3. Obi Wan vs. Darth Maul - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqGEbRpxQ_c&t=3m1s The climactic battle in George Lucas' hugely underwhelming first prequel in the Star Wars franchise had the potential to save the day, to turn things around and make us appreciate what was otherwise a pretty damn disappointing film. Regrettably, this final stand-off - a 2 vs. 1 fight featuring Obi Wan (Ewan McGregor) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) against Darth Maul - is as underwhelming as everything else in Episode I. Once Qui-Gonn ends up being mortally wounded by Maul's lightsaber, it looks like things are about to get interesting as it's all down to Obi Wan (though, of course, we know Obi Wan can't die, so there's no tension at all). After less than a minute of saber dueling, Obi Wan manages to gain the upper hand, slashing Maul's mid-section and causing him to fall down into a giant hole, where his body splits in two (a pretty brazen move for a PG-rated film). The entirety of the film is spent building up Darth Maul to be this badass enemy, and then Obi Wan kicks his ass in about a minute. Lame.
Shaun Munro
Contributor
Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.
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