The Phantom Ménage à trois…
Thanks to Lucozade Energy, we’re counting down our favourite action film scenes, and this fifth and final installment is a fine way to finish off our fantastic film list which has so far included The Matrix, Eraser, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Bourne Ultimatum.
Last, but most certainly not least, it’s the excellently epic three-way lightsaber truel from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999), a silver-screen saber skirmish that takes place between the ferocious force of evil Darth Maul (Ray Park), and the Jedi Knight double act of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).
First things first though, everyone relax. There is absolutely NO need to panic.
JOE would like to immediately issue a statement confirming that we are in no way, shape or form claiming that Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is a great good OK film. We know that it’s not. We fully realise that it’s much, much worse than a steaming pile of Gungan sh*tpoop.
To paraphrase a certain Obi-Wan Kenobi, when Episode I was released in 1999, “JOE felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. JOE fears something terrible has happened.”
Whatever anyone thinks about the film, however, it still doesn’t take away from the fact that the film’s climactic clash between the three Force fighters remains one of the greatest lightsaber battles to ever take place a long time ago in galaxy far, far away…
From that iconic beginning when the hangar doors open and we are greeted by a hooded Darth Maul sporting… wait for it… not just one normal *whvoooom* lightsaber but A DOUBLE-SIDED *WHVOOOM WHVOOOM* LIGHTSABER.
AGGGGHHHHHHH! JOE’s tiny little midichlorian-filled mind was blown and the film was – temporarily at least – somewhat salvaged.
With its flashing mix of the three iconic Star Wars lightsaber colours – blue, green and red on red – the drama was only heightened by the series of inconveniently-placed, impenetrable security doors, with each character’s personality perfectly represented in the way they bide their time as they pause; a young, naive Obi-Wan watches on anxiously, an angry, impatient Darth Maul menacingly prowls and is ready to pounce, while the wise, older Qui-Gon Jinn remains calm and in a zen-like state, springing to his feet at exactly the right moment.
As for the rest of the flawed film? Well, if you must know, that had something to do with a boring battleship blockade that was the result of a completely tedious taxation of trade routes that blah blah blah blah blahdeeblah…
Just watch the fantastic fight, which contains little to no dialogue as the awesome action does the talking… apart from the obligatory Star Wars “NOOOOOOOO!” of course.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQxrJBNQg4A
A special mention also has to go to the terrific theme tune soundtracking the scene, John Williams’ ‘Duel Of The Fates.’ In fact, it’s such a powerful theme tune that JOE has, since the film’s release in 1999, used it as the superb, scary soundtrack to each and every Championship Manager Champions League Final we’ve ever been involved in.
Enjoy…
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