70 minute review of The Phantom Menace

This guy on youtube does an amazing job of critiquing Star Wars Episode 1 and explaining why it's terrible in comparison to the original trilogy. It comes highly recommended.
 
Lost co-creator and Star Trek producer Damon Lindelof, said “Your life is about to change. This is astounding film making. Watch ALL of it.”
 
If any bad movie is worth a 70 minute critique, it's The Phantom Menace, if only to see how far the greatest franchise fell.
 
 http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/17/watch-this-70-minute-video-review-of-star-wars-the-phantom-menace/
 
Jar jar is the least of the problems.

Yeah I watched this last week. I mainly just clicked just to see what a 70 minute movie review would be like. Turns out it was probably more entertaining than the movie itself.
 
Must watch.

Instead of listening to his points, why not just read the metacritic or rotton tomatoes average and a few reviews, it tells me everything I need to know. That guy is only one reviewer and if he's so good, maybe he should be a professional reviewer.
 
Watch me get a ton of replies because I mentioned rotton tomatoes, or metacritic and no one wants to be told what the average is or what to think.

"

Instead of listening to his points, why not just read the metacritic or rotton tomatoes average and a few reviews, it tells me everything I need to know. That guy is only one reviewer and if he's so good, maybe he should be a professional reviewer.
 
Watch me get a ton of replies because I mentioned rotton tomatoes, or metacritic and no one wants to be told what the average is or what to think.

"

I wish I could download the whole movie in decent quality. Youtube is so slow and looks like gargled shit. 

Dude this guy sounds like the biggest troll ever.
 
Also Star Wars Episode 1 was bad ass everyone who complained about it I never understood. But I'll watch...

I watched it, pretty much what I thought of the movie. I did like Episode 3, but I'm in the minority.

That guys voice is fucking annoying

I see now his voice and persona is supposed to be ironical.

Watching it now. Quite funny and he has some really good arguments. The voice is a bit odd though, doubt that that is his real voice.

"

Instead of listening to his points, why not just read the metacritic or rotton tomatoes average and a few reviews, it tells me everything I need to know. That guy is only one reviewer and if he's so good, maybe he should be a professional reviewer. 
 
Watch me get a ton of replies because I mentioned rotton tomatoes, or metacritic and no one wants to be told what the average is or what to think.

"

" Dude this guy sounds like the biggest troll ever.  Also Star Wars Episode 1 was bad ass everyone who complained about it I never understood. But I'll watch... "

" I watched it, pretty much what I thought of the movie. I did like Episode 3, but I'm in the minority. "

Great review overall, and presented in a way that anyone can digest. 
 
As for Episode 2 and 3, I haven't watched either in a while, but I remember liking them both quite a bit when I first saw them and upon subsequent viewings.  I have to go back and watch Episode 2 again, though...

As someone who never really watched or got into the SW movies until after the prequels were released (I'm not young, I just had no interest in the series until I played KotOR).  I honestly never felt the prequel trilogies were that bad.  Episode I did feel somewhat aimless, I do think Anakins childhood could have been a flashback at the begining of the Episode II events, and Episode II itself spent far too much time with the terrible interactions between Anakin and Padme.  But for the most part I enjoyed the movies,  Episode III was one of my favourites of them all and I feel a lot of the hate comes from nostalgia and the ridiculous amounts of hype.
 
But I haven't gotten around to watching this guys review yet, I totally intend to do so, when I can find the time.

He makes some good arguments and a great job dissecting the film itself as well as backing up his arguments.

" @freezerr: My brother was telling me about it but 70 minutes is a bit steep. "

I liked Episode 1. 

I saw this when it came out, before it was all the rage.
 
It deserves it.
 
I thought I loved The Phantom Menace, but this review turns out things I didn't even notice and makes me see how bad George Lucas really made it.
 

@WoolyAbyss

" @freezerr: My brother was telling me about it but 70 minutes is a bit steep. "

@Artie

" Dude this guy sounds like the biggest troll ever.  Also Star Wars Episode 1 was bad ass everyone who complained about it I never understood. But I'll watch... "

"

Instead of listening to his points, why not just read the metacritic or rotton tomatoes average and a few reviews, it tells me everything I need to know. That guy is only one reviewer and if he's so good, maybe he should be a professional reviewer.
 
Watch me get a ton of replies because I mentioned rotton tomatoes, or metacritic and no one wants to be told what the average is or what to think.

"

"I watched it, pretty much what I thought of the movie. I did like Episode 3, but I'm in the minority. "

Wait, have you all watched the original trilogy again, now that you're older? It's horrible. The acting is abysmal and the story is cliched. The characters are cartoony messes. I would think someone nowadays could only legitimately like any of the Star Wars movies if they have some unreasonable nostalgia-based devotion for the series. I know the movie opened all kinds of doors for creativity in films, but I can't help but cringe at almost every line in all 6 movies. The movies are good for kids and for adults born in the 70's, before these ideas became completely exhausted. I guess I should shut up and watch this video though, right?

" I watched it, pretty much what I thought of the movie. I did like Episode 3, but I'm in the minority. "

This is awesome.  He points out so many plotholes.  He has a strange sense of humor, but I'm digging it.

" Dude this guy sounds like the biggest troll ever.  Also Star Wars Episode 1 was bad ass everyone who complained about it I never understood. But I'll watch... "

Watched all of it today. Easily the best movie review ever. Lots of good points, and the guy is hilarious.

" Wait, have you all watched the original trilogy again, now that you're older? It's horrible. The acting is abysmal and the story is cliched. The characters are cartoony messes. I would think someone nowadays could only legitimately like any of the Star Wars movies if they have some unreasonable nostalgia-based devotion for the series. I know the movie opened all kinds of doors for creativity in films, but I can't help but cringe at almost every line in all 6 movies. The movies are good for kids and for adults born in the 70's, before these ideas became completely exhausted. I guess I should shut up and watch this video though, right? "

  @jakob187 said: 

In the end, the original trilogy was about having fun...and they ARE fun.  I personally loathe Episode I, as it's an atrocity to the series.  Episode II and III were good, but when put against IV, V, and VI, they are still drab and dull.  Episode IV, surprisingly, is my second least favorite one.  Empire Strikes Back is a crowning achievement in sci-fi fantasy...solely because it wasn't directed by George Lucas!!!  Return of the Jedi was a great conclusion to a trilogy. "

Watching this shit right now, and it's great. 

Hey hey hey.
Podracing was alright.
Maybe he should critique the Star Wars fan next. You know, the people who hated this movie yet paid for it, and paid to see the sequels.

This was really excellent.  Very thorough in its analysis and dissection of the movie but also very funny in its own right.  Its interesting to me because I think most everyone, myself included, says and felt the movie sucked, but have never really thought about why it sucks compared to the old movies specifically.

"   @jakob187 said: 

In the end, the original trilogy was about having fun...and they ARE fun.  I personally loathe Episode I, as it's an atrocity to the series.  Episode II and III were good, but when put against IV, V, and VI, they are still drab and dull.  Episode IV, surprisingly, is my second least favorite one.  Empire Strikes Back is a crowning achievement in sci-fi fantasy...solely because it wasn't directed by George Lucas!!!  Return of the Jedi was a great conclusion to a trilogy. "

I feel Episode I is clearly the better of the prequels. They're all shit of course, but Episode II and III take it to a whole other level. Episode III particularly actually made me embarrassed I was watching that fucking garbage. When that asthmatic robot started waving four lightsabres around I almost left the theatre. Jesus christ that was horrible.  And I couldn't even tell you what Episode II's story was, it was so unmemorable.  "

I really thought that Episode III was pretty good, I think mostly because it tied more closely into the original trilogy storyline, which is of course more compelling.  While the characters weren't particularly well done we can think "well, this guy will be Darth Vader later on" and be invested at least.  I felt the same way about the fight scene at the end of Episode III as the reviewer for this movie did, good context and setting, but Lucas did almost ruin it by drawing it out so much further than necessary.  The good moment was the payoff of Anakin being burned, not the whole fight scene.

" That guys voice is fucking annoying "

" @Jeffsekai said:

" That guys voice is fucking annoying "

Yeah, but thats not his real voice he is trying mimic what everyone thinks a nerd sounds like. "

" @Jeffsekai said:

" That guys voice is fucking annoying "

Yeah, but thats not his real voice he is trying mimic what everyone thinks a nerd sounds like. "

"Episode II and III were good "

"   @jakob187 said: 

In the end, the original trilogy was about having fun...and they ARE fun.  I personally loathe Episode I, as it's an atrocity to the series.  Episode II and III were good, but when put against IV, V, and VI, they are still drab and dull.  Episode IV, surprisingly, is my second least favorite one.  Empire Strikes Back is a crowning achievement in sci-fi fantasy...solely because it wasn't directed by George Lucas!!!  Return of the Jedi was a great conclusion to a trilogy. "

I feel Episode I is clearly the better of the prequels. They're all shit of course, but Episode II and III take it to a whole other level. Episode III particularly actually made me embarrassed I was watching that fucking garbage. When that asthmatic robot started waving four lightsabres around I almost left the theatre. Jesus christ that was horrible.  And I couldn't even tell you what Episode II's story was, it was so unmemorable.  "

Fuck the new trilogy hate. Sure, Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones aren't masterpieces but they are still quality action films. Star Wars fanboys are just too obsessed to realize it. Also, I don't give a shit what anyone says, Revenge of the Sith is fantastic.

" Fuck the new trilogy hate. Sure, Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones aren't masterpieces but they are still quality action films. Star Wars fanboys are just too obsessed to realize it. Also, I don't give a shit what anyone says, Revenge of the Sith is fantastic. "

Being that I was around 6 or 7 when Episode 1 came out, I enjoyed it quite a bit. However, now that I am older and wiser, a lot of what this guy says makes sense, even though his over-analysis reeks of obsession.
 
 Episode 2 is the worst in the series, hands down. Hayden Christiansen can't act worth anything, and George Lucas can't write romance. Put both together and you have a movie that sucks on so many fronts.
 
However, Episode 3 isn't bad. Sure, it has led the way towards that awful CG clone wars series (although the cartoon miniseries of the same name directed by the Dexter's Lab guy was pretty good if I recall correctly), but it's watchable.

A couple times this reviewer goes out of his way to create things to complain about. The movie did suck, don't get me wrong, but when you are making up reasons why it sucked, the "70 minutes" just seem bloated. For example, in the fourth video when he's complaining about the Jedi following Jar Jar instead of just running towards the capital, he never mentions that the reason they follow him is because he said he knew of a "shortcut" or whatever. One would think that would be quicker than WALKING AROUND A PLANET! 
That said, most of the points are good. 
Edit: And then this reviewer acts like trying to figure out the podrace gamble was actually complicated or something. Did anyone else have problems understanding it?

Only good part of that movie is Liam Neeson, Qui Gon is my favorite Jedi of all time...

I watched all 7 parts. It was very entertaining, but the last few seemed to be getting nitpicky and were not nearly as funny as the the first few. Now I really want to watch the originals again.

" @FunExplosions said:

" Wait, have you all watched the original trilogy again, now that you're older? It's horrible. The acting is abysmal and the story is cliched. The characters are cartoony messes. I would think someone nowadays could only legitimately like any of the Star Wars movies if they have some unreasonable nostalgia-based devotion for the series. I know the movie opened all kinds of doors for creativity in films, but I can't help but cringe at almost every line in all 6 movies. The movies are good for kids and for adults born in the 70's, before these ideas became completely exhausted. I guess I should shut up and watch this video though, right? "

The acting is better than the prequelogy, and the story IS cliched.  I wish people would stop thinking that cliche = bad.  It's such a dumb way of putting a movie down.  Terminator 2 is cliche.  Many of the acclaimed Disney animated movies are cliche.  Pixar's movies are cliche.  There are so many great movies that are completely cliche...and it doesn't matter.  Cliche simply means that they are using familiar plot elements.  It's the way they unfold.  The characters are cartoony messes?  The characters aren't supposed to be monotone reality.  You are talking about a movie series...with droids...and wookies...and jawas...  Also, they are supposed to be a bit over-the-top, as the movies are inspired by the old school stuff like Flash Gordon, not Dune...which is what the prequelogy seems like it's trying to be with all the talk of politics and such.  The one thing I didn't like about this review is how he is constantly talking about how these movies were "made for kids".  They AREN'T made for kids.  They are just made for people to watch.  They happen to be rated PG.  Look at Rocko's Modern Life - that show was on Nickelodeon FOR KIDS...and yet that show had some of the dirtiest subtext possible.  It was ALSO for adults.  The dirty stuff went over the kids' heads, but the parents were still able to enjoy it on their own...and it wasn't corrupting the kids either.  Meanwhile, the prequelogy suffers from having TOO MUCH political dribble in it, which is NOT what Star Wars is about.  The guy makes this point very clearly in his review, and I applaud him for that.  However, it's not like kids are stupid.  In the end, the original trilogy was about having fun...and they ARE fun.  I personally loathe Episode I, as it's an atrocity to the series.  Episode II and III were good, but when put against IV, V, and VI, they are still drab and dull.  Episode IV, surprisingly, is my second least favorite one.  Empire Strikes Back is a crowning achievement in sci-fi fantasy...solely because it wasn't directed by George Lucas!!!  Return of the Jedi was a great conclusion to a trilogy. "

" I liked Episode 1.  "

" @ryanwho: I really have no desire to argue about Star Wars over the internet, to be completely honest. But I did watch this review and though it was a thoroughly entertaining, the movie is not meant to be this over analyzed. As he points out in the review multiple times, Star Wars is for children. Always has, always will be. The movies are not meant to have every line examined and studied. Obviously, Episode I is nowhere near the quality of the original trilogy but I think it's time for some people to get over it and move on. "

George Lucas said the prequals were for kids and the reviewer was just pointing out how dumb that was  "