Watching the official trailer, I get the feeling that not even Lucasfilm is convinced that a third dimension is going to improve The Phantom Menace. So they’ve instead they’ve opted for Plan B in the trailer for the 3D re-release: the eradication of Jar Jar Binks.
Can we finally agree that nobody likes 3D? The effect doesn’t enhance the moviegoing experience even when originally shot with fancy 3D technology, but the Phantom Menace was released well before the 3D fad ruined our Friday nights. So it has to be manually converted to leap from the screen, with results that Ebert has lambasted far more eloquently than we could.
But we see through you, Lucasfilm! You can hide Jar Jar Binks in this trailer all you want, and the movie actually looks kind of decent without him. But you and I both know know he’s still out there, lurking, waiting to shove his particularly awful brand of terribleness that even more in our faces, floppy ears jangling wildly as he jumps out of the screen and into our nightmares. [YouTube via TheForce.net]
Dylan Hamilton-Foster
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 7:05 AMAwsome.. though I can see my recently purchased blu ray copy of the movies will eventually have to be replaced with the 3D versions.. *sigh* how many times are they going to milk me to keep buying these movies?
John
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 9:10 AMI got the blu-rays a couple of weeks ago and last night watched Phantom Menace for the first time since I saw it in the cinema in 1999. I knew it was bad, but I’d forgotten just how truly awful it is. Putting it in 3D isn’t going to fix the terrible dialogue, the ordinary plotting and the appalling acting.
Damo
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 9:05 PM“terrible dialogue, the ordinary plotting and the appalling acting”…
but you still bought it?
PeterC
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 5:13 PMIf you remove all the scenes that have any dialogue, plot development and acting, you end up with a pretty cool lightsaber battle with Darth Maul.
That’s about it though really.
Nick
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 9:16 AM*and select 2D theaters
I know how i’ll be seeing them; sans 3D!
olearymo
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 9:50 AMIs it just me or is there a serious yellow hue to this video?
James Ray Cox
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 11:18 AMSame, looks like my old TV before it warms up.
The Gamgee
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 11:46 AMLooks to be in the XYZ colour space, I guess this trailer was destined for the cinema and not the internet.
light487
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 10:15 AMAs much as I hate Jar-jar (well.. hate is a bit strong.. but it’s easier).. removing him from the movie is as bad as any of the other changes they have made over the years. It’s a movie.. not a video game that you can tweak, add and subtract from..
silne
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 11:27 AMIf you want to see how The Phantom Menace *should* have looked, try getting hold of a copy of The Phantom Edit. I saw it not long after the original came out and it’s fabulous. Less pod racing, less stupid journey through the centre of the planet, and less Jar Jar Binks. He’s still in it, but no ridiculous lengthy scenes of him or the other Gungans. It’s TPM done right, and should have been the blueprint for the re-release.
I will not be seeing it or any other 3d movie. I might take my kids to see it in 2d though, like we planned with The Lion King. 3d is awful and I wish people would just stop going to see movies in 3d. As long as they have an audience they’ll continue to release movies in 3d!
Ash
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 12:44 PMI was bored one Sunday about 4 weeks ago and decided it had been a bit of time since I had watched Star Wars. I pulled out Episode 1 and played it on the PS3 (which hopefully up-coverted the image to FHD) and sat down to watch.
The thing was, I barely made it through the first hour because of Jar Jar Binks, the terrible acting and the really lame dialogue and lack of chemistry between the actors. 3D aint gonna save this film. Ever.
simon c
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 1:04 PMstereoscopic. can we please agree that viewing stereoscopic images on a flat 2D surface CANNOT be 3D by definition.
that said TPM will be bad in stereoscopic because it was recorded with a single camera. the only bits that will look any good will be the CG parts. with that most of TPM is CG so it might not be half bad.
lagwalker
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 3:45 PMi know everyone may be sick of Hollywood rebooting movies. but Mr Lucas should reboot episode 1 and make it suck less.
Or to make up for the movie, he should allow Drew Karpyshyn to write a trilogy about Revan. that would be sick.
Roger Whitaker
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 10:45 PMSpeak for yourself Andrew, I can decide for myself whether I want to watch this movie in 3D. Unless you’ve already seen this in 3D how do you know what it will look like? And even if you have (I doubt it) what gives you the right to decide for me whether I would enjoy it or not? Ebert is a close-minded dinosaur from another era. Don’t like 3D then exercise your right not to see it, don’t force your opinions onto others who might find the experience enjoyable.
James Podesta
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 2:24 PMI love 3D. Seeing something in 2D is like watching it in black & white.