[Ferris Wiel]

This one has to be seen to be believed:

Why I LOOOOOVE The Phantom Menace

**DEVELOPING, more later**

--FW

[Vwing]

I have one question...how is this any different from Chef writing his reasons? The guy liked the movie, and wrote why to try to show people who hated it why he liked it. Chef hated the movie, and wrote why to try to show people who liked it why he hated it. I wouldn't call him an idiot just for writing this. People's tastes ARE different. You could call me an idiot for loving Return of the Jedi, I could call Civ an idiot for not liking Apocalypse Now. Let's not go too far here with this prequel hating stuff. It's one thing to within our group discuss the many faults of the prequels. It's another to call someone, who is not attacking us directly, an idiot for liking them. Let's stick to discussing the movies, and not this person, or the people at the Starwars.com forums.

That being said, while some of the points he raises are valid, I mostly do disagree, of course most about how he believes TPM is superior to ROTJ, but like I said, opinions are opinions.

This post has been edited by Vwing: 24 June 2004 - 03:48 PM

[Ferris Wiel]

It's not his opinions that I'm bothered by. It's the fact that he is so arrogant about it. I mean, the guy is an asshole and basically says that if we don't like TPM then we are morons and we just don't "get" the big picture. Any person of reasonable faculty should be able to see that the film is, at best, a rollercoaster ride done reasonably well in summer blockbuster sense. But to be an ass about peole not being "smart enough" to figure out a stupid effects film is ridiculous.

--FW

[HK 47]

Well, before even getting to his reasons why he likes TPM he concludes that anyone disagreeing with him is either "clouded by the darkside" or entered the cinema with "disdain or apathy toward Star Wars". I can't recall Chefelf using similar pathetic retoric when presenting his reasons. He doesn't need to.
I for one entered the cinema with great hope and love for Star Wars, but being a fairly intelligent and discriminating movie-goer, like most people on this board, I saw through Lucas utter shite. This "reviewer" is not only grasping at straws, but judging by his summary "a grand and wonderful movie that is rich with resonance and hidden meanings" he's clearly insane.

[Jordan]

  entered the cinema with "disdain or apathy toward Star Wars

This guy is clearly just talking out of his ass. He could not be further from the truth with that last statement he made. I'm almost 98% sure that the vast majority entered that cinema with great excitement mixed with expectation.

The backlash at Lucas came as the audience exited the cinema, feeling they just got shafted in the most cruel manner. Killing childhood memories.

[Just your average movie goer]

On the other hand, if you go in with disdain or apathy toward Star Wars, or the expectation that this movie has to be just like the classic trilogy, or ignoring that there's a whole lot of the story that's yet to unfold, then you will most likely find a shallow and empty movie with a boring plot and a bunch of uninteresting characters that you care nothing about from beginning to end. Whose fault is that: George Lucas's or your own?

George Lucas's, buddy.

[Commoner]

You know, he is completely COMPLETELY off base!! I mean, really, if someone actually hated a movie----WOULD THE ACTUALLY GO SEE IT!!!! I mean, I have never gone to a movie I didn't want to see!! This guy's logic is soooo screwed up!!!!

Like the rest of you, I went to TPM in the hopes that I would see something that was strongly attached to/adhered to the Star Wars Universe!

I say, let the idjoot have his say. One day he will be proven right. He claims that in time TPM/AOTC will be accepted "just like the first trilogy." You know, the thing with the original trilogy was that it was accepted right away. It worked. We didn't need endless drivel [ahem-moron's website-ahem] to "explain" all of the inconsistency and failings of the OT!!! It was understood, it was clear and plain, even ROTJ the weakest of the three!!!

That's what gets me---Lucas has plenty of vapid syncophants willing to go to the extreme for him, to do all of his spinning. Boy, he never had it so good! No director ever had it so good. Man, where are the uber-supporters for the "perfect" Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 & 3!!!????? Please, somebody, show me!!

Sheesh. Takes all kinds. Best we can do is ignore him. Arrogant little SOB.

[barend]

I haven't read the whole thing yet, but he brings up some good points...

personally i went in excited (ignoring what had happened with the special editions)... when i first walked out, I was just so happy to have been in the star wars universe again that i ignored almost everything wrong with it. Jar Jar was annoying straight away, yes. as was the total wast of Brian Blesseds magnificent precence. and "YIPEEEEE" and "are you an angel?", the accidental destruction of the DCS, etc.

after talking to someone in the pub who asked me what i thought...
it came up that they travelled through the planet core. I said "nonsense my friend, you must of misheard. that would have been the dumbest thing ever."

so i went back and saw it again, and was quite upset when this was confirmed. but i said fuck it!!! I've devoted my life to loving this franchise and i'm going to stick with it!!! despite the fact that i couldn't help notice the way the film brushed over the interesting, and dwelled on the obvious...

and a friend of mine hired it out and we watched it on video... and with out the booming speakers of a cinema to baombard you with Skywalker sound Prestigue, you could see everything wrong with the picture...

someone had ripped the rose colored glasses off my face and troden on them. for some reason, the small screen viewing seemed so much clearer to me... and a heavy hatered manifested itself in me instantly!!!

I went into AOTC with a cautios by optomistically hopefull heart, knowing C.Lee was in it....

and well the rest is history!!!

-----------------------------------------

the guy who wrote that article is saying:
if you go in to this film, then the best way to do it is with an open mind ealily distracted by flashing colours, and Natalie Portmans Ass! If dialogue, plot, structure, acting, direction, chemistry, are important to you than of course your not going to enjoy it!!! you dumbasses!
Bad film making is part of the Charm of Star Wars... if you can't get into that the the problem here is you!!!

really? thanks friend, you've raised the bar for us all!

[Just your average movie goer]

the guy who wrote that article is saying:
if you go in to this film, then the best way to do it is with an open mind ealily distracted by flashing colours, and Natalie Portmans Ass! If dialogue, plot, structure, acting, direction, chemistry, are important to you than of course your not going to enjoy it!!! you dumbasses!
Bad film making is part of the Charm of Star Wars... if you can't get into that the the problem here is you!!!

really? thanks friend, you've raised the bar for us all!

I think that sums it up for everyone here. Man, I must have been a dick walking into that theatre, wanting to see a good piece of film-making. How damn selfish of me. I should respect George Lucas' right to do whatever he wants and watch all of it. If I can't appreciate it, then there must be something seriously wrong with me.

Perhaps prequel lovers are just a group of extreme masochists.

[Radu094]

You know.. when I first went into the cinema on TPM I was so excited about seeing a new SW movie, all jumpy an all. I ended up comming out of that theatre 2 hours later greatelly impressed screaming of "whaw! what a good movie.. oh ,yes!".
I was actually so impatient of seeing a good SW prequel I that I walked out saying this was best SW yet... It wasn't until later next day that a bunch of creepy feelings started to reveal to me.. like: hmm,what was with that whole Pod Race thing?.. and what the hell does Jar Jar do in this movie, and why do I feel like I watched a Grim Brothers fairy-tale?etc..
It took me the best part of a week to finally accept the truth... that TPM simply sucked.. I was a cartoon movie featuring a few live actors.. much like Mary Poppins, you know?

[Paladin]

I just watched TPM again today (I haven't watched it in a year), and I pretty darn embarassed by it. Just looking at it again gives me the creeps.

What's more is, I found even MORE reasons to hate it too. I'll even give them here.

1: Trivial dispute... major problems.

In the opening scroll, they refer to the blockade of Naboo as some kind of serious event and there's a lot of heated discussion about it in the Senate, translating into the fact that it must be something important. But when Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan are in the meeting room of the trade federation command center, Qui-Gons says, "I sense an unusual amount of fear for something as trivial as this trade dispute."

WTF? Why is it all of a sudden a 'trivial' matter? If this problem was so big to the extent that it would get the supreme chancellor kicked out of office and anger everything, then why it is trivial?

2: Jar Jar Binks... the useless guide.

After Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn get the bongo from the Gungans, Qui-Gon says that they need a navigator to get them through the core... and of all people, they pick Jar Jar who does absolutely NOTHING to help them in any shape or form.

[Just your average movie goer]

When I walked out of The Phantom Menace, I just wanted to rush home to watch Star Wars. It's pretty much like when you eat something really bitter and horrible ... you immediately reach for a glass of water to wash the awful taste out of your mouth.

[Radu094]

I guess my brains were too much in denial to accept it rightaway. You know, like in cases of major trauma (like rape, physical abuse, etc.) the brain can block away certain traumatic events. This was pretty much like that..

It wasn't until days later that the horrible was revealed to me...

[Ferris Wiel]

I left the theater feeling numb and confused. Wondering what in hell I had just witnessed - not like The Matrix where I felt befuddled at the mystery and the layers of depth (even the illusory depth) - I thought to myself, "So, that's a Star Wars film? I don't want to see it again... but I should, because I must have missed something."

--FW