Ok, so let's face it: Star Wars: Episode I didn't exactly knock our socks off like we were expecting. Even the guys waiting in line since 5AM opening day in full Darth Maul costume had to eventually admit that we were all just a little disappointed in our friend Mr. Lucas. And it wasn't just Jar Jar. There was something missing, although none of us could really put our finger on it. .
Still, we were understanding. We were patient. We all enjoyed the movie. We all purchased the video. We all still wait in anticipation for Episode II. We figure Mr. Lucas had a lot to live up to, and while Episode I may not match the quality of The Empire Strikes Back, we're willing to give him two more cracks at it. .
The critics, however, were not so understanding. .
For the next six months the media proceeded to rip poor Lucas a new one. Several went as far as to call Episode I the worst movie of the summer. PCGamer said it "sucked a piece of ass the size of an Imperial Star Destroyer." One editorialist called it a "complete zero of a movie" and said of those who waited in line to see it, "I want [your time]. If that's how you're going to waste it, you don't deserve it". .
Journalists in particular love to throw out witty quips at the expense of the unique, so their assault on Episode I was no major surprise. Still, it is indicative to what often happens to fantasy movies. Episode I got special attention because there was so much hype, but less hyped up fantasy films are almost always given 1 star and then forgotten. Why is this? .
Well, in my opinion there are two reasons, both of which I will now discuss. .
In order to give the first reason we must first examine who your typical critic is. The critics most people read are either professional critics (Ebert and Roper, etc.) or professional writers for magazines that got assigned the movie review section. The magazine reviews that are usually given the most emphasis are major entertainment magazines and similar magazines like People and such.
