Chris Higgins
Required Viewing: “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” 70-min Critique
by Chris Higgins - December 21, 2009 - 1:23 PM

Required Viewing

Over the past week, I’ve been told over and over to watch this series of videos, but resisted until the weekend. I mean, how could it truly be so awesome? I don’t care about Star Wars, why would I find this funny? 70 minutes? How could I find time for this? I can now only regret those long days that I deprived myself of the wonderousness of this bizarre, hilariously nerdy “review” of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. I debated posting it here because it does use some spicy language (within ten seconds, the first f-bomb is dropped), but guys, come on. You need to watch this. You’ll know within the first few minutes whether it’s your kind of thing. And if it is, you’ve got SEVENTY MINUTES OF IT.

Let me break it down for you: this dude makes movie reviews and puts them up on YouTube. He’s been doing it for a while (I strongly recommend his 2008 review of Star Trek: Generations, which came roughly 14 years after the film was released). Through the reviews, you see his analysis of each movie’s particular failings, including detailed analyses of plot holes and explanations of how to make film — in case George Lucas is watching.

Meanwhile, you realize that the reviewer is also playing a character, and he reveals bits of his character within each review. (Talking about various deceased family members, etc.) At various points the review falls off the rails entirely, as in Part 2 (below) when the reviewer rants about his “medications” and then offers to mail pizza rolls to anyone who leaves a comment on “this web zone.” It’s brilliant. Funny, often inappropriate, genuinely insightful — what more could you want from a web video?

Tip: if you are not immediately hooked, wait at least until he says “protagonist” for the second or third time. Trust me. If you get through all seven parts, maybe you can get yourself a pizza roll.

Part 1

“Really, how hard could it be to screw up? It’s like screwing up mashed potatoes: you boil the water, pour the packet….”

Part 2

“It’s almost mind-boggling how complex the awfulness is.”

Part 3

“Now this is where it gets complex, my lovelies. So I think this is what happened — I’m not sure — but Palpatine wanted to create a crisis on Naboo so that the naive young queen would propose a vote of No Confidence for Chancellor Velorum. This would lead to Palpatine getting elected in his place, right? Like, I mean, that’s the plot? I think?” Also, THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

Part 4

“Invasion…of boring!”

Part 5

“If you ask me, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi should have been combined into one character, called Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Part 6

“Please, God, make it stop, make it end.” … “So we’re back to the three guys we know nothing about fighting each other in a scene we have no interest in. … Hey, maybe this’ll finally get good! Maybe I’ll get emotionally involved!”

Part 7

“The Ending Multiplication Effect.”

Did You Watch Them All?

If you want a pizza roll, make a comment on this web zone. I can’t promise anything about the pizza rolls, I’m just saying make a comment and then go buy yourself a pizza roll.

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Comments (11)
  1. Please send the pizza rolls to the address on our website. I’ll need two.

    kthanxbi

  2. Watched it all twice over the last few days as it was referred by another site.

    Pure genius. I actually saw more of the movie in these reviews than when I first watched the movie since I turned it off after a few minutes.

  3. I’m really glad to have watched this. I always knew that Episode 1 was bad but I could never put my finger on it until now.

  4. i did just watch them all. pretty damn funny, nice job.

  5. I had seen this before on another site, but now I have an excuse to watch it for a 3rd time!

    It’s hilarious how the insane character can do a better job at making a movie than Jorge could do with all his yes men.

  6. This guy’s Star Trek movie reviews are also both insightful and funny. If viewed in rough order, you see the chronology of the reviewer’s whole sordid, mixed-up life, too, leading to the reveal of his “hobby” in the Phantom Menace review.

  7. The only thing lamer than The Phantom Menace is a critic of the movie.

    I think you should critic Ben 10 Alien force next week.

  8. The juxtaposition the guy uses is pretty funny. The stuff he covers is pretty much stuff you already knew was bad and knew exactly why it’s bad, but the delivery is very amusing.

    Though he does sound like Dr. Zoidberg. I don’t know if that gives him bonus points or demerits.

  9. The best thing about this, is despite the funny voice, mispronounced words and ladies captive in his basement, he makes some really good points and is right a lot more than he’s wrong.

  10. Now I know what I felt I didn’t know until I realized what was going on “didn’t” make a lick of sense, until I listened intently to the pizza roll.

  11. His critique was better than the movie.

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