Read Ridiculously Positive Reactions to STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE Teaser Trailer
Yesterday Lucasfilm released the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and fans were overcome with blissfully happiness. I found myself overcome with emotion when I watched the trailer. I just hoped to hell that the movie will reach its full potential of epic awesomeness. I trust this franchise in the hands of J.J. Abrams, but back in 1998, a ton of fans trusted George Lucas with Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace only to be completely let down. Now, I understand that there is a small group of fans that like the prequel movies, but I'm not one of them.
The Phantom Menace teaser was released on November 18th, 1998, it was the first Star Wars trailer to debut in 20 years, and also the first to be released during the Internet age. So, needless to say, Star Wars fans at the time were extremely excited to get their first glimpse at what Lucas had in store for them, and they ate it up! Here are some reactions from fans at the time that you can read through for a few laughs. After seeing how The Phantom Menace actually turned out, these are actually quite hilarious. I came across these on Dorkly, and it offered some good entertainment.
At an afternoon screening of "Meet Joe Black" yesterday at the Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park, fans -- mostly male -- sat in anticipation, reading comic books and scholarly texts about cinema. But at least a dozen people left before the film started. It wasn't the thought of three hours of Brad Pitt as Death that scared them away: They had come just for the trailer.
"Unbelievable," said a visibly elated Rob McNeese, 24, an Arlington college student. "I consider myself a harsh critic, but after the trailer I was applauding."
"It's going to be incredible," said Jim Herr, 31, after quietly escaping from "Meet Joe Black." Herr, who predicts the film will knock "Titanic" off its No. 1 worldwide box office perch, heard about the advance screening at a funeral.
From the moment the "Lucasfilm Ltd." logo appeared, the crowd was cheering. From the serene, opening shots of (presumably) Naboo, Tatooine, and Coruscant to the action shots from all over, we were glued. As this is one of probably 8 thousand reviews to be posted in the last 24 hours, I'll stick to the highlights:
- A lot of Japanese influence with Coruscant and the young Queen's (Natalie Portman) costume and make-up.
- Darth Maul is one incredible looking villian. Dressed all in black, his head is coverend in a demonic red and and black pattern and he fights with a short staff with a light saber at either end.
- There's a shot of R2D2 and C3PO together where C3PO has no outer shell.
- Jar Jar Binks, the all CGI sidekick looks pretty cool.
- The folks at Kenner will be busy as we see a whole bunch of future action figures and ships.
- Yoda's still a muppet, but a younger, more cherubic one. (Isn't he only around 40 years younger than in "Empire" here? He's supposed to live for centuries so should he look that different?)
- Thankfully, we don't see much of the actual plot.
So, does it appear to live up to our expectations? Yup. As "Jedi" was an indication Lucas was burned out on the whole thing, he seems to have spent a great deal of time considering why "Star Wars" worked as well as it did. I think he figured it out. "Episode I" feels like "A New Hope", only on a grander scale. While there are some comic relief CGI characters on display, it doesn't appear anything like "Jedi: the Muppet Movie", and while "Empire Strikes Back" is a fine film with more character depth, you can't get lost in it like the first one. That's what I see the man in the back of the theater going for, right here. I can't wait to see it. I hope he went home to the ranch a happy man, tonight. His job is done.
All around me, there were actual tears of joy. There was excited hollering. There were hugs, people laughing uncontrollably. As the haze passed and I realized there was a movie playing, one thing kept going through my head.
Thank you, George. Thank you, George. Thank you, George.
As I prepare to sleep now, visions of the prequel dance behind my eyes. I am exhausted, but I know sleep won't come easy. Now that the worst wait is over, the final stretch begins. Six months. I could do that standing on my head. Whatever we're going to see in those theaters next May, it's going to be something special. More importantly, the experience of seeing it with all of you will make it even more special. I am thankful I saw it with that crowd tonight. There was love pouring out of everyone in that theater. There was joy, pure and simple, over the viewing of the footage. I felt like I was among family.
It was a wonderful, magical night, the kind that keeps me going to the movies, and all I can say to sum it up is what I said before.
Thank you, George. Thank you, George. Thank you, George
Hell, I was excited when I first saw The Phantom Menace trailer, so I can't blame other people for being excited. We were all just hoping for something so much better than what we ultimately ended up getting. They also posted parts of a script review for The Phantom Menace from AintItCoolNews that definitely had me laughing. I totally remember reading this!
On the story as a whole:
You can't possibly know how textured and wonderful the story Lucas has to tell is going to be. The thing that makes THE PHANTOM MENACE possibly my favorite STAR WARS story so far (on paper, mind you) is the details. The time off has done something unexpected to Lucas as a storyteller -- it made him better. Considering how he's always doubted himself as a writer, I think it showed remarkable confidence in not putting this script through another writer, someone who might have diluted our return to this place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
On Jar Jar Binks:
This script balances the humor with honest, direct writing that gives Jar Jar (dare I say?) a soul. He may be a sidekick, but here's betting that Jar Jar Binks becomes one of the biggest EPISODE I stars once audiences get their real introduction.
On Anakin Skywalker:
God, I love this kid. It makes me feel sick from grief when I realize that he's going to be Darth Vader someday, hated, feared, a symbol of evil. This kid is a good, pure spirit, beloved by the people around him. ...If he works, this will be one of the most textured kids roles in history.
On the ending:
The new technology is nice, but these films feel more like your average indie than a studio action blockbuster.
I'm still insanely excited for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and I loved that trailer that was released for it. I think Abrams and LucasFilm are going to give us a Star Wars film that we're all going to love. Of course, that's exactly what a lot of us thought when we saw the trailer for The Phantom Menace, so who knows what we're actually going to get.