A 3D version of The Phantom Menace is due out in cinemas next year. But does it deserve our support? Here’s James’ view…
Next February, Lucasfilm plans to release a 3D version of The Phantom Menace in cinemas. The idea is to put out the other five Star Wars movies in 3D in subsequent years if the reception of the first one is sufficiently popular.
The big question is, should we support The Phantom Menace in 3D?
Well, there are a few issues. Firstly, The Phantom Menace isn't the most popular film in Lucas' franchise. Simon Pegg’s character in Spaced summed it up best when he described the film as a “Jumped-up firework display of a toy advert”. Now, The Phantom Menace isn’t my least favourite Star Wars film (for me, Attack Of The Clones is far worse), but it still no match for the sheer breathtaking greatness of A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back.
In fact, I’d argue that the order they’re releasing the 3D versions of the films is all wrong. Ffans want to see the original trilogy far more than the prequels. Who wouldn't want to watch the moment when Darth Vader declares he’s Luke's father on the big screen, an experience that younger Star Wars fans will never have had the chance to see?
However, if The Phantom Menace doesn’t attract enough people (although the massive success of The Lion King 3D re-release may have whetted the appetite of some for such projects), then producer Rick McCallum has stated that we will only see that Star Wars film released in 3D. So if we want to see the original trilogy return to multiplexes, then we have to first sit through the prequels, which won’t be a happy prospect for some, I suspect.
It could be argued, too, that the novelty of 3D is beginning to wear off (a survey released just yesterday by YouGov suggested that just 19% of British cinemagoers think 3D improves a film), and it’s not hard to see why. Tinted glasses make darker films almost impossible to watch at times. There are still reports of people ending up with headaches or feeling sick. And most cinemas are still charging us more for the privilege of seeing the same film in three dimensions.
Now, this isn’t to say that 3D, when used correctly, doesn't have its moments. James Cameron's Avatar remains the obvious example, a film that was made for 3D. Despite its lacklustre plot, it was, for me, spectacular to watch through the slightly uncomfortable glasses provided at the cinema. Watching it in 3D was also very popular, with the vast majority of cinema-goers choosing three dimensions over two (appreciating this was at the start of the modern 3D boom).
However, when 3D is clearly an add-on, and only there to make more money (which some would argue the new releases of Star Wars are), then this is reflected in the box-office takings. This year, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides received only 38 per cent of its US box-office takings from 3D screenings.
It's inevitable, then, that The Phantom Menace 3D re-release will be seen as something that doesn't need to happen – a cynical attempt to make yet more money. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it. After all, the film’s podracing sequence could look great in 3D (it's not as if Lucas won't throw a lot of money at it to get it right). We also need to consider that, if we don't support The Phantom Menace in 3D, then we may never see the other films released. The deal LucasFilm is making with us is this: watch the films on the big screen that you don't like, and then we'll give you the ones that you do.
Is sitting through the prequels such a hardship, then?
Some might say that it is. With The Clone Wars animated series now into its fourth season, Star Wars clearly hasn't lost its popularity, and the staggering sales of the Blu-ray boxset further cement that.
Yet there’s an argument that there's no need for Lucas to release a 3D version of his 1999 film. And that it's not where Star Wars fans would most like George Lucas' attention to be. After all, there’s the often-discussed possibility of a live action series – many fans would probably rather watch that than a post-converted version of The Phantom Menace.
Personally, I would be interested to see the trench run from A New Hope in 3D, even though we’ll have to wait for a long time before it finally arrives. With the films issued at the rate of one per year, A New Hope won't appear in cinemas until 2015, and the final installment, Return Of The Jedi, won’t hit the screens until 2018.
While 2015 seems like an age away now, I'm planning to endure The Phantom Menace and its two follow-ups, just so that we can get to the joys of the original trilogy in all its big-screen splendour (although I may be in a minority there).
Besides, for me, the prequels aren’t that bad. They’re still Star Wars, after all...
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