Rating: 
Summary: Biggest dissapointment in History
Review: When I first saw Episode 1 in the theaters back in '99 I was dissapointed. When I first saw the Star Wars Trilogy in the special edition, it was my favorite set of sci-fi movies (with the exception of episode VI). Every character in Episode 1 cannot act. Ewan Mcgregor and Liam Neeson seem like they're bored. Shouldn't they be excited that they're starring in STAR WARS???? The worst performances in the film would have to go to that little boy playing Anakin. By far the worst performance EVER in a star wars film. Hell, I CAN even act better. Episode 1 has lots of special effects and CGI, WAY TOO MUCH OF THEM. It's like watching a very beautiful playstation game. The script was also poorly written. It's like Lucas wrote it in his spare time. The only decent performance probably goes to Darth Maul, who doesn't even have any lines.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, but need work and to be on DVD
Review: When I first saw Star Wars as a young kid I loved. Now after reading lots of Greek stories and studying film. Knowing that the films a rip off a lot of different things books and movie told from a new view. I still love them, there the kind of movie you sit down to enjoy. The two things that hurt this movie was that there was no limit to what could be done. If there was some that George Lucas wanted, he had the money and was in charge. He should have put limits on what he. Thing of Jaws those famous scenes from the point of view of the shark, it was only done that way because the mechanical shark would not work. Limit cause you think of different ways of doing things. And for Jar-Jar as for as much as I did care for him, I would like to see him in the next movie. It would be interesting to see if George Lucas can make him more likeable, even the Jedi didn't like him. But all in all I liked the collector edition of this movie but minus one star for it not being on DVD. But I'm not going to hold my breath for it to come out on DVD. The collector's edition is good enough till the DVD come out in 2006. And by that time the new format with high resolution will be out. And maybe they re-edit the film to get rid of the scene of explaining the force control of beings as a micro being in them.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, some lousy characters
Review: When I first saw the Phantom Menace, I thought it was one of the greatest Star Wars movies made, that is, besides Eps. 4-6. The only thing I saw wrong about the entire thing was the Gungans and Jar Jar Binks. I mean you could barely understand what any of them were saying. Even though I should give this three stars, I'll give it five stars because Darth Maul was the best character I've seen in a Star Wars movie and because I am a Star Wars fan...
Rating:
Summary: I hope everyone reads this review..........
Review: When I first saw The Phantom Menace, I was amazed by the great movie it was. I wasn't an internet user yet. I simply don't get why everyone ruins with words this excellent movie. That's right: EXCELLENT. There's a great balance between action, and everything. It's got a good story to begin the saga. Jar Jar is fun, not stupid. If "A New Hope" had been released in 1999, I'd bet you'd all say the same about C-3PO. The problem is everyone tought the movie was going to be exactly as he/she had imagined it. Well, welcome to reality. Our speculations are not George Lucas' story. Just as a final word, I really recommend to watch this movie as the story it is and not what you thought it'd be back in 1997. Congratulations to everyone involved in this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie I've Ever Seen
Review: When I first saw the Star Wars Trilogy I was amazed I thought Star Wars couldn't get better... I was wrong. Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace is the best movie I have ever seen. It has some great special effects, it has a creative range of characters and locations and the story is a masterpeice. This movie takes a little thing like introducing a new character who grows up to be a Jedi Of The Sith and turns it into something out of this world. The boy who eventually does grow up to be the evil Darth Vadar actually started out as a junkyard slave who competes in deadly podraces. Being the only human who can race pods is an achievement in its own but the power of using the Force is a Destiny. You must see this movie. It is worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: Not perfect, but not bad...
Review: When I first saw this, I was left with a feeling that something was not quite right. I still feel that way, but it doesn't get in the way of my enjoyment of this really rather good film. Since it is these things that stand out, I'll start with the things that I think were very, very wrong here. Midichlorians: possibly the stupidest rationale for magical powers I've ever heard - not to mention the somewhat fascist implication that some people are our natural leaders due entirely to accident of birth, rather than personal drive (a problematic question in all sf/fantasy, actually, but particularly grating here, considering Lucas' recent attempts to provide a "P.C." veneer to even the original movies). Digital characters: all right, so it's still a relatively new technology - so why is Jar-Jar so behind the curve? (See the much better digital character in _The Mummy_.) Anyway, they still don't look like they are actually *there*, most obviously in the scene where Obi-Wan first meets the annoying frog-creature. Speaking of which, Jar-Jar Binks: not quite as grating on the small screen (even in widescreen), but still, maybe it should have been toned down a little. Lucas is spending too much time playing to the audience instead of telling a story lately (see the revised "music video" in Jedi Special Edition, for instance), and this movie is no exception. Lucas, why can't you just trust the story instead of trying so hard? Next, the resolution of the final battle: the Trade Federation must be run by an entire government of idiots. Who in their right mind makes an entire army that can be turned off by (what amounts to) one switch? More, a switch that can be turned off by a single soldier (even if that soldier is the future tyrant of the universe)? Then there is the dialogue: Lucas is not the best dialogue writer around, to say it kindly. He really should retain someone else to rewrite his scripts. C-3PO's origin: why, oh why did you have to do this, Lucas? Why couldn't you have just started everything with the 2 droid buddies on the same starship? Just plain bad science: what the heck? Planet core? Wouldn't they get a little toasty in that little submarine? Finally, virgin birth: not only unnecessary, but actually trite in the way it is contrived. Now for what I thought worked, or was good, in the movie. The lightsaber duel is the best swordfighting sequence I've ever seen, and high on the list of martial arts sequences. The story is certainly of fairly good quality (even if I did have to read in some motivations that weren't given exposition, such as Darth Sidious/Senator Palpatine's intent to sacrifice the Trade Federation in his bid to become Emperor). The amazing vista of the final battle, even if it does end badly, is one of the scenes that almost inspires me to learn digital effects work - but then I remember how stupid they look (excepting distant shots and mechanical objects, such as droids). The podrace, even if it is pretty much a lot of time spent on a very small plot element, is so much fun to watch that I, for one, don't care. Darth Maul just plain rules (too bad he had to be killed off - I would've liked to have seen more about him). In refutation of those who thought that this movie was going to be the second coming or something: Lucas maintained from the moment that he was asked about Episodes 1, 2, 3 (on the re-release of episode 4, where that soubriquet was first applied) that they were the least interesting portion of the story, which is why he started where he did. For me, I've always preferred the second act, where the heroes end up deep in it (Empire is my favorite of all of the episodes yet made). Since the first three episodes are going to end up as acts 1 and 2, I'm looking forward to the next installments with relish. In summary: I would definitely recommend seeing this movie, with the caveat that one should not expect it to be anywhere close to Episode 4 in quality.
Rating:
Summary: Gets Better With Every Viewing
Review: When I originally saw this in the theaters (opening week, of course), I was somewhat disappointed. When it came out on DVD, I rented it and liked it better. I bought the DVD and have viewed it several times since then. Each time I like it better. There is much more to the story than meets the eye (and Jar-Jar gets less annoying). Although the transfer isn't the greatest, it is still good and better than some theaters.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars simply isn't enough.
Review: When I read other viewers whining about the movie not living up to the hype I want to beat them over the head with a 17-inch monitor. I saw this movie eight times in the theatre and once at a university screening. I enjoyed it every time. When the text "Episode I" climbed the screen on premiere night it was a special moment for everyone present. Many cheered. Some cried. I smiled. Jar jar was annoying at first but he is essential to the movie, so don't go blaming his charachter. Lucas wrote a great story, though the deus ex machina technique is a bit irritating. The light saber fights alone make this movie worth watching, and they put them above the other movies in that respect. This movie had more of a plot than the other three. In the others, the solution was obvious, the execution was the problem. In TPM though, the use of diversions is brilliant. The spacefighting scenes were okay. I think we all hope for some better sequences in number two. Also, maybe a jedi using two lightsabers...
Rating: 
Summary: Good Special Effects, Fair Plot
Review: When I saw Star Wars Episode 1 in the theater, I thought it was great. But after renting it and watching it back to back with the originals, I realized it was very different. HOLD IT! When I say different, I don't mean not good, I just mean different. My point is that this movie has classic special effects but a fair plot. I didn't like the characters as much as the original characters because they didn't have as much guts. The movie was not as colorful in pace as the originals, but like I said earlier the special effects are spectacular. I can't wait for Star Wars episode 2 to come out next summer.
Rating:
Summary: Star wars Episode 1: Anakin Skywalker, The FORCE made FLESH
Review: When I saw Star Wars Episode 4 in 1977, I came away a lot different from most fans. However, nobody ever knew just how different; until now. My hero was not Han Luke Obiwan or Leia. My hero was the Tragic Darth Vader. Everybody else were expounding the virtues of their MAINSTREAM hero, while I? I had to be silent. NOBODY was going to accept the fact that I picked Darth Vader - WHAT BROUGHT Vader to his tragic enmeshment with the Dark Side? In my mind, I secretly thought that there HAD to be a MUCH BIGGER STORY behind Vader - What prompted him to fall to the Dark Side? Then in episodes 5 and 6 I watched Vader's story in the end save his son from the Emporer. I had been vindicated! Anakin Skywalker's son was right about his father - There was a conflict within. There was a small part still enlightened with good. And In Episode 1, I learn that Anakins' path was deeply enmeshed in the Light side of the Force. Anakin IS THE CHOSEN ONE WHO WILL BRING BALANCE TO THE FORCE...at a tragic cost to Anakin himself, which I assume will be fleshed out in episodes 2 and 3. I heard that only C3PO and R2D2 were the only characters in all the movies. However, I believe this is Anakin Skywalkers STORY - Star Wars - as he ALSO is in all the episodes. Episode 1 continues Anakin's Story, From the very start. It is truely a great movie. Anakin Skywalker, the FORCE made FLESH!
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