Welcome back to ’99 Rewind, our celebration of 25th anniversaries of the films, TV, and music from 1999. Today, we look back at our youths with Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace. Also, check out this week’s easy mini-crossword, “Star Wars: The Puzzle Menace.”
Liz Shannon Miller (Senior Entertainment Editor): Of all the pop culture events that dominated 1999, a whole new Star Wars movie was a singular one. Every detail about it felt remarkable and history-making: director George Lucas stepping back behind the camera for the first time since 1977’s A New Hope, a hot new cast (including Oscar nominee Liam Neeson, rising stars Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman, and Samuel L. Jackson with his purple lightsaber), a trailer so popular that it literally changed the game for releasing movie trailers on this new thing called “the Internet.”
Not to mention the fact that at that point in pop culture history, the idea of a landmark franchise like this one cracking open its canon and exploring past events had at least a little novelty to it. People waited in line for tickets for literally weeks on the streets of Los Angeles and New York. It was a whole thing. I
And then the movie came out, and… Well. A lot was said then, and has been said since. But Paolo, you loved it?
Paolo Ragusa (Associate Editor): Definitely, but I was merely a four-year-old when it came out! In many ways, I was the target audience for a lot of what The Phantom Menace featured — Jar Jar Binks, young Anakin, the incredible lightsaber sequences…
Of course, it took me a while to really see The Phantom Menace for what it was at the time, because that prequel trilogy arrived at such a crucial childhood time, and I was already obsessed with the original trilogy. But yes, I was — and still am — pretty attached to that film. I think a lot of the actors now have seen the way my generation has defended those films, and allowed there to be room for something beyond the disappointment that so many felt when seeing it in theaters in 1999. I think I saw it three different times. I was truly obsessed! Star Wars had definitely become my whole personality at that point.
Liz: Okay, a four-year-old whose personality is Star Wars is objectively adorable. Do you remember what specific elements were the most exciting for you, at that time?
Paolo: Definitely the lightsabers and the influx of Jedi content. Perhaps it was just the shiny, acrobatic action from Empire that really set the scene for me — seeing George Lucas lean further on the possibilities of Jedi action and building out the lore was amazing to me. I remember getting the companion “encyclopedia” style book and just poring through it, reading all about the Jedi council and other Jedi Knights. And then there was the podracing…
I was definitely obsessed with that, and I think a lot of kids like me loved seeing Anakin be the racer and hero of that moment. Like I said, I was the target demographic for many elements — and my mom says I used to love Jar Jar. I certainly grew out of that though, because I don’t remember loving Jar Jar, plus his role was really diminished in the future films. But I was a kid, and this Gungan was absolutely foolish and silly on all counts… so I’m not surprised!
