Hate "The Phantom Menace"? The Ewok Line theory could explain why

Twenty-five years onward from the theatrical debut of "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," nearly every one of its haters has a story about how George Lucas wrecked their childhood. Less often examined is the mechanics of “Star Wars” as a brand with emotional staying power and Gen X’s insidiously possessive attitude concerning the original trilogy. This existed long before Lucas wrote and directed “The Phantom Menace,” the opening act to the prequel trilogy that arrived 16 years after “The Return of the Jedi.” Indeed, the origins of the middle-aged "Star Wars" fan's signature smug dismissal may be yub-nubbing their way through that installment, the same one that forced Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia to fight in a bikini. Many “Phantom Menace” lovers embrace it as the first “Star Wars” they saw in theaters where they are close to Padme Amidala’s age, 14, or Anakin’s; he was nine. That said, not every critic bludgeoned “The Phantom Menace.” This is what the late, revered Roger Ebert wrote in 1999: At the risk of offending devotees of the Force, I will say that the stories of the "Star Wars" movies have always been space operas, and that the importance of the movies comes from their energy, their sense of fun, their colorful inventions and their state-of-the-art special effects.