Summary
TheStar Warsprequel trilogy is known for its more cringe-worthy moments, many of which come in the form ofStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menaceand its dialogue. Because the movie is now 25 years old and only growing older, some of the dialogue has not aged as well as the rest. In fact, some of it was considered bad or even controversial at the time the movie came out.
George Lucas himself has admitted he finds dialogue to be hard work. This caused a lot of clashes on the set of theStar Warsoriginal trilogy, but thecast of the prequelsweren’t as willing to challenge Lucas as Harrison Ford. Here are ten moments when, as enjoyable as it may be,The Phantom Menace’s dialogue remains more than a little cringe.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace’s Ending Explained (& All Skywalker Saga Setup)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the first of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, massively shaped the Skywalker Saga and Star Wars' future.
10Anakin Skywalker Made Penty Of Eye Roll Worthy Comments
“I’ll Try Spinning, That’s A Good Trick.”
ThroughoutThe Phantom Menace,Anakin Skywalker has many lines that only seem to serve to remind the audience that he is, in fact, a child atthis point in theStar Warstimeline. He can often come across as a bit annoying or naive, but most of the time, this works because of the fact he is so young. However, one throwaway line further into the movie takes these qualities and amplifies them to the point of parody.
After being built up to be this genius pilot for most of the movie’s previous runtime, Anakin is thrust into the middle of an interstellar battle. One of the first things he announces then, while in incredible danger, is that he’ll try spinning because it is a good trick.He has this happy-go-lucky attitude despite the high stress environment and apparent danger, talking to himself or perhaps the audience, which simply makes the scene feel flat and out of character.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
“Yousa Thinking Yousa People Gonna Die?”
Jar Jar Binks is a character that has generally been panned by audiences. Jar Jar unfortunately came across as a general nuisance, meant to be comedic relief but instead acting as an impediment to the story as a whole. In fact, some people believe the movie would be improved if Jar Jar were to be removed entirely.
This is reflected in the character’s terrible dialogue, which is often tone-deaf and out of place. One of the more egregious examples of this comes when Padmé Amidala is lamenting the possible fate of her people. It is a serious moment, one that weighs the consequences of the Trade Federation’s blockade on Naboo, andall the tension in the scene is immediately gone once Jar Jar speaks.
8This Quote Proves That Even Master Yoda Can Be Wrong
“Always Two There Are, No More, No Less. A Master And An Apprentice.”
Often known for his words of wisdom and iconic way of speaking, Master Yoda is not exactly the first character that comes to mind when mentioning bad dialogue. However,there are a few times when Yoda is just wrong about what he is saying, no matter how wise he sounds. When mentioning this about the Sith, Yoda is naive about the workings of the Sith at best and simply wrong at worst.
Although Yoda is right about theRule of Two, there are often more Sith being trained than the official two. This was the case inStar Wars: The Clone Warswith characters such asAsajj Ventressand Savage Opress, the latter of whom being trained by Darth Maul after he was abandoned by Darth Sidious. InThe Acolyte,Darth Plagueis was shown to still be around while The Stranger took Osha Aniseya as an Acolyte, showing that even then there were more Sith than the Rule of Two officially called for.
Star Warshas (perhaps unintentionally) underlined the inaccuracy of this throughTales of the Jedi. This revealed Palpatine was seducing Count Dooku to the dark side even when he still had an apprentice in Darth Maul. So much for the Rule of Two, and for what Yoda says in this line. In retrospect, it’s simply not true.
Yoda
The aged Jedi Master had trained Jedi for 800 years by the time he met Luke Skywalker on the planet Dagobah. One of the most famed and revered Jedi, Yoda served as Grand Master of the Jedi Order for centuries; he was powerful enough to duel Darth Sidious himself, although he was defeated. Yoda exiled himself to Dagobah, where he learned how to become a Force Ghost and offered guidance to Luke Skywalker.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Cast & Characters Guide
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7Obi-Wan Kenobi Grants Qui-Gon Jinn A Harrowing Warning
“The Boy Is Dangerous. They All Sense It, Why Can’t You?”
One of the main issues that came with accepting Anakin into the Jedi Order was his age. Because Anakin was already nine years old by the time the Jedi found him, he was technically too old to enter the Order because he had already formed his attachments. Despite this, Qui-Gon Jinn was determined to train him, believing Anakin to be theChosen Onewho would bring balance to the Force.
Obi-Wan would eventually side with Qui-Gon and Anakin would go on to bring about the downfall of the Jedi.
However, Obi-Wan Kenobi is initially not on board with this plan. At first, he agrees with the Jedi Council, asking why Qui-Gon cannot see how dangerous Anakin is, as everyone else can sense it. This would eventually come to fruition, aging poorly in the fact that Obi-Wan would eventually side with Qui-Gon and Anakin would go on to bring about the downfall of the Jedi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi became a Jedi Knight after his master’s death. Obi-Wan trained Anakin Skywalker as a Jedi, with his own apprentice knighted after the Battle of Geonosis. The Jedi Master became a key player in the Jedi during the Clone Wars, and was heartbroken when Anakin turned to the dark side; Obi-Wan critically wounded Anakin before taking to the shadows, watching over the young Luke and Leia for years. He sacrificed himself for his two charges, becoming a Force Ghost and continuing to mentor them.
6Padmé Amidala Makes A Decision That Could Have Led To More Suffering
During negotiations with the Trade Federation, it becomes abundantly clear that they are about to invade the planet of Naboo. While discussing this with her advisors,instead of being proactive in the face of certain conflict, Padmé Amidala makes the decision to rely on negotiations that clearly are not working. This eventually leads to Naboo’s invasion and an attempt on her life, with her only being saved by the Jedi.
Although the dialogue itself seems comprehensive and in-character, examination of the situation surrounding it causes it to instantly fall apart. This inaction in the face of obvious danger follows a common criticism of characters in the prequel trilogy, including the likes of the Jedi as well. Padmé does not act when her people are in danger, only ever reacting after the fact and possibly leading more to suffer because of it.
Padmé Amidala
The elected Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala won galactic acclaim for her heroism when she led her people against the Trade Federation. She became an influential member of the Republic Senate, but her life changed forever when she fell in love with Anakin Skywalker. Padmé Amidala found herself torn between her love for Anakin and her belief in the principles of the Republic, especially when Anakin became Darth Vader. She was brutally attacked by Anakin on Mustafar, and died in childbirth.
5Qui-Gon’s Conviction Played Right Into Palpatine’s Evil Plan
“Finding Him Was The Will Of The Force, I Have No Doubt Of That.”
Perhaps one of the most endearing parts ofThe Phantom Menaceis Qui-Gon’s dedication to seeing to it that Anakin is trained to become a Jedi. It is clear from the outset that Qui-Gon has a fatherly confidence in him, believing in Anakin despite the Jedi Council’s and even Obi-Wan’s reluctance to train him. However, it is when he begins to believe that it was the Force leading him to this that he shows himself to be a little misguided and perhaps even manipulated.
This is because this was not the will of the Force at all, but rather that of Darth Sidious. Although Anakin would eventually go on to fulfill the path of the Chosen One and bring balance to the Force by killing Darth Sidious inReturn of the Jedi,it was Darth Sidious himself who created the conditions for Anakin’s birth, creating avergence in the Force.This allowed for the very first steps in Darth Sidious' manipulation of him as a boy, continuing into his adulthood and ending with his fall to the dark side and the destruction of the Jedi.
Qui-Gon Jinn
Viewed as a maverick Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn was willing to learn from other Force traditions - and some of those lessons taught him how to retain his consciousness after death, becoming the first Force Ghost. Qui-Gon discovered Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine, recognizing him as the Chosen One, and swore to train the boy. This oath was passed to Qui-Gon’s apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, after Qui-Gon was killed by Darth Maul. He remained influential from beyond the veil, however, teaching others how to follow in his Force Ghost footsteps.
4This Anakin Skywalker Quote Is More Than Uncomfortable To Watch
“Are You An Angel?”
The age gap between Anakin and Padmé is something that is not often addressed, as it is only really apparent inThe Phantom Menace.In this film, Anakin is only 9 years old, while Padmé is already a teenager at 14.This makes one of Anakin’s lines incredibly off-putting to listen to, as he calls her an angel in what can come across as an attempt to flirt with her.
Although their age difference would later be less of an issue, having Anakin be so young and act in such a way is incredibly uncomfortable to watch, especially knowing that the two would later fall into what is considered the most tragic love story inStar Wars.Still, this quote is disconcerting and should have been left out of the movie. Any connection between the two should have been saved forStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones,when both of them are adults.
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3Watto Was Quickly Cemented As A Terrible Stereotype
“I’m A Toydarian. Mind Tricks Don’t Work On Me. Only Money. No Money, No Parts, No Deal!”
If there was ever a character that was universally hated by fans, it would likely be Watto. Not only is he the one responsible for keeping Anakin and his mother enslaved, but he generally seems to be a spiteful person only interested in money. That is best evidenced in this quote, said in response to Qui-Gon after attempting to use a Jedi Mind Trick on him.
However,this quote not only condemns all Toydarians to this sort of behavior, but it fits with other elements that have led to his being criticized as an antisemitic trope. This has been a criticism of the character ever since the movie released, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of countless viewers. It is made worse by the fact that there are other negative stereotypes used for aliens throughout the film, with the most regularly mentioned being Jar Jar Binks and Nute Gunray.
2This Cringe Inducing Moment Is One Of Jar Jar’s Worst
This quote from Jar Jar Binks is possibly the worst of them all, not only making the character look even less intelligent but seeming completely out of place for aStar Warsmovie. Here, with no reason for it to be included in the film, Jar Jar steps in dung. It was likely included in an attempt to add a bit of humor to the film, butinstead of being funny, the scene is grating and juvenile.
Jar Jar’s humor often comes across in this way, being too childish for the series as a whole. The character quickly overstays his welcome, appearing in too many scenes where he likely shouldn’t. Perhaps this was the reason that his role in the series was cut down, leaving him to only make small appearances in later prequel era projects.
1Nute Gunray Is A Character Full Of Offensive Quotes And Moments
Nute Gunray and the Neimoidians in general are some of the most controversial characters in all ofStar Wars,simply becausethey are very clearly an Asian stereotype, with characters using exaggerated Asian accents.Because of this, there is not one quote of Nute Gunray’s that ages poorly, but instead all of them have. Although there was some pushback to the character when the film originally came out, it has only grown in the years since.
In fact, the pushback was so extreme that the Neimoidians were changed for their appearance inThe Acolyte,which dropped the offensive accents of the characters entirely. This was a great improvement, though it only shows just how bad Nute Gunray’s original appearance was. Looking back, these lines are perhaps the worst inThe Phantom Menaceas a whole.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Cast
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is set in a galaxy facing political turmoil, as Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi seek peace while encountering Anakin Skywalker, a slave with great potential in the Force. Meanwhile, the Sith begin their resurgence, threatening the stability of the Republic.
