27 Years Ago, The Last True Star Wars Masterpiece Arrived a Month After Phantom Menace
Polygon published an opinion piece examining Star Wars projects released over the past 27 years, arguing that few have achieved true critical acclaim or exceptional quality. The author reviews the prequel trilogy, Disney’s sequel trilogy, The Mandalorian, The Clone Wars, and Andor, noting that while some found initial success, most ultimately fell short of achieving “masterpiece” status. The prequel trilogy, according to the author, was aimed at a younger demographic than the original trilogy, while Disney’s sequel trilogy began strongly but collapsed due to corporate pressures and fan backlash.
The article’s central argument—presented with humor—is that the most successful and critically acclaimed Star Wars-related project from the past 27 years is actually Weird Al Yankovic’s 1999 parody song “The Saga Begins,” released just one month after The Phantom Menace premiered. The piece references Yankovic’s recent performance of the song for NPR’s Tiny Desk series, a 23-minute recorded set. The author argues this parody represents a true masterpiece, outshining official Lucasfilm productions in terms of quality and lasting cultural impact.