Rating: 
Summary: I had a bad feeling about this movie, but not so bad
Review: It could have been badder, but Lucas and his crew saved 'The Phantom Menace' with a great cast, stunning special effects, and a beautyful art direction, but the movie gets very slow at the start, untill the Pod Racing scene.
Anyway, get this outstanding and long awaited DVD version!
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre at best
Review: It disgusts me that George Lucas could make such fantastic movies as episodes 4, 5, and 6 with such small budgets, and such abysmal spectacles as episodes 1 and 2 with limitless ones. Long story short, instead of good moviemaking (plot, acting, etc.) Lucas has turned to goofy effects that make this a cheap show of CGI flamboyance that makes me want to hide my head in shame for being a fan of the series. I wouldn't mind if the effects were kept under control, but they went way too far. I like to see actors from time to time, but most of the characters are animated and have goofy voices. Jar Jar Binks? Give me a break. Not to mention that, due to the seemingly limitless options of CGI, the Star Wars universe seems quite farther advanced technologically in ep. 1 and 2 than in 4, 5, and 6, which is stupid. With all these battle droids and whatnot, why did the empire bother using stormtroopers? It makes no sense. The only things that saved this atrocity from a one-star rating (I have rated 4, 5, and 6 each five stars by the way - I am not prejudiced against the series) are the presence of Yoda, excellent lightsaber scenes, and a handful of good actors (mainly here I am speaking of Neeson, MacGregor and Jackson). Above all this movie is depressing.
Rating: 
Summary: The DVD to own for DVD's Sake.
Review: It had a big hype and it may or may not live up to that hype, but the DVD is Second to none. If you like "home theater", this dvd will test your audiophile system. Video Quality is Excellent. The Extra disc is Actually worth every second with great entertaining behind the scenes stuff, and a few clues for the upcoming two movies (II & III). Look past the annoying JAR JAR charachter and enjoy the story.
Truth be said, if you don't care for Star Wars and sci-fi to begin with. . . You're on the wrong web page.
Rating:
Summary: Phantom Menace is Menacingly Excellent!
Review: It has finally arrived. The next installment, or I ahould say the first!New characters blend in fine with some of our old favorites(R2D2, C-3PO, Yoda, Palpatine).Ewan Mcgregor perfectly cast as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi.CG effects revolutionize Lucas's vision of a galaxy far, far away. John Willliams score does it again(Duel of the Fates particularly)!Planet Coruscant resemble Fritz Lang's Metropolis!Pod-Race scene is priceless as is the final light saber duel on Naboo. Phantom Menace kept me wanting more and it just got me more jazzed up about Episode II due out in 2002! May the force be with you....
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the original trilogy but...
Review: It has to be said that Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace isn't as good as the recently released Attack of the Clones. Part 2 has more and better action, more impressive special effects and hardly any Jar Jar! But TPM does have some good points that make it an enjoyable entry into the franchise.Pod races, spectacular CG, lightsaber battles and outer space carnage all combline to create a sense of fun in the biggest form. The FX throughout the film is impressive, with CG characters interacting with their human counterparts. John Williams' score for the film is brilliant, evoking the themes of the charcters and action with a bold, operatic approach which is familiar but welcome. George Lucas' visionary approach to the film creates a world rich in diversity and fascinating creatures. The action is the film's strong point, and this one has enough fun action set pieces to compensate for the lack of good characters and the slow pacing. Liam Neeson is good as Qui- Gon Jinn, Obi Wan Kenobi's master, and Darth Maul is great as Sith Lord Darth Maul, despite his rather short screen time. But McGregor's Obi Wan is rather stale in comparison to the well-written charcters in A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. And Jar Jar Binks starts to grate after a while, although the character isn't as bad as some critics thought when the film was originally released. But all that is missing the point completley. Star Wars isn't about acting, it's about the good old-fashioned story of good vs. evil, all done in spectacular fashion with lightsaber fights aplenty. And while it's below par compared to Atack of the Clones, it nontheless is a fun, action-filled entry into one of the most well-loved film franchises of all time. The DVD's extra features are impressive, with a commentary from Lucas and the special effects team, an extensive 'making of' documentary, deleted scenes, trailers and much, much more. The digital transfer is first-rate and the animated interactive menus are really imaginative. All put together in an impressive 2-Disc pack, this is one must-own DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Review: It has to be said that STAR WARS EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE isn't as good as the recently released ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Part II has better action, more impressive special effects and hardly any Jar Jar! But TPM does have some good points that make it an enjoyable entry into the franchise.
Pod races, spectacular CGI, lightsaber battles and outer space battles all combine to create a sense of fun in the biggest form. The FX throughout the film is impressive, with CG characters interacting with their human counterparts. John Williams' score for the film is brilliant, evoking the themes of the charcters and action with a bold, operatic approach which is familiar but welcome. George Lucas' visionary approach to the film creates a world rich in diversity and fascinating creatures. The action is the film's strong point, and this one has enough fun action set pieces to compensate for the lack of good characters and the slow pacing. Liam Neeson is good as Qui- Gon Jinn, Obi Wan Kenobi's master, and Darth Maul is great as Sith Lord Darth Maul, despite his rather short screen time. But McGregor's Obi Wan is a mere cipher and most of the characters aren't that good in comparison to the well-written heroes and villians in A NEW HOPE and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. And then there's Jar Jar. While he's actually not as bad as most critics think, he's not one of the most likable characters in the saga. But all that is missing the point completly. STAR WARS isn't about acting, it's about the good old-fashioned story of good vs. evil, all done in spectacular fashion with lightsaber fights. And while it's below par compared to ATTACK OF THE CLONES, it's nontheless a fun, action-filled entry into one of the most well-loved film franchises of all time.
The DVD's extra features are impressive, with a commentary from Lucas and the special effects team, an extensive 'making of' documentary, deleted scenes, trailers and much, much more. The digital transfer is first-rate and the animated interactive menus are really imaginative. All put together in an impressive 2-Disc pack, this is one must-own DVD.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpeace
Review: It is about time Lucas is putting this out on DVD. The DVD version should be great with the deleted scenes that they have put in. Phantom Menace was an exellent story setup for what is to come in Episode 2 and 3. This DVD should sound great in Dolby or THX setup. For the previous people who have posted knocking off a star for your own mistake of not looking at the technical information. This is what was listed. Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) THX Certified
Rating: 
Summary: Whats Wrong With You George?
Review: It is funny how all the great reviews for Phantom Menace portray the Star Wars Trilogy as a story for kids; the reviewers then "logically" conclude that Phantom Menace is just an extension of this theme. How wrong they are. It is true, the Star Wars Trilogy can be enjoyed by people of all ages, but it can only be appreciated by adults who associate with the multifaceted themes resonating in this great epic. Phantom Menace on the other hand, is a movie which can only be appreciated by children and at the most, marginally enjoyed by adults. This is not a bad thing, but for those of us who really love what Star Wars stands for I can only say that Phantom Menace has been a huge disappointment. Stars Wars was not made popular by children but rather by Sci-Fi fans who were starving for something great. Phantom Menace is overly cute and the characters are very under developed, for those of you who had a hard time dealing with the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi I can feel your pain. George Lucas chose technological wizardry over content. Hmmm...what would be the best way for George to cash in on Phantom Menace? Make a great film or pander to kids and then blitz them with toys which you own all the rights to? I am sorry to say that George really butchered Phantom Menace with his over active imagination fueled by nothing other than sheer greed. Trilogy never had so much assinine content, Empire Strikes Back was completely devoid of it and it is no coincidence that it is considered the best episode by Star Wars fans. The Stars Wars Triliogy is not a story for children, it certainly does not contain the level of juvenile content that Phantom Menace is infested with. Why then do so many people think Phantom Menace is just following in Star War's footsteps? I just can't understand it. Wouldn't you love to kill Jar Jar? I know I would. There are a few touching scenes, Anakin leaving his mother, the light saber duel with Darth Maul and Natalie Portman's acting in general is excellent. So take your kids to see Phantom Menace, they probably will enjoy it and you will also smile, but only because they had a good time.
Rating:
Summary: SOMEone had to give this a proper rating...
Review: it IS star wars, and thats the only thing keeping it from getting only one star. it looks like star wars, even feels like it sometimes, but kindergarten-choice of characters and dialogue relegate this to the realm of "after school special" ... on nickelodeon. all the special effects in the world dont make up for the fact that a clown like jar jar has a MAJOR role in what was supposed to be the biggest motion picture event in ALL OF HISTORY!! its the equivalent of starring teletubbies in phantom of the opera. the only good things about this movie were the pod race, and natalie portman. even the fight scenes with darth maul were [terrible], by that point the power rangers could have made an appearance and it wouldnt have hurt the movie.. cuz it already was so bad! the worst part is.. you have to watch it, cuz its star wars. but thats what [video store] is for. i wont be purchasing this dvd.
Rating:
Summary: I think Lucas did a fine job! GREAT EFFECTS!
Review: It is very difficult to give the characters the depth they needed for this movie to be an oscar nominee, but Lucas did a fine job putting this film together. I believe those that hated Jar Jar Binks with the passion they do are overly cynical, and overly pragmatic. I didn't particularly enjoy his onscreen presence, but I don't subscibe to the "Die Jar Jar Die!" principle. Wonderful effects, the characters needed a little more depth, and Annakin should have known what he was doing flying that Naboo fighter as opposed to, "What does this button do?" Overall, an excellent movie, but it is missing some icing on the cake.
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