Rating: 
Summary: 16 years of waiting and two hours of great fun.
Review: After 16 years of waiting to return to that great galaxy far, far away, we've finally arrived there. This movie is the best movie of last year, while it was the least of the four Star Wars movies it had everything the last trilogy did. A great story(good v.s. evil), spectacular sets and effects(which I can't believe lost to the Matrix), cool characters(especially the digitally animated ones), and fantastic music(John Williams rules!). I know a lot of you didn't like this movie, let's take a look at some of the things you didn't like and examine them: 1. Jar Jar Binks. Get a life people! Find something better to do than make fun of an imaginary character. 2. Anakin Skywalker. Sure Jake Lloyd's not the world's best actor, but he's a heck of a lot better than some other actors today. 3. The acting. I feel it had the exact same acting feel as the other movies. 4. The plot. There wasn't just one plot, there were several different subplots. I rate this movie up with the other three. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. If you want to see a very fun movie filled with podraces, space battles, and lightsaber duels or just want a really fun movie. Check this one out now!
Rating: 
Summary: Nice effects, terrible script and acting
Review: After 16 years, Star Wars fans finally got the first episode proper of the popular film franchise. Sadly, it failed to deliver on nearly every front. While Lucas' special effects are once again top-notch(although many other movies nowadays have equal or better effects), the screenplay and acting performances are insultingly bad. Okay, so the only Star wars actor/actress to ever be above DUD is Alec Guinness(and Jar Jar Binks gives the most convincing performance in this movie), but the script here is offensive. We have stereotypical charcters representing Asians, Jews, etc. and the whole thing is rather offensive. I'll give it two stars for great effects, but it really detracts rather than adds to the Star Wars legend.
Rating: 
Summary: A worthy addition to the Star Wars Epic
Review: After a long 16 year wait, the world was brought back to that galaxy far, far away. What a homecoming! It was unfortunate The Phantom Menace was overhyped and held to impossibly high expectations which led to a mountain of, in my opinion, unfair criticisms from a society that is quick to tear anything good down. Episode 1 is a fantastic film that carries on the magical tradition of the Star Wars series. Although slightly thin in some character development and background (e.g. Chancellor Valorum played by Terrence Stamp), the film has a rich, intricate story that entertains on many levels. The performances of the cast were great all around: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Hugh Quarshie, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ian McDiarmid, who was fantastic in the role of Senator Palpatine (the true phantom menace!). The special effects were truly fascinating, from the exciting and harrowing pod race to the grand cityscape of Coruscant. The film is a wonderful journey that maintains the magic which captured my heart as a boy over 20 years ago and still captivates me today and hopefully forever. Truly the best version to have is the widescreen edition which presents the film in its original grand scale, as it has done with the classic trilogy. However, I also purchased the pan & scan version to get a closer look at the details of many of the scenes. I do share the ever growing view of having the Star Wars films released on DVD as soon as possible. The DVD format would dramatically enhance the quality of viewing of these cinematic treasures. Perhaps the classic trilogy will be released on DVD soon to whet the appetites of fans until 2006 or so when the prequel trilogy would be completed.The Phantom Menace is a truly remarkable movie I highly recommend. Grab up this wonderful film today!
Rating:
Summary: "Send this one to a galaxy far, far away."
Review: After a long, long wait, many of us finally got to jump into theatres and watch the beginning of a fantastic tale about good and evil. The film suddenly starts with master Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his younger apprentice, the up and coming Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). They are sent by the Senate to negotiate with the Trade Federation, on board one of their many battle ships that illegally surrounds the Naboo system. The Jedi are distracted as a group of delegates and Vice Roys ploy a plot. I thought that there would be some slick looking villans in vests and gear. Instead, we have three human sized guppies with robes that Hugh Hefner would love and head dresses that look worse than Burger King paper party crowns. They order the Jedi to be killed. Right after I realized who the Trade Federation leaders were, my stomach began to turn in frustration. The worry sat in quick. Their assasins are an armed group of popsicle stick-limbed droids that say hardly anything than, "Roger-roger!" and who's rusty voices are in serious need of WD-40. These guys are the enemy? Our two lightsaber wielding Jedi slice and dice them better than a 'Ginsu' can chop celery, and make their way down to the planet that's already been invaded. Their run in with a clumsy reptillian-man named Jar-Jar (and a jar head he is) starts to water this film down quickly. There's no big threatening villans, no eerie mystery, only characters that are paper thin and a story that's got too much to deal with at once. They find the captured Queen Amidala (a bland Natalie Portman) and take her (with two tag teams of hand maidens) to space, and after an outboard R2-D2 (what's he doing in this???) saves their cruiser's shields from a Federation ship's barrage of lasers, they make their emergency escape to Tatooine. The title is still something everyone wonders about, and I gave the movie the benefit of doubt that he's a soon to be. So, on with the show. Anakin Skywalker, is discovered. A slave to a gang of Hutts, him and his mother, along with nearly completed C3-P0 (oh, brother) help the outlanders win their needed parts in a pod race that's better than Days Of Thunder! Anakin is only freed, but encouraged by his mother to go and seek out a life with the Jedi. The emotional impact or character development is pushed aside by fancy creature spottings and errand-like tasks that everybody is doing from the beginning. You don't get to know anybody at all, and the actors (minus a lame Portman and tin can Jake Lloyd) really try their best at a script that gives them 'a job to do'. The animation and effects are truly spectacular. With an Oscar nod again for that department, they keep up their 'Ind. Light And Magic' legacy. Then there's the Phantom Menace. "Phantom" is right. Except for the last half hour, you don't see or hear him, minus a minute here, and a minute there. Worthy of the movie's title? No way. He does pack a whollop in a sabre duel with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan that can rival all three of the original trilogy's sabre fights COMBINED, with great choreography that was much needed before. The Jedi council is so underused, and Yoda goes from a wise yet funny little green eared Jedi to a grouch on a chair. On the other hand, Watto, the small grumpy swindler who runs the parts shop, is a blue winged creature with a hairy nosed trunk. He is the funny one, not Jar-Jar, and talks like he comes from an Italian pasta place. I do find McGregor to be a well played and placed dead ringer for a young Obi-Wan, so kudos to George Lucas there. All of the humour, filmmakers stying and magic that built the original episodes are lost in this boring entry that was suppose to introduce us to their world with depth, and not just push them into view. Great effects, shallow script writing, and uninvolved moviemaking are all that 'Phantom Menace' gives. The force, is not with this one.
Rating:
Summary: No DVD, no matter. I wouldn't buy this anyway.
Review: After all the reviews on this one, I won't spend much time with it. Here it is: (1)What a waste of Liam Neeson's talent! I know nothing about his character. (2)Darth Maul was pretty worthless as the villain. Other than one incredible fight sequence he did nothing to impress. (3)The pod race that people seem to think is so great is straight out of Ben Hur. (4)That Jar-Jar Binks annoyed me throughout the movie and apparently will be around for the next one. That should keep me away from there! I wouldn't give this one any stars at all if it weren't for the special effects which are very well done. But I don't watch movies for special effects. I watch them for entertainment. And this one mostly just annoys.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful DVD, crap movie
Review: After all these reviews I've read with people giving this movie an undeserved 5 stars, I would like to weigh in with my own. There's no doubt that the dvd is an impressive achievement with all kinds of special features. This is really the way dvds were meant to be authored, and stands up favourably with the best dvd publishers like Criterion. However, I'd give the movie itself 1 or possibly 2 stars. It is simply the worst Star Wars movie ever, with more holes than Swiss cheese. Especially the rubbish concerning r2d2 and c3pio. Is anyone going to credibly believe that Darth Vader did not recognise his favourite robots after all this time? Unless you subscribe to the theory that DV was actually a triple agent who was secretly working for the rebellion... And don't get me started on Jar Jar. It was racist, insulting and an utter waste of time, regardless of how many supercomputers and how many processing cycles they used rendering that waste of time. To sum it up. It's a wonderful example of how dvd mastering should be, too bad the content stinks to high heaven.
Rating:
Summary: More Than Worthy Prequel To The Classic Sci-Fi Saga
Review: After almost a year of anxiously waiting, Star Wars: Episode 1 hit home video. Although the majority of critics gave mixed reviews, The Phantom Menace was welcomed tremendously well, with box-office grossings of over $500,000,000. I can guarentee that this site will soon be filled with "I hate Jar-Jar" reviews. Although he did supply the movie with comic relief, I don't think he fit in with the sci-fi genre. Which brings me to the only thing I didnt like about the movie: It was too child-orientatated, but I guess that was what George Lucas might have been aiming for. The special effects were mind-blowing, and the action scenes were breath-taking. It was well worth the wait. All the actors did a superb performance as well. All Star Wars fans will adore this whole movie (except for Jar-Jar Binks possibly). Can't wait for Episode 2(and no, Leonardo DiCaprio is NOT going to be Anakin Skywalker).
Rating:
Summary: Getting better with each viewing
Review: After being slightly disappointed at the theater with the movie, I still purchased the DVD. (I fell in love with the first three films growing up.) After watching it a few times, I feel this movie gets better and better. The nuances of the cinematography and characterizations are far more advanced than the first series but done gently. Whereas Star Wars was more shoot- em- up, this is better at portraying a story. ( enough siskel and ebert)
The DVD is an excellent combination of gimmicks and the movie. It is getting me excited for the arrival of the sequel or prequel, depending your point of view.
Rating: 
Summary: Trilogy was soooo much better...
Review: After having seen the original Star Wars trilogy an uncountable number of times, I have to say this one did not meet my expectations. I think that George Lucas focused way more on the effects than the storyline and characters, and perhaps if the effects were toned down some it would be a little better. I'm glad to have the history of Obi-Wan and Darth Vader, but it just wasn't done very well. Jar-jar should be deleted, as well as Anakin, who, I'm sorry to break it to all his fans, will turn evil and die. There were a couple of scenes where I was actually rooting for the evil droids because Anakin was so incredibly annoying. If you like sci-fi crammed with effects, you'll like this. But if you're like me and would rather have character and storyline development, and you're a big fan of the trilogy, you probably won't think too highly of this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace
Review: After making the 3 best films of all time Lucas has returned to bring Star Wars back to a whole new generation with, The Phantom Menace. Not only does this films surpass Episode 4- A New Hope , But it lives up to the other 2 , The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It is one of the best films of all time. Many critics have bashed the film, They're all wrong! Some people who dare to call themselves fans have even bashed it, They're not worthy of the title. Star Wars will always be the #1 movies series of all time. And it's only gotten better. :) May the Force be with you.
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