Motion Picture Pals

War! What is it good for? If you're an evil space wizard who also happens to be chancellor of the Galactic Republic, it's a great front for your rise as a fascist dictator and the transformation of your government into a tyrannical empire with absolute authority, backed by the people who have extended their political sympathy and given into fear after you dubbed a group of warrior monks rebels who made an attempt on your life. Yeah, the Jedi really messed up, and Palpatine got away with it all scot-free. Classic.

Meanwhile, Padmé really gets the short end of the stick in this film, reduced to a childbearing vessel who constantly refers to her pregnancy as "wonderful" as Anakin calls the news "the happiest day of my life." What are you doing, George? What do you mean, she just lost the will to live? The regressive objectification of the only woman in the film and the uncritical portrayal of her abusive relationship with creepy Anakin really puts a damper on this movie, and makes us pretty glad it was the last Star Wars film Lucas directed.

Sith Happens TV Spot (YouTube)

Star Wars Rewatch is co-hosted by William Suitt, Rebekah Markillie, Cam Call, and Travis Lien, who also produces and mixes the show.  

Follow us on Twitter: @MotionPicPals

Join the podcast Discord to get in on the discussions.

Motion Picture Pals is part of the @HitpointPals network.

Corruption in the government. A secret clone army. A galaxy on the brink of civil war. And the transformation of the peacekeeping Jedi into warmongers. Sounds like a recipe for a great Star Wars film, right? Well, there are a few reasons why Attack of the Clones isn't regarded very highly among critics or fans alike. Like Lucas's portrayal of a one-sided, rebuffed romance magically blossoming to life in the end, for starters. But a strong anti-war sentiment, interesting genre intersections, and new achievements in digital cinema mean there's plenty to discuss about the themes and context of Episode II on this month's episode of Star Wars Rewatch. 

Star Wars Rewatch is co-hosted by William Suitt, Rebekah Markillie, Cam Call, and Travis Lien, who also produces and mixes the show.  

Follow us on Twitter: @MotionPicPals

Join the podcast Discord to get in on the discussions.

Motion Picture Pals is part of the @HitpointPals network.

Welcome to Star Wars Rewatch, where the Hitpoint Pals crew are meeting once a month to revisit the Star Wars films and re-contextualize them against the current pop culture climate. This month we're kicking things off with The Phantom Menace,  the first film in the prequel trilogy and a follow up to 1983’s Return of the Jedi. The Phantom Menace premiered to a lukewarm reception, failing to live up to the expectations fans accrued over a 16 year period of no Star Wars, while at the same time making great technical strides with groundbreaking visual effects, and its financial success set the stage for an entire slew of franchise revivals, from Terminator to Batman.

On the inaugural episode of Star Wars Rewatch we discuss the dramatic tonal shift from fantasy adventure to intergalactic political drama. A confounding opening crawl about federations and blockades raises the question: who is the audience for this movie, which intersects senate hearings with the antics of Jar Jar Binks? The nostalgia is strong in this millennials-hosted discussion. The four of us take time to reminisce on our childhood Star Wars memories, while at the same time try to rationalize Lucas's choices, and most importantly ask, is that Baby Greedo?

Star Wars Rewatch is co-hosted by William Suitt, Rebekah Markillie, Cam Call, and Travis Lien, who also produces and mixes the show.

Follow us on Twitter: @MotionPicPals

Join the podcast Discord to get in on the discussions.

Motion Picture Pals is part of the @HitpointPals network.