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Happy 10 Year Anniversary "The Phantom Menace"


Shem

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I didn't find the time yesterday, but I thought I would bring this up a day late.

 

On May 19, 1999, the Prequel Trilogy's first movie was released in theaters.

 

I still remember that night perfectly as I was getting ready for the midnight showing. I arrived about three hours early with some friends of mine to make sure I got a decent seat while anticipating the first Star Wars movie in 16 years.

 

I remember all the Star Wars outfits and so many people brought Darth Maul replica lightsabers and there was a series of duels in the theater when we were seated a couple of hours early and we were rooting on the fights. I usually never buy food at a theater, but I made an exception that night and got a meal ready just in time for the movie to start.

 

Then after the movie I remember thinking to myself that we have to wait another three years for the next one and six years for the series to end. :xp:

 

Anybody have some memories of going to opening night?

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I had moved to Georgia the fall previous, and that spring I still hadn't made too many friends here beyond work acquaintances... I went and saw it 3 times over the next two months, by myself - and realized I much prefer going to movies that I REALLY want to see by myself!

 

A week later, I stumbled into the theater to see this new Benigni flick... I had thought he was hilarious in some movie of vignettes shot around the world... he was a cab-driver in Italy... anyway, I thought I'd see that funny italian guy do a funny film in a light-hearted movie called "Life is Beautiful". Big surprise, not so light, still one of the best movies I have seen, and I also learned that I understood Italian better than I understood Spanish (I didn't need the subtitles :) )

 

I was enthralled with The Phantom Menace... even though I found things to quibble with (JJB).

Qui-Gon Jinn made an impression, you might gather :p

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I was 18 years Old, half drunk and wielding a Luke ROTJ Lightsaber toy at Derby (England) Multiplex Cinema. I remember it well, it was me, my good friend and his Brother, the Hairs on the back of my neck stood up when Qui-gon and Obi first ignite there Sabers in the Trade federation station :) never forget that night.

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I'm sorry, Shem, but that damned movie broke my heart. It would have been better had none of the prequels been made and we were all left to speculate for the rest of our lives. :carms:

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I was so hyped up for it, and came out of the cinema completely and utterly disappointed. Midichlorians? WTF? The podrace was cool, and Duel of the Fates was awesome, but the rest sucked.

 

And damn, 10 years already? Geez, I feel old.

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The first Star Wars movie I ever saw. Whatever opinion I would form of it later, it's still engraved in my mind as a wonderful experience. As a little kid, seeing that massive explosion of the Federation's Droid Control Ship on the white screen, it left an impression, yeah. So, happy birthday, TPM.

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Not that it would be a great movie by any rate, it was still the first SW movie i saw as well. It was kinda fun, but not a piece of art:xp: Then i decided to buy the OT and was blown away. It got me into SW, so happy 10th birthday TPM.

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I remember being blown away by the amazing lightsaber duel between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and being sorely disappointed that both Qui-Gon and Darth Maul died. I also wondered why George decided to make the future Dark Lord of the Sith so cutesy-nice with no hint of evil whatsoever, but mostly I was just amazed by the lightsaber duels. For someone who was very used to the much slower pace of dueling in the first 3 films, the increase in speed and power in TPM was nothing short of amazing.

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Heh, The Phantom Menace....Ten years already?:D

 

Well, I remember that film for both the good things and the bad things...

 

The good things, Darth Maul, he was completely awesome!!! The epic lightsaber fight at the end was truly amazing to the Star Wars fans who returned for the prequel!! I was sad when they killed him, but hey, it took awhile to chop him in two:D

 

The Bad things, Jar-Jar Binks. Need I say more:D

 

All in all, it was memorable:D

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The Phantom Menace isnt bad if you watch the 'Phantom Edit' version, which has alot of JarJars kiddy antics cut out.

 

I loved the DOTF and the podrace (extended version is even better) - best was the little details for fans of easter eggs and EU: ETs in the senate, USS Enterprise on Coruscant, 'Son of The Suns' yelled out in the crowd, Aurra Sing. See Theforce.net's Episode I Guide To Cameos and Hidden Images for more tidbits

Aurra Sing=woot! [/EU fanboy]

hidden_aurra_sm.jpg

 

I have no issue with midichlorians at all. Something that grows inside certain individuals which enhances their abilities, like nanobots(soon to become a medical reality), or even the different physiological makeup of sprinters in real-life(more fast twitch muscle fibres). Im amazed to think that people think "an energy field that surrounds us and binds us" from ESB was more acceptable as an explanation of the force.

 

mtfbwya

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I do agree that DOTF was awesome, and it's my opinion that Obi-Wan vs. Maul is the best saber action of the entire saga. Ray Park rocks!

 

The rest of the movie sucked, though.

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I was only 10 years old when the movie came out and I absolutely loved it, it was by far my favorite movie at the time. I went to see it in theaters 5 times. I still like the movie a lot even with little Anakin and Jar Jar.

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Honestly, this is probably my favorite Star Wars movie. The first time I saw it I remember my brother, who was seven at the time, exclaimed after Darth Maul was cut in half that he didn't like Winnie the Pooh anymore. I laughed out loud. I also remember my parents waking us up for "Midnight Madness". It was awesome. :D

 

I think my only regret about the film was the fact that they didn't keep the scene in where Anakin attacked Greedo. It was a very important scene, as it showed that Anakin wasn't good. (Also, in the book I think it was explained that Anakin attacked Greedo because he was angry that Padmé was leaving, not because Greedo said the he cheated.)

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All I can remember of seeing it on the cinema is desperately needing the toilet during the scenes on Coruscant and finally giving in while Queen Amidala was babbling on about her duty, pushing past a row of very angry looking people, and then coming back and wondering why they were all on Naboo again...

 

Midichlorians just reminded me somewhat of mitochondria, so that concept worked for me.

Mmm, same but it rather destroyed the whole mysticism of the Force by providing a rational explanation for it all. Edmund Burke pointed out that the unclear and uncertain is far more interesting than what is definite... it's probably the only thing that he got right...

 

Not that that bothered me at the time, this was my first Star Wars film and questionable dialogue or no it will always remain that to me. So, as much as I may bash it... I still have the VHS and it's almost worn through.

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