Rating: 
Summary: Good God Man Are You Nuts!
Review: Visually this film was absurdly stunning, but the story telling was attrocious. The part when the pilot was amazed that R2-D2 fixed the hyper drive made me vomit (I'm not kidding!). The kid who played Anakin should stick to playing vegetables in school plays. He was like the taste of bile after nearly puking.I watched it six times for the effects though!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't question, enjoy...
Review: Was Episode One worth all the hype? Did it live up to expectations? Clearly my answer is YES, since you've noticed the above 4 stars. Much has, of course, been made about the lack of characterisation, bad acting, lack of plot, etc. But come on! This is Star Wars! And with the exeption of Jar Jar and Jake Loyd the main characters are fine (particularly Liam Neeson), if not exeptional. Why wonder about the logic of the Jedi residing on an environmentally tragic "city planet" (Coruscant) or bother yourself with pointing out the inept nature of the Republic when you can sit back and enjoy the fun? Because that's what Star Wars is - a combination of fantasy and sci-fi - meant for the kid in all of us that loves a good epic story. I will, however, consceed that a few things did seem a little off. The Trade Federation. The commentary during the pod race. The "Star Trekian" explanation of the nature of the force. And, of course, the affore mentioned Jar Jar Binks (ex-squeeze me? please.) But on the whole give George a break and admire his sterling effort in bringing back a 20 year old idea and making it feel authetic. The sounds, the effects, the music and the mood. Besides, the next one will be filmed "down under" so it's sure to be great.
Rating: 
Summary: waste of time
Review: watch the curling matches on CBC instead
Rating: 
Summary: Just relax
Review: Watching Phantom Menace is pretty much like seeing the conceptual art sketches bought to vivid, fantastic life. Anyone who's ever seen the prototype sketches for the original trilogy will probably have breathed a sigh of relief that many of the final designs turned out the way they did. Still, you can't help but wonder how it could have gone, so just relax, and enjoy that rarest of things, the glimpse of what might have been. Ignore the griping of fans who let their imagination inflame their expectations, and take the film for what it should have been all along - an extended trailer for the finest film ever made.
Rating:
Summary: But I love Star Wars???
Review: Watching the older movies, I found it incredible that "Phantom Menace" could be so bland, a result of featureless charachters, an uninvolving story and excessive use of CGI special effects that never mesh with the story, but threaten to override it. So overdone are the effects, that watching thsi movie reminded me less of the first trilogy than of "Cool World", Bakshi's misfire mix of live-action and animation. In this entry, a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan Mcgregor), only a student Jedi, travels with his teacher to the planet Naboo on a mission of mercy. Jedi Qui-Gonn Jin is older and wiser than Kenobi, but both are dispatched to prevent the invasion of idyllic Naboo by the droid armies of the trade federation. When this fails, the two save that planet's leader, the elected Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman), and retreat to the safety of Corsuscant, the home of galactic senate. Heavy damage forces them to make an unscheduled stop on arid Tatooine, where they enlist the aid of a young Aankin Skywalker, a boy slave with the potential to become a jedi master. Safely reaching Coruscant, Amidala finds only bureaucratic indifference to her world's plight. Returning to Naboo to lead the fight against the federation, Amidala and the jedis enlist the aid of the Gungans, amphibians who live in large cities secreted in Naboo's oceans. While the naboo battle the federation on the ground and in space, and Amidala leads a desperate charge directly into her occupied capital, the Jedis are forced to confron an evil Jedi, an emissary of the long-thought-dead order of the sith Jedi and closer to the power behind the federation than the craven Federation viceroys. Actually, the plot doesn't sound half-bad, if that's enough after a 16 year wait. Less generous might compare it to a mediocre add-on level for the Star Wars computer game, Jedi Knight. The charachters are incredibly one-note in comparison with the heroes of the older films. Even the Jedi seem interchangeable with Obi Wan seeming as effortless in his moves as Qui-Gon. The older Jedi is also pretty monochorme considering the dialog hinting at a rebellious streak (he clashes often with the Jedi counsel). The charachters themselves speak in hushged tones and drop names that are familiar to Star Wars fans but will probably baffle anybody else. There's no rebeliousness to any of the charachters - where's Han Solo in all of this? The controversies of the alien charachters' very human ethnic traits probably wouldn't have come to the for if the human charachters themselves had enough charachter of their own and embodied some of those negative traits themselves. In the older films, we probably wouldn't have noticed the orientalisms of the greedy Watoo or the craven Federation honchos, or minded the comic relief of Jar Jar Binks. Hey everybody's an idiot, evrybody makes mistakes, that was what the first trilogy seemed to say. And there's no menace either. Darth Maul is no Darth Vader (though his moves would put the latter evil lord to shame, a true dark lord sledom needs to prove that), and certainly he gets no fun lines ("apology accepted....) The underlying evil is the myserious Darth Sidious who appears mostly in the form of a hologram beamed to the federation viceroys. But Sidious (whose probably isn't sufficiently mysterious for true star wars fans) doesn't seek to cow his minions either. He issues commands which the viceroys would probably have issued anyway. And there's none of the irony of the first films which here should center around the maneuverings of Senator Palpatine. That name enough lets fans know what's going on, but his insistence that political circumstances require drastci changes should be enough to set off anybody's warning bells no matter how apparently benign his intentions. Instead, the charachters all seem so dim, why bother worrying. In one telling scene at the end of the film, the senator - now the Chancellor - meets Anakin Skywalker for the first time. We'll be looking at your progress quite closely, the smiling galactic power holder says. Because I'm such a Star Wars fan, I've pretty much got to do the same iwth the other films. Perhaps "Phantom Menace" had to be a botch, something to teach Lucasfilm how not to do a Star Wars film, a learning experience like THX-1138. Hey, there's plenty of time to get things right before Memorial Day Weekend of 2002.
Rating:
Summary: Be Wary I Sense A Disturbance In The Force
Review: we all know about the movie, big film, mixed reviews etc etc. i'm a star wars fan so naturally i loved this, TPM is a fun movie, its not supposed to convey any message, its not supposed to convey an ideal and its not a film that is to be taken seriously. its a fairy tale, pure entertainment. the dvd is chock full of features, it took me 3 days to sift through and watch them all [i hadn't even watched the movie yet!]...this is easily the most feature laden dvd i have, and lucasfilm haven't just thrown a [lot of stuff] in there to fill up the second disc, we get an in depth look at how the film was made plus the featurettes as well which take the 'making of' documentary even further. theres the usual tv spots and trailers which were good and the duel of the fates music video which was also worth a look. the menu screens are beautiful, smooth animation and easy to use interface. a must have for anyones dvd collection the film: 5/5 the disc[s]: 5/5
Rating:
Summary: DVD: 5 stars; Movie: 3 stars
Review: We all know that most everyone was dissatisfied with 'The Phantom Menace', but who really could be after all the hype it was subjected to? Everyone knows that when a movie is built up before its release and into something it's not, there will be a lot of disappointed people out there, and that's the case with this one. Yeah, Jar Jar is annoying, and yeah, there isn't the best action in the world, but hey, Jar Jar will be out--mostly--in Episode II and you have to explain some things in the first movie. Personally I enjoyed this movie. Of all four in the trilogy such far, 'Empire Strikes Back' is the best, followed by 'Jedi', 'Phantom' and then the original. But in any case, that's my take on the movie. Now the DVD: Picture Quality: 6/5. Not a typo, the picture is really that great. The scenes on Tattoine are amazing, as are the special effects, the space scenes and Naboo. If the FX don't blow you away, this will. Sound Quality: 5/5. Easily one of the best of any DVD around. The laser blasts are crisp, the lightsabers perfect and the explosions top-notch...the ships sound excellent too. Special Features: 6/5. This DVD is packed with them on 2 discs. Two trailers, 7 TV spots, a music video, and hour long documentary, 6 featurettes, 6 deleted scenes and a 12 part web documentary viewable without DVD-Rom, this should keep you occupied for some time. Overall: 5.5/5. This is definitely the best DVD I own, but not the best movie I own. I can't stop talking about how great this is, and I think you'd be a fool not to own this one. If you're a Star Wars fan you'll love it...if you liked Episode I remotely, you'll love it, and if you're looking for a good sci-fi DVD...well, you're going to love it too. Thanks for reading. Hope this helped.
Rating:
Summary: You People Must Look At This Differently
Review: We all know the orginal trilogy is like god of movies etc...But you must look at this film differently from the orginal trilogy. If you were to compare a book to a film, obviously everyone is going to say the book is better because it is more detailed. Truly you can not compare a book to a film. A Film is not composed of the same material exactly to a book. Yes a film has chapters, and so does books but films are a layout, almost like an outline. Everyone compared Return of the King movie to a book. I love Rotk and the book but i do not compare them. I actually think the movie was much more well accumulated and put together than the Book! Star Wars Episode I is a totally new saga but the same criteria as the orginal trilogy. YOu must stop comparing the two. Stop complaining about the ships. You must realize that the whole triolgy is NOT COMPLETED!!!!!!!!!! SO WHY DO YOU JUDGE IT AND CALL IT ABSOLUTE GARBAGE????? EPISODE III, REVENGE OF THE SITH HASN'T EVEN BEEN SEEN! It will all make sense when the final chapter is completed. You must also relaize that Darth Maul is not a major villian! Darth Sidious is always the major villian. Lucas is trying to show you the Deception that Sidious unleashes upon the galaxy. Did you really think One Man and one apprentice could take over the galaxy? Sidious uses different people as his servants! Lucas said in the DVD, that he is the Puppet Master. That is what a Puppet Master does! He controls everyone and takes away free will. It's the power that evil grows from. You must also realize that even that Darth Sidious is the Enemy! It was not Vader! Sidious is truly the Personification of Absolute Evil. Darth Maul is just a pawn used in Sidious's scheme. Another thing is that many say it does not remind them of anything from the Orginal Trilogy. How can it remind you, its a totally different World! Its Before The Dark Times! Before the Empire! Lucas has to show you how the Empire was all accumulated and brought together. It did not happen over NIGHT!!!!!! Jar Jar Binks is another issue. He is not really a big deal. He's just a crazy character in Star Wars. Yet i think he should had been protrayed different and a little more serious. He was designed for children just like Wicket. Yet no one said anything about Gollum or Wicket when they were made! I love Lotr but i think Gollum is an annoying S.O.B and i hate that character but he fits the PLot and Story! Jar Jar is just one of those characters that fits the Story! O and for Die Hard Fans Out there, which i could be considered one....Accept the fact that Anakin was born from a Virgin! Except it! it's in the Jedi Prophecy! That makes the Chosen One so significant. Well i am sorry for those who do not beleive in Incarnation. I don't care because i believe in incarnation, such as Jesus Christ's birth. Besides the point, I used to hate Episode I. Now i respect it more because i am realizing that they had to be done this way! People should not see Star Wars as a layout or blue print because of how the orginals were made. People should not point their fingers and say things like, "O in Episode I, it should had been like A New Hope." Its a totally different story! And i hate when people say it does not seem like the orginals because of the ships and etc. You must understand that this is a time of peace, glory and greatness before the Empire! This is when the Republic were in charge of Affairs! i actually think Episode I is better than Episode II! Wait and see for Episode III. i just know Lucas has something up his sleeves that will blow the fans away!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: DVD redemption!
Review: We all know what the flaws are in this film--a poor script, plot holes, annoying alien sidekicks, etc.--but this DVD goes a long way towards redeeming it. First, the print. Excellent transfer--the landscapes and visual effects leap out at you, and one can now really appreciate the sheer inventiveness of the special effects. The sound is also good, but--as another reviewer pointed out--there are better sound production techniques. Lucas usually goes state-of-the-art with everything he does; why not the best here? Still the sound isn't bad; one can FEEL the pod race as much as see it, and the landscape of Tattooine blends seamlessly with the pods and the various effects. Ben Burtt proves he's one of the best sound technicians around--every racer has a unique and--more importantly--appropriate engine sound (Check out the menacing noise of Sebulba's pod, for a good example--doesn't it seem to fit him?). Yes, the sound could be better, but it isn't bad. Now, for the added scenes. They're confined to two segments--the pod race, and the arrival at Coruscant. The pod race scenes involve extra character introductions (unnecessary) and additional racing segments (excellent). The latter add some truly hair-raising moments to the already tense and exciting pod race, and are welcome. The scenes at Coruscant mostly involve Anakin and company traveling through the city. It's nice, and the effects look great, but it really adds nothing to the film. Now, the extras. This is what makes the DVD one of the best produced to date. Each segment is carefully scripted and directed, with some real standout moments, plus a few revelations. Watch the "3000 Anakins" segment and realize that Jake Lloyd wasn't a bad selection after all. Even an average actor can be redeemed by a good director (see Jim Carrey in "The Truman Show"), but Lucas was probably so wrapped up in the technical aspects of the film that he seemed to forget that in the middle of this monstrous production was a small boy with minimal film experience. Perhaps that's why Lloyd sometimes seems a little apprehensive. Give the kid a break, folks. Perhaps the only real disappointment came in the lack of actor commentary in the extras. Neeson's a great personality; I'd love to hear what he has to say about his experiences. But Lucas and company have loaded the second disc with everything else (and maybe the kitchen sink, too!). "The Beginning," the documentary about the film's production, is absolutely first-rate. One may begin to believe that one of the reasons the film suffered from plot problems is that Lucas was so distracted by all of the various crises that seemed to pop up daily (remember--much of this was filmed in the Tunisian desert, where you should expect the unexpected). I'd seen the "Duel of the Fates" video when the film was first released--excellent then, excellent now. The storyboards and animatics segments are nicely detailed and reveal how much work can go into a single scene. There are more extras--posters, trailers and teasers, plus the DVD-ROM features. They're all first-rate, as well. The film has many flaws--but remember, Lucas made the original for a different audience. He called this film "'Star Wars' for his kids," (a paraphrase) and it does have many redeeming moments: Does anyone else get chills at Palpatine's last statement to Anakin? The lightsaber duels are hyperkinetic, dynamic, and well-choreographed; the pod race runs on pure adrenaline, even more so with the additional scenes; and the battle between the Gungans and the Trade Federation's robotic troops is stunning in its complexity and flawless effects. Can anyone find a flaw in the film's effects? I haven't. Great production design is also an asset. Jar Jar may annoy the heck out of most people, but he's still an amazing breakthrough in digital effects; same for Watto, who steals every scene he's in ("Mind tricks don't work on me; only money!!"). Ditto Ian McDiarmid; his Palpatine is an ambitious, manipulative political genius who oozes both charm and evil in the same breath. Not a great film, but still better than most of the cookie cutter movies Hollywood produces every year. To those who don't like it: Give it another chance. The second time I saw it in the theatre I was accompanied by a seven year old boy, and I enjoyed more than my first viewing. Those who are already fans will love this wonderful DVD treatment.
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT BUY - SOUND PROBLEMS
Review: We all know whether or not we like the movie. We've all seen it.
However, if you're like me, you won't like the DVD, regardless of how you liked the film. There are serious sound synchronization problems for a portion of the movie, starting about the time Qui-Gon meets Queen Amidala. For a movie coming from Lucasfilm, the supposed epitome of movie quality, I find this astonishing. I'm surprised that slipped past, especially when you consider that this (I think) is Lucasfilm's first DVD release How bad is it? Well lips move and the words come a few moments later. Sound FX happen at the wrong time. Etc. Very disconcerting and hard to watch. Maybe mine was just from a bad batch or something, so your experience may vary. But for 23 clams I expect more, especially from Lucasfilm! Save your money and wait till they fix it. Or perhaps wait until they edit out Jar Jar.
|
