25 Years Later | Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (25th Anniversary Re-Release)
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Max Nocerino 
Max returns to the galaxy far, far away to experience the 25th Anniversary re-release of George Lucas’ Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
I’ve seen The Phantom Menace THREE times in the movie theater. How can this be? I saw it when it premiered in 1999 when I was 6. I saw it again when it was re-released in 3D in 2012. Star Wars was re-releasing all the movies in 3D as part of a project that was ultimately canceled before Attack of the Clones because Disney bought Star Wars. Then, 12 years later, on the eve of The Phantom Menace’s 25th birthday, Disney re-released it again.
EXPERIENCE IT AGAIN!
Even though I’ve seen this movie a bazillion times at home, seeing Star Wars is always ten times better in movie theaters. The Phantom Menace on the big screen holds a special place in my heart as it was my first Star Wars experience. I shared it with my father and step-grandfather, both of whom had passed away just the previous year. I remember that the movie hit my imagination like a ton of bricks when I was that young.
Throughout the movie, I asked my dad many questions as there were so many of them that my 6-year-old brain didn’t understand. I marvel at how much my consciousness has changed over the last 2 decades. I asked my father when the movie started, “Does this movie have bad guys?” My father responded, “Yes”. Later, I wondered when the Trade Federation had put people in camps and if the Queen would die if she returned to Naboo. “Yes, probably”. He also suspected that the Gungans had been killed towards the end of the movie when Jar Jar went down to the underwater cities to ask for help for the Naboo. It warms my heart that I still have access to these distant memories, and my father is still very much alive at twenty-five.
25 YEARS LATER
25 years later, The Phantom Menace still slaps. This controversial statement will make any fanboy or fangirl snort and have steam come out of their ears. Many fans have the shared opinion that the Prequels “suck” and that they ruined Star Wars. In my opinion, that is nonsense. While it is true that nothing will ever be as good as the Original Trilogy, the Prequels were fascinating because they showed a side of Star Wars that fans had never seen before. How the galaxy operates on a governmental scale, and a Supreme Chancellor rules the Galactic Senate. The “capital” is the city-wide planet ecumenopolis, Coruscant. Slavery still exists in the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy where the Republic does not exist. An entire powerful megacorporation like the Trade Federation can have its seat in the government. Most importantly, the Jedi Order of Old is connected to the government, acting as a mediator, negotiator, guardian, and protector for the Galactic Republic.
They serve for the good of the galaxy. While their code forbids them to participate, they are able to help protect and fight opposing forces if asked to do so. It’s an exquisite system, and while the government was flawed and corrupted by the time of this movie, it still worked in the sense that amazing things could be accomplished with the ability to help. Also, as someone from a political family, I found politics not dull but exciting.
BACKLASH
Other critiques of this movie are potentially endless and, overall, quite dumb. The fans hated that this movie “ruined” the mystical aspect of the Force by introducing midi-chlorians to the franchise. These microscopic lifeforms reside in all living cells and provide a sort of symbiosis with the lifeforms, allowing them to draw on the Force for unique abilities and powers. Some people mistakenly believe that microbes created the Force, but this is not true upon careful observation and listening. The midi-chlorians are MEDIATORS for the Force, not the primary source of it. The Force’s source has never been identified, but we are biological, are we not? It makes perfect sense that there is a biological aspect to the Force.
Another elephant in the room is the constant persecution of Jar Jar Binks, a goofy and clumsy alien who serves as a sort of Pocohantas to connect the Naboo with their Gungan neighbors (both of whom live on Naboo). Because of Jar Jar’s method of speech, mannerisms, and silly personality, fans vehemently denounced him CONSTANTLY. So much so that Ahmed Best, the actor who gave his voice to Jar Jar, felt crushed by all the negativity and contemplated ending his own life. (He revealed this to me on social media.)
I personally thought Jar Jar was funny when I was six. I liked when he stepped in poop, and my father did as well. Another memory I have is that I remember my father saying, “Exsqueeze me,” for a few days after we saw the movie, in honor of Jar Jar’s quirky expression that contributed to Ahmed Best’s bullying. They should be ashamed of themselves. He is lovely, and I am glad Disney did right by him.
DOES IT HOLD UP TODAY?
All in all, I really don’t think that The Phantom Menace was a bad movie. I’m still in love with young Natalie Portman. I still like Jar Jar, the underdog who brings societies together. Jake Lloyd isn’t the best actor, but he is still a whizkid prodigy and the correct type of person to portray a young Anakin Skywalker. The plot was also not as bad as the fans complained about.
I actually like it far better than The Force Awakens’ regurgitated plot. Its climax utilized a three-pronged attack, and that is the standard of a good movie. There should be at least three stories going on at once, back to back (in my opinion), that all circle towards a common endpoint.
VERDICT
As the movie ended with a happy ending and that magical, otherworldly Naboo-piece Star Wars music, I admit a slight tear as I remembered my father. Music is a massive trigger for me, not just for individual memories but also for how I felt at certain times. For the briefest of six seconds, I was 6 years old again, and my father was alive, and I didn’t have a care in the world. That was the magic of Star Wars. I’m sorry, but solid A.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is currently showing in cinemas everywhere for a limited time.
FORCE FACTS
Please stick around for Force Facts. My sister criticized the validity of seeing a movie in theaters AGAIN that you’ve seen so many times before. I countered that I notice something new every time I watch Star Wars. Today’s Force Facts are things I’ve never noticed before in the 25 years that I’ve watched this movie. I’m happy to say that I proved my sister wrong.
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In one of the Mos Espa background shots, there is a droid that I never noticed before moving around. This may seem trivial and inane to note, but this little droid has the head of a PK-worker drone on a little ball body, which is eerily the same way that BB-8 moves around. BB-8 would not appear until The Force Awakens, 16 years later, and it reminds me how diverse and ahead of its time Star Wars was with its depiction of robotic entities. Perhaps a rolling method of locomotion is better for a sandy environment, as well.
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When Anakin and Amidala arrive on Coruscant with the Jedi, the two senior Jedi bow to Supreme Chancellor Valorum, and Anakin follows suit. What’s funny here is that this is a 9-year-old boy who is nervous and trying to be on his best behavior, so he bows as well to show respect. However, Anakin’s head humorously hits Obi-Wan’s back, as he was too close to Ewan McGregor’s character and likely was a bit overzealous in trying to make a good impression. It is unknown if this plot point was intentional on Lucas’s part or if it was a simple mistake in the filming process (like a stormtrooper hitting his head in A New Hope). However, I feel it serves a good purpose as it gives the movie an almost natural “feel”. In the real world, people are often bumping into or brushing against one another when they are walking down a narrow aisle or a busy street, and this is no different. Also, Anakin is 9, and kids making mistakes are the same in any galaxy.
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There is a tiny little green animal walking parallel to one of those giant stone heads in the Gungan Secret Place in the swamps of Naboo. I’ve never noticed that before, and can’t recall what species it is, but it does look like another small green quadruped, seen running from Trade Federation tanks in the very beginning of the movie. Perhaps they are one and the same? Either way, having animals just walking around in the background is very Star Wars-sy and also gives a sense of realism to the landscape.
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My favorite new notice from this movie is that after the droids had defeated the Gungans on the Great Plains of Naboo (before the Control Ship was disabled), you can see piles of battle droid parts being picked up by Trade Federation PK-worker droids, most likely to salvage and repurpose. I like this little detail, as it would make a lot of sense that the Trade Federation would be penny pinchers who would not want good droid parts to go to waste.
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Lastly, the Gungans use deflector shields that are made of plasma energy. This may have seemed so far-future and impossible back in 1999, but last year, Chinese scientists announced that they had created a plasma shield that could block microwaves. The article didn’t specify if you could actually physically see the shield (like in the movie), but it excites me as an amateur futurist to watch concepts from sci-fi become a reality.
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
