I was actually very excited as the hour grew near to go watch Star Wars once again on the big screen. I think it's a great treat that we are able to have another chance to view this series on the silver screen and in 3D.
But that excitement didn't translate into experience.
This was actually the second time I watched The Phantom Menace. The first time I caught this was way back in 1999 when it was released. So it was almost like watching it again with no knowledge of story progression.
First, the 3D effect. I just read from some online reviewers that they found the 3D quality to be great. However, I did not. Now I've heard that the 3D cinema here in Brunei was not up to par. So I guess this must be why I was unimpressed. I really need to catch a 3D movie outside of Brunei.
But pacing was slow. Right from the beginning from the introduction of Quai-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, there wasn't any flair exhibited; even with lightsabers drawn and that ever familiar sound effects filled the cinema.
What I remembered from 1999 was the pod-racing, Darth Maul and his double-bladed lightsaber. And still, those three were the only incidents that stood out.
And it also became clear to me how Ewan McGregor's acting here did not live up to his capability. Acting in front of a green screen only really threw him off. Thankfully there was Liam Neeson to pick up the slack. He and Natalie Portman were probably the only ones who held their own amidst all the special effects going on.
And yes, I didn't see it before but I saw it this time. Jar Jar Binks was too much of a distraction. He was in too many scenes when George Lucas could have done much more of other meatier stuff without this CGI character. But understandably, he wanted to take another step in the advancement in computer animation. Just that the character itself was flawed.
Nevertheless, the double-bladed lightsaber and the final fight saved the day once again.
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