Rating: 
Summary: The Movie, the DVD, the Legacy
Review: The Phantom Menace. Was it really that bad? Many of the people who have seen this film do not give it credit where credit is due. In this writer's case, I thought it to be just as good as the original trilogy. Now, before all of you disbelievers groan and stop reading, here's why. The reasoning behind many of TPM's criticism lies in it's target demographic. Some people thought it was just too "kiddy". Well, in a way it was. It was made in a way to reflect the times of prosperity, and to reflect the age of Anakin. For all of you who have seen AOTC (are there any who haven't?), you know that it much, much darker and more mature. Why? Because Anakin is older, and more mature. During war, happiness is almost non-exsistent, as displayed by Episode II. In Episode I, the Republic is prospering as it never has before. Therefore, times are happy and enjoyed by all creating the so-called "kiddiness" (if that's a word). The plot was superb, the acting was excellent, and the action scenes were some of the best of the five movies. Out of 10, I give it a 9.9. The only reason I took 0.1 off, was the scene where Anakin flies the starfighter. That was rather hokey, but it makes sense since he is so strong in the force and is, don't forget, the chosen one. If you Anti-Phantoms out there still aren't satisfied (which you "people" probably are not), the Phantom Menace is A TON better once you see AOTC. It explains and fufills the things that the monsters that didn't like TPM didn't like, for example, Jar-Jar. Ah, Jar-Jar. Many see him as the annoying one. He was annoying. But he was meant to be. It has a reason and a purpose. It shows his intelligence is not very high. This plays prominantly in the Star Wars Saga, as you can see in AOTC, Jar-Jar's gullibility and stupidity convince him to start a vote giving Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers, starting his gradual transformation to the emporer. So, in a way, it is because of Jar-Jar that the galaxy has to face the tyranny of the Empire. As I come to a close, you can send me hateful e-mails, you can look down on me, and insult my level of maturity, I won't care. I thought The Phantome Menace had the original flair the the original trilogy had and even pushed the envelope in places the Original Trilogy hadn't yet touched. Accept it or not, this great prequel has taken us to the next level of film making. Keep up the good work George.
Rating: 
Summary: I even like Jar Jar...from a Star Wars fan
Review: The Phantom MenaceAlthough 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: 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: Excellent! This movie did exactly what it was supposed to do
Review: The Phantom Menice is a wonderful movie. Some people didn't like it because there wasn't at much action or space battles. However, it was meant to develop characters and introduce us to the world that we were thrown into in Star Wars. The story (in the original Star Wars) was wonderful but we never knew where the characters came from or why they were in the positions they were in. This is where Phantom Menace comes in. The Phantom Menace starts at the beginning and shows the characters that started the whole thing. In addition it answered some questions that Star Wars fans had for a long time, as well as created new questions that will be answered in the next two movies. When you take the movie for what it is, the beginning of a long story, it is FANTASTIC! I just wich it was available on DVD!
Rating: 
Summary: Great DVD! Bad Movie.....
Review: The picture and sound on the DVD are great....but the film is one big cartoon!
Rating: 
Summary: Where's The Feeling?
Review: The points of departure that characterize the differences between Episode One and the original trilogy are vast and puzzling. First of all, the incredible lack of defining attributes (even archetypal ones) for any of the characters. Everyone seems to be a reserved, conditioned automoton lacking any human qualities. Secondly, the childish, sketch comedy humor that would be more at home on a FOX sitcom. Jar-Jar is clumbsy (ha-ha), Jar-Jar got farted on (ha-ha), Jar-Jar steps in dung (ha-ha). Thirdly, the immature plotting style that ends up leaving everything to fantastic coincidence. I demand someone to show me the equivalent of Anakin's joyride or Jar-Jar's "heroics" in the original trilogy. And finally, a reliance on computer generated effects to cover up the first three departures. The Episode One effects have an completely different feel that those of the original trilogy - instead of existing to augment the story they exist to mask deficeits (what's up w/ the two underwater monsters?). Of all the people that I have seen this film with only one person I know actually liked it. He claims it is better than A New Hope because of the effects - bigger battles, more aliens, faster vehicles, cooler fight scenes. etc. To me SW movies aren't about the how "big" Lucas can go w/ his set pieces but rather the feeling you got from watching them. Episode One is completely devoid of feeling on any level. All in all, however, this film towers above the conventional trash churned out by Hollywood. For true Star Wars fans it is an opportunity to have a good laugh ("There's always a bigger fish" did he actually say that) and hope that Lucas can muster some of the same emotions that made Episodes 4-6 so great in the next installment.
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: Poor as a stand alone- Great as a Part One....
Review: The problem with The Phantom Menace isn't that it lacks entertainment value, but that it really doesn't hold up as a stand-alone movie, especially a Star Wars movie. I mean, here are all these (mostly) new characters we're introduced to and they're kept busy with a fairly interesting storyline, but one that is only tangentially related to the overall Star Wars plotlines. In other words, it's just an introduction for one huge six-part movie. It serves the same purpose as the first fifteen or twenty minutes of a regular-length movie, I suppose. From THAT perspective, it's very effective and wisely constructed. Just don't think of it as a whole movie, or you'll be a tad disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: True Fans see the Plot....
Review: The problem with this movie is that it lays the basis for things to come. This movie wasn't about Naboo, or it's trade dispute, or Jar-Jar Binks, or even Anakin Skywalker. True, the midiclorian concept is borderline ridiculous, as is Anakins "immaculate" conception. Anakin is introduced, as is Obi-Wan, and Palpatine. The ENTIRE POINT OF THIS MOVIE WAS TO SHOW HOW PALPATINE WENT FROM BEING A SENATOR TO HEADING THE GALACTIC REPUBLIC BY SUBTLE MANIPULATION. Those of you who didn't see that from the start, aren't true Star Wars fans. This was about Palpatines rise to power, his smirk at Qui-Gons funeral should have showed you that, along with his comment to Anakin at the end. I give it 4 stars for things like the immaculate conception, and midicloreons, and Jar Jar binks. It's the basis for things to come, and that was the plot. The light saber battle gets 5 stars, as does the pod race. (True, it ripped off Ben-Hur, but Lucas knew that, he's not stupid.) Buy it, it's part of a huge story, and lays a foundation for all the other films. (I also give it a 4 because NO DVD? Content, scmontent, George, I want the best viewing experience I can have..DVD DVD DVD..)
Rating:
Summary: Star Wars Episode 1 - The Fuzzy Menace
Review: The Prologic Sound Track is very good. I wish I could say the same for the video quaility. The colors are washed out and the picture is grainy. It's below average when compared to other video tapes. The ending credits are so fuzzy it's difficult to read them. I should have held off for the DVD. This wasn't worth it. :(
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