# Seeing the Phantom Menace again for the first time in 14 years. My thoughts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [August 12, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406 "2017-08-12T03:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/201 "2024-06-06T18:14:17Z")
> [@YamatoTwinkie](#): > > Topher Grace’s (yes, the same one) [85-minute Prequel Cut](https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/scifi/topher-grace-reedits-star-wars.html) apparently starts right at the Darth Maul Duel. It’s ironic that one of the worst movies from the series has what is IMHO the best lightsaber duel from all of Star Wars. I haven’t watched that edit, but it seems like a great place to start. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/202 "2024-06-06T18:17:55Z")
I don’t think that edit in particular was ever publicly released, and anyone claiming to have a copy is probably confusing it with another similar fan-edit. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/203 "2024-06-06T18:20:18Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I’ve always thought that the prequels should have started with Anakin already as a teenager. Yep. We already knew the outlines of his story based on bits from the original trilogy. Just flesh that out, and tell a better story. He was already an accomplished pilot when Obi-Wan first met him. Obi-Want trained him as a Jedi over the objections of Yoda. He followed Obi-Wan on a “damn fool idealistic crusade”. He eventually turned to the Dark Side, and betrayed the Jedi, helping the Empire hunt them all down. So show that. Movie 1 is when they meet. Obi-wan is on a mission, and meets this hot shit pilot. Obi-wan recognizes that this guy is a natural Force sensitive, and works with him to complete the mission. At the end, we see Obi-wan recruiting him as a Jedi, and all that. Movie 2 is The Clone Wars. We see Anikin and Obi as partners fighting the war. Anikin becomes more powerful as the war progresses, but the nature of the war pushes him towards the Dark Side. But it’s hard for Obi to rein him in, because there’s a war on, damn it! The movie ends with Anikin being forced into/tricked into a massive plunge into the Dark Side to turn the tide of the war. The Emperor uses this to turn him into Darth Vader. The move ends with a declaration that the Jedi are traitors and will be destroyed. Movie 3 is the hunt for the Jedi. A series of encounters between Vader and various Jedi. His power grows, but it costs him - he keeps getting darker, and losing bits of limbs and such. He goes scorched earth on a few cities to get the Jedi living there, collateral damage be damned. He gradually accumulates more and more of the classic Vader look. The movie ends with the final fight with Obi-wan, and Vader ending up in the full-on Vader outfit we know and love. The transformation is complete. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/204 "2024-06-06T18:22:33Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > He goes scorched earth on a few cities to get the Jedi living there, collateral damage be damned. Creating a demand for a weapon powerful enough to get everyone in one shot… ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/205 "2024-06-06T20:41:20Z")
Why are random people on the internet creating better story arcs than a movie making professional? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/206 "2024-06-06T21:17:06Z")
> [@YamatoTwinkie](#): > > I don’t think that edit in particular was ever publicly released, and anyone claiming to have a copy is probably confusing it with another similar fan-edit. Do you still know Mike Stoklasa at all? I remember you saying you did a little bit at one point. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/207 "2024-06-06T21:27:36Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Why are random people on the internet creating better story arcs than a movie making professional? Because I actually care about Star Wars? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/208 "2024-06-06T21:29:02Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Because I actually care about Star Wars? I think that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/209 "2024-06-06T23:35:52Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I’ve always thought that the prequels should have started with Anakin already as a teenager. Up until details of TPM, and the casting, first were released, I think that that’s what pretty much every SW fan expected. I probably said this already upthread, some time ago, but IMO, the issue was that, unlike when he made the Original Trilogy, by the time he started working on the Prequels, Lucas actually _had_ kids of his own. He then seemed to be even more vehement that his movies were intended for a young audience (and had always been so), which led him to make choices (e.g., having Anakin start out as a pre-teen, the Jar Jar character, all the physical and potty humor, etc.) which were consistent with that mindset. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/210 "2024-06-06T23:39:04Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Why are random people on the internet creating better story arcs than a movie making professional? They aren’t. They have some ideas, which admitted sound good. But _Ideas i_n showbiz are a dime a dozen. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/211 "2024-06-06T23:40:41Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > The trade dispute shit was just static to cover the fact that TPM doesn’t even have the bare skeleton of a swashbuckling adventure. The trade dispute _was_ the phantom menace with the real menace being Palpatine and (Darth) Jar-Jar. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/212 "2024-06-06T23:41:26Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > But _Ideas i_n showbiz are a dime a dozen. I knew someone would point that out. This is, after all the SD. Still, a well-liked franchise, run by people with a measure of talent, came up with worse ideas than a coupla dudes on the straight dope. Maybe Lucas should have paid the dime. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/213 "2024-06-06T23:42:52Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Still, a well-liked franchise, run by people with a measure of talent, came up with worse ideas than a coupla dudes on the straight dope. Nope, I disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/214 "2024-06-07T07:04:20Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Still, a well-liked franchise, run by people with a measure of talent, came up with worse ideas than a coupla dudes on the straight dope. Maybe Lucas should have paid the dime. There are no good ideas or bad ideas - there are ideas you pull off, and ideas you don’t. Now admittedly, some ideas are easier to pull off than others, but even the _Phantom Menace_ could have succeeded as is with better dialog, better direction and better acting. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406/215 "2024-06-07T12:25:07Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I probably said this already upthread, some time ago, but IMO, the issue was that, unlike when he made the Original Trilogy, by the time he started working on the Prequels, Lucas actually _had_ kids of his own. Yeah, he made ANH to satisfy his own inner 7th-grader. But I guess he didn’t realize that he should keep doing that and he tried to do what he thought “Little kids” would like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-the-phantom-menace-again-for-the-first-time-in-14-years-my-thoughts/793406.md?page=10)