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Geek Reaction: Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace In 3D
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Star Wars The Phantom Menace 3D

Ever since I was a little kid I have always loved Star Wars. In fact, it was one of the biggest experiences of my childhood having my dad show the movies to me at home when I was about 6 or 7. I automatically fell in love with not only the characters, but this story of good and evil set in space. After the special editions of the original trilogy were released I found out that they were going to release the first of the prequels in two yrs and I was so excited, but when it happened I was a bit disappointed with the first prequel movie — Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace — itself.

Flash forward to present day. It has been 13 years since Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released and now since everything is going 3D, I guess creator George Lucas had to jump on the bandwagon and convert the film to 3D — the 3D reversion was released in theaters this weekend.

OK, I have a few concerns with this decision to convert the movie to 3D: 1) Why would you release the prequels first in 3D and not go in the original order they were released in theaters and show A New Hope first? 2) Why are you waiting to give us the other movies in a year by year fashion and not just knock out one trilogy this year and the next trilogy next year?

I really have a love/hate relationship with The Phantom Menace and here is a few reasons why:

1) It was the first Star Wars movie in 16 years and there was tons of buzz around it because it had been kept under wraps for so long; plus, we were still reeling from the re-release of the tweaked Special Editions in which a certain scene — amongst many — was changed (See Eve’s rant about that).

2) Episode I had so much potential to be a truly kick ass Star Wars film; it had some characters that were written so well, but poorly acted and I do blame Lucas for that. If he had just done what he did by getting different directors like he did with The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, we would have had one kickass character-driven movie that was action-packed. In my opinion, Lucas definitely sacrificed character development for special effects in Episode I. Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite scenes and characters in all of Star Wars are in this movie. I think that Qui-Gon Jinn (played by badass actor Liam Nesson) still carries this movie along with Darth Maul (played by stuntman Ray Park).

Now we come to the question that you have been asking, “Is it worth it to see Episode I in 3D?” Well, I just saw the 3D version this weekend and I’d say the answer to that is both yes and no. If you’re going just for the 3D factor, the movie as a whole is all right for 3D, but it’s not perfect because let’s face it these movies weren’t originally shot for 3D, so it loses some of the luster. So, don’t run out to see this if you’re a 3D lover. Now having said that, I feel it is definitely worth going to the movie if you’re already a fan of it and want to see it again on the big screen. It’s a great way to have an awesome time and it is Star Wars after all, which makes up for a lot of it. The movie itself still looks great even after 13 years and it is still awesome to watch that final lightsaber fight at the end.

Keep in mind, though fellow geeks, that in this 3D theatrical release we are watching the cuts that they also made for the Blu-ray Edition in which the horrible-looking Yoda puppet has now been replaced by a digital Yoda and that looks good. The podrace is fun like it was when I first saw it on the big screen 13 years ago. The subsequence is actually one of my favorite things they did in 3D as well as the lightsaber fight. Let’s face it, I also really dug the 3D red and black glasses that they gave us. I did go to the midnight showing with a few people I work with and one of my best friends of 14 years, and I have to say it was more enjoyable with them there. Is Jar-Jar still annoying? Yes, he is but I got through it because of my passion for these movies.

I guess I have this to say to George Lucas, please stop jumping on bandwagons that you shouldn’t be jumping on especially with 3D. Just give us this live-action TV show that you have been working on and telling us about forever because as much as I love the Clone Wars animated series, I want something more. I can only take so much from the comics books and novels. Also, you are not starving for cash, I mean come on you have so much money that you don’t even need to work anymore. Just hand things over to someone like Dave Filoni who is already the supervising director for the Clone Wars TV show and just retire and relax!

Thank you for reading this everyone. If you’ve seen Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 3D, let us know your thoughts in the comments section here below. If not, do you plan on going to see the 3D theatrical release?

5 Comments »

  1. Took my kids to see it today. It was good to have it on the big screen again. Jar Jar still sucks, but Maul is still badass. I recommend ppl go see it just bc it’s an all new way to see SW. Makes we really yearn for IV!

    Comment by Bryan Pilat — February 11, 2012 @ 9:49 pm

  2. saw it yesterday with some friends. I really enjoyed it even though it is the forth or fifth time watching it :) 

    Comment by Marcus Brahn — February 11, 2012 @ 10:34 pm

  3. I had a weekend planned with my friend, we were going to see The Phantom Menace on Friday and before we went, we stopped off at Toys’r’us to pick something up. I saw the HUGE TPM toy displays, with lightsabers and pod racers, etc. I then though about all the negative points of the movie and we ended up not going. 

    $18 for rehashed 3D of the worst Star Wars movie just isn’t worth it.

    Comment by David — February 12, 2012 @ 11:21 am

  4. I took my kids yesterday too.  We had a blast.  It’s easy to poke holes in the movie, but for a 12 year old and an 8 year old seeing it on the big screen in 3D it was a dream. 

    Comment by Matthew Jenkins — February 12, 2012 @ 1:56 pm

  5. It’s Episode I, so obviously the only reason I went to see it was to see how it was done with it being 3D and all, and aside from the fact that it’s still the worst film of them all, the 3D was really good for it not being shot in 3D. Darth Maul was even more bad ass in 3D. Personally, I say hand off the live-action TV show to someone else just as he did with the CGI Clone Wars and just make Episodes 7-9 already.

    Comment by Travis Zepp LeBlanc — February 12, 2012 @ 11:38 pm

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