May of 1999 was a big month. I interviewed for a job at an environmental protection workplace where I am still employed today, over two decades later. I also ventured to the theater with some friends for an opening day midnight showing for
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. After 16 years of rumors and theories, writer/director George Lucas was finally bringing the eagerly awaited prequel saga of Anakin Skywalker to the screen, and we could not wait to see it at long last. The sold-out audience erupted into applause when the words,
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....”, displayed, and the signature John Williams score kicked off seconds later. A red laser pointer dot briefly appeared on the screen, and then disappeared just as quickly when viewers voiced their indignation, the culprit presumably aware that he or she would have probably been torn to shreds by a mob of serious sci-fi fans. The opening word crawl, announcing that turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic because of a Trade Federation dispute, commenced, and we all sat back, ready for a show.
Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master played by Liam Neeson, and his apprentice, the one and only Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Ewan McGregor, were landing on a Trade Federation base to negotiate on the part of the Republic. My 27 year-old self loved the idea that the Jedi Knights served as diplomats. This movie was off to a promising start. Minutes later, we the viewers were introduced to Jar Jar Binks.
After revisiting this film in present day, by way of the new 4K UHD Blu-ray, I am reminded of the youthful excitement shown by my friends and I as we sat down in the theater on that night almost exactly 21 years ago. I am also reacquainted with that same sense of immersive vigor, as I have been with each subsequent viewing of this flawed, but nonetheless wildly entertaining endeavor that was initially greeted with accolades before being napalmed in the court of public opinion and online jokes.
There are quite a few narrative plot points and visual aspects of
The Phantom Menace that annoy me, but there are many more things about it that still impress me. Yes, Jar Jar Binks is the character equivalent of nails on chalkboard. Yes, we are basically watching a computer-generated cartoon during the Naboo underwater scenes. Yes, we do not need to hear Jake Lloyd's Anakin yelling,
“Yippee!”, while piloting a starfighter ship. Fortunately, however, we also have McGregor showcasing a spot-on incarnation of Obi-Wan's personality. We also have a white-knuckle suspense sequence in the form of a pod race. We have some emotionally affecting interplay between Lloyd's Anakin and Natalie Portman's Queen Amidala. We see Ian McDiarmid's masterful Senator Palpatine playing chess with children who believe that they are playing checkers. Finally, we meet one of the coolest characters of the
Star Wars universe in the form of the Sith fighter, Darth Maul.
Internet debates continue to rage on with regard to the order by which the
Star Wars Episodes should be viewed. I strongly endorse watching them in order of their release dates, starting with
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. The
“Aha!” moments of seeing familiar characters and hearing familiar quotes from the Original Trilogy enhance the experience of delving into this Prequel Trilogy after the fact. The applause on opening night when well-loved figures, like Obi-Wan, R2-D2, and C-3PO, appeared on screen during
The Phantom Menace is a testament to this notion. On the other hand, of course, the undeniable love that fans from younger generations, who were introduced to the franchise by way of this Episode I, provides a solid counterargument to my assertion. Either way, this film, while not the high point of the franchise, is far more fun than many pop culture theorists give it credit for being.
Even a lower-tier
Star Wars effort hits the mark more often than it fumbles. A return to
The Phantom Menace, warts, midi-chlorians, and all, is still a return to the fictional universe that I grew up enjoying. It's all good.
What do I think about the 4K UHD presentation?
By conventional measures, this is a bad 4K UHD video presentation. When compared to any previous home video edition of this film, however, it excels. HDR, along with a darker look, brings out the best of the image and helps to sway the noise reduction tendencies of the abysmal standard Blu-ray transfer into considerably more palatable territory. This is the best that
The Phantom Menace has ever looked in my living room. I wish that the pod race would come off in a more detailed way, but that is my only true grievance.
Flawless? No way.
Unwatchable? No way.
This 4K UHD Blu-ray gets the job done. The Queen may not approve, but I approve.