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Summary: AT LAST WE SHALL REVEAL OURSELVES TO THE JEDI...
Review: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is an extremely entertaining movie that was always in danger of drowning after the success of the original saga. We go back to a land far, far away... that is set before Star Wars - A New Hope (Episode IV),where the evil Darth Vader is a child in the form of Annakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) and it is at this point, that the youngster's destiny begins... enter Qui-Gon Jin, (Liam Neeson) a wise but slightly rebellious Jedi and his younger charge, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) who free the young boy from eternal slavery on the desert planet of Tatooine. The scene is set for a truly exciting and thrilling saga that merits praise here. It's not the same as the original but that is good as this gives the franchise a newer and fresher angle. The performances are uniformly good, Liam Neeson is very good as is Ewan McGregor and Jake Lloyd. Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) does wrankle slightly but the kids love him. Just sit back and enjoy it, Darth Maul (Ray Park) is the coolest screen villain since the child catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!Roll on the release of the DVD version and can't wait for Episode II - SEAN PRICE-GOOD REVIEW! SEE IT TODAY!!
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Summary: "The will of the force is strong"-- Qui Gonn
Review: Episode I is a great intro to the star wars story. It has a lot of holes but is a great beginning. Ewan McGreogor takes on the Obi Wan character and in so many ways reminds you of Alec Guiness. Darth Maul is an incredible Sith LOrd that I wish we could have seen more of. One can harldy look at little anakin and say "hey arent you Darth Vader"? I think many fans were disapointed at the innocence of his character. But they need to remember how Obi Wan praises him in the original trilogy. The movies battle at the end is great and thus far including the follow up attack of the clones , episode I has the greatest light saber duel ever. That alone makes this movie. The pieces come together in this movie for future sequels. Too bad attack of the clones is a disapointment.
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Summary: A good opening movie to the saga -- A Well Put Together DVD
Review: Episode I is not a bad movie. It is a well presented opening to the story that is Star Wars. The symbolism, imagery, and important questions are all answered in this film that we have all been waiting for since Return Of The Jedi. A good story needs good actors to play the characters in the movie, and The Phantom Menace delivers. I was most impressed with Liam Neeson, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi's master, Qui-Gon Jinn. The character and the actor playing him held this entire movie together. I also liked Jake Lloyd as the young prodigy, Anakin Skywalker, and Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala. The first scene between Anakin and Padme was well written and acted, and won my vote of approval for this film. I also liked the reoccurring theme that was present in the previous 3 Star Wars films that comprised the original trilogy of having characters that aren't what they appear to be. Because of this, parts of this movie take on a different significance when seeing this movie more than once. The only criticisms that I have of this film are small. I think that George Lucas could have cut down on the CGI scenes. CGI scenes look like CGI scenes, which are just a step above the quality of a well animated cartoon. Jar Jar Binks, although not one of the story's more endearing characters, gets the right amount of screen time, and in my opinion was no more annoying than the teddy bear muppet Ewoks in Return Of The Jedi. I also thought that scenes regarding Anakin's Jedi training could have used a slight change in written dialogue, but I think I understood what transpired in the movie. Another aspect of this film that takes away from any suspense is that we know what happens to a large number of the main characters because this film is a prequel. Knowing this influences how viewers may feel about many aspects of this movie. It would be like reading the last several chapters of a book, then starting by reading the first page of the book. The DVD packaging is presented in a fashion that is well suited to DVD. What I liked most about the director's commentary of the film was that the name of the person would appear at the top of the screen when they were talking. Most DVD packages that have director's commentary do not have this feature, and it is often confusing to know who exactly is talking. The second DVD has a twelve part making of Episode I that was originally accessible only by the Internet, along with 5 featurettes that explore certain aspects of the film, and an extended documentary about the making of the film. There are also 7 deleted scenes which can be viewed either separately, or as a whole with commentary from George Lucas and others in between each deleted scene -- keep watching at the end credits of this version, which shows a Jawa Sandcrawler in overdrive traveling faster over the Tatooine landscape than the racing pods -- I had no idea they could go that fast! There are also 2 movie trailers, a music video, and 7 television commercials promoting the film. I know that somewhere there is an Easter Egg on one of the DVD's that can be found of bloopers that didn't make the film.
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Summary: Underappreciated, Underrated FX Masterpiece
Review: Episode I is not the best of the four Star Wars films but really the comparison should not be made. The sonic boom of technology and computer animation over the past 20 years has vastly changed the possibilities on screen (see Shrek, Toy Story, or Monsters Inc). Lucas has given us a modern day version of a Star Wars tale. The main difference between the two generations of films is that in the early movies the focus was on character development, whereas now the focus is on eye candy. Don't get wrong, I love me some good eye candy, and Episode I has plenty of it. The lightsaber duels in the desert and at the finale are nothing short of breathtaking, and the pod race is easily the best scene in the film. The character development in Episode I is there but not nearly as in depth as any of the first three. Episode I serves as an introduction to such characters as Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Princess Amadala, and Anakin Skywalker. It is pretty clear that George Lucas wanted to make a technically superior film with Episode I and in that respect he has succeeded. However, I do believe that the best is yet to come. Lucas claims that Episode III will be the "darkest" of all the Star Wars films depicting Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader, and that is great news for those of us who believe that the Empire Strikes Back was the best of the first three films. Anyway, no self respecting Star Wars fan should be without this DVD. The sound quality is superior to anything I have ever heard and the extras and options are fantasic. This is a great bargain. Highly Recommended.
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Summary: This is one of the best
Review: Episode I is, quite simply, brilliant. The performances are good, the storyline is great, the action scenes are unbelievable and the aliens are portrayed beutifully. Watch this movie for the fun of it, and not keeping one eye on the New York Times review. If you watch this movie to enjoy it, and not critique it, you will see that while Episode I was not great enough for some, it is still a great movie. Anyway, so many people went to see it: don't tell me all these people are wrong. This will be a classic (like the others) for years to come.
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Summary: "The Phantom Menace" On Par with "A New Hope"!
Review: Episode I met all of my expectations and then some. True, it is certainly not the original three films, but it's still very good. "The Phantom Menace" has a much more uplifting feel to it than the later three movies, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. The people who were expecting to experience the joy and amazement inherent when they saw the original films will be disappointed, so if you're that closed minded, I wouldn't suggest watching it. I believe that most of the fans who think that Lucas has sold out Star Wars as a kid's movie are completely wrong. In essence, the original three were children's movies; that's not to say that adults don't enjoy them, however. Lucas accomplished something very unique in that he could construct a plot deep enough for adults, and yet simple enough for children. The plot of episode I is not as deep as the three original films, of course, but it's certainly there, and complex in its own right. I think you'll find that if you look back at when you first saw the films in the theater, you'll understand what I'm talking about. Chewy is just the same as Jar-Jar. Come on! A big furry animal that talks in grunts and rips the arms out of people when they lose? That's just as dumb, and yet likeable, as Jar-Jar Binks. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. "The Phantom Menace" is excellent. Period. I rate it up there with "A New Hope". Any fan who can see beyond their stubbornness will be able to appreciate the film for what it is. It's sure to transport you back to the galaxy far far away just like it did 20 years ago. Give it a chance. George, thanks for another great installment in the epic tale!
Rating:
Summary: The Film -> 5 Stars The DVD->5 stars
Review: Episode I The Phantom Menace, altough it has been severely criticized by purists, remains an excellent starting point for the saga.
As for the DVD edition, the features are just superb: deleted scenes, a bunch of data that originally appeared in the website and full leghth commentaries. No Star Wars fan should pass on this one.
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Summary: The Star Wars Saga.
Review: Episode I was a key point of the Star Wars Saga. The other movies may stand on their own better but this movie plays a more key role. It tells the begining of an amazing story of Aniken Skywalker. It is the first of what would have been, if Lucus would develop that last 3(and probably wont),9 movies. This is the background of who the charters are. It tells the whys of the middle 3 movies. To really understand the middle 3 you must see this movie.
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Summary: Not as good as the original trilogy, but enjoyable.
Review: Episode I was not as good as the original Star Wars trilogy. However, with the exception of Jar Jar Binks and his clumsiness, it was a highly enjoyable movie. My favorite scences were the pod race and the final lightsaber battle (and the space battles were pretty cool, too). Anyway, I reccomend this video. Unlike others, I didn't think the VHS quality was poor at all. But I am still looking forward to the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: STAR WARS, STAR WARS, STAR WARS!!!
Review: Episode One follows the same format as the following Star Wars films. Taking place in a Galaxy far away-Episode One tells the story of Anakin Starwalker the ill-fated Darth Vader. Episode on brings history and insight into how it all began and even gives hints to how the Empire could have been stopped early on. With its use of breath taking graphics and great screen writing, Episode One lives up to the Star Wars legacy and will please any Star Wars fan.
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