Rating: 
Summary: Why Now?
Review: In the beginning, George Lucas was transferring all his Star Wars movies on VHS. The special editions of Episodes IV,V,& VI, are understandable for DVD technology was just developing and wasn't being taken full advantage of. But when Episode I: The Phantom Menace came into theaters, then onto VHS the DVD format was available for quite some time, and according to the digital video revolution, the picture, sound, and details were outstanding. But why did George decide to release Episode I now. What was his reason for not doing it when it came out. I was at Winamp.com recently and there was a comment about Episode I not being on DVD at the time. But that's a good question. But with the DVD release on Oct. 16, 2001, there will be deleted scenes, tons of extras and commentary, possibly on what the story or ideas where when he began writing Episode II. And since Lucas Ltd, only has a little over a year before the second film is released why not reveal what the next title will be to the public. But I have to say one thing DVD rocks! And so does the Star Wars series!
Rating: 
Summary: Give me the Originals!
Review: In the fairy tales how do you get into a Castle?! Take the water ways or the secret passages. In The Phantom Menace how do you do it?! You use them both! I found the plot extremely clinched. I doubt there was anything original in the movie. That wasn't even really the worst though. All the charm of Star Wars was gone. R2D2 was reduced to a computer on wheels without a personality. Also the action looks ridiculous because the Jedis are obviously just swinging in any which direction and then the bullets they hit are added by computer graphics. And the out come I think would be better described as dancing rather than fighting. To make that worse during most all the action sequences the actors look like they are doing anything, but struggling. How can the watcher be excited when the actor looks bored? The acting through out the entire film was amateurish. Lastly I should mention the plot was almost entirely driven by consciences not by any logical construction. I love the original Star Wars, but I hate this.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved it (with some reservations) and tired of all the fuss
Review: In the first installment of the Star Wars saga we learn about the origins of Luke's and Leia's parents. Their mother is Amidala, elected queen of Naboo, and their father is a slave-boy from Tattooine with a very special gift: Not only can he already reflexively use the Force to hone his skills as a pilot with no prior Jedi training whatsoever, he is stronger in the Force than anyone else ever encountered by the Jedi.There *is* a storyline here, if you care to find it. I guess the most annoying thing about this movie is Jake Lloyd's (lack of) acting ability. Even Natalie Portman's admittedly wooden portrayal of the Queen appears to carry some purpose; she was very formal while carrying out her official duties, but more relaxed when out of costume. I also don't see what all the objections are about in regards to alien accents. It *makes sense* that alien races so different from one another would have different accents when speaking English. (What do they call it in the Star Wars universe, "Basic"?) And for those who believe George Lucas was being racist in his choice of accents, I'm not seeing one single solitary objection to his portraying all Imperial soldiers with British accents in episodes IV, V and VI. Given Britain's imperial history, that could be construed as racism too or at the very least, stereotyping. Furthermore, although it is possible that George Lucas made some changes to the storyline between the 1970s and now, it is important to remember that *he had the ENTIRE story written* from episode I to VI before he ever started making A New Hope. That plot (or lack thereof) you all complain about in Episode I 'cause it looks so "contrived"? It's over thirty years old. He isn't just making this stuff up as he goes along. He had the opportunity to finally tell the first half of the story, so that's what he's doing. And finally, there *was* a point to the story of Naboo. Two points, actually. Number one, that's how Anakin and Amidala first meet. Number two, that's how Senator Palpatine ends up being elected Chancellor, thereby becoming the leader of the Old Republic. Which, if you were paying attention throughout the movie, you know he planned it that way all along. Knowing Palpatine is also the name of the Emperor in later episodes, an intelligent person ought to be able to put two and two together. So yes, I enjoyed this movie. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Rating:
Summary: A new beginning . . . for DVD standards!
Review: In the grand scheme of the Star Wars Saga the movie itself is good, not great. However, the DVD is fantastic. Even if you didn't completely like the movie, the DVD is a must have in anyone's collection. To begin, the sound quality is the best I've heard on any Dolby Digital 5.1 DVD. The musical score doesn't overpower the dialogue. Never has the low frequncy been mixed in so well, it goes from quiet in one moment to explosive the next. Action from the surround mix (especially from the rear) is phenominal. Just watch the pod racing sequence and see for yourself. Finally, if not for anything else, buy this movie for the extras. There is a great deal of interesting information found on the commentary track. Disc 2 offers one of the best "behind-the-scenes" documentaries: 'The Beginning.' Around an hour in length, it details Lucas' journey from start to finish. The deleted scenes documentary explains why each was deleted, what purpose it served in the story and how it was completed. In addition, the documentary has interviews with Fracis Ford Coppola (The Godfather Trilogy), editor Walter Murch, as well as Lucas and others, giving us insight into the editing process. And that is not all, the web documentaries and featurettes contain a wealth of information. Just think what should be in store for the original trilogy!
Rating: 
Summary: A Very Disappointing Film
Review: In the original Star Wars movie the villains were interesting. Darth Vader was menacing, but you didn't hate him. A lit. teacher once told me for a movie to work the bad guy has to be likeable & interesting. Well in this movie they're not. Instead the villains have no depth or background. That's why Lucas had to make Darth Maul look like Satan. It's probably also why he had to add that crazy side kick Jar Jar Binks. Not that I hated it, it just wasn't worth a ten year wait. I honestly had the impression the only reason this film was written, was to set up the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Of 1999
Review: In the sixteen years since the release of Return of the Jedi, I have patiently been waiting for the next installment. I believe that comparing The Phantom Menace to the other films is totally unfair. It's the beginning of a much longer story, and it has only been a part of our culture for less than a year. The others have had 20 years to grow on us. For most Star Wars fans, their favorite Episode is The Empire Strikes Back. Mine, however, is The Phantom Menace. The level of storytelling that is going on throughout the movie is overwhelming. This is just the beginning to a story that everyone already knows the end to. As for Jar Jar? Well, I had trouble understanding him, but in no way did he ruin the film for me. As for living up to the hype? No film in the world could have lived up to the hype that surrounded this one. Comparing it to The Matrix? They are two totally different films. No words of mine will change people's mind about what this film should have been and what it wound up being. If you didn't like it, give it some time to grow on you. What is in store for us in Episodes II and III are sure to be mind blowing. When we can finally sit down and watch all six movies in chronological order, the flaws that The Phantom Menace has will be of no matter.
Rating: 
Summary: This movie is good but it's ruined by Jar Jar the alien frog
Review: In the summer of 1999, a science fiction movie came out that completely defied anyone's expectations. It was the first in what would be a trilogy, and it was about a messiah being introduced to a world of corrupt powers that be. He slowly developed a relationship with a girl and he would learn how to wield the power of the world around him.
And it starred Keanu Reeves.
Yes, sadly, Episode 1 came out later than The Matrix, and thus did not have many of the action- and/or philosophy customers it could have benifited from. These action and philosophy junkies instead went to The Matrix, one of the most intelligent action films ever. But before I drift too far into how magnificent The Matrix is, I will discuss the newest Star Wars movie, which has only one thing (that is better) that The Matrix does not. It has acting. Jake Lloyd, although he's a pretty typical Hollywood's-vision-of-a-cute-boy kind of kid, has some personality (although not tons of it), and he doesn't sit like a meditating cow saying stuff like, "Guns. Lots of guns," that should sound cool from someone else. I don't know if I should compare Anakin to Neo, though, although I wish some evil Jedi had come up to Anakin and said something like, "Mr. Anderson, I mean Skywalker." That would have cracked up people who had seen The Matrix, but many, including the kiddies, hadn't. Another trait that Lucas put into his movie that the Wachowski brothers did not was massive doses of computer editing. I guess he needs it in his "galaxy far, far away." Maybe Star Wars should have been on Earth instead. But I'm getting extremely off topic.
Qui-Gon and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, have been sent to make negotiations with the Trade Federation, a corrupt organization that is trying to force the Queen of Naboo to sign a peace treaty. When the negotiations turn into a battle, the two Jedi report back to Naboo to tell the Queen of the Federation's violence. The Queen tries to send a message to their representative in the Senate, but the Federation cuts the phone wire, so to speak. Outraged, the Queen, the Jedi, a group of her maidens and pilots, and a hyperactive frog with a crude sense of humor and an almost indecipherable language. This frog's name? "Mesa Ja Ja Bink-sa." That's how he says it. Jar Jar Binks continually blunders and gibbers his way through the course of the movie, and even if you can understand his language, he's annoying as a Windows XP's download time. Before they can reach the Senate planet, however, the blockade damages their system, and they take a quick pit stop on Tatooine. There, they free a young slave boy named Anakin Skywalker, who has a higher potential to be a Jedi than even Yoda did, and they try to work things out with the Senate. When the bureaucrats just make things difficult, the Queen proposes an alliance with Jar Jar's people to fight the Federation's army while the Queen and her men trap the Viceroy. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fight a horned, tattooed Dark Jedi named Darth Maul (Ray Park, the guy who played Maul, seems to have a thing for bad guy roles). Anakin, proving that he was "the best starfighter pilot in the galaxy," as Obi-Wan said in the original Star Wars, goes into space and proves he's not just a kid. I won't spoil it for you. You should go to this movie, if only in the hope of knowing about Anakin's turn to the dark side. Unfortunately, the movie turned to the bad side too. See it, but don't take your date along.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Film
Review: In the VHS version of Episode 1 The Phantom Menace the quality of every aspect is similar to the real movie theater. I love the fact that it connected with the other episodes quite effectively. Even though I disliked the performance of Jake Lloyd, Anakin Skywalker, the rest of the cast was on par. This movie has a basic plotline spiced with spectacular special effects and impressive action sequences. Like many fans of the Star Wars saga, I can hardly wait for the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: "Worst Episode Ever"
Review: In the words of the comic book shoppe owner from the Simpsons "worst episode ever!". Episode one was one of those movies that are supposed to be foccused on the more mature audiences, was like a fairy tale for a two year old. Everything was predictable and almost impossible (i.e. Anakin winning the Pod Race, even though Sebulba malfunctioned it). Jar Jar Binks and Boss Nass are two of the most annoying characters in the movie, because of their annoying ways of speaking. The kid who plays Anakin is very young and isn't suited for the part. He is immature and he is ugly and annoying. Usually Lucas makes his movies exciting unpredictable (i.e. Darth Vader being Lukes father) and makes you want to see the next. Episode two is supposed to be a romance, between Amidala and Anakin, I can't imagine what Lucas will do! I bet there will be a scene where Anakin and Amidala start making out when Jar Jar enters the room with R2-D2 busted or something....The next movie should be more serious, no Jar Jar, higher rating (i.e. PG-13, R). Thank you for reading this I hope this helps you decide whether to buy the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Phantom drama
Review: In theatres, George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace" (whew!) had one transcendent moment: when the lights went down, the familiar fanfare blared, and the words "Star Wars" soared into deep space. Then, like a spaceship with a hull breach, the air leaked out, and all life with it. Trade embargos? What th'?!!? A space adventure epic that begins with an economics lesson? I've got a bad feeling about this...
Unfortunately, in this "Star Wars," there's lots of energy but no drama. An example? R2-D2's intro, completely without verve or context; we're supposed to instantly get emotional simply because HEY LOOK- it's R2-D2, that cute li'l guy from the first trilogy, and he might get blown up! But it isn't earned by what Lucas puts on the screen; rather, it lazily trades off our warm feelings for the earlier films. Perhaps Lucas assumes the audience already adores the "Star Wars" universe and all its merchandise, so he's free to cut corners. Also, there's no climax to this moment. The space queen merely "commends" R2 in another scene that's so static, so formal and emotionless, it might as well be performed entirely by kitchen appliances. Okay, prepare yourself, because here comes the gratuitous anti-Jar-Jar section of the review...
And then there's Mr. Binks, the recipient of many Internet death threats. You know you're in trouble when the hardest workin' guy in your movie is the one everyone despises. Obnoxious and omnipresent, Jar-Jar Binks ruins every scene he's in (about 90% of the movie). I don't fault Ahmed Best; he actually performs quite well. It's the role that stinks. Sir Lawrence Olivier couldn't have played it! Kids hate Jar-Jar, adults loathe him. His action figures choke our landfills. Jar-Jar. Another cultural touchstone for a generation, albeit not in the manner Lucas intended.
Double-J aside, everyone else seems only mildly engaged in the story. Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan comes off best, but Liam Neeson is sour, and Natalie Portman seems ill at ease talking to CGI freaks and beeping trashcans. In fact, she rarely seems to be talking with them, as much as at them. As for poor Jake Lloyd, he's only as bad as everyone else. Annoying little cuss, though, with his "Yippee!" and "Are you an angel?" cutesy lines. And when you create such a visually impressive villian as horn-headed Darth Maul... he should actually DO SOMETHING IN THE MOVIE!
Mainly, "Phantom Menace" proves set-pieces and ancillary marketing do not a movie make. Knock out sequences such as the pod-race and the climactic battles are made to seem ridiculous due to childishness, and too much serendipity. It's as if Lucas is better at imagining scenes than filming them, and better at directing robots and puppets than human beings. Too bad... we may go to a movie to see the puppets, but learn to love it because of the characters. Plus, why should we have to buy a lot of toys and books in order to fully appreciate what's onscreen? Why can't the movie be self-contained, rather than the lynchpin of a marketing juggernaut?
The DVD version overflows with info, documentaries and the like. Extras include the "Duel of Fates" music video (the music's more compelling minus Mannequin Skywalker and the rest of the film), storyboards, animatics, deleted footage and commentary from Lucas and others involved. If you're a "Star Wars" fan, or completist, you'll definitely want this stuff. It's a lot more interesting than the movie, but has a desperate air about it. It's Lucas begging us to love "Phantom Menace" because he and his imaginative elves worked so hard on it. And bless their hearts, they really did!
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