Rating: 
Summary: A children`s movie
Review: Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace has a lot of nice effects and scenes- but that`s about it. The movie is in no way on the same level as the 3 others. This movie is a children`s movie. That big rabbit look-a-like (whose name I have merciful forgotten) can only very small children find funny. He was stupid to watch for older viewers. The movie lacked a purpose. It seems like the movie is made only so there could be 3 new Star Wars movies.The movie starts on the Queen`s planet and ends there as well. It is a circle going nowhere. Even in a galaxy far,far away there should be some kind of realism and I fear this film lacks that. A Queen of 14 years seems a bit young even for Star Wars. And that whole Anakin is Jesus was too much for me. ( See the time when Anakin`s mother says that he was born without a father, solemnly by the "power of the Force" of something like that)
Rating: 
Summary: My two cents on Episode 1
Review: Yeah I know, yet another Phantom Menace review. It seems like since the movie was released on video the whole TPM Rules/TPM Blows debate has started up on the net again. I just felt like writing my own feelings on the movie after reading everyone else's. People seemed to have very mixed emotions about this movie.Some people love it, hailing it a modern day masterpiece. Others seem to think it's the biggest piece of crap to ever grace a movie screen. I myself enjoyed the movie a great deal, I even own the collector's edition video now. Is it the best movie ever made? No. Is it the best movie of 1999? No. Is it even the best of the Star Wars movies? No. In my opinion that would be Empire Strikes Back. However this is still a highly entertaining movie. The special effects are among that best I have ever seen, they are definitely the star of this movie. The Pod race, Coruscant, the senate chamber the battle between the Gungans and Battle Droids, the space battle, the light saber duel, they are all simply amazing. The story, which many people have complained about, is actually in my opinion a very good one. People have to remember that this movie is a set up for 5 more episodes. I think the movie does a good job of introducing us to this galaxy far, far away. It's not simply a movie about "a trade dispute", as some of the critics have been saying. It's about how one man is using a trade dispute to manipulate his way to power, and on the other hand we have a Jedi Knight's discovery of a young boy who he believes will fulfill the prophecy of bringing "balance to the force". I think the critics of this movie will definitely appreciate it more in 2005 when they will see how important TPM is to the over all Star Wars Saga. Despite what some people may say about the acting, I felt we had some very good performances. Liam Neeson as Qui Gon Jinn, and Ian Mcdirmid as Palpatine/Sidious put on stellar performances. Ewan Mcgregor also did a verygood job, and I see big things to come for him in the next two episodes. People say Natalie Portman's acting was "stale". She was playing royalty, this is how they act. She really didn't do as bad a job as people say she did. Jake Lloyd has been given a hard time, but give the kid a break. He's was like 9 years old when he made the movie. I think he worked very well in the role of the innocent young slave boy (and who when they were young never yelled out "Yippie!" or "YAY!"? I know I have). Now onto the infamous Jar Jar issue. Some love him, some despise him. I've been on both ends of the spectrum with him. I didn't like him really the first time I saw the movie, but after seeing it a few more times the guy grew on me. Now I can say I've done a 180, and I actually laugh the Gungan's antics. Give the guy a chance, he will grow on you. So to all the critics out there I just have this to say. Try to forget all the hype this movie had. As hard as it may be, don't compare it to the original trilogy. Just watch it for what it is, a highly entertaining adventure movie that is setting up a really great saga.
Rating: 
Summary: Well..........
Review: There isn't much to be said. So what if it wasn't relesed on DVD? The point is that this move lacked what the others had. The plot and characters (especially the Jar-Jar tibe) were more than a bit shalow, the acting wasn't great, and the script was terible. "I'm so proud of you Anne" Annican's mother sqeaks in an unnaturally high voise after he wins the pod race. "you have given strength to those who have none." Oh please! If Lucas works more on the plot, script and characters next time, they might live up to the originals.
Rating:
Summary: The Phantom Menace..not too bad..
Review: I, like probably everyone else who loves Star Wars, was instantly swept up into the hype of The Phantom Menace. After the 12:01 a.m. showing I thought it was the best Star Wars flick to date, now I think it's pretty good. The Empire Strikes Back is still my number one. The plot has been discussed enough, everyone has seen the movie, the DVD war wages on, so I thought I'd add my technical specs and observations. There was no way I wanted to spend thirty dollars on the widescreen (I don't even like the black bars, I don't care how much "extra" stuff you can see on the sides) so I have the pan and scan. I really don't see what the fuss is all about. It's not that bad in my opinion. I've got a nineteen inch television that's about nine years old and a VCR just over one year old. I don't see the washed or faded colors. The picture is nice, sharp, and vibrant on my TV. I've got my VCR hooked up to my 300 watt Aiwa surround system and the music, sound, and effects are just awesome. Now only if I had a bigger TV.... As far as Return of the Jedi getting worst picture status next to TPM, there's just no way. Even with the Ewoks, I've never seen a cooler scene in a movie (that gives me chills everytime) than the lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Luke nearing the end. Price of admission right there folks. Overall I still like The Phantom Menace a lot. None of the Star Wars movies can be considered thinking or deep movies. They're fun and entertainment and based on those two criteria they all do wonderfully. Enjoy, and may the force be with you.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy addition to the Star Wars Epic
Review: After a long 16 year wait, the world was brought back to that galaxy far, far away. What a homecoming! It was unfortunate The Phantom Menace was overhyped and held to impossibly high expectations which led to a mountain of, in my opinion, unfair criticisms from a society that is quick to tear anything good down. Episode 1 is a fantastic film that carries on the magical tradition of the Star Wars series. Although slightly thin in some character development and background (e.g. Chancellor Valorum played by Terrence Stamp), the film has a rich, intricate story that entertains on many levels. The performances of the cast were great all around: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Hugh Quarshie, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ian McDiarmid, who was fantastic in the role of Senator Palpatine (the true phantom menace!). The special effects were truly fascinating, from the exciting and harrowing pod race to the grand cityscape of Coruscant. The film is a wonderful journey that maintains the magic which captured my heart as a boy over 20 years ago and still captivates me today and hopefully forever. Truly the best version to have is the widescreen edition which presents the film in its original grand scale, as it has done with the classic trilogy. However, I also purchased the pan & scan version to get a closer look at the details of many of the scenes. I do share the ever growing view of having the Star Wars films released on DVD as soon as possible. The DVD format would dramatically enhance the quality of viewing of these cinematic treasures. Perhaps the classic trilogy will be released on DVD soon to whet the appetites of fans until 2006 or so when the prequel trilogy would be completed.The Phantom Menace is a truly remarkable movie I highly recommend. Grab up this wonderful film today!
Rating:
Summary: Kids Love Jar-Jar
Review: OK, Jar-Jar may be a little irritating to us adults, but as a parent of 5 boys (ages 6 mo. to 11 years), Jar-Jar brings much needed lightness to a fairly dark tale. Just when you think the Jedi are going to die, Jar-Jar shows up and gives the kids some breathing room. I think that this will be as much a classic to my 11 year old, as the original Star Wars Episode IV was to me. I stood in line for 4 hours in 1977 to see it for the first time, and waited 2 hours last year to see it with my boys. My only complaint is the muddiness of the soundtrack with regards to the voices. It was muddy in the theatre, and is muddy at home. You think that Lucas with his THX system would get it right on one of his films. Come on, Skywalker, Use the Force.
Rating: 
Summary: Where is the DVD?
Review: Yes, Jar Jar is Dum Dum Dum. Steve must have been eating spinach when he came up with this character! Yes, the kiddie was a bit overdone, but after all, he's born with the (! ). Must agree with all others regarding a DVD release. Come on Steve, read the reviews, all 173 pages of them on this site, and get cracking. You evidently have not read the stats on the number of DVD players expected to be sold over the next two years! All the libraries that I know of are buying DVD's for circulation, and they are the most conservative of purchasers. Come on guy, and DVD it. It'll make the fans happy and also Amazon.. Cheers
Rating: 
Summary: OK here's the deal.
Review: I would like to start off by saing that this is in no way the best star wars movie...Plain and simple. But it isn't that bad, and now that it's on video it's even better...You can skip over the boring or embarassing parts (Yippie [twice? what was lucas thinking] and Gooo annie) and stick with the good parts, like the awsome fight at the end. Or any other fight in the movie. JarJar can be anoying, but if you don't like him that much fastforward! And one more thing, There will not be a DVD for a long long time, Live with it. I get so sick of people complaining about no dvd, what did you throw your VCR away? Too bad. You'll get your DVD in 5 years.
Rating:
Summary: The Phantom Menace- 3 1/2 stars
Review: I was anticipating this film six months before the movie came out in theatres and I went to see the movie on the second day it came out. I was sort of disappointed when I was comparing it to the original movies (which in my opinion are the best movies ever!). But then I bought the movie on tape (where's the DVD?) and I watched it a couple times and realized that it was better than I thought! Yes there are flaws, and in my view here's the only drawbacks in the movie. . . -Jake Lloyd had some very weak lines in the movie(example- when Greedo said that little Anakin can go home after he cleans the shelves and Anakin says: "Yipee!" What? That's horrible!) -During the pod racing scene the two headed announcer- too ludicrous for words! -Very little character development! The original movies were crammed pack with character development and that's what made them so great! But The Phantom Menace has very little. -But the biggest disappointment is that Darth Maul is shown very little in this movie, I was expecting him to be a large part like Darth Vader in the original films. There's also some advantages though! -There's some great characters in this movie! I loved Queen Amadala, Darth Maul, and yes. . . Jar Jar Binks. -There were great special-effects and sound-effects! -The lightsaber fight was awesome! Way better than the ones in the original films! -Queen Amadala's costumes were just awesome! They stole the scene everytime! So, thought that The Phantom Menace was pretty good! So, try not to compare it to the other movies because it's pretty good by itself. And after you think about it, this is a good start because it has questions to answer and after the next three films come out you'll see that this was a good start for the new trilogy! I give The Phantom Menace 3 1/2 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Symbiotic Relationships of The Phantom Menace
Review: Some people have complained that Lucas wrote a weak script, but in some ways this is Lucas' most complex Star Wars story to date. Lucas has put in many themes into his story which at first glance may be passed over by the casual viewer. One of the biggest among these is the theme of symbiosis. The term is used several times in the movie and is clearly explained by Qui-Gon: organisms working together for mutual advantage. This theme comes up a lot in the "Dune" books which have certainly influenced Lucas' "Star Wars" universe. The pattern is repeated on several levels. First there is the duality of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jin: the Jedi Master and the apprentice. At first glance it may seem that Qui-Gon is the teacher, but actually he also learns from Obi-Wan: "You're a much wiser man than I." he says. But earlier he says, "You still have much to learn, my young apprentice." Next there is the duality of the Naboo people--the Gungans and Amidala's people. One civilization lives on the ground, the other underwater. But they are symbiotics. They need each other to fight the Trade Federation. Lucas keeps repeating the theme with the character of Padme, the double of Amidala. Amidala needs to use a double to evade the Trade Federation as well as to learn about Qui-Gon and the Jedi under disguise. She could not do this as Queen. Of course, the most obvious pairing is Darth Maul and Darth Sidious (the future Emperor). They are the dark foils of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. These pairings are used to illustrate that everyone needs everyone else in order to carry out their motives: Qui-Gon needs Anakin to win the podrace to get the money to fix his ship; Amidala needs the help of the Gungans to win the war; Palpatine needs Amidala to make a speech at the Galactic Senate in order to become Supreme Chancellor; the Trade Federation needs the Sith to carry out their plans; even Boss Nass needs Jar Jar to be a general in the final battle. Lucas has created a complex fantasy world in which symbiotic relationships are constantly in flux--much like the real world.
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