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

Rating:
Summary: Words for George
Review: I watched the The Phantom Menace with the full effect of the video trailers coursing through my veins. I had seen it before on the big screen and despite my earlier misgivings, it IS Star Wars, after all, and I HAD to own the video. I was pleased with the visuals and had no real problems with the so-called complicated story line involving taxes and trade treaties. My only conerns stem from basic story-telling faux-pas by Mr. Lucas. The movie is huge, it is a grand sweeping space opera, but why, then, do I feel nothing for the poor opressed Naboo. We are repeatedly told that, " People are dying" , but the suffering alluded to is off screen and there is nothing to anchor it to me, as a viewer. In the first (4rth) Star Wars, Carrie Fisher does a great job conveying the horror of watching her home planet being blown up. Seconds later Alec Guinness does the same, while training Luke on the Millenium Falcon. This is all done without any real violent images that would have made the movie non-PG, but do convey the sense of evil that is the empire. In Phantom, I don't fear the trade federation. They have an army of odd looking robots and tend to care little for the environment, but they rarely hurt people. Perhaps the scariest villan in all of the Star Wars movies is the torture droid in the Death Star. It has no lines, is on screen for a few seconds and does nothing overtly evil. The threat of what happens or happened made the death star worth blowing up. Frankly, I couldn't care if the Senate got bogged down for a few months debating the Naboo blockade. This is all trivial, I know, but if the plot had been at all involving on a human level, the film would have easily bested Titanic. I had no problem with Jar-Jar Binks either, other than some of his dialogue seem to have come from the Olsen twins on old Full House episodes, he at least had personality and character depth. I trust, in the tradition of the original Triology, character development will come as the stories progress, but George my friend, we could have used a bit more. Really, the first words of Anakin's mouth after the only father figure he has ever known burns on a funeral brier are, " So, what's gonna happen to me now?" . George, we know he is going to be Darth Vader, but that is cold. I read the screenplay and the novel, and for people wanting more than eye candy, give either a read. You will discover a father and son relationship between Obi-wan and Qui-gon that was missing on screen as well as a jealousy born out of Qui-gon's adoption of Anakin. Jar-Jar is a bit more understated, which makes him more paletable and Sidious/Palpatines real plans (ie the phantom menace, if you will) seem to lurk sinisterly below everything that goes on. George, you had a tough task to live up to, most would have run and hid, but you managed to create a new world for all us adults(?) to run and play in for a couple of hours...oh yeah, and all the kids too, for whom the movie was really intended. Forgive my Dawson's-Creek-armchair-deconstructionist take on it all, I know it is really a kids movie. I look forward to the rest of the series and see Phantom as a solid foundation for future stories to be told. I am sure it will stand better as a Triology, the original three certainly did.

Rating:
Summary: Why not on DVD?
Review: A movie with the amazing visual and audio quality of Episode 1 deserves a DVD version. Face it, only using the VHS format is like releasing a new music recording only on cassette tape. Just for this fact, I give the VHS version of Episode 1 a single star.

Rating:
Summary: PHANTOM MENACE
Review: The Phantom Menace is an excellent movie. I thought that it provides a great introduction what happened in the original trilogy. I loved this movie. It is here that we are first introduced to young OBI-WAN KENOBI and his teacher Jedi Master QUI-GON JINN. Ewan McGregor did an excellent job as OBI-WAN. This movie answered many of my questions about how the collapse of the Republic was brought about. The Sith are as mysterious as I thought that they should be. At first I tried to compare Darth Maul to Darth Vader, but soon realized that this comparison just does not work. Darth Maul was a lot more intense than Vader ever was. I really loved the lightsaber fight between the Jedi (OBI-WAN & QUI-GON) and Sith Lord Darth Maul. I also liked the introduction of the various members of the Jedi High Council. In regards to Anakin at times I found it hard to believe that he will grow up to be Darth Vader, but at the same time some of the signs of things to come were already there. I also believe that OBI-WAN saw some of these warning signs, whereas QUI-GON saw only the great potential in Anakin. I am not sure that even someone with the experience of Jedi Master Yoda could have prevented Anakin's eventual fall to the Dark Side of the Force.

Rating:
Summary: Worst movie of 1999!
Review: The most anticipated movie of the year or should I say the past twenty years, was nothing more than a spectacle of computer imagery (even though the Matrix got the Oscar for special effects). Jar Jar Binks was nothing more than an annoying stereotype. I couldn't stand the fact that they made Anakin Skywalker a "Christ-like" figure, and the fact that they called him Annie was just outright appolling. And the fact that the Force isn't a spiritual enlightment, but rather micro-organisms swimming in the bloodstream makes it seem like you'd need a vaccine rather than see this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Qui-Gon MUST RETURN!
Review: The absolute best charactor in this flick was Qui-Gon. Yet, with his demise, there are SO MANY unanswered questions. WHY did he focus on Anakin? What was it he saw? How did he overlook the evil Senator? WHY? Somehow, Lucas must bring him back in either flashbacks, or as he did with OB-1 to resolve these questions, and many others. He needs to help his protoge, OB-1 understand the Force, and train young Anakin. As for me, I anxiously await the second film, Part II, hoping to see Qui-Gon again (Leeham Neeson).

Rating:
Summary: Where's my DVD version?
Review: I would buy this if it were on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: A Flawed Masterpiece
Review: The beginning was great. How can you not get excited when the two Jedi remove their hoods for the first time. Then, you get to hear the voice of a young Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) that would have made Sir Alec Guiness proud. It gets a bit slow when they reach Tatooine, until the podrace. After that, it's on to an exciting finish as politicians, armies, and Jedi Knights battle in their respective arenas. Can't wait for the next two.

Rating:
Summary: Bad Marketing
Review: The am not impressed by having no choice in puchasing the wide screen version in a higher priced "collector edition"! I guess that the big guns at the studio are going to bilk it for all its worth, and then come up with different formats for yet more moneys. Laser disk, or DVD?, stand by for a bit for yet more dollars. returned.

Rating:
Summary: Star Wars Rules!
Review: This movie deserves even 6 stars. This first episode set up everything for the upcoming 2 movies. The special effects were awesome, and also it makes you wonder how this sweet Anakin boy turns to be one of the galaxy's worst nightmare. The final battle between the Jedis and the Sith is one of the best battle scenes ever filmed.

Rating:
Summary: Phantom Menace, a great movie with flaws
Review: Yes, the movie did have its flaws. The acting was less than great, and the dialogue was poor at times. However, the images were incredible, and more than make up for the flaws. Yes, the movie was made for children to watch, but that's not a bad thing, and there is more than enough excitement for the adults out there.

I watched it again last night and enjoyed it all the more. If you're one of the few who didn't see it at the theater, watch, especially with your kids if you have them.