lizziesmoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
r0n's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thatonewhoreads's review against another edition
2.0
My expectations killed the book for me. I thought this book was going to be amazing but it’s scene for scene from the movie. I guess that’s what books are when it’s based off the screenplay. It’s a learning experience for me, to stay away from books based on movies.
wiseturtlebear's review
adventurous
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
graff_fuller's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Out of all the Prequel movies, I believe that I've seen The Phantom Menace to most times. It was joyous time (to be in THAT galaxy, again), but we kidded ourselves, too. We overlooked a lot of marginal/bad things...in our exuberance that Star Wars was back.
This novelization was suitable. Nothing out of the blue happened (that I remember) that didn't happen in the movie.
I have a few questions, thought. Why was Yoda's eyes seen as "sleepy". I can see that in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but not during the Prequel era. It was a choice. Often, when Yoda was on the page, he was described as having "sleepy eyes". Odd, in my opinion.
I am not a visual reader, but BECAUSE I've seen the film SO many times, I was remembering scenes as I was reading the book. I miss Jake Lloyd, who portrayed Anakin. I wish he hadn't been treated so poorly by the fans. Poor kid. I think he did EXACTLY what George Lucas wanted...and that is all that can be asked for.
BTW, I don't remember ever seeing Anakin Skywalker's nickname written out before, but Annie just doesn't seem right. I would've written it as Ani. This may just be me.
It was a serviceable novelization. I will, in the near future, be reading Episodes II and III. Then I will have read them all. That's the goal.
This novelization was suitable. Nothing out of the blue happened (that I remember) that didn't happen in the movie.
I have a few questions, thought. Why was Yoda's eyes seen as "sleepy". I can see that in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but not during the Prequel era. It was a choice. Often, when Yoda was on the page, he was described as having "sleepy eyes". Odd, in my opinion.
I am not a visual reader, but BECAUSE I've seen the film SO many times, I was remembering scenes as I was reading the book. I miss Jake Lloyd, who portrayed Anakin. I wish he hadn't been treated so poorly by the fans. Poor kid. I think he did EXACTLY what George Lucas wanted...and that is all that can be asked for.
BTW, I don't remember ever seeing Anakin Skywalker's nickname written out before, but Annie just doesn't seem right. I would've written it as Ani. This may just be me.
It was a serviceable novelization. I will, in the near future, be reading Episodes II and III. Then I will have read them all. That's the goal.
justsortofreading's review
3.0
I had forgotten that I had read this. I must have been 12 or 13 or something then but I do remember that, being a fan of Star Wars and actually liking the prequels, I had enjoyed it very much. It was very much alike the movie. I used to own it but then I gave it to one of my nephews who most likely never read it and probably lost it.
elliototoole's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Can’t go wrong with the phantom menace. The novelisation was a little lack lustre i feel though. There was only maybe 1 or 2 extra scenes added, but it’s nice to go through the story anyway
carrotplush's review
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It's definitely true to the movie. As others have said I would've liked more world building but keeping it strict to the movies means this is a canon book all the way through.
One of the things I really enjoy about reading the story versus watching the films is the emotional tether one gets to Anakin. He was obviously a cute kid in the movies but I felt a larger sense of betrayal being able to read his feelings and motives.
One of the things I really enjoy about reading the story versus watching the films is the emotional tether one gets to Anakin. He was obviously a cute kid in the movies but I felt a larger sense of betrayal being able to read his feelings and motives.
lelleh's review against another edition
3.0
I've said this before on Goodreads, but I really love The Phantom Menace. It makes me happy because it is unapologetically Star Wars. It has the seriousness, the goofiness, the action, and the cool characters that I love. It's just two and a half hours of fun time in the SW Universe.
Now, as far as this novelization goes, I think this does a fine enough job. It covers the story with some extras here and there. It's a fun book I binge-read in a couple of hours.
However, I think the fact that it is such a quick, easy read is its downfall. I really wanted Terry Brooks to give us a little more. I mean, this is the only film novelization that features Qui-Gon! This is the first time we see Obi-Wan before he was wise old Ben Kenobi in the OT! Padmé is a teenage Queen who (along with her Handmaidens) outsmarts the people around her time and time again!
I, unfortunately, felt like I was reading a script with some notes. Brooks doesn't really lean into what could have been some very cool characterizations. As such, I thought things felt a little repetitive. Shmi is repeatedly described as a concerned and caring mother. Anakin knows something great is coming, but he doesn't know what. Queen Amidala is a soft-spoken and aloof leader. And Obi-Wan is the haughty protégé that just doesn't get it.
But...that's it.
And listen, maybe that criticism is unfair. By now, we've had over 20 years of storytelling about these characters in the form of movies, shows, and novels that just didn't exist in 1999. So maybe without those things, my criticism would have been different. But it's hard to look at characters who are now super developed (EK Johnston's Padmé trilogy is a great example) in the context of a book that is relatively vague and get the same level of enjoyment from it.
Some misc. notes:
- Why doesn't Obi-Wan use Force speed to escape the ray shields during the duel with Maul?
- For some reason, I thought the Tatooine star pilot was Quinlan Vos (I don't know why)
- I kept reading "Rune Haako" as "Rako Hardeen" which didn't hinder my reading experience but did make me laugh
- I will never forgive Brooks for getting rid of the "another pathetic life form" line (It is said elsewhere in the book but ugh, that placement just isn't the same)
3 stars.
Now, as far as this novelization goes, I think this does a fine enough job. It covers the story with some extras here and there. It's a fun book I binge-read in a couple of hours.
However, I think the fact that it is such a quick, easy read is its downfall. I really wanted Terry Brooks to give us a little more. I mean, this is the only film novelization that features Qui-Gon! This is the first time we see Obi-Wan before he was wise old Ben Kenobi in the OT! Padmé is a teenage Queen who (along with her Handmaidens) outsmarts the people around her time and time again!
I, unfortunately, felt like I was reading a script with some notes. Brooks doesn't really lean into what could have been some very cool characterizations. As such, I thought things felt a little repetitive. Shmi is repeatedly described as a concerned and caring mother. Anakin knows something great is coming, but he doesn't know what. Queen Amidala is a soft-spoken and aloof leader. And Obi-Wan is the haughty protégé that just doesn't get it.
But...that's it.
And listen, maybe that criticism is unfair. By now, we've had over 20 years of storytelling about these characters in the form of movies, shows, and novels that just didn't exist in 1999. So maybe without those things, my criticism would have been different. But it's hard to look at characters who are now super developed (EK Johnston's Padmé trilogy is a great example) in the context of a book that is relatively vague and get the same level of enjoyment from it.
Some misc. notes:
- Why doesn't Obi-Wan use Force speed to escape the ray shields during the duel with Maul?
- For some reason, I thought the Tatooine star pilot was Quinlan Vos (I don't know why)
- I kept reading "Rune Haako" as "Rako Hardeen" which didn't hinder my reading experience but did make me laugh
- I will never forgive Brooks for getting rid of the "another pathetic life form" line (It is said elsewhere in the book but ugh, that placement just isn't the same)
3 stars.