Episode I – The Phantom Menace marked George Lucas’s return to the director’s chair since A New Hope as he once again introduced new characters and stories in the space opera. While the film was a huge box office hit, it received mixed reviews with many criticizing its storyline, casting choices, performances, and awkward dialogues.
And it seems that the filmmaker’s ex-wife Marcia Lucas also did not find the film very pleasing. She even admitted to crying after watching the movie as she echoed many of the same critiques while sharing her thoughts on the movie.
The Phantom Menace Made George Lucas’ Ex-Wife Cry
George Lucas has collaborated with his ex-wife, Marcia Lucas, on movies like American Graffiti and the Original Star Wars trilogy. The film editor also won an Academy Award for Best Film Editing for the 1977 film A New Hope.
However, when the renowned filmmaker returned with the prequel trilogy, her response was unexpectedly emotional. She shared her reaction to Episode I – The Phantom Menace in J. W. Rinzler’s book Howard Kazanjian: A Producer’s Life, admitting that the film brought her to tears. She said, as per The Direct,
“When I went to see Episode I—I had a friend who worked at ILM, who took me as a guest to a preview—I remember going out to the parking lot, sitting in my car and crying. I cried.”
She shared that she did not feel like it was very good and expressed her disappointment with the film’s quality and direction. Lucas also pointed out that instead of utilizing the full potential of the Star Wars saga, her ex-husband heavily relied on CGI and visual effects and labeled the movie as “eye candy.”
“And I thought he had such a rich vein to mine, a rich palette to tell stories with,” she said. Beyond technical concerns regarding the underutilization of the stories and characters and over-relying on visual effects, Marcia Lucas also criticized the dynamic between Anakin and Padme.
Marcia Lucas Expressed Concern Over Anakin And Padme’s Dynamic
While Marcia Lucas praised George Lucas and acknowledged his talent, she still perceived The Phantom Menace as a missed opportunity in storytelling and filmmaking. One of the issues she highlighted in the book Howard Kazanjian: A Producer’s Life was regarding Queen Padme and Anakin’s dynamic in the movie.
The Phantom Menace featured Natalie Portman in the role of the Queen Padme of Naboo alongside Jake Lloyd. He portrayed the role of Anakin Skywalker before Hayden Christensen took over the role in Attack of the Clones, as a more compatible match for Portman’s Padme.
Among many who raised the issues with these characters’ on-screen dynamic, Lucas also shared her criticism, stating,
“He had all those characters. And I thought it was weird that the story was about this little boy who looked like he was six years old, but then later on he’s supposed to get with this princess who looked like she was twenty years old.”
While the prequel trilogy has constantly been the target of Star Wars fans’ criticism, especially The Phantom Menace, the filmmaker didn’t necessarily seem fazed by the negative reception.
The Phantom Menace is available to stream on Disney+.
