History YMMV / ThePhantomMenace

** Watto similarly drew accusations of being a GreedyJew caricature: fat, ugly, big nose, business owner, and his hat is seen as resembling a yarmulke (Although his accent sounds more Italian than Jewish.), however, people still find Watto enjoyable, thanks to his LargeHam, his accent, and what he says in any media he appears in, can lead to funny moments, making him a bit more of a MemeticMutation.

** Watto similarly drew accusations of being a GreedyJew caricature: fat, ugly, big nose, business owner, and his hat is seen as resembling a yarmulke (Although his accent sounds more Italian than Jewish.), however, people still find Watto enjoyable, thanks to his LargeHam, his accent, and what he says in any media appears in can lead to funny moments, making him a bit more of a MemeticMutation.

** Watto similarly drew accusations of being a GreedyJew caricature: fat, ugly, big nose, business owner, and his hat is seen as resembling a yarmulke. (Although his accent sounds more Italian than Jewish.)

* MisaimedMarketing:
** ''The Phantom Menace'' was merchandised to hell and back. At the time, big box stores would have aisles where ''everything'' had a Star Wars character somewhere on the label;
** ''Learn Letter Sounds With Sebulba'' coloring book; nothing like having a murderous bully who is willing to cheat in a [[BloodSport podrace]] and kill anyone who gets in his way, [[WouldHurtAChild including a child racer]], to win, teach your kids how to learn letter sounds, especially when you consider that he doesn't or can't even ''speak'' basic!

** A lot of arguments could be made that Qui-Gon Jinn is actually quite an unethical Jedi by excessively using the force to swindle and practically steal; even if the ends justify the means. Examples include using the mind trick on Boss Nass to acquire an underwater vessel that he trashed without any hint of him repaying this (well, trying to- Nass gives him what he wants, but he also sadistically thinks he's sending the pair to their death through the planet core), trying to scam Watto out of a ship part he had with a currency he has no real use for, gambling on the roll of a chance cube and using the Force to manipulate the roll, drawing blood from a child under false pretenses and conducting medical tests to which neither the child nor his mother consented, and appears to view nothing wrong with separating a mother and child, even if that needs to be done to save Anakin from slavery. The audio commentary by George Lucas hints towards this, given he comments that Qui-Gon is a rebel compared to the other Jedi in regards of choices, willing to break the rules on the amount of Padawans he can train.

** A lot of arguments could be made that Qui-Gon Jinn is actually quite an unethical Jedi by excessively using the force to swindle and practically steal; even if the ends justify the means. Examples include using the mind trick on Boss Nass to acquire an underwater vessel that he trashed without any hint of him repaying this (well, trying to- Nass gives him what he wants, but he also sadistically thinks he's sending the pair to their death through the planet core), trying to scam Watto out of a ship part he had with a currency he has no real use for, gambling over the roll of a chance cube and using the Force to manipulate the roll, drawing blood from a child under false pretenses and conducting medical tests to which neither the child nor his mother consented, and appears to view nothing wrong with separating a mother and child, even if that needs to be done to save Anakin from slavery. The audio commentary by George Lucas hints towards this, given he comments that Qui-Gon is a rebel compared to the other Jedi in regards of choices, willing to break the rules on the amount of Padawans he can train.

** A lot of arguments could be made that Qui-Gon Jinn is actually quite an unethical Jedi by excessively using the force to swindle and practically steal; even if the ends justify the means. Examples include using the mind trick on Boss Nass to acquire an underwater vessel that he trashed without any hint of him repaying this (well, trying to- Nass gives him what he wants, but he also sadistically thinks he's sending the pair to their death through the planet core), trying to scam Watto out of a ship part he had with a currency he has no real use for, and appears to view nothing wrong with separating a mother and child, even if that needs to be done to save Anakin from slavery. The audio commentary by George Lucas hints towards this, given he comments that Qui-Gon is a rebel compared to the other Jedi in regards of choices, willing to break the rules on the amount of Padawans he can train.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The idea of an elected Queen sounds extremely strange, but, in fact, there are some places that actually ''did'' elect monarchy, including the UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire, medieval UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}}, and early modern UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}. There are still elective monarchies, including UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}}, and Wallis-and-Futuna, a French territory in the Pacific Ocean, which is divided into three traditional kingdoms each led by a king elected among the local aristocracy. There's also a point that in a democracy like the United States, there's still pretty much everything Queen Amidala has that goes with the elected office: a "royal palace" (the White House), a "royal transport" (Air Force One), a "royal guard" (the Secret Service), and so on. There's no absolute rule that an elected ruler ''can't'' be called by titles traditionally associated with royalty.

* ValuesResonance: One reason the film was VindicatedByHistory during TheNewTens was that by then, its themes of the decline of democracy and the toxic influence of wealth in politics had become much more relevant than when the films were made. At the time, people thought a war started by a private entity like the Trade Federation was [[SillyReasonForWar preposterous]], but with subsequent events like the ''Citizens United'' Supreme Court case, which ruled that "corporations are people" and equated money with free speech, and [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror the War in Iraq]] suspected of being driven by the desires of energy companies to obtain Iraq's oil supply, it doesn't seem so outrageous anymore.

*** Actually the complaint is more about electing a *child* queen.

* ValuesResonance: One reason the Prequel Trilogy was VindicatedByHistory during TheNewTens was that by then, the PT's themes of the decline of democracy and the toxic influence of wealth in politics had become much more relevant than when the films were made. At the time, people thought a war started by a private entity like the Trade Federation was [[SillyReasonForWar preposterous]], but with subsequent events like the ''Citizens United'' Supreme Court case, which ruled that "corporations are people" and equated money with free speech, and [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror the War in Iraq]] suspected of being driven by the desires of energy companies to obtain Iraq's oil supply, it doesn't seem so outrageous anymore.

** A lot of arguments could be made that Qui-Gon Jinn is actually quite an unethical Jedi by excessively using the force to swindle and practically steal; even if the ends justify the means. Examples include using the mind trick on Boss Nass to acquire an underwater vessel that he trashed without any hint of him repaying this (well, trying to- Nass gives him what he wants, but he also sadistically thinks he's sending the pair to their death through the planet core), trying to scam Watto out of a ship part he had with a currency he has no real use for, and appears to view nothing wrong with separating a mother and child, even if that needs to be done to save Anakin from slavery.

* SoBadItsGood: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69ftWNg97U This]] "kids featurette" for the movie is full of cheesy narration more suited for a lighthearted comedy.

** Anakin's infamous "Are you an angel" line becomes this when you consider that Padme's voice actor Catherine Taber in the CGI Clone Wars cartoon also voiced a member of the Diathim species(The angels that Anakin was referring to)

* TheWoobie: Anakin and it just gets worse for him from here.

%%** Here it's argued that Padmé, not Anakin, is the real protagonist of the movie.
%%** Jar Jar Binks is an evil Sith Lord.
* AluminumChristmasTrees: The idea of an elected Queen sounds extremely strange, but, in fact, there are some places that actually ''did'' elect monarchy, including the UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire, medieval UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}}, and early modern UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}. There are still elective monarchies, including UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}}, and Wallis-and-Futuna, a French territory in the Pacific Ocean, which is divided into three traditional kingdoms each led by a king elected among the local aristocracy.

** The film is fondly remembered in Spain, where the whole prequel trilogy was a juggernaut. Within the film, the podrace subplot was considered especially iconic, even though in America it's often considered pointless filler; the dedicated racing video game ''VideoGame/StarWarsEpisodeIRacer'', although comercially record-breaking overall, still sold like crazy in Spain.

** Likewise, Jar-Jar's horror at being made a general: is it because he doesn't think that he would succeed very well? Is he scared? Does taking part in a military campaign go against his personal beliefs? (Keep in mind Jar-Jar has very much practiced TurnTheOtherCheek throughout the entire movie and is much more open to interacting with other races than other Gungans) His fear may be partially be motivated that the idea of killing enemy soldiers (droids are sapient in this universe) is repulsive to him.

** While Jar Jar is still far from being a universally loved character, in light of the news of his actor (Ahmed Best) nearly committed suicide due to the severe backlash he received over the role (and this news came at a time where the harassment of actors playing [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive characters]] and Lucasfilm alumni was becoming a hot topic), fans have started to become far more sympathetic to the character in light of this news. Regardless on one's tolerance for Jar Jar, it is now generally agreed that Ahmed Best is an UnacceptableTarget.

* NightmareFuel: The journey through Naboo's core features the heroes' Gungan submarine getting attacked by a series of [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Opee_sea_killer.jpg freaky-looking]] [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:ColoClawFish.jpg sea monsters]]. The largest of them all (and the inspiration for Qui-Gon's famous "There's always a bigger fish" line) even has a [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Sando.jpg built-in]] SlasherSmile.

* AccidentalAesop: A message about the importance of having a strong military can be found in this film; Naboo is completely defenseless against the Trade Federation's droid army due her planet lacking one of its own and the Republic practicing HeadInTheSandManagement, so Padmé has to recruit a faction that does have its own army. The message can basically be summed up as this: not having a strong military means that you'll be conquered or bullied by countries that do.

** Darth Maul's human skinned neck is easy to notice when he talks to Darth Sideous.

* AccidentalAesop: A message about the importance of having a strong military can be found in this film; Naboo is completely defenseless against the Trade Federation's droid army due her planet lacking one of its own and the Republic practicing HeadInTheSandManagement, so Padmé has to recruit a faction that does have its own army. The message can basically be summed up as this: Not having a strong military means that you'll be conquered or bullied by countries that do.

** For the Jedi in general: many fans RootingForTheEmpire latched onto the detail that Anakin is considered "too old" for Jedi training when he's ''nine years old''. Though the point isn't explicitly raised in this film, this has led to the assertion that Jedi are indoctrinated child soldiers, and that Force-sensitive children are brought into the Order when they're incapable of understanding what they're getting into. ... Which later series demonstrate is exactly the case. They're raised in the Temple from infancy.

** Likewise, Jar-Jar's horror at being made a general: Is it because he doesn't think that he would succeed very well? Is he scared? Does taking part in a military campaign go against his personal beliefs? (Keep in mind Jar-Jar has very much practiced TurnTheOtherCheek throughout the entire movie and is much more open to interacting with other races than other Gungans) His fear may be partially be motivated that the idea of killing enemy soldiers (droids are sapient in the star wars universe) is repulsive to him.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The idea of an elected Queen sounds extremely strange, but, in fact, there are some places that actually ''did'' elect monarchy, including the Holy Roman Empire, medieval Ireland, and early modern Poland. There are still elective monarchies, including Malaysia, Cambodia, and Wallis-and-Futuna, a French territory in the Pacific Ocean, which is divided into three traditional kingdoms each led by a king elected among the local aristocracy.

** In this film, Anakin doesn't seem to have any real gripes about being raised as a slave from birth. If anything, he seems to have more angst about being freed, since it means leaving his mother behind. There's some justification in supplementary material that clarifies that Watto is a fairer master than most. This a bit ironic, considering one of the biggest complaints about Anakin's portrayal in the next two films is that he's ''[[{{Wangst}} too]]'' angsty.
** Related to the above, Qui-Gon seems surprisingly okay with separating a young child from his mother for life (even if it's the only way to save him from slavery), and treats it more as a simple necessity than a difficult moral choice.

** His place in the story is also contested -Some see him as a ContinuitySnarl whose existence contradicts events as they were told in the original trilogy and detracts from the more important relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan. However, others think his character is necessary to highlight the flaws of the prequel-era Jedi and show us how a true Jedi should act, and makes Anakin's fall more tragic by raising the possibility things might have turned out better if Qui-Gon had been able to train him himself.

** Midi-chlorians are frequently mentioned as removing the mystery of the Force. However, all they do is explain how certain individuals and not others are able to use the Force. The Midi-chlorians only serve as a medium for the Force, they aren't the Force itself. Furthermore, the idea of Midi-chlorians shows up in notes written by George Lucas two decades earlier.

** Jar Jar would already be TheScrappy from his antics alone, but the fact that he's [[SpaceJews considered an alien caricature]] of Jamaican people just makes it even worse. The fins on the back of his head even suspiciously resemble dreadlocks.

** The midi-chlorians have become a byword for unwanted explanations in fiction. This is partly due to confusion, as CommonKnowledge states they are the source of the Force when Qui-Gon's explanation states that they communicate with the Force. However, even those who know the actual explanation feel it places too much value on powers RandomlyGifted by virtue of birth, and many feel that the prior FanWank of Force abilities being granted due to a combination of strong belief and intense training fit better with the original movies' themes of people becoming heroes regardless of where they came from.
** Though not as infamous, C-3PO's origin of being built by Anakin gets this, as it wasn't particularly necessary (C-3PO is part of a mass-produced line anyway), raises questions (why would he pick a clumsy and limited protocol droid and not something more helpful?), and doesn't inform either character's relationship (Vader and C-3PO never so much as make eye contact in the original trilogy). Though it seems to have been an attempt to somehow involve 3PO in the film, he has very little screentime and could have easily been one of Padmé's droids instead.

** The podrace was surprisingly popular in Spain. Even though in America it's sometimes considered pointless filler, in the Spaniard fandom it's fondly remembered. Even among those who disliked or even ''hated'' the film as a whole.
** The film, along with the rest of the prequels, are more well-loved in Japan and the Philippines than in America.
** While Jar Jar was, to put it lightly, not very popular in the west, he actually did earn himself something of a fanbase in Japan, to the point where a good number of video games and anime in the early 2000s featured characters clearly inspired by him.
* {{Glurge}}: Yoda’s "Fear leads to anger" speech is regarded as profound, but shows shades of this trope, particularly in the context of which it is made. Yoda is talking to a nine-year-old boy, who fears for his mother after being separated from her permanently. Moreover, given that his mother is a slave in a backward hellhole, Anakin’s fear is 100% rational. However, rather than show sympathy or acknowledge Anakin’s valid concerns, Yoda tells Anakin straight out that his fear is the problem, suggesting that it will turn him into a psycho.

** Samuel L. Jackson was famously so adamant about being in the film that he said he'd even accept a cameo appearance as a helmeted stormtrooper. The sequel trilogy later had several such cameos by big name stars.

** Anakin's infamous "Are you an Angel" line becomes this when you consider that Padme's voice actor Catherine Taber in the CGI Clone Wars cartoon also voiced a member of the Diathim species(The angels that Anakin was referring to)

* LostInMediasRes: The film rushes through its setup so quickly that it doesn't take time to properly establish fundamental story points so the viewer can understand whats at stake, such as ''why'' the Trade Federation are blockading and invading Naboo other than the opening crawl implying its solely out of greed (not helping is that we [[OffstageVillainy don't or barely even see the effects both are having on the planet's population]]) and why they would recklessly risk their entire organization by going along with Darth Sidious's oblique plans without any guarantee of a concrete reward. Making matters worse is that the [[AllThereInTheManual tie-in material used to elaborate on these more oblique story elements]] (such as the novelization) are now considered non-canon by Disney.

* MisaimedMarketing: ''The Phantom Menace'' was merchandised to hell and back. At the time, big box stores would have aisles where ''everything'' had a Star Wars character somewhere on the label;

** The movie introduces Jedi Masters Oppo Rancisis and Yarael Poof, whose designs look rather impractical for combat that [[FridgeLogic makes you wonder]] how they managed to [[LongLived live long enough to become masters]] — Rancisis is a giant snake-man (he would have plenty of exposed body parts and is a heavyweight) and Poof has a long neck that would also be easily exposed to opponents.

* SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames: The film has received many tie-in games, several of which were critical and commercial hits, including ''[[VideoGame/RogueSquadron Battle For Naboo]]'' for the N64, ''VideoGame/StarWarsStarfighter'' for the [=PS2=], Xbox and arcade, ''VideoGame/StarWarsEpisodeIRacer'' for the N64, Dreamcast, and UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor, ''Star Wars Jedi Power Battles'' for the [=PS1=] and Dreamcast, and later on ''VideoGame/LEGOStarWars''. Some of the children aimed tie-in computer games, such as ''Jabba's Game Galaxy'' and the LCD Podracing and Naboo Fighter handheld games, aren't so bad either.

** The "Darth Jar Jar" theory[[note]]Originally used for a joke in a WesternAnimation/RobotChicken skit, with a detailed breakdown being posted on Reddit in 2015 by user 'Lumpawarroo', the theory posits that Jar Jar was actually planned to be a Sith lord who essentially masterminded the events of The Phantom Menace (and thus the rest of the saga) to ensure Anakin's fate but that the vitriolic reaction from fans convinced Lucas to change his mind before/during the production of [[Film/AttackOfTheClones Episode II]], causing Jar Jar to be effectively DemotedToExtra for the rest of the Prequel Trilogy[[/note]] has also significantly boosted Jar Jar's popularity - to the point where many fans are now actively wishing the theory to become true in the hope that it will ''canonically'' rescue both the character and the actor from the scrappy heap.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: The plot of the film is incited by a dispute over the taxation of trade routes by the Republic, which the Trade Federation opposes. While it's unknown if [[AccidentallyCorrectWriting Lucas even knew this]], the academic consensus would have been entirely [[http://www.igmchicago.org/surveys/free-trade behind the villains]] on this one; economists universally agree that tariffs are bad (although that's in regards to taxing international trade, rather than inter-state trade within [[TheFederation a single non-unitary republic]] as shown in the film). Perhaps the Jedi negotiators would have come around to their point of view as well if the Trade Federation weren't [[GreaterScopeVillain secretly working for an evil space wizard]].

* ValuesResonance: One reason the Prequel Trilogy was VindicatedByHistory during TheNewTens was that by then, the PT's themes of the decline of democracy and the toxic influence of wealth in politics had become more relevant than when the films were made. At the time, people thought a war started by a private entity like the Trade Federation was [[SillyReasonForWar preposterous]], but with subsequent events like the ''Citizens United'' Supreme Court case, which ruled that "corporations are people" and equated money with free speech, and [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror the War in Iraq]] suspected of being driven by the desires of energy companies to obtain Iraq's oil supply, it doesn't seem so outrageous anymore.

*** For context, this was in the infancy of video sites that would lead to Website/YouTube and its ilk, where you could watch a trailer on demand as many times as you liked. While you could certainly do that in 1999, it would take several hours to download the video, which would only be as big a drinks coaster, and that's not even mentioning how inferior PC speakers are to a cinema's sound system. Thus the only way to see it in high quality was at the beginning of another movie.[[note]]This is why we have the term "the big screen"; until the 2010s, it was impossible to see a trailer at a decent size.[[/note]]