Synopsis:

This is it, the one that started it all. The Phantom Edit wasn't the first fanedit, but it is certainly one of the most famous and brought the art of fanediting into the mainstream. The Phantom Editor's work reveals the power of editing and is a clinic on structure and pacing. A must-see for all fans of fanediting.

Intentions:

Star Wars Episode I.I – The Phantom Edit is a fan edit of the movie Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace, removing elements of the original thought by some to be unsuccessful by critics and adult fans. The purpose of the edit, according to creator Mike J. Nichols, was to make a much stronger version of The Phantom Menace based on the previous execution and philosophies of film storytelling and editing made famous by George Lucas himself. The Phantom Edit was the first unauthorized re-edit of The Phantom Menace to receive major publicity and acclaim for making the film appreciably better, and although many other re-editing attempts followed, the original Phantom Edit is still highly regarded as a successful exercise of professional and artistic narrative film editing.

Change List:

Changes made from the original film in The Phantom Edit Opening crawl replaced with a new one explaining why the edit was made Re-editing of nearly all scenes featuring Jar Jar Binks and removing some of what Nichols dubs 'Jar Jar Antics' Removal or re-editing of most of the battle droid dialogue Limiting of exposition throughout the film Trimming scenes involving politics Re-arrangement of shots and scenes to match the original Star Wars trilogy's presentation style Removal of "yippee" and "oops" from Anakin's dialogue Removal of dialogue that specifies the nature of midi-chlorians as a biological basis for Force sensitivity Reinstatement of deleted scenes in order to fill in plot holes There were a total of 18 minutes cut from the original film, reducing the run time from 136 minutes to 119 minutes.

Additional Notes:

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND REVIEWS: Critics and filmmakers have commented on the original Phantom Edit, in most cases providing the approval and recognition which furthered the fan edit movement. “Smart editing to say the least." KEVIN SMITH, Film Director (Clerks, Mallrats, Cop Out) “…Materialized from out of nowhere was a good film that had been hidden inside the disappointing original one." DANIEL KRAUS, salon.com (Nov. 5, 2001) “[Done by] someone with a gift for editing!” MICHAEL WILMINGTON, Film Critic Chicago Tribune (June 18, 2001) "A revelation." MotionPictures.com review (February 2, 2009) It was originally circulated to studios in Hollywood in 2000 and 2001, and was followed by worldwide media attention in magazines, television, and especially the internet. It was acclaimed as providing a more focused and better paced version of the film. Rumor attributed The Phantom Edit to Kevin Smith, probably because he edits his own films and his films frequently refer to the Star Wars mythos. Smith admitted to having seen the re-edit but denied that he was the editor (Reference). The editor was revealed to be MIKE J. NICHOLS of Santa Clarita, CA in the September 7, 2001 edition of the Washington Post (Reference) and the June 1, 2002 edition of the LA Times (Reference). Originally available on VHS and DVD, the DVD contains two deleted scenes and a COMMENTARY TRACK by the editor as well as a few EASTER EGGS. No lawsuits were filed against Nichols, nor did he sell or make any money from the edit, claiming, “I am not a bootlegger!” The documentary film, "The People vs. George Lucas" cites The Phantom Edit as as a key example of the "remix culture" created by the Star Wars franchise. Additional reviews and praise for The Phantom Edit: TheForce.net Review FilmThreat.com Review "The Best Star Wars Movie You've Never Seen"