Review Detail

I saw this film in the cinema when it first came out, and, being a kid, loved it. But repeat viewing soured the experience for me. This may have remained the only film of the prequels that I could stomach even slightly, but I certainly didn't go out of my way to watch it. What Phase3 has done is remarkable, because it takes something deeply mediocre at best (and depressingly problematic at worst) and rectified it, breathed new life into it, and turned it into something that my partner and I absolutely loved. After watching it, we felt like we had seen a real Star Wars film, the first time I've been able to really say that for anything from the newer generations.

There are a number of audio and syncing issues present in this edit - mainly to do with how the score aligns, or with the alien dialogue lip-synching. But I am MORE than happy to exchange those glitches for the beautiful changes that the new alien dialog with subtitles made to something that was racist, anti-indigenous, and frankly, a bit disgusting. Obviously, the poor voice actor for Jar Jar was just trying to make a silly voice, I'm not referring to that - I'm referring to how the arc about the Gungans suddenly feels dramatic, and lends itself to an anti-colonialist narrative. The original movie made a disgusting joke of the Gungans, this one turned them into a people with dignity. That matters a LOT, and I cannot express my appreciation enough at these changes.

Overall, this is a more serious, yet still lighthearted, film. There're great emotional moments, Ani's leaving home now feels really poignant, and all the strange vibes between him and Padme have been rendered impossibly sweet. This is about as close to the definitive version of the film as I could imagine, and I really don't want to return to any version of these movies where the Gungans and Nimoidians aren't gifted a language that allows them to express themselves as real creatures rather than icky stereotypes.

Superb work.