Rifftrax Review: Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

So I finally got around to buying a riffrax yesterday. In fact, I got two. The other one is Attack of The Clones, but I haven't listened to that yet. Today I'm going to talk about the one I did listen to.

I wanted to listen to this one first because I could still remember a podcast made around the time MST3k was going off the air and Episode 1 was in theaters. Two guys were interviewing Mike Nelson and they asked him about this movie. Mike's reply was that he had never seen a Star Wars movie before. While he and Kevin Murphy went to opening day for The Phantom Menace to push the cosplay* people over, he fell asleep during the movie.

I personally find this movie superior to the next one, but that doesn't mean I'm not sympathetic to people who think this is the worst Star Wars movie. I think I was just willing to ignore the crappiness of this movie if the next two movies turned things around, and Episode 2 let me down. It let me so down that I can't get angry at Jar Jar because he's just a scapegoat for the second trilogy's crappiness.

Anyway, I still don't have an mp3 player, so I decided to play the movie on the computer in my room while listening to the mp3 on my Wii in the Photo Channel. The problem with this method is that it didn't let me fast forward or even pause the rifftrax. So it took me about six tries to get the rifftrax to sync. Annoyingly, I had it working fine at the second try, but then the movie slowed down on my computer and threw the timing off. Very annoying.

Appropriately enough, Kevin Murphy joins Mike for this commentary. Kevin just seems to be the big fan of the original trilogy type. Rifftrax seem to start with a brief intro which is the closest thing we'll get to host segments. Kevin and Mike introduce themselves, make light jokes, and talk to DisembAudio, the Rifftrax mascot. As explained at the site, this toaster thing will speak lines every once in a while so you can tell if you're still synced. I think he also riffs when Mike goes solo.

The pacing is a bit more relaxed then on MST3k. It's still rapid fire, but there are more pauses. Since Kevin is one of the riffers, the s-word makes a few appearance, although I think it was only during the 'What are midi-clorians?' scene, so I don't think anyone will complain. The riffers acknowledge that they have seen the movie before, and have a couple small conversations, which doesn't happen on MST3k.

My favorite riffs would have to be any of the riffs when the Chinese frog things were around. The ethnic stereotypes in the movie didn't really bother me but the riffing on them are hilarious. Early in the movie when the bad guys threaten to attack Naboo, one of the guys use a fake accent and say something like, "Now to invade Okinawa!"

Speaking of Naboo, one of the reoccuring gags is about how stupid that name is, as well as Padme Amidala. Many times the riffers ask whether Lucas is actually four years old, because who else would have written this movie. Another reoccuring riff that's more weird then anything is Kevin's love of some South Dakota city.** When finally asked why he keeps namedropping it, Kevin replies that he rather be there then watch this movie.

While I was watching this rifftrax, I noticed how dull this movie was. It's not like I didn't check my watch during the podrace the first time I saw this movie in theaters, but I was laughing real hard when the guys were like, "You know what I would put in my action movie? A scene where all my characters stop and talk about trade negotiations!" With the sound of the movie turned down, you notice how static most of the movie is. It's like the whole movie is a bunch of special effects leading up to a cool but someone poinless lightsabre fight.

A couple more riffs I enjoyed: The droopy-voiced podracer. Mike's outburst about the movie ten minutes in. Who Boss Nass was modeled after. The lack of excitement during the cool Darth Maul fight. Jokes lamenting the death of peripheral characters. All the Yoda jokes. ("Biggest crap I heard load of That is!" or something like that after the fear leads to the dark side speech.)

Anyway, can't wait to listen to Episode 2!






* - Cosplay convention? More like, a body of butterfaces! Am I right?

** - This kept distracting me since as a MSTie, whenever I hear Mitchell I want to break out into a chorus of 'wakka-chicka' like the guys did during that episode.