Star Wars: Episode I - Cloak Of Deception

Who knew removing 25 minutes of footage could improve this movie? The unnecessary material is seamlessly removed, creating a quicker and better paced Phantom menace, thus making this my new definitive version of a childhood classic.

I have many a big complaints about Phantom Menace, and was quite pleased this edit tries to fix the majority of them.

Bringing so an incredibly mediocre film in my opinion into a pretty enjoyable one. You can't make miracles with just editing, some flaws are rooted in the script and acting itself, but the effort here is commendable, the editing is nice and tidy, probably unnoticeable for a first time viewer.

The silly scenes were heavily cut, the boring and unnecessary ones are gone too and the movie seriously benefits from not being so long.

Well, well, well, HAL9000, how can I tell you this? It's actually quite easy, thank you. Thank you very much.
You got me and my father into the prequels, he thought that they were lame and boring before this edit, he now thinks they are pretty decent movies (same thing for me). This is the way to watch The Phantom Menace, and nobody is going to say anything else.

This actually makes Phantom Menace... good? Certainly stronger than the theatrical versions of any post-OT SW film except possibly Rogue One. There's a bit of unevenness with volume levels, but other than that, my only complaint is that there's *still* a bit too much of Jar Jar, and of Jake Lloyd's awful acting (though it may be difficult to remove much more), and it would be very easy to remove the idiotic force-speed scene in the opening scene on the CIS flagship (a force ability that is used once and *never again* and completely undoes most of the suspenseful moments in the... idk, entire franchise galaxy?).

If for no other reason than the *genuinely good* podrace, I strongly recommend giving this a shot, even if you, like myself, have no affection or nostalgia for the original cut of TPM.

Always a plus when more of Jar Jar is cut, both his childish dialogue and his clown antics.
Removing the mumbo-jumbo about Midi-chlorians is also an improvement.

In general, I’ve found most of the cuts and changes to be sensible ones. The film improved a lot in terms of pacing as well.

Also, I had never before realized the number of children yelling “Yipee” throughout the film, was this a private joke from George Lucas, one that only he could understand?