This is exactly how I felt sitting in the theater in 1999. A lot of my friends were angry. I was just sad. It was one of those “childhood is over” moments for me. I walked out halfway through and didn’t even think about Star Wars for the next 20+ years. The Mandalorian brought me back.
You (and John) are better men than I. I checked out of Phantom Menace about twenty or thirty minutes in, after the podrace scene. I was like, "Holy shit this sucks. 'Midichlorians?!'"
Have not watched any SW IP since. Still love the old Marvel comics from the '70s and '80s though.
I was 28 when I saw this movie, on a lark at the last moment, in a seat in the front row squeezed in by a random mass of people. I didn't feel disappointment, and I suspect that being just a few years older may have helped....I had already seen the first three movies in the theaters, and so I experienced my sense of disappointment with Return of the Jedi when I was 12 and realized I already felt a bit too old for the film. When I went in to TPM I was essentially braced for the juvenile elements, and as a result I just wasn't that impacted; it was, for me, what RotJ had already showed me Star Wars was.
I've never understood the dislike for the whole midichlorian thing, though. It was a nod toward pseudoscientific jargon, Star Trek style, but in Star Wars and I thought that they even tried to implement some sort of in-universe notion that there was a scientific way to measure force ability was fascinating. All the later dislike made me realize I was not in tune with the standard fan interest in Star Wars (and being more in to Trek by then probably skewed my perception on this, I guess).
I’m not and I wish I could find someone who is throwing their unused pain medication away for when I go home and the Dr. stops prescribing them, but the pain stays the same. My insurance only covers one month in a physical rehabilitation personal care home.
I CAN’T BELIEVE I FELL DOWN AND COULDN’T GET UP!!!
Pinocchio cannot exist without Geppetto to bring him to life. Consequently, "Star Wars" without Lucas, and any IP projects made without the consent of their original creators, are bereft of life.
I guess I'm just the oddball who read wayyy too many psychological texts courtesy of a mentally ill mother and grandfather and who likes political plots. The trouble with the whole country is that we believe politics is "boring" and "over our heads." That's why we're all falling victim to a real-life Palpatine now.
Except Palpatine is Plato compared to Donald Trump. He had reasons for what he did and a worldview, although one sadly based on faulty religious training. Donald Dump is just a narcissist. Period. Because we consider politics "boring," we fall for his bluster and his stupid slogans and we think he's a lot of things he isn't.
I loved the prequels. Well, minus the bits of wooden acting and dialogue.
I was also 24 when I saw the Phantom Menace on opening weekend (although I had taken off work to go to an afternoon show.) And I agree with just about every you have written. 25 years later and the disappontment still rings in my ears, although the sequel trilogy makes the prequels look like Citizen Kane. Now Disney is going to mine this universe for a tale that takes place 150 years before this one, and I really can't bring myself to care. But if they released some sort of Qui-Gon miniseries on Disney +, I would probably watch that. Thanks for writing Keep up the good work.
I think this is beautifully and really captures the Gen X consensus… and a lot more.
This is exactly how I felt sitting in the theater in 1999. A lot of my friends were angry. I was just sad. It was one of those “childhood is over” moments for me. I walked out halfway through and didn’t even think about Star Wars for the next 20+ years. The Mandalorian brought me back.
You (and John) are better men than I. I checked out of Phantom Menace about twenty or thirty minutes in, after the podrace scene. I was like, "Holy shit this sucks. 'Midichlorians?!'"
Have not watched any SW IP since. Still love the old Marvel comics from the '70s and '80s though.
That was how I felt about The Last Jedi. It took me five years to watch the last sequel.
What a brilliant piece! So heartfelt and thoughtful. Just stellar.
I was 28 when I saw this movie, on a lark at the last moment, in a seat in the front row squeezed in by a random mass of people. I didn't feel disappointment, and I suspect that being just a few years older may have helped....I had already seen the first three movies in the theaters, and so I experienced my sense of disappointment with Return of the Jedi when I was 12 and realized I already felt a bit too old for the film. When I went in to TPM I was essentially braced for the juvenile elements, and as a result I just wasn't that impacted; it was, for me, what RotJ had already showed me Star Wars was.
I've never understood the dislike for the whole midichlorian thing, though. It was a nod toward pseudoscientific jargon, Star Trek style, but in Star Wars and I thought that they even tried to implement some sort of in-universe notion that there was a scientific way to measure force ability was fascinating. All the later dislike made me realize I was not in tune with the standard fan interest in Star Wars (and being more in to Trek by then probably skewed my perception on this, I guess).
Totally get you.
I am a practicing doctor of veterinary medicine, so anything in SW that tries to be medical or scientific, I get.
I’m a boomer but I never watched it.
hope you're feeling better
I’m not and I wish I could find someone who is throwing their unused pain medication away for when I go home and the Dr. stops prescribing them, but the pain stays the same. My insurance only covers one month in a physical rehabilitation personal care home.
I CAN’T BELIEVE I FELL DOWN AND COULDN’T GET UP!!!
ahh I'm so sorry
quick question how much do i remind you of qui-gon
Pinocchio cannot exist without Geppetto to bring him to life. Consequently, "Star Wars" without Lucas, and any IP projects made without the consent of their original creators, are bereft of life.
I guess I'm just the oddball who read wayyy too many psychological texts courtesy of a mentally ill mother and grandfather and who likes political plots. The trouble with the whole country is that we believe politics is "boring" and "over our heads." That's why we're all falling victim to a real-life Palpatine now.
Except Palpatine is Plato compared to Donald Trump. He had reasons for what he did and a worldview, although one sadly based on faulty religious training. Donald Dump is just a narcissist. Period. Because we consider politics "boring," we fall for his bluster and his stupid slogans and we think he's a lot of things he isn't.
I loved the prequels. Well, minus the bits of wooden acting and dialogue.
I was also 24 when I saw the Phantom Menace on opening weekend (although I had taken off work to go to an afternoon show.) And I agree with just about every you have written. 25 years later and the disappontment still rings in my ears, although the sequel trilogy makes the prequels look like Citizen Kane. Now Disney is going to mine this universe for a tale that takes place 150 years before this one, and I really can't bring myself to care. But if they released some sort of Qui-Gon miniseries on Disney +, I would probably watch that. Thanks for writing Keep up the good work.