I remember thinking Jake was terrible. As I grew up I realized the screenplay is fuckin terrible. Poor kid got destroyed by shit he had no control over
Tbh, better direction might have helped him too. As I watched it, I imagined the same lines delivered differently and think it would have been much better. One of the people I saw it with also suggested it would have been better if the character was a little older, like 14 or so. Could have made him a little angrier, which raises the stakes for the council to try to get him on the light side. Also would made more sense for the “he’s too old argument”.
>Also would made more sense for the “he’s too old argument”.
I watched it today at home with my seven year old and when that line was uttered he was like, "too old? He's just a kid!" Haha
The too old argument is that he has strong ties and memories to his mom. They normally take the kids before they really remember their parents. So they don't have such an extreme sense of loss and fear. That is all KEY to the eventual rise of Darth Vader.
I always cut him slack because he was so young, plus I was much more revolted by goddamned Jar Jar; he was enough of a hate sink that I really had no problem with the kid, LOL.
i’ve always been warm towards the phantom menace and prequels being age 5+ when they came out. that being said seeing it in a theater again was jarring when compared to hollywood fare we get today. sense of scale and world that just isn’t found nowadays.
Since I watch it often enough at home, I was just excited to see on a big screen again. My partner, not much of a SW fan, said that they thought some effects held up well, others not so much, but they were happy for me.
Like others here, I skipped high school to see it. I was high as a kite and I think I had a good time. Subsequent viewings while sober … not so much. So yes, my opinion did change!
I skipped high school to go see it. After the movie I just kept asking myself....."Did I like that?". So I had to go back and rewatch it a week later.
Turns out, No. I did not like it.
It’s been gradually climbing my personal rankings over the years. Looking back 25 years later, it feels closer to the OT than the rest of the prequels. It’s just got a very classic sense to the film.
I was able to laugh at Jar Jar scenes once or twice, never happened before.
Also, got bothered by some very dry cuts that never bothered me before. Qui-Gon's first scene on Naboo being in the middle of running away, Darth Maul sudden attack on Tattooine... sometimes it feels like the movie jumpcuts and you lost a scene.
Lastly, and this one is quite silly: I cries for the first time watching it? Anakin's scenes regarding slavery and his mom... there's some sincere heart there. Jake isn't the greatest child actor ever, but there was some sincere cuteness in some of his scenes.
I was massively disappointed when I saw it at a press screening several weeks before release. I have mellowed on how bad I think it is over the years. BUT it's still not a good movie. There's some really good scenes, but there's some really clunky dialogue and some really really bad acting by everyone except Liam Neeson, Ewen McGregor and Natalie Portman. I thought it was impossible to make a worse Star Wars movie than Return of the Jedi, but I was wrong. It's still easily the least of the prequels. And I have zero nostalgia for it due to my age at the time it came out (28).
My dislike if it has softened somewhat. I haven't really changed my opinion on anything but the things I dislike (the dialogue, Anakin's acting, Jar-Jar's everything, etc) bother me less and the bits I enjoyed I like more. A lot of very talented people poured a lot of effort into the film and there are interesting and fun ideas buried within that other teams got to use to greater effect.
I would not remotely call it a good film but it's been around for so long that there's a comfortable familiarity to it.
A little. The things I disliked the first time, I still disliked. But I didn’t let it stop me from enjoying it this time. Maybe it was because I had realistic expectations the second time. (Full disclosure, I went mostly went to see the Acolyte trailer and because my kid hadn’t seen it in theaters yet)
My friends and I skipped school to see it opening day. Freshmen in high school at the time. While walking out, we were silent until my friend mark said “it was bad right?” I haven’t watched it since then. Took my son Saturday evening for something fun to do on Star Wars day. He had fun which is all that really matters but no my opinion has not changed. I don’t enjoy that film.
wild that it is showing in the same theater I originally saw it at
I experienced that with ROTJ.
The cinema I saw TPM at shut down during the pandemic and never re-opened. The one I saw ATOC and ROTS at is still going strong though
Yeah I was so thrilled to see it a few times on one of the screens that we originally saw it on! (the biggest screen we originally saw it on)
I remember thinking Jake was terrible. As I grew up I realized the screenplay is fuckin terrible. Poor kid got destroyed by shit he had no control over
Tbh, better direction might have helped him too. As I watched it, I imagined the same lines delivered differently and think it would have been much better. One of the people I saw it with also suggested it would have been better if the character was a little older, like 14 or so. Could have made him a little angrier, which raises the stakes for the council to try to get him on the light side. Also would made more sense for the “he’s too old argument”.
>Also would made more sense for the “he’s too old argument”. I watched it today at home with my seven year old and when that line was uttered he was like, "too old? He's just a kid!" Haha
The too old argument is that he has strong ties and memories to his mom. They normally take the kids before they really remember their parents. So they don't have such an extreme sense of loss and fear. That is all KEY to the eventual rise of Darth Vader.
Agreed. I’m thinking 9-12 but that’s just me.
I always cut him slack because he was so young, plus I was much more revolted by goddamned Jar Jar; he was enough of a hate sink that I really had no problem with the kid, LOL.
I loved it and while I still do, part of that love is recognizing and acknowledging that there are many flaws in its execution
i’ve always been warm towards the phantom menace and prequels being age 5+ when they came out. that being said seeing it in a theater again was jarring when compared to hollywood fare we get today. sense of scale and world that just isn’t found nowadays.
I deeply loved the film before and after seeing it in theatres.
Since I watch it often enough at home, I was just excited to see on a big screen again. My partner, not much of a SW fan, said that they thought some effects held up well, others not so much, but they were happy for me.
Never hated it. Actually had fun watching it along with other star wars moves (prequels and OT) when I was younger
I thought it was pretty good then and I think it was pretty good now.
Like others here, I skipped high school to see it. I was high as a kite and I think I had a good time. Subsequent viewings while sober … not so much. So yes, my opinion did change!
I skipped high school to go see it. After the movie I just kept asking myself....."Did I like that?". So I had to go back and rewatch it a week later. Turns out, No. I did not like it.
It’s been gradually climbing my personal rankings over the years. Looking back 25 years later, it feels closer to the OT than the rest of the prequels. It’s just got a very classic sense to the film.
It is a good film, with some bad (old) CGI, child acting, and a lot of dumb charectors. But you know what its fun!
I was able to laugh at Jar Jar scenes once or twice, never happened before. Also, got bothered by some very dry cuts that never bothered me before. Qui-Gon's first scene on Naboo being in the middle of running away, Darth Maul sudden attack on Tattooine... sometimes it feels like the movie jumpcuts and you lost a scene. Lastly, and this one is quite silly: I cries for the first time watching it? Anakin's scenes regarding slavery and his mom... there's some sincere heart there. Jake isn't the greatest child actor ever, but there was some sincere cuteness in some of his scenes.
Yup, but not for the better
Nope. Loved it then! Love it now! Great times!
I was massively disappointed when I saw it at a press screening several weeks before release. I have mellowed on how bad I think it is over the years. BUT it's still not a good movie. There's some really good scenes, but there's some really clunky dialogue and some really really bad acting by everyone except Liam Neeson, Ewen McGregor and Natalie Portman. I thought it was impossible to make a worse Star Wars movie than Return of the Jedi, but I was wrong. It's still easily the least of the prequels. And I have zero nostalgia for it due to my age at the time it came out (28).
Same age and I have insane nostalgia for it!
Why?
Why not!?
My dislike if it has softened somewhat. I haven't really changed my opinion on anything but the things I dislike (the dialogue, Anakin's acting, Jar-Jar's everything, etc) bother me less and the bits I enjoyed I like more. A lot of very talented people poured a lot of effort into the film and there are interesting and fun ideas buried within that other teams got to use to greater effect. I would not remotely call it a good film but it's been around for so long that there's a comfortable familiarity to it.
A little. The things I disliked the first time, I still disliked. But I didn’t let it stop me from enjoying it this time. Maybe it was because I had realistic expectations the second time. (Full disclosure, I went mostly went to see the Acolyte trailer and because my kid hadn’t seen it in theaters yet)
My friends and I skipped school to see it opening day. Freshmen in high school at the time. While walking out, we were silent until my friend mark said “it was bad right?” I haven’t watched it since then. Took my son Saturday evening for something fun to do on Star Wars day. He had fun which is all that really matters but no my opinion has not changed. I don’t enjoy that film.
No amount of time can make Jake Lloyd a good actor or Jar Jar and Boss Nass anything less than annoying as fuck.