Star Wars I, Phantom Menace, best of the lot?

Question

I think the phantom menace is the best of the later star wars series because:
1. Liam Neeson,
2. Darth Maul,
3. It's more of a family film, my young kids really love Jar Jar Binks (though I find him a bit annoying). Lucas tarantino-ized the following two films (more violent, too scary for young kids).

Who else agrees with me?

Answer 1

While I agree with your logic for liking it its not my favorent. I love the action of the others, but for little kids its probably not the best. Personally I love the duel with darth maul thats some good swordsmanship.

Answer 2

If you're restricting me to the latest 3 then I have to say they were all pretty horrible and barely had any redeeming qualities.
1 had Darth Maul. Nothing else was good.
2 was laughable. I don't agree at all that it was tarantino-ized. Slightly darker than the rest, sure. But putting on the level of Tarantino style graphicness is a HUGE overstatement.
3 was an enormous pile of crap and waste of time. While the movie was indeed the darkest of the bunch it was also the most ridiculous of the three. The acting was horrible, the story was crammed into 2 hours, the effects were laughable, etc. The only thing that would have saved this movie was if Jar Jar had been executed.

Answer 3

I love Liam, but I have to disagree. Not only is Jar Jar grating, but Darth Maul, a potentially great "bad guy", really isn't in the movie enough to have any impact at all. I agree the other 2 are a bit more violent and "darker", but hardly "Tarantino-ized". Remember, Tarantino writes great dialogue, Lucas, well, is lacking in that department. I'd venture Return of the Jedi to be the closest to "kid-friendly" of the series as a whole.

Answer 4

I think you are crazy, and Star Wars wasn't MEANT for kids. The third one was proably the best of all of the last three and gave the first three a run for their money. The first one was far too slow, as it was all about backround and setting things up. Jar Jar Binks was the WORST thing that Lucas did lately, I could proably find worse things but it would be hard. Also what is so great about Darth Maul, he wasn't around long enough to really be cool.

Answer 5

Sorry, I thought the Phantom Menace was weak. It did not 'feel' like a Star Wars movie. I think it was due to too much blue screen sequences and not enough realism. The first three movies (actually the last three in the story line) had sequences outside and you felt like you were on another real planet. I love the scene with Ben and Luke in the canyon just after the Sandpeople attacked Luke. The Terrain looked 'alien'. The last three (actually the first three) didn't give me that feeling at all. Of the second trilogy I liked "The Clone Wars' best. Less Jar-Jar and more story substance.
Have a great day!!!

Answer 6

You're trying to be deliberately provocative, aren't you... jar jar binks...

Seriously though, i found episode 3 to be great, Ioved the intrigue between the jedi and palpatine, with anakin caught in the middle. TPM had the best lightsaber duel, between the two jedi and darth maul, but we didn't get to know maul well enough to hate him. Then he was dead. ep 3 also had some of the most powerful images (especially the immolation scene).

I don't really think there's a problem with star wars showing some violence, it's set in a time of WAR, after all. I think ep 3 is the only one which can be considered close to comparable to the originals.

Answer 7

I don't think 1 was the best. Talking about family-friendly Star Wars, I would pick A New Hope. The best, however, is Episode V. In my opinion of course. =D
I agree on your number 3. I know this little girl who loves Star Wars and her favorite episode is 1. Other than little kids loving Jar Jar, yet I think he is annoying too, Anakin is a little boy and I think kids like that.
I don't think the next two espisodes were scary but then again, I'm not litte.

Answer 8

Phantom Menace was better then the later episodes but I must admit that Empire Strikes Back is by far my personal favorite. Not in the "family film" category. Kind of depressing and a load of downers it that one. E.S.B though is the one that captured my intrest in the series. Lastly Jar Jar Binks was generated to attract young viewers in my eyes. Speaks too much, difficult to understand, and makes me sad that Liam Neeson's character dies but Jar Jar lives on. Grrr...

Answer 9

No, not the best of the lot, but by no means as bad as is it's made to be in certain quarters. Since the release of EPIII it is shown that EPI was essential in setting up parts of the bigger story that occurred later on EP's II and III. Yes, Jar-Jar Binks is HUGELY annoying and not enough was made of the Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jin characters, but if watched now bearing in mind the 2 films that follow it, it makes perfect sense.

Answer 10

No, it's the worst of the 6.

I'd go:
1. Empire Strikes Back
2. Return of the Jedi
3. Revenge of the Sith
4. A New Hope
5. Attack of the Clones
6. Phantom Menace

Answer 11

Return of the Jedi is my favorite of all six because it has a happy ending and everyone is redeemed, but that's just my personality. Of the prequal trilogy, I prefer the third because it is the most interesting in terms of what happens to turn Anakin into Darth Vadar and we already know he's pretty beaten up, so that couldn't have been an easy transformation. I prefer complex and emotional films that force their characters to undergo serious emotional damage before making their transition to something else. It provided a nice back story to why Darth Vadar is so bitter and easily led.