nevertheless having an ambiguous title just hyped things up a bit more for me. That was nothing compared to the glory of the teaser trailer. I remember seeing it when I went to the cinema to see a re release of the Excorcist. It caught me by surprise. All of a sudden I saw the Lucasfilm logo and heard the music creeping in then Kablammo! Star Wars was back. It struck me how everything looked like Star Wars but wasn’t at the same time. Much of it had me wondering what I just saw. The pod race especially. Episode 1 had just taken over my brain and I was delighted.
After that came the full trailer. I was in a pub with a big TV on the wall the first time I saw it and everyone in the place stopped talking and stared at the TV for a few minutes. Seeing Jedi, Lightsabers, Jabba, Yoda, the red guy with the horns and of course the double edged lightsabre. It was a treat and sent expectations for the movie through the roof.
Here’s the full length original trailer for Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace.
About a week before it came out I heard about a pirate copy doing the rounds from one of my friends. Should we watch it? Damn right. The copy was pretty terrible and after seeing it I didn’t feel like I’d seen the film yet. Though I do remember saying to my friend I watched it with. ‘Well at least now we know it’s good’. We could relax. I saw it in the cinema the next week and I was blown away with all of it. Seeing Coruscant, the Pod Race and the Maul, Kenobi Qui Gon battle for the first time was incredible. I wasn’t one of those fans that camped out at the cinema but I do remember going down to the local Woolworths at midnight to get a copy of the VHS.
But what about Jar Jar you say? I couldn’t understand most of what he was saying but he’s never bothered me that much. He’s an idiot for sure and he fails as a comedy addition but he doesn’t ruin it for me.
The Phantom Menace reminds me of the summer and I think it’s a great visual experience. That’s why I’m looking forward to catching it in 3D. What do you think? Are you going to see Star Wars Episode 1 3d at the cinema or are you staying well clear?
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