# Phantom Menace: The results are in... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2000, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-the-results-are-in/15506 "2000-04-03T04:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2000, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-the-results-are-in/15506/21 "2000-04-03T14:39:00Z")
My 9 year old son insisted on seeing the movie over and over. But then, he feels the same way about Inspector Gadget, Dr. Doolittle, Armageddon, and all the Land Before Time “movies”. Enough said. True confessions now, though. Won’t we all go to see the next episode? * * * inconceivable? i don’t think that word means what you think it does ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-the-results-are-in/15506/22 "2000-04-03T15:41:00Z")
Yes as\_u\_wish, we probably all will despite ourselves. Besides, theres hope for the next two. I figure, hey, Return of the Jedi was kinda’ weak too, so Lucas is allowed to screw up one in three times and we’ll forgive him. Besides, this movie introduced and helped develop the future charactors. He likes Inspector Gadget huh. Ugh, the brave things parents do for love of their children. * * * There is no spoon. ---
**Author:** ![mazirian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@mazirian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazirian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2000, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-the-results-are-in/15506/23 "2000-04-03T16:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > (who would go see a Star Wars movie NOT directed by Lucas?) ## Well, I would. And did. It was called _Empire Strikes Back_, directed by Irvin Kershner. 🙂 Best of the lot, IMO and many seem to agree. _For once you must try to face the facts: Mankind is kept alive by bestial acts._ ---
**Author:** ![Sake\_Samurai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sake\_Samurai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sake_Samurai)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2000, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-the-results-are-in/15506/24 "2000-04-03T18:07:00Z")
Yeah, let’s not give George Lucas any undue credit here. Out of the four Star Wars movies to date, he only directed episode I and IV. Star Wars (Episode IV) was the only good film he ever directed (or ever will). Some of you may have enjoyed American Graffiti (another Lucas flick), but I found it to be as trite and shallow as the Phantom Menace. And what the hell’s up with his hair? * * * Yet to be reconciled with the reality of the dark for a moment, I go on wandering from dream to dream. ---
**Author:** ![dwtno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2000, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-the-results-are-in/15506/25 "2000-04-03T18:11:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I heard a rumor a while ago that the movie was actually written and directed by Rick McCallum, Lucas’ protege, and then Lucas just put his name on it to get publicity for the film (who would go see a Star Wars movie NOT directed by Lucas?). Before _Phantom Menace_ the only “Star Wars” movie directed by George Lucas was … _Star Wars_. In fact, until _Phantom Menace_ Lucas had only directed three movies… _THX 1138_, _American Grafitti_ and _Star Wars_. That’s it! Now, after some thirty plus years as a filmmaker, he’s added a fourth film to his resume. Clearly Lucas’ forte is not as a director, but rather as a producer and “conceptualizer” (my term). Who would watch a “Star Wars” film not directed by Lucas? Everyone who saw _The Empire Strikes Back_ and _Return of the Jedi_. Should he have turned directing chores for _Phantom Menace_ over to someone (anyone!) else? Absolutely. Couldn’t have been any worse. ---
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-the-results-are-in/15506/26 "2000-04-04T00:24:00Z")
Oh, come now. It wasn’t the best, wasn’t as good as it could have been, certainly, but it wasn’t _that_ bad. The pod race was cool as hell. And I liked the whole concept of the underwater city. I think the story is actually set up for the next episode to be really awesome. How will Anakin and Amadala get together and have Luke and Leia? How will Anakin fall to the Dark Side? (My guess: He’ll have to make some sort of choice to save his mother or Amadala.) Some problems from _Episode I_ they would do well to avoid: - kill Jar Jar off in some off-camera accident. Don’t give him **one second** of screen time in _Episode II_. - everybody in _Episode I_ talked in this emotionless monotone that sapped the life and energy out of the movie. Give us some Harrison Ford/Carrie Fisher pizzazz, dammit! - Ewen MacGregor as Obi Wan was one of the bright spots of _Episode I_, I thought, and his character was **woefully** underwritten. If Lucas and his minions keep an open mind and really try to learn from their _Episode I_ mistakes, this saga can get right back on track. * * * “We are here for this – to make mistakes and to correct ourselves, to withstand the blows and to hand them out.” Primo Levi ---
**Author:** ![Shagrath\_Borgir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@Shagrath\_Borgir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagrath_Borgir)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-the-results-are-in/15506/27 "2000-04-04T00:36:00Z")
I can’t believe it took 25 posts before someone mentioned that annoying piece of crap jar jar binks. Hopefully episode 2 will start with a big party celebrating jar jar’s tragic light saber incident. 🙂 * * * “Through twilight, darkness and moonrise My scarlet tears will run As stolen blood and whispered love Of fantasies undone” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-the-results-are-in/15506.md?page=1)