Rating: 
Summary: Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Review: At first I was going to split this review into two parts; one containing my review about the actual film, and the other addressing the ever-constant criticism directed at the movie. But I decided not to address the bashing of the movie; I thought it would sound too much like a whinny Star Wars fan trying to protect his idolizations. But I would like to show you my favorite, and most ridiculous, TPM-basher quote: "George Lucas raped my childhood [by making this movie]." And with that, I will begin my review: The Phantom Menace is not the best Star Wars movie ever made (Attack of the Clones, or The Empire Strikes Back is, depending on who you ask), that's for sure, but it's still a very good installment to the soon to be completed Star Wars Saga. In this episode, or as Mr. Lucas likes to call his Star Wars films, Opening Act we are introduced to a whole Galaxy; A once noble, but now corrupt, government; a wise, and powerful religious sect; and, or a more personal level, the character in which the Saga centers around. The plot of the film is the most in-depth of the Saga, featuring aspects of politics, religion, and, of course, the battle for good over evil. It covers more then any of the other films, but still retains a 'personal' aspect that connects you to each individual. But, sadly, there is no Han Solo-type character to give off a bit of roguishness. Lucas tries to have Gui-Gon, and sometimes Obi-Wan, take Han's place, but it never quite works. I mean, come on, Han Solo is a smuggler, always running from the law. Qui-Gon is the law! But I'm not saying there should have been a Han Solo look-a-like in the movie; I'm just saying he's missed. Other then that need for a Han, the rest of the characters fit the film wonderfully, with Ewan McGregor portraying an amazing likeness of a very young Alec Guinness, and Liam Neeson etching himself a notch in Star Wars culture with his performance of the wise, but roguish (not quite Han-roguish, though J) Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. A character I liked more as the older Jedi Master figure, then the original Alec Guinness/Obi-Wan Jedi. And for the last three main characters; Anakin, Padme, and of course, Jar-Jar, I will give a short rundown: Anakin - Leaves most long-time fans thinking: He's no Luke. But, still Anakin is a very good character that will show you the good in him, that you may not see so predominately in the next two episodes. And even though Jake Lloyd's acting in the movie has been criticized (what hasn't been criticized in this movie?), I personally think he was as good as any other nine-year-old would be portraying the young Anakin Skywalker. Padme - What can you say about Padme, the mother of two of the main heroes of the originals. Natalie Portman does a fine job of playing the young queen, much better then her performance in the next episode. Jar-Jar - This poor little creature that has been bashed more then any other Star Wars character in history (including the Ewoks) never really bothered me that much, I mean he's no Chewie, but still is a ok/fair character that does his intended job in this film. For the older (I mean long-time fans, not particularly older in age fans), die-hard Star Wars fans this whole movie comes down to one thing; comparing all the new characters with the old ones, and, of course, the old ones will always win. Most of those fans will still enjoy the movie; even though it will never equal the originals. But for the newer fans, their appraisal of the film could differ immensely. Basically, my final assessment of the film is as follows: if you're a newer fan, I definitely, recommend this movie. If you're a long-time fan, I still recommend it, though with the warning: "Don't expect it to be better then the first three." And if you've never really been a fan, your opinion could be either that TPM was OK, but it still doesn't change your view of the Saga. Or it could make you a fan of all the movies. So overall, I would say this is a four star film, that's worth seeing at least once.
Rating:
Summary: great effects-great dvd
Review: awesome pix,awesome sound, lots of fun if you are a fan.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Have Classic
Review: No matter how people might have been disappointed with the movie, I believe that it is a great movie overall and it is the beginning of the saga. OK, the pod-race was really too long and Jar Jar Binks was slightly annoying but the film contained several great scenes as well. It is overall very exciting by itself and also as a part of the whole saga.
The DVD contains very interesting interviews with almost everyone and additional shootage. The images are clear, the sound spectacular and it is really a must have for the dedicated.
This is the only Phantom Menace we will have for a very very long time. So get it now and keep it for a lifetime.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad movie sequel - Excellent DVD
Review: As a lot of people already said, it's a great DVD but a bad movie.
As a Star Wars fan it was very sad for me to see the myth broken in pieces.
The special effects are great, the customs are beautiful and... there nothing more. It was like looking a special effects presentation with poor dialogs, actors and a long so on. The worse of course, was Jar Jar Binks and all it's tribes... simply annoying, stupid and disturbing. The pod racer has great effects but i felt on a children movie with the two head creature narrator making jokes all the time, Java getting sleep and all sort of silly jokes. Don't know what Lucas had in mind, but the history was the last anyway; is like the ending of the Return of the Jedi, too much idiot creatures (the ewoks) doing silly jokes and less smart and interesting dialogs. As much as i love the first 3 movies i hate this one. Sad to say but true.
Rating: 
Summary: A New Beginning...Or Not.
Review: There's a irony here, that the man who started the mythos of Star Wars becomes the director who so carelessly destroys it. Does this DVD set new standards? Sure it does. It has A LOT of interesting extras such as computer generated deleted scenes and some very intriguing behind the scenes features. But does this save the movie? Hell no. The original movies like 4,5, and 6 had some great dialouge. While the Phantom Menace has some really interesting characters, its painful to listen to them speak. I'm sure I will get a lot of negative reactions from this review, but Star Wars fans have to ask themselves this...did you actually have fun watching this movie?
Rating:
Summary: very dissappointing
Review: The chariot race looks fantastic, and Natalie Portman is believable in a fantastic role, but other charactors are unbelievably weak and charmless, and Lucus' plotting doesn't even bother to be consistant with the first three movies. This is just bad. And as we all know, the next one doesn't get any better, despite some great leading actors and actresses that don't appear here.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, DVD
Review: -MOVIE-
Now, call me crazy but I liked it. Sure, Jar-Jar gets on your nerves, and the acting isn't exactly the cream of the crop, but its Star Wars and in the end it does live up to its name. Episode I had to be made to tell the story and to set the stage for the subsequent episodes. The effects were (and still are) out of this world. Lucas poured his heart into this, and it turned out to be stunning. The Podrace scene is the big adrenaline pusher, and the lightsaber duel at the end is just plain cool. We waited for this DVD, and we weren't dissapointed. The movie looks fantastic. -SPECIAL FEATURES-
The Deleted scenes were really a joy to watch, and the little featurettes before them make it all the more better. There are various "Making-of" documentaries, as well as the Web documentaries, but the one thing NOT to miss is "The Beginning." It's an hour-long documentary that covers the entire scope of the making of Episode I. Even if you thought the movie stunk, this documentary is a joy to watch. I even enjoyed the Audio Commentary. Overall, it was an OK movie, and a great DVD.
Rating:
Summary: As bad as money can buy.
Review: With the original "Star Wars" and its sequels, George Lucas didn't invent the dominant mode of filmmaking today, but he (along with Steven Spielberg) can probably be credited with perfecting it. That mode might be termed "whiz-bang," where character and even plot are subjugated to spectacle and effects. What plot the original "Star Wars" trilogy had was essentially cobbled together in paint-by-numbers fashion from the work of Joseph Campbell, presumably in the expectation that recurring motifs in mythology represent universal metaphors of human existence and so can be used as templates for popular stories. If the grosses of these films were any indication, this expectation might have been right. Certainly the original trilogy had its moments, though it bears up less and less well as time goes on--the first movie, for example, while an occasionally exhilarating tribute to old sci-fi movie serials, seems to me now to be too filled with mindless, juvenile bickering; the second, grandiose in ambition but disappointing; the third, a puerile marketing ploy disguised as a film. Unfortunately, "Episode I," or "The Phantom Menace," or whatever one wishes to call this movie, patterns itself more explicitly along the lines of "Episode VI" (or "The Return of the Jedi"). The most pathetic example of this is the land race between Anakin Skywalker and a host of strange alien creatures on Tatooine, which runs on screen (or on TV) exactly as one might expect it to run on a video game console, which of course is entirely the point. The only reason for the character of Jar-Jar Binks to exist is to provide an excuse for another action figure; after a certain point, the cross-marketing examples are too numerous to bother with any longer. More disturbing is the pervasive racist stereotyping in the film. Much has been made of the similarities between Binks and the old negro caricature Stepin Fetchit, but this was less obvious to me than the similarities between the evil traders and old-movie caricatures of evil Chinamen. The choppy Asian accents given to such characters were a little shocking to me, although it is possible to see how these characters were meant as an homage to (read: ripoff of) B-movies of the 1930s and 40s. Overall, one gets the distinct impression that after taking the greatest of care with the digital animation and special effects, there just wasn't much time or effort left over for less important matters such as character or plot. Darth Maul is meant to be a sinister, evil figure; I know this is so, because he looks like a red demon, has the requistite horns on his head, and sneers at several choice moments. On the other hand, we are never given a real reason why we should believe he is so evil. My alternative interpretation of the film is that Darth Maul is a tragic hero. Here, after all, is a hardworking individual so dedicated to his cause and loyal to his superiors that he will take on two Jedi knights singlehandedly just to help his allies in battle. Unlike "Episode IV," where we at least got to see Darth Vader pull a few dastardly deeds, there is no real reason to believe Darth Maul is anything more than a dedicated servant to a misunderstood cause. That this represents a plausible conclusion is one of the surest indications of utterly inept storytelling. "The Phantom Menace" is a George Lucas creation and an integral part of a "Star Wars" franchise that will defy any criticism in its uptake of money. It is also, however, a terrible film with all the depth of a carnival ride. Its popularity is probably an indication of the expectations of its audience, which these days rarely extend beyond such transitory thrills. If a thrill is all you need, by all means hop on the "Star Wars" ride. If you are more interested in a good story, a good film, or (heaven forbid) science fiction, look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Time sure goes by..
Review: Well I went and watched phantom menace at the theatre when it first came out and I was just excited and happy to finally see the prequel to my beloved Star Wars.. And what I got was a very well done movie that showed the start of Darth Vaders end and the beginning of Obe Wan's legacy.. The battle scenes are well done in CGI.. and the costuming and casting is superb for this. There are two reasons that this movie received a 4 instead of a five.. One I felt that they dragged the intro of Anakin out wayyyyyyy to long.. there are a few things that could have been done differently to move it faster.. Second reason.. This like the first movie features actors that are not quite comfortable in there roles and it does show at times.. Besides that this is a credit to the original Star Wars Series!
Rating:
Summary: A GREAT Movie.
Review: What's wrong with people? This movie is great. Yes, I'll admit. The originals were better. But, still, I really love this movie. It is quite intense, exciting, and even suspensful in parts. Lots of people say Jar Jar was annoying, and I disagree. Really, is he any more annoying than Chewbacca was in the old Star Wars movies. Actually, I think Jar Jar is LESS annoying than Chewbacca (who I dislike). Anyway, the story is captivating, enthralling, and quite action packed. My favoite scenes were the ones on Corusant, with the Queen debating about what should be done on her home planet. I found those scenes very interesting, even though nobody else on earth seems to think so. The movie NEVER bored me. The characters were cool, and I thought Jake Lloyd (Anakin) did fine in his role. Personally, if I was taken away from my mom and my home planet to go train to be a jedi with Yoda, I'd be just the way he is, scared and nervous. LLoyd was talented, and even though I cringe every time I hear him say "Yipee!", it isn't his fault, it's the fault of the script. I disagree. While hisdeparture scene could have been a little more teary, it worked well and tugged at my heart. Every actor in this was good. I loved Liam Neeson's straight forward performance, and Ewan McGregor did a good job as Obi-Wan. While Queen Amidala scared me, Natalie Portman played her well. So, basically, I love this movie. Buy it now. PS. Let us start a rallie and burn all pan and scan versions of this movie! :)
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