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Variety: "The Phantom Menace” is now the most viewed “Star Wars” movie on Disney+

Xando

Xando

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Oct 28, 2017
28,052
The film's abysmal reputation, however, didn't hurt its financial prospects — it grossed $431 million at the domestic box office and $924 million worldwide — and it seems the negativity didn't last. Along with 2002's "Attack of the Clones" and 2005's "Revenge of the Sith," "The Phantom Menace" has been reclaimed by a generation of fans who first saw the prequel trilogy as kids. The film has been rehabilitated so completely that, according to multiple sources, "The Phantom Menace" is now the most viewed "Star Wars" movie on the streamer worldwide.
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variety.com

‘The Phantom Menace’ at 25: A Lover, Hater and Newcomer Debate Jar Jar Binks, Podraces, Droids and Darth Maul

For the 25th anniversary of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," three Variety staffers discuss Anakin, Darth Maul, Jar Jar Binks and lightsaber battles.
variety.com variety.com

Is this the Jar Jar Binks redemption arc?
 
Aadiboy

Aadiboy

Member
Nov 4, 2017
3,772
IIRC, didn't Revenge of the Sith win a poll for best Star Wars movie a few years ago? I know OT nostalgic people hate on them, but the truth is most people like the prequels. (And ROTS is the best movie, suck it losers!)
 
Tomasoares

Tomasoares

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,794
For me the film is the best of the prequels (ok, low bar, but still).
Despite the many flaws I enjoy it now more than when I watched it for the first time. It's still inferior to most of OT and ST though
 
Dice

Dice

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,204
Canada
Eugh, my fault. I saw it there and watched about 15 minutes. The aliens and robots are hilarious.
 
Anth0ny

Anth0ny

Member
Oct 25, 2017
48,068
People watching Star Wars for the first time probably watch it first because it's "Star Wars Episode 1"

How unfortunate.
 
Broseph

Broseph

Member
Mar 2, 2021
5,017
Might be just because it's the first one so people start with that one tbh.

Revenge of the Sith is a banger though. Will always say that
 
Uncle at Nintendo

Uncle at Nintendo

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Jan 3, 2018
8,771
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If I saw George Lucas at a mall food court I would honestly apologize to him.
 
Tathanen

Tathanen

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,145
I love palpatine or maul or whoever being called a "menace," like some shifty raccoon fucking up your azaleas. What an idiotic title.
 
Soapbox Killer

Soapbox Killer

Member
Oct 28, 2017
27,946
I was like 21 when it came out and it was never as bad as the "true" fans wanted people to believe.


Revenge of the Sith is still probably the best Star Wars movie. Top 3 at worst. (Empire and Rogue One)
 
Buckle

Buckle

Member
Oct 27, 2017
41,628
Makes sense. A lot of the current generation of Star Wars fans, it was their first movie.

Also its tied with ROTS for least shit movie of the prequels (none of them are particularly good though in my opinion with AOTC being completely unwatchable).

We'll see a similar thing with The Force Awakens and the sequel trilogy in a few decades. Each new gen kind of seems to have a different perspective. Me? I can't stand the prequel era and never saw the appeal of the CG cartoons which I thought were pretty corny so you can imagine the amount of interest I actually have in stuff like Ahsoka which heavily draws from them.

On the other hand I will forever love Ewan as Obi-Wan. He gave a good memorable performance through sheer force of will and charisma in those movies. Shame the recent show wasn't better, hopefully he gets another chance to come back at some point.
 
Ushojax

Ushojax

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,973
That's kind of sad but I guess that's mainly due to it being the "first" one.

It remains a completely boring film. Even the best part, the duel at the end, falls flat for me because the characters don't even talk to each other. You'd think Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would have a few questions for the first Sith they've seen in hundreds of years but apparently not. George completely forgot how to make a film, SW worked because of the character stuff not the effects.
 
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GoodGrief

GoodGrief

Member
Jan 24, 2024
1,069
This was my first SW movie, grew up with the prequels, didn't even see the OT until years after and was confused about why they didn't feature the "real" Star Wars leads. And yet to this day I can't understand why people insist the prequels are "good, actually". I have nostalgia too but c'mon.
 
boontobias

boontobias

Avenger
Apr 14, 2018
9,689
I think the OT shows the idea of Star Wars but the prequels ARE Star Wars. Even with the groundbreaking vfx of the OT, it wasn't until the prequels that Lucas' world really came to life.

The OTs are a phenomenal mix of newly minted film iconography and classic Campbellian storytelling but the prequels are Star Wars.
 
MadLaughter

MadLaughter

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
13,340
The prequels are still bad, but the reason people still think about them is because Lucas was at least doing something mildly interesting with the world's politics and institutions. There are a couple other decent aspects (some great actors given almost nothing to do, some good lightsaber fights), but overall as movies you watch, they aren't good.
 
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Mary Celeste

Mary Celeste

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,539
"Yeah, I guess we should start from Episode 1. It has 1 in the name!

Wow, that was awful, I won't bother watching the rest."
 
Instro

Instro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,233
It's my 5 year old's favorite. Along with RotJ. It wouldn't surprise me if Phantom Menace is popular with kids in general. Which like most things popular with kids, means it will be streamed over and over again.
 
MrNewVegas

MrNewVegas

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,821
Star Wars Ep 1 produced the best Star Wars movie, a revolutionary PS1 game, one of the best racing games ever, a promotion with Taco Bell/Pepsi that was so popular there hasn't been a better promo in 25 years.

Episode 1 the GOAT.
 
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