10 Ways Star Wars The Phantom Menace has Aged Well Over The Last 25 Years

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace wasn’t very well received when it premiered in 1999, but these 10 aspects of the Star Wars movie prove that it has aged well in the last 25 years. The prequel trilogy remains controversial among Star Wars movies and TV shows, although they have become much more popular over the years. In fact, many consider the prequels, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith in particular, to be among Star Wars’ best movies.

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The Phantom Menace had a particularly difficult time, as it was the very first addition to Star Wars following the incredibly beloved original trilogy. This no doubt contributed to the intense and largely unfair backlash the movie faced, particularly pertaining to young Anakin Skywalker and the myriad new concepts the movie introduced. Despite the complaints about the prequel trilogy, though, these 10 aspects of The Phantom Menace prove the first Star Wars prequel trilogy movie has aged quite well over the years.

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Anakin Skywalker Being The Chosen One Has Only Become More Interesting

Anakin’s Destiny Has Been Explored In Many Star Wars Movies And Shows

The notion that Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One was introduced in The Phantom Menace, and it was not initially well-received. Many found this storyline too spiritual, especially given it corresponded with Anakin’s apparent immaculate conception. While this messianic shift for Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader may have been unpopular at the time, though, Star Wars movies and shows have expanded on this idea considerably in the years since, making it so much more compelling.

One of the most significant updates to this storyline came in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, when Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano came face to face with the Mortis Gods. These three deities embodied the Force itself, with the Daughter representing the light side of the Force, the Son representing the dark side, and the Father representing balance. During this arc, Anakin learned more about his destiny as the Chosen One, foretold to restore balance to the Force—which he ultimately did.

Qui-Gon Jinn’s Importance To The Jedi Has Grown

Qui-Gon Is The Reason Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi Became Force Ghosts

Qui-Gon was a fascinating character in The Phantom Menace, as one of the brand-new Jedi introduced in the prequel trilogy. He quickly established himself as a powerful Jedi, but one who was happy to break or bend the rules when he felt it was right. He also had a brilliant master and apprentice dynamic with Obi-Wan. Sadly, Qui-Gon Jinn met a bleak end in The Phantom Menace, with Darth Maul cutting him down during their lightsaber fight right in front of Obi-Wan.

Star Wars has since revealed that Qui-Gon became even more important to the Jedi after his death. That is, Qui-Gon Jinn had learned to become a Force ghost before his death, and he was the one to then teach that skill to Yoda and Obi-Wan. Without Qui-Gon Jinn, these Jedi Masters may not ever have learned this Force power, which in turn likely would have meant that Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, and Leia Organa may never have learned.

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Darth Maul’s Insights About The Sith Were Proven Impressively True

Darth Maul Predicted Precisely How Palpatine Planned His Revenge

Darth Maul may not be one of Star Wars’ most powerful Sith, but he has become a truly fascinating character in the franchise. He was believed to be dead by the end of The Phantom Menace, given Obi-Wan Kenobi chopped off the bottom half of his body, but he shockingly returned in The Clone Wars and then came back again in Star Wars Rebels and even Solo: A Star Wars Story. In addition to the more recent additions to his story, Darth Maul was incredibly insightful, accurately predicting Palpatine’s next steps in The Phantom Menace.

During a conversation with his then Sith master, Darth Maul said, “At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge.” This line ended up perfectly foreshadowing not only Order 66 but also the exact order of events leading up to the return of the Sith. First, Palpatine’s true identity was revealed to Mace Windu by Anakin Skywalker. Then, the Sith exacted their revenge for centuries of being in hiding and nearly extinct because of the Jedi.

Duel Of The Fates Remains One Of The Greatest Lightsaber Battles In Star Wars

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, And Darth Maul’s Showdown Is Iconic

There have been a number of brilliant lightsaber battles in Star Wars over the years, but the Duel of the Fates fight between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace remains one of the best duels in Star Wars, if not the single best of them all. This epic showdown represented a brand-new confrontation between the Jedi and the Sith in Star Wars, and it was also the first on-screen fight involving a double-bladed lightsaber. This battle also saw a high degree of skill from all three participants, and it ended in (seemingly) two deaths.

Of course, the music, “Duel of the Fates,” was also a key part of this. This is arguably one of the best scores in Star Wars, and it made the thrilling nature of the lightsaber fight all the better. Even now, few lightsaber duels in Star Wars have even come close to this one.

Palpatine’s ‘Humble’ Beginnings Made His Rise To Power Much More Compelling

Palpatine Being A Senator From Naboo Was Truly Shocking

Many viewers were shocked—and not all that happy—to discover that Anakin Skywalker was being introduced as an innocent young boy rather than an already evil adult or even teenager in The Phantom Menace, but equally surprising was the revelation that Emperor Palpatine was previously a seemingly normal man. More than that, he was a Senator of Naboo, a planet known for peace and the arts. This couldn’t be more different from the version of Palpatine seen in the original trilogy.

However, Star Wars has only continued to prove how brilliant this move was. Palpatine presenting himself as a well-meaning politician was the perfect disguise, as he was able to incrementally obtain more power and go without raising too much suspicion. This ended up working out beautifully for Palpatine, who orchestrated the events that led him to becoming first the Supreme Chancellor and then the Emperor, all while concealing his true identity as a Sith Lord.

Midi-Chlorians Have Had A Comeback

This Controversial Concept Has Resurfaced In Star Wars

Midi-chlorians were almost as unpopular as the revelation that Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One in The Phantom Menace. Just as the Chosen One prophecy seemed too spiritual for viewers, midi-chlorians seemed too scientific to maintain the notion of the Force many had felt was presented in the original trilogy. The term was introduced in the context of Qui-Gon Jinn taking Anakin’s midi-chlorian count in the movie, which suggested that midi-chlorians were a direct indicator of someone’s Force sensitivity.

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Perhaps because of the backlash, Star Wars walked that back somewhat, instead suggesting that midi-chlorians only measured one’s potential in the Force. The franchise seems to have changed this definition once again, though, as midi-chlorians, or one’s M-count, have been referenced once more in both Star Wars: The Bad Batch and The Acolyte. In The Acolyte in particular, it seemed midi-chlorians were a direct measure of someone’s Force sensitivity. Clearly, this concept is becoming important once again in Star Wars, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out moving forward.

Star Wars Has Confirmed That Anakin’s Skill With Technology Was A Force Power

Anakin’s Ability To Build C-3PO Was More Than Just Talent

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The Phantom Menace also confirmed that it had been young Anakin Skywalker himself who had built the beloved droid C-3PO from the original Star Wars trilogy. This was just one example of how gifted with technology Anakin proved to be in the prequels. In addition to C-3PO, Anakin had also built a podracer, and it became clear that a key role he played in Watto’s junk shop involved repairing various pieces of technology.

Star Wars has since revealed that this was more than just a natural talent Anakin had. On the contrary, this has been revealed to be one of the Force powers in Star Wars. This was confirmed in The High Republic: Race to Crashpoint Tower, written by Daniel José Older, in which Ram Jomaram was confirmed to be similarly gifted with technology through the Force.

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Padmé’s Decoy Plan Has Been Made Even Better

Star Wars Books Have Proven How Genius This Scheme Really Was

In The Phantom Menace, Padmé/Queen Amidala pulled off a brilliant identity swap with her handmaiden, Sabé, which allowed her to survive and find a way to save her people on Naboo from the Trade Federation. This was impressive enough already, but Star Wars books have proven that much more how extensive this plan was and how intelligent Padmé was, even when she was just 14. Specifically, in the Padmé Amidala trilogy of books, it is confirmed that Padmé and her handmaidens came up with this swap themselves, and they used it much more frequently than just in The Phantom Menace.

The Padmé Amidala trilogy of books includes The Queen’s Shadow, The Queen’s Peril, and The Queen’s Hope, all written by E. K. Johnston.

The girls had realized that makeup, hair, and dresses could be used to distract others, enough that they wouldn’t notice if one of the handmaidens had taken Padmé’s place. For this reason, any of the handmaidens was prepared to step in as a decoy queen. Clearly, this plan continued to be executed long after The Phantom Menace, as it was sadly another decoy, Cordé, who died during the assassination attempt on Padmé’s life in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

The Jedi Council’s Beliefs In The Phantom Menace Perfectly Foreshadow Their Downfall

The Jedi Were Already Too Rigid In Their Thinking

One of the most profound moments in the prequel trilogy comes when young Anakin Skywalker stands before the Jedi Council. Despite Anakin being just a child and brand-new to the world of the Jedi (and, really, to any world other than Tatooine), the Jedi treated him with suspicion, and, in some cases, perhaps even a bit of hostility. It was during this meeting that Yoda warned Anakin that fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering, essentially meaning that Anakin’s fears on Coruscant could lead him down the path of the dark side.

Unfortunately, this did little more than make Anakin immediately feel as though he wasn’t good enough for the Jedi, and it did nothing to help him through his emotions regarding his mother. This approach to Anakin in The Phantom Menace was indicative of the relationship Anakin would have with the Jedi for the rest of his time in the Order and of the issues that would ultimately lead to the Jedi’s downfall. In the end, the Jedi were simply too rigid in their thinking, and it left them susceptible to Palpatine’s manipulations and to their own Jedi growing disillusioned.

The Jedi were simply too rigid in their thinking, and it left them susceptible to Palpatine’s manipulations and to their own Jedi growing disillusioned.

The Sith Rule Of Two Has Defined The Sith In Star Wars

Yoda’s Explanation Of The Sith Has Become Key In The Franchise

One of the biggest revelations in The Phantom Menace was the way in which the Sith operate. Specifically, at the end of the movie, Yoda tells Mace Windu, “Always two there are, no more, no less. A master and an apprentice,” regarding the Sith. This one brief sentence came to define the Sith in all of Star Wars by establishing the Sith Rule of Two.

Over time, this dynamic has become slightly more complicated, such as with Palpatine clearly priming his next apprentice while his current apprentice still lived (as was certainly the case with Count Dooku and Darth Maul, for example). Even so, this comment from Yoda established a key fact about the Sith, and it has dictated the larger story of the Sith throughout the franchise. While Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace may not be the best movie in all of Star Wars, it has certainly aged well in the last 25 years and introduced various key new concepts.

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Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

PG
Action Sci-FiAdventureFantasy

The beginning of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace sees young Anakin Skywalker put on his path to discovering his ability to influence the Force. While attempting to thwart the nefarious Trade Federation in their plans for the planet of Naboo, two Jedi discover an exceptionally-gifted slave with the ability to wield the Force. Little do they know, rescuing him is just the beginning of a saga that will span generations of the Skywalker family.

Where to Watch

stream
rent
buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

May 19, 1999

Runtime

133 minutes

Franchise(s)

Star Wars

Cast

Ewan McGregor
, Liam Neeson
, Natalie Portman
, Jake Lloyd
, Ahmed Best
, Ian McDiarmid
, Anthony Daniels
, Kenny Baker
, Pernilla August
, Frank Oz
, Ray Park
, Samuel L. Jackson

Director

George Lucas

Writers

George Lucas

Sequel(s)

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
, Solo: A Star Wars Story
, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

Budget

$115 Million

Studio(s)

Lucasfilm

Distributor(s)

20th Century

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Source: https://www.phonggdkrongpac.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment