A wise man (Gungan) once called the Force “maxi big.” You know what else is maxi big? The Disney+ streaming numbers for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The fourth released Star Wars film in the Skywalker Saga — but first in chronological order — is “the most viewed Star Wars movie on the streamer worldwide,” according to Variety.
It finally happened: the prequels are cool. Do I think The Phantom Menace is “good,” especially compared to The Empire Strikes Back? No, not really, but I and millions of other millennials have (possibly misplaced) nostalgic affection for them. If I were a parent, I would be excited to show my child the first Star Wars movies released in my lifetime. Kids need Watto now more than ever.
In 2022, Ewan McGregor, who plays young Obi-Wan Kenobi, discussed the ever-shifting legacy of the prequels. “It was tricky at the time. They weren’t overwhelmingly embraced by everybody when they came out, our prequels,” he told Jimmy Kimmel. “It was nice to watch them now knowing that people love them. That the kids who we made them for at the time — they loved those films a lot. It was nice to watch them with that sense.”
If you’re still hating on the prequels, how wude.
(Via Variety)