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IMPORTANT THREAD: EVERYTHING THERE IS TO LOVE ABOUT THE PHANTOM MENACE https://twitter.com/callmedarthmaul/status/1284674592657887233
⢠thesis statement: tpm is the largest scale, most ambitious, most fun, most multifaceted thing star wars has ever accomplished :)
⢠the designs of all aliens in this movie are so unique and so unseen before, they PERFECTLY capture the same feeling of delight and outerworldliness that sw is supposed to inspire in the viewer, while also all being visually unique!
⢠we donât talk enough about the HUGE STRIDES this film made for computer animation/mocap, and how even though this was made in â99, most of the animation actually holds up extremely well in comparison to the other films of the time!!!
⢠darth maul, although not having very many lines in the film, absolutely makes his mark visually and through physical combat. itâs masterful characterization to understand someone through their body language, expression, and fighting style as opposed to their words.
⢠the film expands on and fleshes out tatooine culture in a very grounding way. while in new hope it seems an almost whimsical and fantastical beginning for Luke, tpm shows how the slave trade and misery on tatooine is no joke. A nostalgic home for Luke was a prison for Anakin.
Yet TPM stays true to the pure NEWNESS of ANH. The new aliens, the new culture... it rapts the viewer in a brand new exciting world, much like ANH did back when it was released. You canât say that thereâs ANYTHING out there thatâs anything like TPM, which is a success on its own.
⢠Qui-Gon is one of the most interesting yet least talked about characters to ever be in a Star Wars film. The way he follows his own heart, going against his pact in favor of his instinct... he was truly the blueprint for Anakin. Such an amazing yet flawed character.
You would literally never see any other Jedi doing such minute things like cheating at dice, fooling a salesman, comforting a mother, bandaging a child, celebrating a victory â all while being so calm and composed and just so JEDI-LIKE, so SURE in his master-level.
⢠the balance between lighthearted, joyful childishness & whimsy and dark, somber themes and death in this film perfectly set up the conflict that will follow Anakin for the next FIVE FILMS.
⢠THE PODRACE. I will never stop singing the praises of the podrace. Literally the scene that made me fall in love with Star Wars. Itâs gripping. Itâs exciting. From the visuals down to the audio, it is a purely masterful action scene, the likes of which we will never see again.
⢠one little detail I appreciate is the respect of droids in this film. Jar Jar greets the astromechs with a jolly âhello boyos!â And Padme awards and acknowledges R2 for his saving their lives... for a fandom who complains a lot that Chewie never got a metal, we should
talk more about how this movie goes out of its way to love and respect droids, a subjugated species in SW! Even down to the care and attention Anakin put into 3PO. Itâs just so sweet and unlike any other SW film.
⢠Padmeâs arc in this film is like a fairy tale. Young yet determined queen goes undercover... she must rely on the generosity of strangers in order to save her people. She is willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means wielding a blaster & running thru the palace herself.
Similarly though, she experiences a culture completely unlike her own, her naĂŻvetĂŠ getting a shock as she realizes that not every place in the galaxy plays it by the books. There is slavery in the galaxy still, and sometimes you have to fight dirty to be a diplomat.
⢠Just as well, the background conflict between the Gungans and the Naboo is so large scale yet not often talked about. This movie has a whole background plot about bigotry and the subjugation of an entire people yet itâs often brushed under the rug.
Jar Jar remarks that the Gungans have a grand army and thatâs possibly why the Naboo feel threatened by them. Once again, Padme is forced to examine some extremely big issues â this is huge character growth and themes for such a âsilly kids movieâ!
Here is my thread on why you should love Jar Jar Binks because THAT is an entirely separate issue. https://twitter.com/tuskenralders/status/1208638106183852032
⢠This movie lends such a dark juxtaposition to Lukeâs Tatooine start. While Luke severe ties with Tatooine with somewhat-ease, the homesickness in Anakin is real. It hurts to leave a hurtful place when your loved ones still reside there. Shmi Skywalker is one of the strongest,
bravest, & once again least talked about characters in Star Wars. How does it not prick tears in your eyes to watch a mother allow her child to be taken away for hopes that he will have a better life than you did? Itâs one of the most beautiful sacrifices in SW film history.
⢠This film is so. Goddamn. Action packed. The excitement literally never ends. The rush to get out of gunga city and off of Naboo! The podrace! Escaping tatooine from threat of Maul! The droid fight on Naboo! Gunrayâs capture in the palace! THE DUEL! OF! THE FATES!
⢠The film having such a note of hope, sadness, grief, joy, uncertainty at Qui-Gonâs funeral... Obi-Wan vows to teach him, but can he say that he believes in Anakin so rawly as Qui-Gon did? Windu speculates on the new presence of the sith... the mixed emotions in the scene,
once again, foreshadow the conflict between light and darkness in Anakinâs life now that the one man who ever 100% believed in him, and the mother who 100% loved him, are both completely out of the picture, leaving him totally at the mercy of The Force.
⢠And then, the parade scene. Soundtracked perfectly to a T! Wrapping a neat bow on all the fighting. We finally get to see the Naboo happy and safe, which was what we wanted all along. Itâs the perfect beginning to a completely action packed, fantastical, and emotional trilogy.
This is all I can think of for now. Iâm sure Iâm missing out on a trillion other reasons why this film is so special and important. It is one of my all time biggest passions. Thank you for reading if you made it this far!
IMPORTANT ADDITION:
Dave Filoni on Duel of the Fates
Dave Filoni on Duel of the Fates
