Tomatometer Rating: 57% Let's kick this one of with a technical disclaimer. For over a decade The Phantom Menace sat on RottenTomatoes with a Fresh rating, predominantly based off the reviews from initial release. However, in 2012 there was a 3D re-release, prompting new reviews and finally allowing the change in the film's reputation over the previous thirteen years to finally have its effect; the film now sits on a much less enviable 57%. You see, the first Star Wars prequel was actually well received upon release. Of course there were die-hards who objected from the off, but to mainstream audiences the film was an interesting addition to the Star Wars saga. However, whereas normally those die-hards would have had to grumble in the woodwork, the new-fangled internet meant they could engaged in a massive smear campaign against Episode I. Some of their criticisms were fair enough - the podrace is too long and Jar Jar Binks is a fundamentally flawed character - but when someone who's read a summary of Screenwriting 101 tries to dissect its narrative structure things are getting a little too far. Ultimately, however, it doesn't matter that things like RedLetterMedia's reviews are woefully bias, because they won the war; it has become accepted that The Phantom Menace was a bad film (rather than just a less than stellar entry in a great franchise). Hence the barrage of bad reviews for the 3D version from critics who clearly fell into the anti-hype. If you'd like to hear more about our thoughts on the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, check out our defence of them here. Do you agree with our picks, or did the critics get it right? What other poorly reviewed films are actually quite good? Let us know in the comments below.
