Rating: 
Summary: Time To Put This Cash Cow Out To Pasture
Review: The Phantom Menace is indeed a cinematic achievement. What other movie can you think of that can make accomplished actors like Liam Neeson, Ewan MacGregor, Natalie Portman, and Samuel L. Jackson appear to be abysmal? What other film (or trilogy) can you name that borrows so heavily from other sources (2001, Star Trek, Tolkien, Wagner, Kurosawa, Ben Hur) and has its creator still brazenly defending its originality? What other picture has been so overly hyped for its supposedly staggering special effects and yet those same effects are cartoonish and blatantly unrealistic? Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the previous 3 movies (as a child). And, for all of its delusions of grandeur, Phantom does work very well as a children's movie. The characters are amazingly two-dimensional, and the one seemingly ambiguous character is obviously the evil emperor of the previous movies. There's a Satan/Frankenstein hybrid named Darth something-or-other who tries to fill the Vader void, but hopelessly fails. Maybe he needed to have that Nazi helmet thing going.. The Thing-Fish character, Jar-Jar Binks is (as everyone knows) so annoying that I'm not going to waste my time or yours by going into it. The young man who played Anakin really needed some instruction. Considering that there were so many capable adults involved with this thing that were awful, it's silly and needlessly cruel to criticize Jake Lloyd's callow performance. Hell, Haley Joel Osment would have stalled with such poor direction. I recently rented this leviathan the other night, just to see if it really is as bad as I remember it. Indeed, it's worse. Even John Williams' score lacks the Wagnerian passion of the previous movies. Personally, I don't believe the original Star Wars movies are THAT good (Empire is by far the best of the 3), but at least they're good fun. 2001 is, for me, immaculate science fiction. As remarked upon by many people, Phantom is truly a movie for children. I'm prepared for the zillion "not-helpful" votes that will rake against me, but many of the hard-core fans of these movies display a very childish devotion to this cinematic franchise. Whereas once children strove to emulate adults, these puerile people are adults who desire to be children. However, judging the Phantom Menace by these standards isn't entirely fair. By far the most important legacy of these Star Wars movies is the marketing ploys and techniques that has made the SW movies the biggest things since sliced bread. With the Obi-Wan bathrobes, Darth Vader toy lightsabers, Wookie spaying kit, Luke undergarments, Jar-Jar Binks greatest reggae hits CDs, Han Solo's 12-Step Book on Isolation Therapy, Slave Leia pinups, etc etc, as well as around 2 thousand different versions of these films on video, the Star Wars creator's true talent is for milking the drone-like adherents of his intergalactic Empire. I feel like throwing my battered old Star Wars VHS tapes into the nearest Yoda trash can.
Rating:
Summary: May the force be a load of junk
Review: I hate this film more than any other film I have ever seen. The dialog is some of the worst I've ever heard, I have never known any kids to ever say "yippee" at all, yet Jake Lloyd say it twice in less than two hours. I think every one knows that Ewan McGregor is a good actor, you would only have to see Trainspotting to confirm that, but he looks lost in this film, the same as I felt when I was watching this... Lucas has tried to defend this film by saying "its for kids" well that still doesn't get rid of the bad acting, weak script, flat direction and special fx which are far from special - it just makes it [bad] kids film!
Rating:
Summary: If it looks like cow dung, smells like cow dung...
Review: A horrible, unnecessary waste of time, talent, and money. All of the special feature books and DVD extra features are not worth the price of having to sit through this painful exercise in patience. This is a mess -- period.
Rating: 
Summary: i'll be watching george lucas's career with great intrest
Review: dissapointing.no storyline whatsoever just a mumble jumble of special effects and silly lines.how could that young anakin skywalker become DARTH VADER.only liam neeson and ewan macgregor are any good.jarjar binks is amusing but he's not right for star wars.darth maul is a bit part and he isn't the same as darth vader.did anyone even notice samuel l jackson on the jedi high council?.also where's boba fett?i've seen episode 2 now and he's in that but why not in episode 1.compared to episode 2 phantom menace is awful.i gave 1 star for acting and 2 for special effects.
below is the main cast:
qui-gon-liam neeson
obi-wan-ewan macgregor
amidala-natalie portman
jar jar-ahmend best
Rating:
Summary: Why oh why did Lucas make these terrible movies???
Review: The prequels are a sad representation of the Star Wars legacy...
Rating: 
Summary: Great!
Review: I like this movie because It's cool. ever since I saw this in the theatres in 1999. I like all the characters including Jar Jar Binks. Jake Loid is a good actor. I highly recommend this film to future Star Wars fans.
Rating: 
Summary: Star Wars THE PHANTOM MENACE
Review: The Phantom Mencae is a great movie for star wars fans. It continues the great sega of star wars for fans to enjoy. I think it would be a great movie to keep and show to the next generation.
Rating:
Summary: SO what is everyon complaining about
Review: True, it wasn't exactly as good as Empire, but I think it was on par with New Hope. Special effects are amazing, and the story isn't bad. It has to set up a fairly involved story for 5 movies to follow (episodes 2,3,4,5,6). It's basicaly a pig prologue with some action. My complaints are: 1) Lucas is not a good Actor director. He's amazing at over-all direction, but doesn't know how to get from his actors what is needed. 2) Lucas can't write dialog. He used to know this, and hired other to do it for his grand schems (See Empire and Jedi) 3) Star Wars is not for 6 year olds. jar Jar could have been a good charactor if he wasn't there simply to cow0tow to the pre-teen kids. Stop trying to get a charactor that has merchandicing potential and just make a good charactor (see Boba-Fet from Empier and Jedi, who's action figures sold well despite having no real part). 4) Manikin Skywalker. There are much better child actors, and finding an actor that was a few years older would have still been ok. Other than that not a bad flick and worthy of ther series.... On the DVD: Great sound, picture, and extras.
Rating:
Summary: An all-around fun movie to watch.
Review: Although the acting (or lack there-of) of one particular character stands out in this film, (Anakin) this film will be remembered as one that people can watch over and over again. Except, of course, for Jar-Jar Binks.
Anyway, the plot is so amazingly simple, the movie is just timeless, like the other STAR WARS. Because there is no real ending to the story, no one can spoil it for you, therefore, it never gets old. I think Lucas did a great job at making a movie that people of all ages can watch and enjoy. If you have children, and do not own this movie, buy it! They will love it, and you won't want to smash it against the wall after they watch it for the 80th time.
Rating:
Summary: It's pretty darn good movie!
Review: First off I would just like to say I'm sick and tired of every single person ripping on this movie!! It's not that bad taking various things into consideration:
1. This is George Lucas's First directorial job since A New Hope That's a 20 some year difference of course he's going to be a little rusty
2.The dialouge isn't that great but it's not fantastic in any of the Star Wars films
3.It's a get to know the charecters film. Plus Lucas is trying to draw in a whole new generation.
4. Yes Jar-Jar does get annoying but for those of you that have seen Episode II you now know why he was created.
That's it. I'll get off my soap box, but please stop maligning Star Wars
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