Star Wars Retrospective - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Anyone who knows me even a little bit probably knows that I am a huge Star Wars fan. So, as you may have already guessed, I am highly anticipating the recently released Star Wars Episode VII. However, until I get to see "The Force Awakens", I have decided to look back on the previous six films, removing the 'nostalgia goggles' as it were, and critiquing them in all their flaws and strengths. Some of the points I make you may have heard before, but others may invite you to view these films in a new light. Hopefully this will culminate in a review of "The Force Awakens", which I will hopefully have seen by then.

I begin with Episode I, "The Phantom Menace", which is the first film in the 'prequel' trilogy A lot of people don't like this movie and I can see why, but I have a special fondness for this film. It was the only Star Wars movie I had for a while as a youngster and I watched it a lot back then. Viewing it again, I thought it would seem more childish to me as an adult and was surprised to find that I quite enjoyed it. I am assuming that most of my readers are familiar with the plot, so I won't rehash it here (this assumption applies to the rest of the films too). But I will break down several topics that I would like to focus on.

Qui-Gon Jinn

The Jedi get the short end of the stick in the prequels, in my opinion (more on that later). But here, in the first film, they get it perfectly with the character of Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon encapsulates everything that the ideal Jedi should be: wise, calm, slow to react emotionally but quick to action if need be, mindful of everything and everyone around him. He is very much like old Ben Kenobi from "A New Hope". He is played to perfection by Liam Neeson, who gives him a sense of dignity as well as a sense of humor (consider most of his interactions with Jar jar Binks).

There is so much complexity in his performance that he's almost too good for this movie. For example, there is a scene where Qui-Gon is dining in the house of young Anakin Skywalker, who guesses that he is a Jedi. Qui-Gon suggests that perhaps he killed a Jedi and stole his clothes, to which Anakin retorts, "No one can kill a Jedi." Qui-Gon's response of "I wish that were so" contains just the right amount of sadness, wistfulness and amusement at the boy's naivete that it works perfectly, as well as giving a bit of foreshadowing as to his fate. His interactions with Anakin are among my favorite, as he shows great wisdom and empathy in conversing with the boy, as well as with his mother. Neeson shows just what a pro he his by infusing his role with more decorum than perhaps it deserved and as far as acting goes, Qui-Gon stands out the most for me here.

Little Annie

Anakin Skywalker is the heart and soul of the prequel trilogy (and, in a sense, of the whole series, really), sometimes to its detriment, but more on that later. Here, though, I think they did a good job of introducing him to us. "The Phantom Menace" starts off real slow and never really finds its footing until the characters find themselves on Tatooine and in the company of a strange little boy who seems unusually strong with the Force. Once we meet him, the story takes off. Now a lot of people criticize young actor Jake Lloyd's performance as Anakin, but I think he does really well with that he is given. It's not his fault that he is saddled with inane dialogue about angels and forced to say ridiculous lines like "Now this is pod-racing" and "Yippee!" I blame the writers for that. No, as far as child actors go, he does pretty well, although oddly enough he seems most comfortable when he is clashing with Sebulba or Watto in whatever language that they happen to be speaking.

Indeed, thanks to superb supporting acting by Pernilla August and of course John William's effective score, the scene when Anakin bids farewell to his mother is actually pretty sad. The pod racing sequence, brilliantly done with stunning special effects, rivals the chariot race from "Ben Hur" in terms of execution and intensity (and really owes a lot to that scene in general). It also gives relevance to Anakin's character himself as far as the storyline of "The Phantom Menace" goes, beyond merely as a point to introduce the character. The problem is the movie doesn't seem to know what to do with him after he leaves Tatooine. In spite of the Jedi Council's annoying objections, it's a foregone conclusion that he will be trained as a Jedi, so what to do with him while the rest of the plotlines are being wrapped up? Shoehorning him into the final space battle felt lazy and contrived and for me was an unfortunate end to Little Annie's part in this tale.

Comedy in Star Wars

Here is an astounding revelation: I don't hate Jar Jar Binks. Now before all the Star Wars purists get ready to stone me, allow me to explain. I don't hate his character, but I do dislike the comedy of his character. The way the original Star Wars trilogy handled comedy was always something I enjoyed. The banter between C-3PO and R2-D2 and the bickering/flirting between Han Solo and Princess Leia, while not subtle, was always just enough that adults could enjoy it, while there was always a bit of physical humor to keep the kids entertained (most of it involving R2 usually). It was never really overdone and felt natural because the actors and the characters made it so. In the prequels...not so much. Take Jar Jar Binks for example. He is clearly a character meant to pander to children. But his humor is not the smart kind you find in Pixar movies nor is it even the slapstick kind you find in Looney Tunes, but rather they aimed for the lowest common demoninator by using him for fart jokes, stepping in poo jokes, the kind of gross-out jokes you would expect to find in a Shrek movie. However, while in Shrek they kinda worked because Shrek was kind of a gross character, here they are just distracting. They aren't funny, they aren't clever, they feel forced into the story just like Jar Jar Binks feels like he was forced in the story as comic relief.

Consider the scene when Anakin is testing his pod racer and Jar Jar gets his tongue shocked by an electric beam. He ends up standing there, spluttering for a while as his hand gets stuck in something as well until someone comes and rescues him. What was the point? Oh wait...there wasn't one! Again, it wasn't funny or well-executed, it was just distracting. Again, I have no problem with humor in the Star Wars originals or with trying to appeal to the kids. This is why you'll find many toys of R2-D2 (and now BB-8) in toy section of your local Walmart. But not when it seems forced. This is a problem not only in this film but in all the prequel movies as well (C-3PO's horrible, horrible puns in "Attack of the Clones" and the very poor attempt at Han Solo-type wisecracks in "Revenge of the Sith" come to mind). So, while I don't mind Jar Jar Binks, I think he could've been handled much better. Apparently George Lucas thought so too because he has an extremely minimal role in Episode 2 and only appears once in Episode 3 without saying a single word. So instead of improving his character by taking away the fart jokes and perhaps leaving as is with his odd accent and mannerisms but trying to actually make him funny, they just decided to pretend that he didn't exist.

The Force is Strong with Mitochondria

Speaking of pretending something doesn't exist, it's time to discuss something that does bother me in "The Phantom Menace" and that is how they try to take away the mysticism of the Force. Consider Ben Kenobi's explanation of the Force to Luke in the original film: "The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." This actually makes some sense when you consider that most of the Jedi's 'tricks' such as moving objects around or Qui Gon causing the dice to roll the way he wants or Ben Kenobi making a sound to distract the Storm Troopers are simply them manipulating this energy field. It doesn't fully explain how Kenobi could pursuade the Troopers that these weren't the droids they were looking for or why they gave Anakin and Luke visions of the future, but therein likes the magic, if you will, of the Force. It doesn't all have to be explained.

Apparently, however, George Lucas thought there ought to be a scientific explanation for the Force and so here he introduces the concept of midi-chlorians (yes, I know that's what they are called, but I've always called them mitochondria ever since I learned about them in biology class). Evidently these are microorganisms that reside in every living being, some people have more of them and some peope have less, and they help people get in tune with the Force. Ok...well, that kinda makes sense, I mean, it sorta explains why some people can be Jedi and others can't....oh wait....that doesn't make any sense at all!

Kenobi's explanation of an energy field makes sense if you consider that the Force can't really do anything on its own. It exists and is constantly present, but what the Force does depends on the will of the user. Those intent on evil manipulate the Force to do evil (Darth Vader's chokehold, the Emperor's lightning, which, by the way, is an example of electricity which is a manipulation of energy) thus tapping into the Dark Side, while those intend on good can manipulate the Force to do good, thus tapping into the Light Side. None of this has anything to do with tiny bacteria that somehow convey the Force. And, as I mentioned before, someone one must have realized that the idea was really stupid, because the midi-chlorians are brought up and are indeed a main point in "The Phantom Menace" and then are promptly never mentioned again! (Ok, they are briefly mentioned in "Revenge of the Sith" but it's unclear if Palpatine is only telling Anakin what he wants to hear or if they truly do serve a purpose in the ways of the Force, but more on that relationship later)

So, in conclusion, I prefer the quasi-mysticism of the Force. It can serve its purpose as a vital part of the Star Wars mythology and it is allowed to make some sense, but it doesn't need to be explained away and it certainly doesn't deserve to have a ridiculous explanation cooked up and then disappear as if it never existed. If you're going to bring in a new part of the mythology, at least build on it.

Darth Maul

Another one of my pet peeves in the prequels is the villains. I'll expound more on this later, but I really like Darth Maul. Even though he only has one line of dialogue and we know nothing about him whatsoever, he offers a menacing presence of a film that is otherwise devoid of a strong villain (Sebulba doesn't count because he isn't in the film long enough and he is more of a bully and a cheat than a true villain). He also provides that is easily the best action sequence in the series, bar none, in the final Duel of the Fates between him, Qui Gon and Obi Wan. His double bladed lightsaber is genuinely creative and the incredible stunts make the fight scene almost a ballet as well. In fact, I wouldn't hesitate to call this scene one of the most fast-paced, action-packed duels put to film, and made even more so because of its emotional payoff. If the battle scenes in space and on land between the Gungans and the droid army lack tension and pathos, then at least "The Phantom Menace" contains two spectacular action sequences to make up for that - this duel and the pod race. Even if Maul's name and devilish appearance are rather uninspired, his presence and fighting skills alone make him a villain worthy of Star Wars.

So, to conclude, "The Phantom Menace" has plenty of faults, but quite a few of them are faults that the prequel trilogy as a whole share. On its own, though, in spite of its problems, this is the most entertaining of the three, for me anyway.