Star Wars: The Force Awakens is one of — if not the — most highly anticipated films of the decade. Then again, so was The Phantom Menace, and we all know how that one turned out. To remind us that not all Star Wars films are created equal, look back at a video of fan reactions that came out of the screenings for the first of the prequel movies. You might be surprised to hear that there was only one voice of reason among the pack of excited moviegoers.
UPROXX found a video from the Funny Local News Bloopers YouTube channel of grainy news footage of various Phantom Menace screenings in 1999. News anchors made their rounds through the crowds to learn of their hype and hopes for the film. As it turns out, the vast majority of fans featured in this compilation had nothing but positive things to say both before and after the screenings. “There’s no way it’s going to be a disappointment,” said one fan dressed as Darth Vader, while many others shouted, “no,” when asked if it was gonna be a lousy movie. Watch below.
“It’ll be a great movie 20 years from now,” said another fan clad in Jedi robes, though that’s definitely not the case. Among the positive responses, one gentlemen remarked that the lightsaber sequences were the greatest points of the film, which is probably right, aside from the incredible score from John Williams that gave the world “Duel of the Fates.” It’s hard to imagine a Star Wars film being that bad, but the prequels were. If you need reminding, check out this video from Slate of the shoddy script and performances. Thankfully, the supercut ended on a high note: “Two thumbs way down,” said a disappointed moviegoer. “I think I deserve a public apology from George Lucas.”
Star Wars: The Force Awakens drops into theaters on December 18, and it would have to fall a long way down to be a repeat of the prequels.
