Review Detail

This edit is absolutely phenomenal - perhaps the best version of the film possible. We can all agree that The Phantom Menace leaves much to be desired, but watching l8wrtr's edit restored some of the joy from the original trilogy. So, what made this edit so great?

- Jar Jar is.... bearable? His presence is so limited, and all of his foolishness is removed. Now, he comes across as a competent, if a little odd, alien who comes from a clan of warriors. While he can still annoy us with his speech patterns and ridiculousness, he doesn't come close to ruining our experience.
- THE PACE. The film just keeps moving, and this movie needed a bit of a boost. I can't get over the fact that I was enjoying myself as the movie started, because all of the needlessness was gone.
- The villains. The Neimoidians felt like a part of the villainy this time around. I didn't realize how much they hurt the film, but when they are willful participants they increase the stakes of the movie.

Unfortunately, while there are many improvements, nothing can save the acting in this movie. It's just as dreadful as it always was, but this time... there's less of it.

Nobody can make The Phantom Menace as good as the originals, nor as good as what Disney releases now. l8wrtr sure does his darndest, though, and boy does it pay off.