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Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $13.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Where is the action at????
Review: Rule one need more action in the movie. And rule two well, not rule two sorry. (Liam Neeson) and (Ewan McGregor) are great. I think the moive will be better on DVD that's what I think? Because some of the moive is cut out because there is not alot of tape for at all.

Well, the moive did't do so well the with other view's. But not with me. I think it can do more better than that?? I think (George Lucas) can do better than that because I have seen some of his moives.

I mean it's a great moive and all but the fan's did't like it at all. So if you like it alright it not that's ok too. HEY! neverbody can't better good at all the time you know.

I hope you enjoy it and I like to hear form you soon. Ok.
Thank you for reading this and please vote careful.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Format
Review: Saw the movie on the bigscreen. Outstanding flick. It explains alot about incidents and comments in later episodes. It's just too bad it's not being produced in anything but VHS format. Needs to be DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Why DVD Was Invented
Review: Say what you want about "The Phantom Menace," but one cannot deny that the new DVD version is absolutely the best DVD package produced so far in the relatively short history of the medium. Lucas kept telling us he wanted to wait to do this on DVD until he could get it right, and he did.

What's so great about this DVD -- aside from the very good picture transfer and the perfect soundtrack -- is that it truly shows what it takes to make a movie of this magnitude from every stage and facet of production. There are 20 documentaries here -- yes, 20 -- capped off by an hour-long, narration-free video diary of the production that tells everything you need to know about why "TPM" turned out the way it did.

So why did "TPM" turn out the way it did? Well, it's simple: George Lucas expected too much from too many people in too short of a time. Luckily for him, many of those people delivered -- John Knoll and ILM, Ben Burtt on the sound design, and John Williams in particular. But George overlooked one thing, and that was simply the performances. The shoot was done in 13 weeks, and, as the docs show, he often only took 2 takes. This is with actors on stages covered floor-to-ceiling with blue screens, acting against sticks with ping pong balls on them for animator reference. George simply rushed the shooting of this film so that the techies could have more time to make it look and sound as jaw-dropping as it does.

And maybe that's okay. At heart, "TPM" is, after all, just a space opera, a movie that's supposed to make you ooh and ahh. And it does that. The visual effects are the best anyone's ever seen, sometimes purely because of how many of them there are. Damn near every shot in the film contains an effect of some kind, and the result is a picture so rich with visual detail that it really is quite impossible to take it all in.

Of course, the picture does have more than its share of flaws. Jake Lloyd. Jar Jar Binks (in performance only; the visual creation of Jar Jar amounts to a near-miracle). Natalie Portman's very lop-sided performance. So much going on that we get confused. Some directing mishaps.

But none of that really matters. What matters is that George Lucas simply proved with "TPM" that there are no more barriers in the visual effects world, nothing that cannot be done. As a technical achievement, "TPM" must rate among the greatest in the history of film; as drama, it must rate very low.

Thanks to this DVD, I understand why this is the case. And I thank them for putting it together. This is the definitive DVD, a veritable film school in a box.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Lucas delivers the goods with the first Star Wars on DVD!!
Review: Say what you will about Episode I, the fact remains that it's simply a fun, fun movie. Fans expecting to relive the magic of the original trilogy are bound to be disappointed, but that's really a pretty lofty demand. Those films have had twenty-odd years to insinuate themselves into our collective pop culture psyche, and there is NOTHING Mr. Lucas could have done to satisfy the expectations of the fans who literally grew up with Luke, Leia, and Han. Taken on its own merits, though, Episode I is an absolute blast... a throwback to that magical era of cinema that gave us Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Close Encounters, and so forth. Just relax, quit complaining, and enjoy it.

With that out of the way, let me just say this DVD release of Episode I is absolutely excellent! The movie itself, provided on disc 1, looks incredible... the clarity of the picture will make even the most die hard cynic appreciate the tremendous effort that was put into the stunningly detailed backgrounds and characters; and the sound, needless to say, is AMAZING. This is Lucasfilm, after all...

It's the second disc, however, that makes this DVD a must-buy. There is SOOO much wondeful bonus material on here that you'll be stuck for hours trying to digest it all. There's a wealth of trailers and TV spots, including the music video for John Williams' thrilling "Duel of the Fates." There are seven complete deleted scenes, with an accompanying in-depth documentary, including a step-by-step walkthrough of the creative process behind the waterfall sequence. There are countless featurettes and documentaries, and an absolutely fascinating hour-long making-of film entitled "The Beginning" that's virtually guaranteed to give you a whole new respect for Episode I and the work that went into it. You may even feel a twinge of grudging admiration for Jar Jar Binks... On top of that, there's a really nifty little multi-angle storyboard/animatic/film comparison, and even a few hidden goodies for the diligent viewer. All in all not a bad deal for a measly twenty bucks or so...

Look, if you have any interest in Star Wars at all, this DVD belongs in your collection. Put aside your petty grumblings and go buy it now... I think you may be pleasantly surprised to find that Episode I is not nearly so bad as you had convinced yourself it was. Plus, if we're very, VERY good, maybe Mr. Lucas will eventually grace us with the originals on DVD... Mmmmmmm....Star Wars on DVD.....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Where did George find that kid?
Review: SE1TPM was a great movie. It was atmospheric, intense, lovable. I liked Jar Jar, okay? My problem is Jake Lloyd. Ugh. His lines were extremely - How to put it? - stupid. George, just how many martinis had you had when you were writing him? If you can stand this kid, you'll like the movie. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are awesome, sophistocated, complex characters.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: What happened?
Review: Seems like George Lucas got everything right in this prequel except the most fundamental levels of film storytelling: Acting and scripting.

What we have here is an incredibly stiff, paratactic script with minimal thought, lost in all the terms, names and sight gags, but without any degree of depth whatsoever. I thought C-3PO was already an annoying character, but Lucas one-upped him with the insufferable Jar Jar Binks...and you thought the Ewoks were bad! The jokes are juvenile and come at the most inopportune times and most of the supporting characters are irritating, seething masses, pale excuses for either hero or villain. Lucas also seems to have lost touch with narrative; The Phantom Menace is nothing more than a series of events barely set up, anticipated, or allowed to breathe; the lack of sophistication in plot development often makes this film feel like a sitcom. Actually, even sitcoms tend to have better plotting than this. The only emotional impact this film ever achieves is because of the editing and visceral effects -- the pod race is absolutely thrilling, and the three-personed light-sabre duel at the climax is extraordinary action filmmaking...however, Lucas makes some rotten choices in storytelling even at the climax. Do we *really* want to cut back to another 10-year-old-humoured Jar Jar Binks gag right after Qui-Gon is killed? Why release the tension of Queen Amidala's near-capture just when all the heroes seem on the verge of defeat (always a good cliffhanger)?

Worse of all, there's an abundance of poor performances in this film. The Jedi Knights work well enough, with Liam Neeson adding his signature grace to an under-developed character, and Ewan McGregor fares surprisingly well as young Obi-Wan. Darth Maul, quietly menacing and extremely physical (all of his movements have a supernatural fluidity that's a joy to watch), could've used much, much more screen time, but at least he makes for a good opponent. If only he'd been more present in the rest of the film.

Counteracting these good personnel are a skin-deep Natalie Portman performance (where's Carrie Fisher when you need her?); hammed-up voice work for the puppet characters, droids and villains; and the most terrible blow to the movie -- Anakin Skywalker. This has to be one of the most vomit-inducing, cutesy, fake, shallow child-actor performances I've ever seen. The gushing blond-kid thing may work in a children's film, but against the larger-than-life world of Star Wars, he's a 12-inch thorn. And *this* is supposed to be young Darth Vader? Whenver Lucas lets the kid loose in one of his "oops", "uh-oh" antics, I feel like I'm watching Home Alone. Not a pleasant sensation at all, and it certainly makes both the kid's supposed sacrifice (completely unconvincing) What this character needed was an edge of darkness; in the same year Haley Joel Osment dazzled with his haunted performance in The Sixth Sense, this desecration of the Anakin character is especially blasphemous. And from the original creator of the Star Wars series, to boot.

The action sequences were wonderful; if only Lucas had paid attention to the human truths and emotional sophistication of the script.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Where It All Begins
Review: Set 30 years before the original STAR WARS, Lucas throws us into a mix that includes trade blockades, podracing, and votes of no confidence. Yes, it's Episode I!

The "Old Republic" elder Kenobi spoke of in the original film is in its heydey - but dark times - they are coming.

The Republic's corrupt Senate imposed restrictions on the shipping lanes, causing commercial interests like the Trade Federation to protest on Naboo, a Republic planet.

The President of the Republic then requested aid from the Jedi Council - a noble order of magical warriors - to end the conflict and restore peace in the Republic. Two Jedi Knights - young Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master - are dispatched.

Upon arrival on Naboo - the film's opening scene - the Jedi are attacked by the Trade Federation and escape to rescue Naboo's leader, Queen Amidala. It is then revealed that the Trade Federation are but mere pawns in a bigger game, one that involves the Sith - evil Jedi.

The Jedi flee with Amidala back to the Senate and the Jedi Council for more help, but not before fatefully picking up a young slave boy named Anakin Skywalker along the way.

To find out what happens to the Jedi, the Senate, Amidala, Skywalker, and the rest of the story, you will just have to watch the film.

May The Force Be With You

EPISODE III
Coming May 2005

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Movie but could have been much better.
Review: Set some 30 to 40 years before the events of Star Wars; A New Hope, George Lucas returns to "a galaxy far, far away." The Good aspects of this movie are the action and the special effects. The best score ever by John Williams. They do make the Star Wars galaxy come alive. The actors do a good job in the movie but the main villians being the Trade Federation and their Droid Army are not that formitable. Darth Maul makes an effective villian but his presence on film is too short, and Jar Jar Binks seems to exist solely for pure comic relief and that's all. It was a good film, better then most science fiction at the movies, but it's not in the same class as the other Star Wars films; A New Hope, the Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An instant Classic to Die Hard- Star Wars Fans.
Review: Set thrity years before the Original Star Wars. The plot follows meeting young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd),a boy with a gift, that could bring the goods for the force of being a Jedi and Will transform later into the Evil Darth Vader. Obi-Wan Keeobi (Ewan McGregor), the wise old Jedi from the Orignal Series, is a determined young apprentice and his master:Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), who teaches him the way of the force. It`s the Beginning of the Rise of the Power of Senator Palptine (Ian McDiamid) is an ambitious senator of the galatic republic and the Rise of the Evil Emperor-Darth Sidious. It is a time, when the Jedi Knight are the guardians of peace in a turbulent galaxy and a young Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) fights to save her people but in the shadows lurks an evil swordmen named Darth Maul (Ray Park) waiting for the right moment to Strike.

Directed by George Lucas (American Graffiti, Star Wars, THX-1138) made an very entertaining Prequel to the Original Star Wars Series. Nesson & McGregor gives a Terrific Performances, this film has an great cast. DVD`s has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an Strong Dolby Digital 5.1 Expanded Surround Sound. The film was Nominated for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound. DVD`s Extras are: An running commentary track by the Filmmakers. Seven Deleted Scenes, Documentary, Music Video and More. Die Hard Fans of Star Wars will love this. Digitally Mastered in THX Picture Quality and Sound. Arriscope. Grade:A.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Ugh.
Review: Sigh. I really wanted to love this movie, but I couldn't find anything spectacular with it. The dialogue, to say the least, is massively cliched. "Our fate is in your hands." And "What does your heart tell you?" are just some of the examples of the movie's boring dialogue. I think George Lucas needs serious brushing-up work on his screenwriting skills. Jar-Jar Binks, in my opinion, is a shining example of how screwed-up mankind is. It feels like Lucas put Jar Jar in only to appease the "cute" and "hip" lover crowd and because of market research, not according to art or his vision. The plot is very mediocre, and the flow of the movie really does damage to the Star Wars franchise. There are no complicated moral issues and feelings of desperation like there were in the original trilogy, which just so happen to be the best movies ever made. However, for Episode II, I hear that Lucas brought someone in to help him work on the script and produced high quality material. Hopefully, George will once again be able to create some magic on the silver screen.


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