Upon reflection and numerous re-watches, the first entry, Episode I: The Phantom Menace, remains a curious beast. There are redeeming qualities to these films, and as crucial pieces of the larger whole that is the Star Wars saga and mythos, they serve a valuable role by virtue of making the original trilogy shine brighter and re-contextualising the admirable efforts of the current trilogy. Across those three films, you’ll find numerous examples of wooden acting, cringe-worthy dialogue, awful green-screen backdrops and narrative beats that land as trite and unnecessary.īut I want to stress here, that, in my honest opinion, it’s not all bad. And, if we’re being honest, rightfully so. In terms of overall critical and fan reception, however, the prequel trilogy-consisting of Episodes I-III-is often the most maligned. (Let’s also not forget that calling yourself a ‘Jedi’ is a real-world census phenomenon and practiced philosophy.) For over forty years, the franchise has consumed the collective consciousness of multiple generations and remains an influential, global blockbuster phenomenon.
However, it’s still hard to deny that Star Wars is a cultural force unto itself, operating in a space typically reserved for protests, religions and your more devoted, suicide-inclined cults. Abrams hints at more of the same and a likely capitulation to fan pressure and the financial whim of our Disney mega-corporate overlords. With this third trilogy ending, the prospect of returning director and nostalgia-aficionado J.J. With fan expectations thoroughly subverted (aka mostly ‘butt hurt’) by the narrative heel-turns handed down by director Rian Johnson’s treatment of Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, there’s a palpable sense of tension in the air and across the Internet, as fans anxiously await the final resolution of the upcoming Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. In 2019, the fate of the Star Wars universe is in a precarious position. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) Released: (US) Directed by: George Lucas Runtime: 133 minutes Whatever the reason, Film Bunker is ready to wade through a sea of hot takes and pop-up browser tabs in order to take the plunge.
Or they might just have, like, really dank memes. They may have penetrated the cultural zeitgeist in a way that demands increased attention from neurotic and/or caffeine-riddled critics. Said films may be approaching, or have surpassed, a particular retrospective milestone. Greetings all and welcome to DEEP/DIVE: Film Bunker ’s newest (and greatest) editorial series! Join us for a somewhat regular column, where we will skewer, dissect and gleefully over-analyse a wide selection of fine films without any real need for doing so, because ‘The Internet’.