Rating: 
Summary: Where it all began...................
Review: The first in the three part prequel trilogy in the incredible and groundbreaking Star Wars is a starting point of where all of the events of the entire Star Wars began. The story begins in the Galactic republic headed by a mysterious named Queen Padme Amidala. The start of the rebel forces start to take shape in this Chapter in the Star Wars prequel with Padme's position of senator being jeopardized by the increasing rebel activity and the threat of galaxies breaking away from Amidala's republic. Also an Evil Trade Federation is also planning to take over her home planet Naboo. An organization called the Jedi Knights sends in a young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn on a diplomatic but they don't realize that they are heading into a trap set up by Darth Sidious who's plotting to take over the republic and now a battle is about to begin as they now wage a diplomatic and military war against Sidious to stop his malicious plans and repel his droid warrior forces. During the course as we all know, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon meet a young boy named Anakin Skywalker, and they want him to train him to become a Jedi Knight but Yoda objects believing that Anakin is a serious danger to the Jedi and the galactic republic. They also meet a mind numbingly loquacious amphibian being named Jar Jar Binks. While I don't necessarily dislike Binks nearly as much as most others, I thought that he was incredibly annoying on some occasions and almost felt like an extra character from a rejected kids cartoon show put onto Star Wars compared to the rest of the characters. On the other hand though, Jar Jar makes up for it though with some funny moments on an otherwise dark movie and is almost like the extreme opposite to the two main villains Darth Sidious and Darth Maul. The latter was a bit disappointing to me. It's not that Maul was one dimensional or showing little or no malice, quite the contrary, it's disappointing that THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH OF DARTH MAUL!!! I expected more of a role from him than what I expected. For that reason, I can't help but say that that was the main disappointment that I had with this movie thus taking a star off the ratings. Darth Maul though during the moments the spotlight focused on him, was awesome and the face definitely shows the extreme malice that he had in him. I even remember being Darth Maul for Halloween a few years ago but let's not change the subject of the review. Darth Maul though was one of the best characters on the movie and came off intelligent and evil and not just a background character. If "Phantom Menace" becomes forgotten in the distant future, Darth Maul though will be remembered. Padme Amidala, the one with the fancy Asian-style make-up, actually is a special decoy used by the real one who is played by Natalie Portman. I actually liked the fancy decoy version better as she looked more like a leader but the real one isn't bad either. Young Anakin Skywalker though was one of the best kid characters on a movie that I've seen in a long time, showing lots of bravery for someone so young. It's kind of odd how a 9 year old Anakin could actually build a racing pod vehicle! I thought that Jack Lloyd did a great job playing the young Anakin Skywalker. All of the surviving characters would improve on "Attack Of The Clones". R2-D2 and C-3PO also meet and began their long friendship. This might sound odd but R2-D2 and 3PO, I've always liked more than most of the human characters in "Phantom Menace". To tell you the truth, I even like Jar Jar Binks too at times despite his sometimes highly bumbling character performances. There is quite a bit of mumbo jumbo in the movie and it tends to sink the movie down a bit but the special effects though are absolutely stunning and stupendous, thus making up for the unnecessary mumbo jumbo. The battle scenes I thought were awesome to watch and lifted this movie off the ground of mediocrity. The sceneries and numerous landscapes though are visually stunning and the Senate Room was a visual feast. The Pod Race was probably one of the best sci-fi action movie scenes that I've seen in many years at the time of this movie's release. Even so though, "Phantom Menace" suffers from poor plot development in some occasions and even some downright bumbling moments and these render it more for the Die-Hard Star Wars fans. I had relatively low expectation of this movie but despite being quite flawed and occasionally silly, it turned out to be a great movie and the opening chapter of Anakin's descent into the dark side. Still though, even I cannot deny that this was slightly disappointing in some areas. It's nowhere near the heights of the Episodes IV, V, & VI and even "Attack Of The Clones" was better but this movie could've been much, MUCH worse but overall, despite the major flaws to it, this is not a bad Star Wars movie. I think of it as more of a large bag of potato chips or popcorn and a can of soda as opposed to a mind-blowing epic masterpiece like the original three. "Phantom Menace" could've used better plot development and greater roles from Darth Maul but for the first chapter though, it's more like lying down of the foundation of the next five episodes. This movie only scratches the surface of what was to come on the Episode II and the cataclysmic events that'll become the backbone of Episode III! Overall though, "Phantom Menace" once it's finished will leave you hungry for more. Not a bad job from Mr. Lucas. I simply say that this is a great and astonishing movie, plain and simple!
Rating:
Summary: Come ON....!!
Review: What is so awful about this movie? All I've seen at this site is DISTURBINGLY negative reviews of it, calling for the torture and death of Jar Jar Binks and calling the movie a "steaming heap of refuse" or words to that effect. Are you people SERIOUS?! Qui Conn Jinn I have to wonder about, granted, but Natalie Portman, for her young years, is an excellent actress....She seems much more mature than the 20 or so solar cycles she's seen. Yes, granted, Jar Jar Binks is a pain in the [...], but for my money, C3PO is STILL the most irritating character in the Star Wars pantheon. Why is he even THERE? R2D2 is the robot that usually pulls everybody's fat out of the fire at the last minute...what has 3PO done? Saved Luke and Han from the Ewoks in "Return of the Jedi"? I think they and Chewbacca could have eventually handled them. Anyway, back to "Phantom". While I take pains to defend the film, there ARE a few things wrong with it, some MAJOR things, not the least of which is Qui Conn Jinn's fawning interest in little Annakin! For instance, a little too much of it is reminiscent of "The Empire Strikes Back" in the beginning, especially as Qui Conn, Jar Jar and Obi Wan leave Gungan. Speaking of Gungan, I like Boss Nass as a character, with his odd speech pattern and facial tics. Very original character concept, if you ask me. Schmi Skywalker is also a great character, ("Schmi"?! Why was she named after a villain in "Peter Pan"?) She exudes a tranquil persona that permeates every scene she's in. Pernilla August handles this part beautifully. WHY was she killed off in "Attack of the Clones"?? The art direction....? Nonpareil! Though not the equal of "Attack of the Clones", if "Phantom" didn't win the 1999 Oscar(r) for art direction or visual effects, a fix was in for the actual winner, because few movies can equal this or its sequel for pure visual mastery. (Or pure cheek!) The plot? What was wrong with the plot? Granted the pathos and strong feelings from "New Hope" aren't there because THIS IS NOT "NEW HOPE"!! This movie didn't have the luxury or inherent specialness of being the founder of a film dynasty and institution, and it does put some light on the beginnings of Annakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and what made him so special in the eyes of the Jedi and the Empire. Sorry, but we will never again see the image of the remains of Beru and Owen amongst the ruins of their smoking residence, or Luke's stunned reaction to it. Never see Luke blow up Deathstar with the spirit of justice guiding his every move. Never see him shreik in outrage as his own father kills Obi Wan Kenobi right in front of his eyes. Never see Princess Leia surprise Han and Luke by firing a gun like a pro that first time. Nope...never. Deal with it. This movie could have been garbage, like "Return of the Jedi", which is, as far as I'm concerned, the REAL stinker amongst the Star Wars films! Lucas certainly didn't have to exert himself for the bucks, now did he? However, I will put this up against "2010: The Year We Make Contact", "Ghostbusters II" "Alien Resurrection", "Batman & Robin", "Star Trek: Insurrection" and any ONE of Spielberg's little money factory originals or sequels any day of the week for quality! About the only other thing that bugs me about this movie and "Clones" together is that Ewan McGregor is NOT a convincing young Obi Wan. Forty-five, fifty years ago, Alec Guiness pretty much looked, sounded and acted as he did in "New Hope" to "Jedi". It's impossible to imagine McGregor developing Guiness' distinctive speech patterns and mannerisms along the way to his dotage. Where's the nasal tone? The smirk? Believe me, nobody changes that much over the course of a lifetime, I don't care HOW much they age! All in all, NOTHING should prevent you from buying this movie...not the condemnations of fanboys, not the homicidal sentiments toward Jar Jar Binks or anything ELSE! Buy this for what it is...another great addition to THE Royal Family of popcorn movies! THEN...analyze it!
Rating: 
Summary: I even like Jar Jar...from a Star Wars fan
Review: The Phantom Menace Although Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is supposedly, as most film critics and many fans have said since 1999, a disappointing prequel to perhaps the most popular film trilogy, I think it is an enjoyable and yes, even interesting "origins of" story. Like many Star Wars fans, I wanted to know how and why the Galactic Republic morphed into the evil Empire, how Senator Palpatine wormed his way to be Emperor, and most of all, how and why Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. I theorize that in the 16-year-gap between trilogies, fans had dreamed up scenarios far different from what we ended up seeing on May 19, 1999. Maybe they thought Anakin was a bad seed who went around wearing black and using the Force to choke other children....or that he was the Anakin we did finally get to see in Episode II, already a Jedi in training...I do know that there was grousing on three different topics, in order of ascending disappointment: The movie was way too political.
Anakin was a 9 year old kid.
Jar Jar Binks. There were also complaints about the pre-release hype (and maybe that was warranted) and that The Phantom Menace was really a commercial for Hasbro's related toy line (which may also have been warranted to some degree). But, for all that..... The Phantom Menace is a fine Star Wars film! I was caught up in its storyline from the opening logos to the end credits. The characters, whether they were new ones (such as Qui-Gon Jinn, Padme Amidala, Shmi Skywalker, or even those CGI creations Watto and Jar Jar), or younger versions of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and the boy destined to be Darth Vader, gave the Classic Trilogy's story some depth and complexity. Finally we got to see the girl who will be Luke and Leia's mother....the Jedi Order and how Knights served and fought at the height of their power....and perhaps most revealing of all, how a powerful democracy could be replaced by dictatorship by clever insiders. Maybe in part that is why Episode I somehow disappointed die-hard fans: at times The Phantom Menace does feel a bit like a civics lesson rather than space opera. I have not delved into all the message boards that gripe about TPM's shortcomings, but I suspect that most fans were expecting Palpatine's rise to power to be violent and sudden (like Castro's takeover of Cuba). George Lucas' intent was to illustrate how Julius Ceasar and Adolf Hitler took power: by using democracy's strengths against itself. Palpatine/Darth Sidious doesn't storm the Senate Hall in a 1917 Russian Revolution mode; he worms his way into high office by first weakening Supreme Chancellor Valorum in a manufactured "scandal" (which is detailed in Cloak of Deception, a novel by James Luceno), then using the crisis on Naboo - which he as Darth Sidious has conceived - to cause an election for a new Supreme Chancellor. But if it did have its slow expository scenes, The Phantom Menace also had moving segments. The thrill of the Podrace....Anakin's sad farewell scene with his mom....Qui-Gon's appeal to the Jedi Council to allow him to train Anakin as a Jedi....the exciting Battle of Naboo on three fronts......This was Star Wars action at its best. And yes, by Golly, I even like Jar Jar!
Rating: 
Summary: Nice effects, terrible script and acting
Review: After 16 years, Star Wars fans finally got the first episode proper of the popular film franchise. Sadly, it failed to deliver on nearly every front. While Lucas' special effects are once again top-notch(although many other movies nowadays have equal or better effects), the screenplay and acting performances are insultingly bad. Okay, so the only Star wars actor/actress to ever be above DUD is Alec Guinness(and Jar Jar Binks gives the most convincing performance in this movie), but the script here is offensive. We have stereotypical charcters representing Asians, Jews, etc. and the whole thing is rather offensive. I'll give it two stars for great effects, but it really detracts rather than adds to the Star Wars legend.
Rating: 
Summary: Not able to fill the big shoes
Review: First I want to say I am a Star Wars fan. As with Episode 2, I enjoyed the special effects and the most of the plot. This is a sci-fi movie by the way. Many reviewers hated Jar-Jar, but he wasn't that bad, especially compared to the whining Anakin in Ep2. For the most part, I liked the movie but not enough to give it more than 3 stars. As many other people have said, Episode 1 had big shoes to fill. It failed to live up to the original Star Wars, but it is still worth seeing.
Rating:
Summary: I Have A Bad Feeling About This
Review: If your a fan of the originals, you may be a little surprised by this film. It has some Star Wars qualities, but is very different. Special effects have taken control of this film, which is not a good thing. The special effects create most of the sets and scenes, making it difficult for the actors to do there job. This film also features some well, less than great characters. Jar Jar's humor is, well not funny unless your a five year old. This film is my least favorite Star Wars film (including "Attack of the Clones"), but it still has it's moments. Natalie Portman's performance may not be her best, but her scenes, as Queen Padme Amidala, are some of the better ones. Including the Corucant scenes, which are only 15 minutes of the film. And the action scenes at the end are good, however Anakin's (Jake Lloyd) scene's in the spaceship, and Jar Jar's battle, can be annoying at times. I really give this 3 1/2 stars but I rounded up, instead of down. And even if the movie isn't your favorite, the special features are great!
Rating:
Summary: what a grand world
Review: i believe some people expected star wars episode one to be as good or equal to episode four. this is like expecting the follow up to nirvana's nevermind to be as good as nevermind or pearl jam to repeat ten on the sophomore outing. it is almost impossible to duplicate that kind of quality art. george lucas had twenty years before he did the "post star wars" movies which turned out to be prequels to the orignal 3 (episonde iv-vi)
i liked this movie. liam neeson was great as the jedi, qui-gon jinn and has become one of my favorite star wars characters.
it was funny to see a young obi wan and i thought ewan mcgreggor was quite good as well. I loved queen amidala and have always loved natalie portman. she was amazing as with the rest of the cast. the actng was great, i loved the story, the effects and the whole kit and kaboodle.
the story begins with the invasion of the planet naboo where we meet queen amadala. along the course of the movie we pick up jar jar binks played by ahmed best. he plays the comic relief role for the movie. some people (myself included) find him annoying. others liked him.
in any event, the movie rolls on and we pick up anakin skywalker who is to become darth vader down the road. i thought the special effects were amazing. i love this movie. i am a sci-fi fan and a star wars fan. some did not like this movie and i can see why. it does have flaws but do not forget what future lies ahead and this trilogy has to build the future. the groundwork has to be laid for quite a number of subjects over the course of three movies. it is alot.
the dvd is packed with stuff and i mean PACKED. behind the scenes on virtually every aspect of the making of this movie as well as all aspects of the movie itself. there are approximately six hours of features to plow through so you better have time on your hands.
this dvd is so packed that i think, as a consumer, you really do not lose. for fans of sci fi or fans of star wars, this is a winner. just remember this is NOT like episodes iv-vi. it is its own entity.
Rating: 
Summary: What Kind of a Father Would I Be if I said its junk?
Review: I think people have to take stock of the obvious: that this movie is a real blast and unending fun... if you're ten years old or less. I was ten years old when Star Wars came out. I loved it. I was obsessed with it, as was every other male kid in my class. We spent all our time drawing tie fighters and x wings. We couldn't get enough of it. Now, Episode One is out and my two older children love it. They are four and two. I must admit that there is a certain nostalgic, time-warp savor in seeing my four year old son walking around in a Star Wars T shirt. And for him and his two year old brother, Episode One is fantastic. So for me to say that the movie is terrible and the characters are wooden and the accents are arbitrary and fly-by-night, that Liam Neeson should be publicly horse whipped just for being Liam Neeson, that whoever heard of a 6 year old kid making intricate carvings, much less flying a space buggy... all this is not to the point. It would be like trying to inhabit a doll house and complaining that the cups and saucers are so frigging small.
Rating:
Summary: DVD Quality- Excellent, Movie itself- Disappointment
Review: The Phantom Menace DVD is excellent in terms of quality, extras, and fun. However, as a die-hard Star Wars fan this by far is my least favorite. It is not what we Star Wars fans are used to seeing or expect from George Lucas. Jar Jar & Boss Nass are incredibly annoying and make Barney look like a cool dude. There are so much CG characters and ships, that some of the scenes will make you dizzy. Jake Lloyds performace is mediochre at best. The Dialogue scenes go on forever and the mystical Force has been reduced to a genetic infection of micro-organisms called "Midichlorians". The greater the infection, the more potential one has as a Jedi. Even without all the extremely high expectations, this movie is a major miss in terms of what we should expect from ANY Star Wars movie. On a positive note, Liam Neesons performance as Qui Gonn Jinn & the Lightsaber duel between Obi Wan & Darth Maul are superb. The Pod-race is like watching a sci-fi version of the Indy 500 and is quite entertaining. In my opinion, those are the only redeeming qualities that this movie has. If you aren't a die-hard Star Wars fan, but want to see this anyway, rent it first. If you are a Star Wars fan, you gotta have this DVD anyway because it is sadly the foundation for the prequels and the saga itself. I recommend reading James Luceno's "Cloak of Deception" FIRST. The book allows one to make a lot more sense our of the movie and you will have an understanding of the events that set this first chapter of the STAR WARS saga into motion.
Rating:
Summary: Lucas spoils his own broth
Review: George Lucas appears to be too many cooks in his own kitchen -- and none of them cordon bleu. Case in point: Natalie Portman has known how to act since her first appearance in The Professional, but in these inane action comics her talents are suffocated, nearly snuffed out, by Lucas' bizarre directing. Lucas seriously needs to get in touch with his roots -- the first Star Wars, a comic but nothing like inane -- and stop tracking muddy concepts through his own legend. Like Terry Gilliam, he can't be trusted with a director's cut.
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