Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Awesome, the DVD is very worth it (if you like the movie)
Review: Yah so if you like the movie, get the DVD. DVD is awesome has everything you could ever want on a DVD.

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 very

good 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: It-sa BomBAD!
Review: Yeah I know... there's already nearly a thousand Amazon user reviews about this movie. I figured I might as well put my two cents in along with everyone else. I got nothin' better to do anyway...

Having been a big geekin' fanboy of the original trilogy, my twisted sense of loyalty to George Lucas's little galaxy far, far away had me at the multiplex waiting to see Episode I. Two weeks after its premiere of course. Hey, I might be a maven of the 'Wars, but I sure as hell wasn't gonna stand in a miles-long line for five hours just to see one of the very first showings. I might be a loser, but I'm not that far gone!

I should have read the warning signs. I can usually tell how good or bad a movie's gonna be by viewing the theatrical trailer for it. After seeing Episode I's preview before 'Star Trek: Insurrection' came on (yep, I cut both ways), I was less than excited. But, I decided to give the film a fair shake. After all, it is written, produced, and directed by one of the most successful filmmakers in cinema history. Perhaps it'll be an exception to my "Rule of Movie Trailer Viewing".

Unfortunately, in this instance, I should have gone with my better judgment. To start off, I thought there were way too many CGI effects, and a few of them looked downright bad. One example of this was at the movie's beginning, a panoramic shot of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon taking a thirty-foot leap from a vent shaft and landing on the deck of the Trade Federation flagship's cargo bay. Also, whenever I viewed a scene made up mostly or entirely of Computer effects, it looked to me to be more like a glorified animated feature than live-action. Three examples: the Gungan - Trade Fed droid battle; Qui-Gon, Obi Wan, and Jar Jar Binks's escape from the ocean monsters; and someome parts of the Boonta pod race were less convincing to me as well. Don't get me wrong, I think CGI effects have great potential, and the look and realism keeps getting better; I just don't think the medium has advanced enough yet to look absolutely and uncannily realistic. I'm still a big fan of using physical models, like what was used in the original Star Wars flicks, in space movies. I guess I'm just an old fogey at heart.

And boy, did they ever pump up the hype on Darth Maul! He was Episode I's coolest- looking character, yet he was seen for maybe ten minutes overall! And, after being able to fend off two opponents with some amazing martial arts skills and split-second reactions, he just stood there when Obi-Wan leapt and cut him down! This guy, with lightning-fast moves and force-heightened awareness, was somehow unable to dodge getting split when he had almost two seconds of time to react? I'm sorry, I just can't buy that. But there was some good to come out of it- the lightsaber "duel" between Maul and Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan was admittedly the best Star Wars "sword" fight yet.

Also, as far as I can see, this trilogy as it unfolds is gonna be a downer to view. Think about it... we'll eventually be witnessing the fall of the Republic, the rise of Chancellor Palpatine and the Empire, the turning of Anakin into Darth Vader, and the killing off of nearly all of the Jedi Knights. I do not relish the prospect of the other prequels depressing me with the horrible events to come. Pass the prozac, please...

Then there's Jar Jar Binks. The way I see it, if G.L. wanted so badly to have slapstick humor in the movie, he should've put in an intermission with a Looney Tunes short. I consider him to be one of the most useless and pathetic characters to ever sully the silver screen. Of course, I've voiced my thoughts to a few Star Wars fanboy cronies, many of whom thought I was insane to knock the 'Jar. They even went so far to state that his purpose was to be annoying; that's why he's there. Yeesh. It's pretty sad when one comes up with logic like that to try and justify a widely reviled character's existence. All I can say is, when I see Gilbert Gottfried in a movie, I know that his purpose is to be annoying, too. Yet it doesn't necessarily make it more enjoyable; usually, the opposite effect occurs.

Actually, I have an idea for offing the Jar-man REALLY early in Episode II. You know how each Star Wars movie starts with the opening "Story So Far" crawl? Well, for Episode II, I see it falling downward, rather than up. J.J.'s at the bottom of the screen, lashed to a gurney, fully restrained, waiting for the bottom edge of the crawl to decapitate him. But this time, it comes downward much more slowly than usual. Everybody in the theatre endures the excruciatingly long, yet strangely satisfying, moment as it reaches its climax... and then...hee hee... AND THEN...HAHAHAHA!

Uh, I gotta go now... the orderly has just arrived with my Thorazine and lithium chaser.

'Late...

Rating:
Summary: Star Wars has come back to the video world........
Review: Yeah, and it is good, we all know that already. If you are a Star Wars fan then you know how great the movie is, but George, we need a frickin' DVD here.

Rating:
Summary: There Are More Problems Here Than Just Jar Jar
Review: Yeah, I know I'm a little late on this but in 1999 when I saw this movie for the first time I was so disgusted I promised never to watch it again. Well, after a couple of years on DVD I decided to give this one another chance. It really didn't deserve it.

The story is very simplistic. Two Jedi Knights (Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi) are called to settle a trade dispute. The planet Naboo has been invaded by the greedy Trade Federation and they demand that Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) sign a treaty giving them control of the planet. Amidala flees the planet with her guardian Jedi and they have to repair their ship on Tatooine. There they meet Anakin Skywalker. Who just like Jesus was born to a virgin mother and may be "the chosen one" that will bring balance to the force. Anakin is a slave and is freed after a long pod race in which he wins. After this Anakin, the Queen, the Jedi, and our friend Jar Jar travel to Coruscant so they can pursuade the galactic Senate to intervene against the Trade Federation on their behalf. Meanwhile Qui Gon Jin takes Anakin to the Jedi temple so Anakin can obtain permission to recieve Jedi training. A very cranky Yoda says the boy is too old and dangerous to become a Jedi. The very cranky Yoda orders Qui Gon to return to Naboo with the queen to protect her. Back on Naboo a really big battle is fought and Qui Gon Jin dies and then Obi Wan kills a Sith Lord named Darth Maul. Qui Gon has a funeral then there is a big celebration. The end.

Okay, so the problems. There is not an interesting character in this entire movie. They are lifeless figures on screen whose dialog only serves to keep the plot moving along. There is no real villian. Darth Sidious spends the entire movie hiding in the shadows giving threats and Darth Maul only serves as a plot device to kill the Jedi. His screen time is minimal and his character is hardly developed. As a villian he has nothing on Darth Vader from the classic trilogy. Another problem is Anakin. I watched the documentary "The Beginning" and to be honest Jake Lloyd was the worst one who did a screen test. I have no idea why they chose a kid who couldn't pronounce a lot of the words in the script. Speaking of that documentary, Rick McCallum the producer serves as kind of a yes man to George Lucas. His job is to tell the documentarian how great the movie is going to be. I guess he gets paid a lot and his job would have been lost if he had been honest and said the story was terrible. Then there were the Trade Federation guys. Yeah, I know, a lot of you hate Jar Jar the most about this movie but he was not nearly as annoying as these Trade Federation guys. They wear mask that look as if they were purchased in a dime store and talk in bad Asian accents. When they guys are on screen I wonder if I am watching a Star Wars movie of the Power Rangers? Okay, a lot of people think the saving grace of this movie is that Pod Race. The Pod Race was modeled after that chariot race in a movie called Ben Hur. But in Ben Hur there were real actors on real sets. Not some kid in front of a blue screen.

Just like Star Wars and Return of the Jedi, there is a battle station fight at the end in which our heroes most destroy the station. And if you have no life like me you will have noticed that ROTJ ended with a funeral pyre, a celebration, and then end credits. TPM also ends with a funeral pyre, a celebration, and end credits. George Lucas had not directed a movie since the original Star Wars and it showed in this movie. This movie is too mediocre to deserve the honor of a one star rating. I give The Phantom Menace two middle fingers up. Way up.

Rating:
Summary: It just isn't good
Review: Yeah, I wathed this movie and was definitely disappointed. First of all i don't see how people could go so CRAZY over Darth Maul, he was such a big thing to everybody yet he was in the movie like 5 times or something, and a total of like 10 min. Maybe he did and maybe he didn't, but I don't even remember him talkig! So it dosn't make sense to me to go so wild over that wierd person. I also did not like Anikan Skywalker. He just had bad acting. He also had a bad scrip too, but mostly it was the acting. The character just wasn't realistic, he didn't act like a real 8 or 9 year old boy. Well, in my opinion don't waste you're money renting this movie, get something good like the real Star Wars for instance.

Rating:
Summary: Finally a Star Wars movie on DVD!
Review: Yeah, yeah. This is the least deserving Star Wars movie to come out on DVD, I'm not buying this, it doesn't deserves to be an addition in any collection, it doesn't deserves to be an Star Wars movie, it should come for free when you buy a Pokemon video. I'm only waiting for the original trilogy, the only trilogy.

Rating:
Summary: Glorious eye-candy and very little else besides.
Review: Years before the Empire was formed, the Republic send two Jedi knights to deal with tax problems.

It was nice to see the Star Wars opening theme again after all these years, and there are cameo appearances throughout the film by characters such as the Jabba the Hutt, Yoda, etc. The soon-to-be emporer is present, is a well-acted and marvellously scheming character.

But the main problem with this film is that the aliens are on the level of cartoon characters. Some people found the Ewoks silly, but they're far more believable than the 'Muppet Show 1999' on display here. And the 'big fish eaten by bigger fish eaten by still bigger fish' sequence is straight out of a comic strip.

Another problem is the fact that this film is so obviously based around commercialism. The hundreds of different kinds of aliens are present to sell toys, the pod race is there to sell a video game. In fact a lot of this film felt like watching somebody playing a video game. The actors play second fiddle to CGI effects, are hardly ever given the chance to show any real character. Darth Maul is well-designed and looks impressive, but is just wasted in a minor role.

Certainly worth seeing if you're a Star Wars fan, but once you've seen it once there's no reason to ever watch it again.

Rating:
Summary: Talk about a big TOY COMERCIAL
Review: Yep...to me, all this movie was was a big toy commercial. It was totally directed to the way younger audience that could still laugh at characters like Jar Jar. The fx were amazing but the movie itself stunk. Infact, the only reason I'm giving this movie 2 stars is because of the special effects. I'm sure many star wars fans have clouded their minds to think that this was a great movie so that all that waiting and money spending didn't go to waste. I planned on seeing it like 20 times before I actually saw it...after I saw it...I'm glad I didn't do that.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best DVD ever!!
Review: Yes is true.. the story lacks the power and enchantment of the original movies, but this dvd rocks!!, is maybe the best sounding movie i ever seen, the picture is awesome and the extras are the best.