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17 Review »

1. 

   Some people like the movie the way it was, some others wanted extended version, some other others wanted to cut things they didn’t like in the movie. Cutting a movie such as the Star Wars movie is not an easy task. Some failed (The RETURN OF THE JEDI SPENCE EDIT is a good example of failure). Some succeeded. The Phantom editor did a really good job. The scenes’ transitions are not rough. Not alteration in the music. Really well made with respect to the movie.
   My only sad note : The opening crawl. I understand that Phantom Editor wanted to express why he made this edit but now, there’s a missing part in the continuity as there’s no “true” opening scrawl. But the rest of the movie is a really great job. SPECIAL NOTE : Look for a special bonus where Jar Jar dies in the waterfall. Hilarious.

   Review by LouVanHille — August 1, 2007 @ 5:42 am

2. 

   I’ve been wanting to see this ever since I read about it in the newspaper and I couldn’t believe my luck when I stumbled onto this site and found it here. This is the first thing I downloaded and I am amazed by how good it looks. It is completely seamless. If I hadn’t seen the original film before seeing this one I couldn’t have told the difference. It’s just that good. I love the menus, transitions and the fact that you even recorded a commentary track for it. I’m looking forward to seeing your edit of Episode II and any others you choose to make.

   Review by Frantic Canadian — February 18, 2008 @ 7:54 am

3. 

   I have been wanting to see this one for a very long time. On the whole it’s a much tighter movie than the original version. Many of the annoying parts are gone, for the most part. I only wish Jar Jar could have been removed completely which would have made it a really great movie

   Sadly, I had trouble with this and one of my DVD players which skipped all over the place (tried burning it a few different times, same results–although watching the files on my computer were fine), and trouble with the sound. At times the music and special effects would be too loud, and voices too quite while other times the were just fine.

   I’m glad to have finally seen this one, though. The one that started fan editing.

   Review by Sunshine1970 — July 28, 2008 @ 4:42 pm

4. 

   I had the same problem as Sunshine. On my computer, the DVD plays fine, menus work, movie runs in sequence. When I stick the DVD into my player, it just plays the files in sequence as they are on the disk. Any suggestions?

   Anyone?

   Bueller?

   Anyone?

   -Ralphie

   Review by ralphie — October 5, 2008 @ 4:32 am

5. 

   Thank you Phantom editor, thank you for giving us the Episode I movie we always hoped for. It’s amazing to see that George Lucas had all the parts to make an amazing movie but couldn’t recognize it. All because he has lost his ability to listen to other people and forgotten the rules of storytelling that made him succesful to begin with. You understand the characters he created better than he does. Your amazing commentary demonstrates this. I only wished we could get a copy with a little better video quality so that I never have to go back to the official DVD.

   Review by jalmodov — November 9, 2008 @ 6:56 am

6. 

   You really can’t shower enough praise on this one for technical quality. It’s near perfect. If you didn’t already know the cuts were there, you wouldn’t know they were there.

   Here’s the rub IMO – IT’S NOT ENOUGH!! I have been relentlessly downloading FEs of Ep 1 and have run into the same problems over and over again. Each editor differs slightly, but every one of them, including the now-revered Phantom Editor has left unnecessary Jake Lloyd and Jar Jar dialogue. This one also suffers from an over-abundance of midichlorians – i.e. leaving any mention, even one, is an over-abundance. I see there are still some Ep 1 edits in the works. I sincerely hope they cut more.

   Review by buddythegoon — March 2, 2009 @ 3:01 am

7. 

   Just watched this again for the 4th time and this is still the definitive edit. I agree with the poster below that often it seems the editors are too shy with the cutting…but you can’t always just chop the bad stuff out cause then you are left with no story…this edit is the best balance of heavy cutting and sensible storytelling….getting ready to watch the NY version soon. (re-edit)

   Review by vpwmma — March 26, 2009 @ 9:01 am

8. 

   I respect the edit’s place in history and all that its done for the fanedit community in general, but when I watched it there were still midichlorians and too much Jar-Jar. =/ Anyone recommend a version without that?

   Review by pizzaguylol — June 25, 2009 @ 10:24 pm

9. 

   sunshine and ralphie your problem maybe that you are burning to dvd+r’s as this is what your problem points to.

   Review by effy11 — July 29, 2009 @ 10:12 pm

10. 

    I love this edit. Episode I was a much too childish movie, here with Jar Jar mouth shut, no more “ooups” from Anakin, and deleted digression scenes, it’s a much better movie. Of course we’d still like to see less Jar Jar (his encounter with Sebulba ; at the table by Ankin’s ; could also have been cut) but it’s death in the waterfall in the bonus tracks is very enjoyable ;o)
    Thank you ! I’m going to get the Attack of the Phantom now …
    Marc, Belgium
    Note : I used ImgBurn and a DVD+R and got no problem.

    Review by mvhl — August 22, 2009 @ 11:05 pm

11. 

    I have just started viewing fan edits of the star wars films as the PT was so damn disappointing I didn’t want to review it, even in ‘improved’ form. After all, how much can you really polish a turd? That being said, this is the first Ep. 1 edit I have seen and it was almost fantastic. The only additional edits I would have liked to have seen are: 1. removal of Jar Jar’s ‘How rude’ comment when R2 bumps in to him. 2. Removal of the Queen’s congratulatory scene commending R2. 3. Removal of the midichlorian scene. 4. Removal of the Immaculate Conception dialogue 5. Removal of the autopilot line by Anakin.

    That’s it.

    I understand that the Nichols edited this before Ep. 2 came out and so left in certain scenes that he felt might be necessary later.

    Additions I wouldn’t mind – based solely on descriptions of other edits I have not yet seen, but will soon. 1. Shading Darth Sideous face – no mystery without it. 2. Using different languages and subtitles for the Nemodians and Gunguns. 3. Introduction of a slavery context, instead of trade routes. 4. Introduction of Jar Jar losing the Gunguns sacred blue orb.

    Going to check out other edits to see how well those ideas work in practice.

    Review by blairbremer — January 25, 2010 @ 8:17 am

12. 

    VERY well done, off course; if you want to see a first EP1 fanedit you should start with this one, but personaly I’d like a more radical approach to polish this movie…

    Review by TMBTM — April 11, 2010 @ 2:34 pm

13. 

    A classic, but in my view it doesnt go far enough.

    I personally prefer JasonNs episode 1

    Review by jelio — May 26, 2010 @ 6:44 pm

14. 

    In early 2001, one film projected the burgeoning scene of Fan Editing into the spotlight. The mystery behind the editor, the suspected Hollywood connections, the mass dislike of the film in it’s original form, all helped to fuel the demand for Episode I.II: The Phantom Edit. That, coupled with the fact that the original filmmaker himself seemed to have committed the first well known act of fan-editing with the release of “special editions” some years prior, all made for a good story.
    Although this edit should be watched on it’s own merit, it is worth it in it’s own right to watch it from the perspective of viewing a piece of digital history. A representation of the digital age, where everything is malleable, and one person’s vision (or revision) can quickly and easily be shared by millions. This edit was a catalyst for all range of discussions regarding intellectual property, art, and everything in between. This fan edit, and others like it are not only re-edits, but as Columnist Daniel Kraus put it, are “re-imaginings, radically changing the narrative through unexpected audio and visual juxtapositions.”

    Yet putting aside all that, one thing cannot be denied; This fan edit is far superior to the original film. The Phantom editor cut nearly 20 minutes of film, and I will touch upon those that stuck with me most.

    -Throughout the movie the detestable abomination Jar-Jar has been reduced to a small supporting role, as opposed to stealing most scenes via antics.
    -Battle Droid dialog has been reduced
    -Redundant Exposition throughout the film has been reduced.
    -Much of the political rhetoric has been reduced.
    -Anakin is less so the whooping child who somehow stumbles his way through danger, but is now more of a silent brooding character, more believable as a capable special child.
    -Entire scenes such as the underwater chase scene have been removed, leaving you with the feeling that they should never have existed to begin with.
    -The overall feeling of the movie has indeed been changed. By using early wipes and transitions, the Phantom Editor has edited TPM into a watchable, enjoyable beginning of the Star Wars anthology. All of the edits were very professional, and not once did I feel like I was watching a re-edited version of the film.

    While Jar Jar has not been completely edited out, and you do still have to endure hearing the sound of his voice, The Phantom Editor has done a great job of reducing his presence, to an almost bearable measure. While you will never like the character (just seeing his face saddens me to a degree) I was actually able to enjoy the film without being chased away by Jar-Jar (I have only seen TPM once, and avoided watching it a second time by changing channels, or leaving the room).

    The DVD extras great in their own right. The Commentary is worth watching the movie for, it gives a wonderful insight into the Phantom Editor’s editing process, as well as his motivations behind his changes. Watching the commentary was an experience unto itself, and I am now even more than ever enamored with the idea of the fan edit itself. The Phantom Editor is not merely an editor, but an artist.
    Episode I: The Phantom Edit is a very clean and professional edit. Some people prefer other edits which include dubs over Jar-Jar, the Neimoudians, and the Gungans. While I wish the Phantom Editor had done that in this edit, I still feel that The Phantom Edit is the best fan edit of TPM out there.

    Thank you Phantom Editor, this is my definitive version of TPM, and is a MUST WATCH!

    Video Quality: 8.5/10
    Audio Quality: 10/10
    Editing: 10/10
    Improvement: 9/10 over the original
    DVD Menu/Extras: 10/10

    Overall Impression: 10/10

    Review by Grauser — June 20, 2010 @ 11:05 am

15. 

    I watched every single Star Wars movie when they came out in the theatres. I was 4 when the original came out, and I was first in line to see TPM in theatres – I only had to wait 12 hours, as the theatre I went to didn’t tell anyone they were selling advanced tickets, and I managed to get a hold of some…so I wasn’t one of those poor bastards who had to camp out for a month to be the first in lol -

    …anyways, AOTC was the only one of the saga I never saw in the theatre, and I don’t regret it at all. After renting it, I hated it with a stinking passion like nothing I can quite describe. A worse movie could not have been made.

    I watched this edit, and it seems as though everything that was horrible about this movie was cut out…my God, it is actually watchable!

    Video Quality: 10
    Audio Quality: 10
    Editing: 10
    Improvement over the original: This is where I have to complain, which is truly too bad. I will explain:

    The opening crawl…

    The opening crawl explains why he did the edits he did, completely blowing away ANY sort of continuity with the rest of the saga.

    It honestly set the tone as some sort of a satire…I couldn’t take it seriously after reading it, and it completely ruined the movie for me, which is honestly and truly too bad, as the editing, sound and video were 100% top notch. I cannot possibly complain about any of the editing decisions. Great direction. Great choices.

    I understand the urge to explain WHY you did the edit, but couldn’t the explanation be done in a disclaimer or something BEFORE the movie started? I’m very sorry to say that I had to delete this edit. I will try to find something that comes close I guess.

    I am having a hard time rating this movie overall, as you did such a wonderful job technically. In the end, sadly, I have to give it a 5 out of 10 as the movie was ruined before it started…the mood is half of the movie. The technical side is the other half, and that half gets top marks.

    I cannot recommend this edit if you want a true Star Wars movie. If you don’t pay attention to the opening crawl in the first place, then this edit is for you.

    Review by amatar — June 25, 2010 @ 5:07 am

16. 

    I have to apologize for the above post…I thought I was reviewing the Pahtom’s edit of AoTC. I’ve copied it over to there. Sorry about that! <:)

    Review by amatar — July 1, 2010 @ 2:40 am

17. 

    Having my copy take up hard drive space for far too long, I finally decided to burn it and watch the film.
    Based on cutlist information only, my favour still goes out to Attack of the Federation, which I plan to watch in the very near future as well.

    *There are still far too many Captain Obvious moments, including, but not all, from: Ric Olié (first half and space fight), Obi-Wan and Bravo 5 (Ellberger).
    *Jar Jar’s antics have been reduced, but aren’t all gone, although some drive the plot, so cannot be removed
    *Boss Nass tics are still present, which is a pity, but can be overlooked
    *I seemed to have noticed some hard fade-outs, as if characters could still be seen talking, especially during the first half of the film
    *Some Anakin scenes that could have gone are still present. During the first half, he still acts too childish at times, or too sentimental
    *The introduction between Anakin and Obi-Wan always felt forced and terribly unneeded
    *The scene regarding Midi-chlorians should have been left out. This is not Dragonball Z; no power levels or anything of that sort.
    *Anakin’s part in the Starfighter was handled perfectly, although it ended on a seriously false note when Anakin suddenly told ’someone’ to “override it”. That came out of the blue. He later again mentions ‘that’ was were the autopilot was taking them, even though the autopilot was never mentioned before. Keeping those lines in ruined the entire setup.
    **On a side note: take a look at Darth Maul’s face when he discusses revealing themselves to the Jedi, and tell me he does not look like Gary Daniels?

    ————————————-
    TECHNICAL ASPECTS
    ————————————-
    VIDEO:
    I noticed a few hard fade-outs, as the fade-out began but the sound was still on.
    Other than that, great editing work, as could be expected from a professional editor.
    Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars

    AUDIO:
    Again mentioning the fade-outs, it felt weird.
    No other hiccups or glitches anywhere.
    Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars

    PRESENTATION:
    A great menu. Stays true to its source, and adds a fantastic touch with the question marks.
    Overall:
    5 out of 5 stars

    IMPROVEMENT OVER THE ORIGINAL:
    While the Phantom Editor has certainly improved the original, and contributed to the flow of the film, it still has its faults.
    3 out of 5 stars

    ————————————————–
    FINAL SCORE: 4,25 out of 5 stars
    ————————————————–
    Adds up to a fanedit score of:
    8 out of 10 stars.

    Review by Radi0n — August 20, 2010 @ 9:03 pm

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