"This thread, posted in February of 2002, is one of the most telling examples of how perception of TPM has changed, as well as the film's staying power." - En-Jidai Geki

"I think PHANTOM MENACE will be assessed some years down the road more fairly than it is now. I thought it was a very smart film." - Frank Darabont

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Since before Attack of the Clones came out, this discussion thread has been asking the question, "Will The Phantom Menace be better embraced over time?", referring to the negative reaction by some of the media, and some vocal "fans" on the Internet, to Episode I. This compilation of replies from that thread, and a couple others, answers that question with a resounding, appreciative, Yes.
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Old Master Ben Date Posted: Mar 02, 2002 05:46 AM
I for one appreciate TPM much more now than when it came out.
I've always liked it since the day I saw it but I have to admit I was a little disapointed. I watched it again the other week and WOW. That film actually kicks butt.

thx1025: b4SEs Date Posted: Mar 04, 2002 01:59 PM
Yeah, it took me 3 times in the theaters to see that TPM wasn't THAT bad of a movie...

The Late Katman Date Posted: Oct 31, 2002 11:41 AM
It's still lacking all the stuff I thought it did, but it sucks less then it did when I was expecting it to be better than the OT.

Darth Dessie Date Posted: Nov 03, 2002 11:05 AM
I have to say that I love TPM more and more every time I see it. I watched it the day before yesterday (in preparation for AOTC DVD coming out - yay!) and I was completely entralled in a way I wasn't when I first saw it.

Nemesis44uk Date Posted: Nov 08, 2002 08:29 AM
Yes. IMHO, TPM will be better embraced over time. I think this because I feel better about it than I did at the cinema.

markdalen Date Posted: Dec 03, 2002 07:44 AM
Yes, TPM has improved over time. At least for me. I'm 37, and saw every SW movie at it's opening, and I was very dissapointed with TPM. I also initially fell for the trap that it wasn't like the O.T. at all (where's Han?? etc.) but especially after seeing AOTC (which is fantastic) TPM has gained a few notches.

TrueJedi. Date Posted: Dec 08, 2002 04:42 PM
I enjoy TPM much better now so there's no question that TPM will be better embraced over time. I'm living proof of it.

mishimamiro Date Posted: Dec 22, 2002 07:41 AM
I was dissappointed when I first saw TPM but now I watch it frequently. It is a wonderful film that gets better with each viewing. Time will be very kind to this movie.

The Dark Moose Date Posted: Jun 04, 2003 07:40 AM
And so what started out as lukewarm for me has grown into an odd sort of appreciation of that family member who has so much potential that was never appreciated. I like the film, and I like it more and more, even for (some) of its faults. So it was possible for me, at least, to like the film more.

Xanatos Tir'dan Date Posted: Aug 02, 2003 12:48 PM
Personally, the first watching I loved it. The next few times and I liked it less and less. I didn't watch it for and while, then went back and watched. Now I every time I watch it I like it more and more. It's really a good film.

jedioz1 Date Posted: Sep 04, 2003 02:47 AM
I've seen the movie several times since and I have a real appreciation for it. In short I think the movie is an underappreciated film and like most underappreciated films of the past... it will become a classic in years to come.

Scott Wallace Date Posted: Sep 16, 2003 02:14 AM
Although I still (wish) the movie had more emotional performances and some of the dialogue is so pedestrian, it does have a certain "Star Wars-ness" to it, and I find I enjoy it more as time passes.

hazmat777 Date Posted: Sep 17, 2003 07:34 PM
The first time I saw it I was underwhelmed. After seeing AOTC digital projected my memory of it only worsened. Now after seeing the AOTC DVD a zillion times, I went back to it and was very pleasently surprised. I feel very lucky these films are being made and love the OT and the PT but in different ways.

Qel Droma Date Posted: Jun 16, 2003 12:11 PM
I have to say that when I went in to the cinema I was both excited and sceptical. When the movie was over I was gutted. I believed the magic that was Star Wars was tarnished. Now, only 4 years later, after watching Phantom Menace on satellite (and again and again on DVD - many times since it's release) I can see that Phantom Menace looks better and feels the older it and I become. The understanding in the directing style gives me a better appreciation for Episode I and Episode II and builds up that excitement for Episode III. This week one of the TV channels over here are showing the original trilogy again and I can definitely see the difference in filmmaking between Episodes IV, V and VI. I now believe Mr. Lucas was right in directing the new Episodes himself.

b1lly Date Posted: Aug 05, 2003 04:05 AM
Well, I was originally one of the fans who screamed about GL "raping" my childhood when the initial release of TPM came out back in '99. In fact, I hated it so much, I couldn't watch any SW film for about 2 years after that.
Then I saw AOTC and completely fell in love with it, and felt like it was the film that returned Star Wars to it's glory. So, I decided to try to give TPM a second chance, and I discovered this essay that really got me thinking about the deeper themes present in TPM that I hadn't considered before writing it off.

Bandit Jedi Date Posted: Oct 22, 2001 10:39 PM
I have to admit though, when I first saw The Phantom Menace I really didn't like it as much as the others. I gave it some more chances, and the more I watched it, the more it became familiar like the others. I saw The Phantom Menace 11 times in the theater and the 11th was the best.
I love The Phantom Menace, Jar Jar and all.

Bobavader Date Posted: Oct 23, 2001 08:08 AM
"i too did not like it very much at first. but after viewing it several times, it grew on me."

diehardforty9er Date Posted: Jun 21, 2003 11:15 PM
"i was the only one of my group of friends that didnt like tpm as much as they did but i watched it over and over again and saw it did have that feeling the original movies had."

Naboo dreaming Date Posted: Jan 02, 2004 08:12 PM
It has by me! When I first saw it in the theater I was a little disappointed...Well, I just rewatched all five SW films in the order they were released and now I've done a 180 degree turn in my opinion of TPM. I can't figure out what my problem was with JL's acting because for the most part he did fine job. Perhaps I did expect to see Vader in him even then but there's no reason to expect Anakin to be like that as a child.

Bucket of Bolts Date Posted: Jan 12, 2004 07:59 AM
I was also slightly dissapointed when I first saw TPM. I now have a new appreciation for TPM, and I think it is a great movie. It is sort of the prelude to the saga, kind of like "The Hobbit" is to LOTR. (please no digressions). The story is much smaller in scope and less intense. I think it took a lot of guts for Lucas to stay true to his story.

Jedi~Tori Date Posted: Jun 12, 2004 12:33 PM
I just finished watching TPM about five minutes ago, and I really really enjoyed it. The cheesy lines that made me cringe two years ago actually aren't that bad anymore-- you just have to remember that Anakin's exclamations are acceptable, because he's a 9 year old kid, not an 18 year old Luke.

Hejėra Date Posted: Jun 19, 2004 10:48 PM
I like this film a hell of a lot more than I did 5 years ago.
My son absolutely adores it.

azsouthendzone Date Posted: Jul 05, 2005 11:03 PM
...I loved the movie until i heard some people tear it apart. Over time I started to believe it sucked as well as AOTC. But after I saw ROTS...I watched Phantom again and I loved it. There are many fine details that I didnt catch over time, and it is a nice build up to ep. 3...The media, as well as others affcted my opinion of the movie. But I was wrong. Its a great flick.

Brother Jephso Date Posted: Jun 16, 2005 09:42 AM
Yeah, I would also say that I have embraced it over time. At first, like many, I found the film quite slow, but now when you look back it's a really interesting film, set in interesting worlds that sets the scene for the whole trilogy.

patark3 Date Posted: Jul 24, 2005 12:09 PM
Now after ive seen every movie in the PT im beginning to think that TPM is a rather good film, Unlike what i though the first 2-3 times i saw it. The movie has a couple of the greatest StarWars scenes ever imo.

darthbeatle Date Posted: Aug 04, 2005 09:43 PM
I liked it very much when it first came out, but the more I watch it the more I like it. It has the same feel and a similar structure to ANH, which is my favorite.

jedisteph22 Date Posted: Sep 09, 2005 06:37 PM
By epi 1 time, i was not really into it even thought i'm a big OT fan, i had a shock. I guess like many on these board actually. TPM was the introduction, everything had to be set up, so i thought let see what would be the others...When i wachted AOTC, i like it very much but now that i have seen ROTS i really enjoyed epi 1 even more than epi 2. I see more the main point and see things from a general perspective. Also the prequel was for the old shcool Star Wars fan basically a new world to embrace. So it is not an easy task and it takes time. Well i guess it worked on me now.

D@rk 0ne Date Posted: Oct 23, 2001 12:05 AM
I'm the first to admit, when I first saw it, I was also let down. But after seeing it again, (and again, and again) each time I started to forget the things that bothered me, and I just let the story unfold. Once you let yourself enjoy it, you'll see that it is great.

Jaer Dreamcatcher Date Posted: Oct 27, 2001 11:12 AM
When TPM came out I first was too nervous about it to fully enjoy it. But TPM grows the more you see it. And today I watched it on DVD with my kids (6 + 8). And as I saw the sparkling in their eyes I was remembered the feelings I had back in 1977. I made sure they didn't see the tear rolling down my cheek.

R2z a pimp Date Posted: Aug 24, 2005 12:02 AM
I'll admit that I was one who didn't care for TPM at all when it first came out. I saw it in the theatre twice, then not again until video just before AOTC came out. However, after now having seen AOTC & ROTS, I can see that TPM laid alot of the foundation that made ROTS as good as it was.

Hawkeye Skywalker Date Posted: Aug 08, 2003 01:08 PM [two posts combined...Lt. Wiggum]
Hi All, Guess what? I sat down and watched TPM last night, keeping in mind some points that were made by posters here (specifically Rose_Walker and Sith Lord Jay). Well, I'm glad I did watch it again....I have listened to some (inteligent) arguements made and have adjusted my view a bit on TPM.

drew14bell date Posted: Oct 03, 2005 7:05 AM
I remeber back when TPM came out i was in grade four and I absolutely loved the movie. Then unfortuneatly i never watched it until before ROTS hit the theatres, re-connecting my love of Star Wars. I appreciate the movie even more so now.

Kwerty Date Posted: Nov 02, 2005 08:27 AM
I admit that when I first went to see TPM I wasn't all that impressed. Like many people, I suffered from the illness known as 'high expectation' - I'd waited about 15 years for this thing! Inevitably, it couldn't realy stand up to that level of expectation. No film could! But, as a fan, I was prepared to give it a chance. So I went to see it again. It still didn't blow me away, although I found the 'manoeuvrings' of Palpatine intriguing!

Then it came out on video, and I bought it (I didn't have dvd then!). And in the comfort of my own home, I really enjoyed it! I no longer watched it with my own ideas about what the first prequel should be, but for what it actually was. And now I realy like it, and would almost go as far as saying that is more like an episode of the OT than ep 2 or 3 is!
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Notes: This compilation is ongoing. Comments have been disabled because the discussion is already happening on the Message Boards at Will TPM be better embraced over time? (No flames this time) [TDE]. If you would like to add a "testimony" that you have read on forums.starwars.com, send it to me with the poster's name, Date Posted, and a link. Only replies from the Official Site's boards please, and make sure it's of someone who, after time, now has a more favorable review of Episode I. Feel free to add your own testimony!

This compilation is not considered "proof" of anything. It is merely to celebrate how keeping an open mind can lead you to a richer experience of life and art. And how even the beaten, splintered, podium of the Internet can be a depository for more than just intractable opinions and cynicism.