Rating: 
Summary: If Jar Jar gets deleted, I'll buy a copy
Review: My title says it all - If Jar Jar gets deleted, I'll buy a copy.I've seen the original 3 Star Wars movies multiple dozens of times each, and saw Phantom Menace twice (once on opening day, because I used to believe in George Lucas, and again several days later just in case I had hallucinated how bad Jar Jar stunk up the entire movie). Jar Jar wasn't the only bad part of the movie, but with him it is totally un-watchable.
Rating: 
Summary: IT'S A FUN RIDE. PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
Review: My title says it all. It's good harmless PG-rated fun that anybody can watch. Sure, it doesn't have much of a "human element" but come on! It's a sci-fi adventure flick that's meant to pass a couple of hours by with flashy eye candy. It's not meant to change your lives with incredible dilogue spoken by unbelievably real characters. And to all of you so-called fans who keep whining out cheesy lines like, "I waited 16 years for this! I can't believe I waited in line for 22 months and this is all I get!": Get a life! If you go to a "Star Wars" movie for insights on life and great character development, are you completely dense! Sure, I love the other movies but the characters are no different from these characters. "Han Solo"? It wasn't the character that was great! It was Harrison Ford. He was essentially playing himself. The character was as flimsy as wet tissue paper. And to those of you who think "Jar Jar" is lame? Just how cool is "Chewbacca"? I think you get my point. At least one of them can talk and doesn't look like a basic gorilla. I loved this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: By no means a disappointment
Review: My, and I believe nearly everyone's favourite "Star Wars"-movie is Episode V-"The Empire Strikes Back". Not only because it was visually the most dazzling, it also had far more sense of wonder and magic than the other Episodes. Never had a "Star Wars"-film a greater emotional impact. "The Phantom Menace" is definetly not on par with that film, nor has it the originality of "A New Hope", but still I liked this film a lot. I actually found it better than "Return Of The Jedi". Even those who dispised the movie must acknowledge that it has its merits. The special effects are fantastic, and in contrast to other films with superior FX, they are also highly imaginative because they create entire worlds of their own. Individual action-setpieces are among the most exhilarating of the decade (the pod-race or the final lightsaber-duel among others) and John William's score is one of the major assets again. Many complained that Jar Jar Binks is too silly and childish. This criticism is understandable though I think many people overreacted with their hatred towards this character. He actually has some funny moments. That the film doesn't have a villain that is as effective as Darth Vader is true and false. The villain does not YET appear as the villain which will (hopefully) make him even more evil in the next pictures. The decision to conceal the true menace (careful viewers still found it of course) is already implied in the Episode's title, so it was obviously deliberate. This must be the reason why Darth Maul is used so rarely. The character has just no significance for the whole saga. One must not forget that TMP is not a film, but the first two hours of a 13-hour-saga. It was therefore inevitable that it would be less dramatic as "Empire". The bottom line is that despite some shortcomings, Episode I effectively sets up the future Episodes. I agree with those who say that George Lucas should have underlined some of the darker aspects of the story more than he did. Let's hope he will do so in the next two chapters which have the potential to become even stronger movies. If the new trilogy finally sucks, it won't be because of "The Phantom Menace".
Rating:
Summary: A few flaws, but not nearly as bad as some people say it is.
Review: Nearly every critic this side of the galaxy has bashed The Phantom Menace, saying that the characters are two dimensional and that Jar-Jar is a pain to listen to. They say it lacks a good plot, and the dialouge is atrocious. They say the characters have no real goals, and that the scenes in Coruscant are boring. One of them even said the special effects are'nt that good! DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST THE GREATEST SCI-FI FRANCHISE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND! I'll admit that the characters are flat in terms of personality, but I really don't care, because it's Star Wars. Finally, the viewer gets to see at least some of the beginning of the saga, with the rest coming in the next few years. I heard that some people thought that Episode one was to bright and cheerful... well, it has to be, because the next two are going to be VERY dark, with the rise of the Empire and all that. Maybe we'll get lucky and see Jar-Jar die in Episode two! Any way... The special effects in episode one are spectacular. Everything is just so detailed, from the tiny wires in Quadrinaro's Pod racer to the way the trade federation deploys its battle droids... your eyes will will lap it up! But Phantom is'nt just visually stunning, the audio aspects of the film are very impressive also. Every single pod racer has its own unique engine sound, like the nascar blast of Anikin's racer, or the raw powered diesel locomotive of Sebulba's. John William's score is also of equal level. Many people complained because it rarely had the original theme in the score, but I think it is better without it. This is a movie that takes place decades before Episodes four, five, and six, with no rebel alliance or evil empire. There is no Luke Skywalker in a Death star, nor is there a certain "piece of junk" owned by a Han Solo. This is'nt supposed to be like the original Starwars that much, so a new theme is welcome...especially when it's as good as it is. But here's the flaws. The dialogue is bad. It's blank, unemotional blather for the majority of the movie, and Anakin says "Yippie" to much. The characters are the same; blank, unemotional blather for the majority of the movie. They have no concrete goals for them to follow. that's probably why the middle part of the movie is boring to many people (I find it entertaining, because it explains the government, and the corruption within). All things considered, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Despite it's numerous flaws (most of them small and opinion based) Star Wars Epiode 1- The Phantom Menace is one heck of a ride! Just make sure you bring a blaster pistol along, just in case!
Rating:
Summary: breathtaking
Review: Needed room for improvement. Nevertheless, very entertaining and breathtaking. The film had style but less substance than the Original trilogy, but awesome. One of my favourite movies.
Rating:
Summary: Does not work *at all* on Macs
Review: Neither DVD of the two DVD set works *at all* on a Macintosh. The movie doesn't play and the additional DVD-ROM only content is incompatible.
Rating:
Summary: Losing that Sense of Wonder?
Review: Never has a movie so polarized the cinema-going world as "Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace." If you've seen the movie, you fall into one of two camps, generally speaking:
* Fanboi: Overused terminology, to be sure, but you know what's going on here. Has seen the first trilogy seventeen times. Laughs at "Expanded Universe" aficianados. Bought the "Hardware Wars" special edition for the special effects upgrade. Considers Episode I an abomination of all things bright and wonderful, especially Lucas' Unholy Trinity of Jar Jar, young Anakin, and the entire Gungan race.
* Kids: Don't know what everyone's all upset about. Decent movie, but no "Empire", that's for sure. Was that Jar Jar fellow supposed to appeal to us, by the way?
The biggest problem I had with this movie was that it seemed to go out of its way to insult the intelligence of its target audience, by which I mean children age 6-16. I don't like getting hit over the head with comic relief any more than kids do, and Jar Jar was just too much for anyone. But enough about the albatross.
From a more sober perspective, this movie has little else to be ashamed of. It's technically accomplished, sporadically riveting, and has a couple of truly great set-pieces (the podrace and the Darth Maul battle scenes). The really interesting buzz being generated by the upcoming Episode II is that it forces you to re-evaluate your stance on Episode I. That's high praise indeed, but I'll believe that once I've seen it.
Rating:
Summary: Not Very Good.
Review: Never has the popularity of a movie escaped me more than the popularity of this one. What am I missing here? This is, simply put, the most dreadful movie I have ever had the misfortune of watching. My five year old son saw this movie with his Grandma and couldn't wait for it to be released on Video. When it did, I watched it with him, squirming all the way. To further distance myself from the rest of the human race, I though the movie's only redeeming quality was it's comic releif- namely, Jar Jar Binks. Sorry, Mr. Lucas. This one's not for me.
Rating:
Summary: Shame on you, Lucas
Review: No DVD version and I didn't even like the movie nearly as much as its sequels. It was too bland, the story was dumb. In 4-6 you at least had the impression that a great story was being told. This movie lacks the atmosphere and the feeling of the other three. And even the actors didn't seem to feel "at home" in this movie...
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have Classic
Review: No matter how people might have been disappointed with the movie, I believe that it is a great movie overall and it is the beginning of the saga. OK, the pod-race was really too long and Jar Jar Binks was slightly annoying but the film contained several great scenes as well. It is overall very exciting by itself and also as a part of the whole saga.
The DVD contains very interesting interviews with almost everyone and additional shootage. The images are clear, the sound spectacular and it is really a must have for the dedicated.
This is the only Phantom Menace we will have for a very very long time. So get it now and keep it for a lifetime.
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