I personally have half a mind to boycott it, since it's not being released on DVD (for whatever reason). It just won't be the same on VHS.

But in the meantime, I'll save my money for Galaxy Quest and End of Days, two much MUCH better films. But that's a whole OTHER thing I don't feel like getting into right now.

Oh - and End of Days had acting, not boredom.

What does get me though is that you have to pay so much more for the widescreen version. Just another bit of proof that Lucas is out for the big bucks.

quote:

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Originally posted by Crono/Kyp:

Just so you all know, the WIDESCREEN LIMITED EDITION only 1.5 million were made.
Times that by putting it out all over the Us, not a lot of them.

--Kyp

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Man that is not that much when you think about it. Would that be just for the U.S. or worldwide?

BTW, I was wondering which version each of us plan on getting, well if you are going to get one that is.

Luckily I ordered the widescreen version at CDNOW, with credit and coupons it was about $20 or so. Not any more expensive than the full screen version. Since it was shipped last week, I except it to arrive today or tomorrow. Can't wait.

"Surely, TPM wasn't that bad when compared to other recent sci fi films? When socalled connnaiseurs claim that the well known "formulae" of STAR WARS 1977, is somewhat different and altered for this prequel, that the characters weren't as well rounded as in the first one or whatever, that is simply due to the fact that the characters in the first film are so strongly printed into the public mentality, that they have become stereotypes or household references, so to speak."

From "Star Wars vs. Expectations - The Paradox Menace": http://home.sol.no/~oeyste/starwars.htm

The laserdisc features:

Dolby Digital 6.1 (surround EX) english audio
Dolby Digital 2.0 (surround) english audio
THX Certified
Widescreen 2:35.1 (panavision)
Japanese subtitles (in the lower widescreen bar)

Should I complain? You gotta be joking right? Episode 1 in digital sound on my home theatre? POD RACE BABY!!!!!!!

Incidentally, regardless of the LD coming my way I bagged a free copy of the VHS yesterday (widescreen/PAL) and it was fine in my eyes. My take is, if you know the faults of VHS you'll watch without a complaint as it is a good enough transfer with a pretty good sound mix.

I think that 'Widescreen Collectors Edition' is a US only thing. $40 fior a video? lol. Over here it's £12.99 for the widcescreen tape, which just contains the movie. The evil pan and scan is £10.99.

Dan (UK)

NP: Galaxy Quest Promo (****/*****)

Now quit whining about the lack of a DVD. Just deal with it.

1. I just like widescreens better
2. I have the SE trilogy in widescreen, so I continue the same trend.
3. I don't want to wait 5 or 6 more years for them all to be on DVD.

Have you ever wondered why things were the way they were? I wonder how did Anakin get turned to the dark side.
Plus the original trilogy by itself appears to be just the story of Luke. When the story of Star Wars is really about Anakin/Vader.
Personally I'm pumped to see why things turned out as they did.

Plus isn't senator/emperor palpatine a major factor as well?

Why is Lucas making prequels and not sequels? From what I understand, it's because he had so many TONS of notes and different script versions of the original (well now it's called part 4, A NEW HOPE) that there was NO WAY he'd ever cram them all into the same movie -- and remember, he never dreamed at the time he'd get to make more than one of these. So THE PHANTOM MENACE and the next two comprise a lot of the stuff he wanted to put in before, and could not. Once A NEW HOPE became the most successful movie of all time, it took on a life of its own ... Lucas incorporated a lot of different ideas from the old drafts into EMPIRE and JEDI, but obviously he's had a lot else on his mind.

I'm personally underwhelmed by THE PHANTOM MENACE, but I do wonder what the next two are going to look like, and what the plot trajectories may turn out to be. (I do find it faintly disturbing that the whole thrust of THE PHANTOM MENACE seems to be "how much can I fit digitally into this frame?" -- it was amusing and even enchanting when Lucas refurbished the Original Trilogy, although he changed too much for my liking, but he also added some lovely stuff. However, he was adding to great works, at least in the case of A NEW HOPE and EMPIRE. Now ... it's too early to say.)

dantoris, my other main thought: Lucas makes it almost TOO obvious throughout THE PHANTOM MENACE that there's something wrong with Annakinn to begin with ... he's not going to become possessed by the Dark Side LATER, it's already part of what he is NOW. (I still think that the "immaculate conception" subplot is going to turn out to be a red herring -- it ONLY makes sense that PALPATINE is Annnakinnn's father, in the same way that Annnnnnnnakinnnnnnnnn (how many n's in that? not sure -- or are there extra k's?) turns out to be Luke's father. I don't see any other direction it can possibly go.)

I did like it that Lucas brought back Ian McDiarmid to play Palpatine. (Clive Revill played him during that brief bit in EMPIRE when Vader talks to him over subspace frequency, or whatever it was.)

Jeron,
but you are wierd.

Other than that, I agree with you: it's too early to tell much of anything. Phantom Menace had its faults, it's true, but what can I say? Call me an optimist. And call me a sucker for Lucas's particularly grandiose style. I await the remaining sequels with trembling anticipation.