It appears that many people dislike starwars episode one and rank it as the worst starwars movie. I was wondering just how many people think that, and exactly why they think that?

I though the movie was exceptionally original, had great artwork, had a good story and rich locations. What I loved most about it, looking back, was the spin off pod racer game, which might remain my favorite racing game of all time.

So, do you like it or hate it? What are your reasons?

If you don't think it was the worst starwars movie, which one was the worst?

For the record, I think Episode 3 was the worst. But that's just me. It wasn't bad, just not as good as the others.

Edit: oo, spooky...

Go on to youtube and and look up: 'Confused Matthew starwars prequels review' and you will get my point.

I didn't mind it, but I thought it was more of a children's movie than anything else. Also, why is there no title to this thread?

This topic wasn't discussed to death a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away?

If you watch The Phantom Edit, it doesn't suck nearly as much.

xitel:
I didn't mind it, but I thought it was more of a children's movie than anything else. Also, why is there no title to this thread?

fixed. I had some problems getting this thread perfected.

how come whenver i click 'quote' it reloads the page and doesn't put the quote script in the reply box? hax.. :(

Since you 'closed' the other thread, I feel it's semi-necessary to move my post here.

I enjoyed it as a kid, but I've always disliked the pod racing scene. It just struck me as irrelevant, and it's only purpose was to free Anakin, and could have been replaced with something more interesting. Other than that it was a good film, with a few memorable scenes and fights(battle of Naboo/over naboo).

It wasn't bad, and it didn't have the unmistakable odor of bad acting like Episodes 2 and 3 did emanating from Hayden Christiensen. The arguments I hear against it are mainly "it's slow and boring most of the time," and "Jar-Jar and the Gungans were terrible." I guess I didn't mind the Gungans (just the prequel trilogy version of Ewoks) or the story-heavyness of it (the PT version of ESB). Podracing was cool, Neeson, McGregor, and Portman are good, and the story was important. Might still be the weakest, though, for some lack of action and little villain development (at least for the Sith; the Trade Federation as an entity just didn't make for as interesting a villain).

I don't think it was the worst, I think episode 2 might have that distinction, but all 3 prequels suffered from pretty poor pacing, bland dialogue and (for the most part) average acting. Also, one of the best things about the original movies was actually the minimal existence of jedi and their bad-assery, and putting them in such force, even if it is the way it would have been in the universe, really lessened the excitement of the lightsaber battles. If they could have been just a little more liberal with the application of such things, it would have had more of an effect.

The biggest thing that stood out to me, though, was the way he gave all the evil robots voices and made them say horrible things. It was impossible to feel threatened by even an enormous number of them when they're all like "Oh no, where are my legs" or "Oops" or something. I understand the need to ease the tension, but instead what they did was eliminate any tension at all.

Lol. sorry if you didnt like the phrasing in my post dude. anyway, I think my biggest issues were the cliche dialogue, the general maturity level and the whole medichlorians idea. I liked it when it came out and I was in fifth grade, but I have since gotten older and come to despise it, especially after seeing how good actors like Liam Neeson and Natali Portman are. Whereas the old movies I enjoy just as much now as I did when I was a kid.

Ill grant you that it had some cool visual aspects and the pod racing was sweet other than the fact that a 10 year old was the one doing it. But I cannot forgive turning the mysterious and mystical force into a science project. That and Jar Jar Binks. makes me want to cry every time I see it.

I always thought it was....okay. It wasn't good, it certainly wasn't the worst film in the series (though it wanted to be so so so badly).
In comparison with the other two early episodes I would venture to say that Episode 3 was the sparkliest turd at the shit party, but Episode 2 was a big messy slop.

Episode 1 needed less Jar Jar and widdle Anakin in it, had it focused more on just the burgenoing war, Qui-Gon, Obi Wan, and Amidala, it would have been better. The entire new trilogy he released was just an orgy of poor design and bright shiny colors for the kids. There was no heart and soul - unless you count Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars cartoon.

George Lucas' deft terrible film making hands have worked only a few times - and I don't count American Graffiti because his only contribution to that enjoyable film was the absolutely horseshit written epilogue sequence for three of the male characters.

Just a jumped up fireworks display of a toy advert in my opinion. I loved it when I first saw it, but I will forgive myself for that, since I was 9 at the time.

My only real huge issue with all three new movies was Jar Jar. Damn them for Jar Jar. The third prequel was actually pretty great. The second one was better than the first, but Jar Jar poisoned the first one like cyanide.

But you could put all three together and they would not be as good as one of the originals. Empire Strikes Back > Than all of the other Star Wars movies combined.

fluffylandmine:
Go on to youtube and and look up: 'Confused Matthew starwars prequels review' and you will get my point.

Pretty much my words, exactly.

Although, I will say here and now that I've never understood why people don't like Jar Jar Binks. I mean, as far as Star Wars characters go, yes, he was terrible. But as a character on his own, I actually found him amusing and interesting... though far too fake, like all the New Trilogy movies.

The CGI was thrown everywhere, which cut down on the believability (which is what made the Original Trilogy so endearing), and the musical scores weren't as good, although they did have their moments. Far too much emphasis on Lightsaber battles, rather emotionless exposition by Padme and Anakin, and this Midiclorion (sp?) crap that was constantly spouted. What happened to the Force being a mystical, magical power? It just about ruined the whole Force aspect of the series, which was one of its most important features.

Hiroshi Mishima:

and the musical scores weren't as good, .

Are you crazy!?
'The Dual of Fates' (played during one of the best fight scenes of the whole series) is one of the greatest pieces of modern music ever created. I am sorry but that r a fact. I know this because of my learnings.
However, the other points you made are correct.
However (II), I think that the 3rd (the latest, not the CGI one), was the worst star wars made.

urprobablyright:
It appears that many people dislike starwars episode one and rank it as the worst starwars movie. I was wondering just how many people think that, and exactly why they think that?

I though the movie was exceptionally original, had great artwork, had a good story and rich locations. What I loved most about it, looking back, was the spin off pod racer game, which might remain my favorite racing game of all time.

So, do you like it or hate it? What are your reasons?

If you don't think it was the worst starwars movie, which one was the worst?

For the record, I think Episode 3 was the worst. But that's just me. It wasn't bad, just not as good as the others.

I loved that pod-racer game too!
I actually liked the prequel trilogy...as I was a kid at the time and they were exciting and new back then.

new_age_reject:

Hiroshi Mishima:

and the musical scores weren't as good, .

Are you crazy!?
'The Dual of Fates' (played during one of the best fight scenes of the whole series) is one of the greatest pieces of modern music ever created.

This man speaks the truth. Duel of the fates is an amazing bit of music, and that scene was choreographed perfectly!

For the most part the film was cool. I wasn't such a fan of Jar Jar and the Gungans, oh and the less said about Midichlorions the better.

Ok on its own, Good on Rum and Cola ,great on Vodka.

4:good
5:good
6:great
1:pretty good
2:good
3:"vomits"

Four through six were, without a doubt, the best of the movies. Five was probably the best of the originals. Episode One wasn't horrible, but it definitely didn't live up to the originals. Two was a bit better than one, and three was the best of the prequels, but it still didn't come close to the original trilogy.

It was a victim of circumstance. Sure it was never as good as it's predecessors, but it was hype that killed it more than anything else. With the extreme expectations people had on that movie it's no wonder they thought it sucked. The original Star Wars trilogy was and is still one of a kind, you can't make anything live up to it's name. As described in the very good (if you're hopelessly hooked on Star Wars) read The Secret History of Star Wars, Star Wars did not win hearts and awards only because it was a good movie but also because it came out at the right time when people were tired of depressing realistic movies. The book goes further into detail to describe the success of the original and failure of the sequels, basically Star Wars had grown out of George Lucas' hands and his vision ended up differing a lot from what the fans wanted.

If you ask for my personal opinion I think it works, partially because I grew up with the prequels as opposed to the original trilogy. It's a bit different than the others but for lighthearted entertainment it's decent, not half as bad as Attack of the Clones (which people seem to have forgotten about ^^) or the four TV-episodes patchwork that came out this summer.

fluffylandmine:
Go on to youtube and and look up: 'Confused Matthew starwars prequels review' and you will get my point.

Hah, that guy's great, even when making retarded comments. Yeah, Lucas needs to be kept away from film scripts.

Should have put an "Okay" as an option and I would have picked that. Was a bit kiddy but the light saber duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Maul was the best.

I remember watching this film when I was young, and I didn't think it was that bad, then again I hadn't really sat down and watch the last three.

But now that I'm older and have more understanding of this Star Wars Saga, I can totally see why a lot of people didn't like Jar-Jar Binks.

it was meh for me, worth watching but not fantastic

Bad. Bad acting. Bad story. Bad movie. The only thing good about it is Jedi and Star Wars... but even that isn't THAT good...

I think it was good, but if you start comparing it to the original, it starts to have glaring flaws...

I would vote barely decent - more tolerable than Episode II by a far sight, in my opinion, if only because love scenes are the most potent at displaying George Lucas's apparent inability to write in English.

However, I would say that Episode I suffers from the worst pacing of the prequel trilogy, as well as the worst lack of a focal character. Luke, Han, and Leia were interesting folk, strongly acted with decent dialogue. I have nothing against Neeson, Portman, and MacGregor as actors, but considering what little they were given to work with as far as the script went, it's hardly surprising that their performances came out comparatively lackluster (I point primarily at the absence of even the slightest hint of semi-romantic tension between Anakin and Padmé).

I will say this much, however - Episode I has the best lightsaber fight scene finale of the entire prequel trilogy and possible the franchise, if only because of the presence of a genuine martial artist in Ray Park and the relative lack of CGI used to enhance it. I give cookies to all those visionaries who deleted the garbage in between and posted the uninterrupted fight sequence on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlURzhz7X6c

Of course, the fact that the scene includes seemingly arbitrary force-field walls and a decidedly not-OSHA-regulated hole in the floor serves as yet another example of the film's problems with flash over substance.

I only liked the end fight scene between Darth Maul, Obi and Oskar Schindler. The rest was utter arse. Still, it was better than 2 (fell asleep in the cinema) and 3 (mindblowingly potent skunk couldn't even make it good). Hayden Christianson is probably the worst actor ever, even worse than Nic Cage.

peterwolfe:
I think it was good, but if you start comparing it to the original, it starts to have glaring flaws...

-Nod- Agreed.

I hit good because my mind always forgets that ANH isn't episode 1 and that gay nonsense phantom menace is...if it didn't have Leeam Neeson it would have been a bloody blight on the universe...

Whoever the fellow that was in Jumper (Not Samuel L. Jackson, the other kid that played Anakin) ruined 2 and 3.

I personally felt out of the "first" 3, the 1st was the best.

Same goes for the "last" 3, I thought the first of the originals was the best. Something about getting a story rolling and meeting all of the characters just keeps me interested. Once again, same can be said for the Lord of the Rings. At first I didn't like the first one, but after seeing all 3 again, I thoroughly enjoyed the first one...mostly because Boromir was in it =P