Rating: 
Summary: LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE!!
Review: Episode one is just that, the first part of a serial. People who claim no continuity don't know there Star Wars chain of events. There is a reason for every part of Episode One. The Stormtroopers are not a regression of technology. They came about from the downfall of the droids. If you remember the achilles heel of the droids is the command ship. Droids don't make good soldiers, you need living beings. In the original (Ep-4) there are several references to "The Clone Wars". The "clones" become stormtroopers, an entire army of clones. Princess Leah acknowledges this to Luke with the famous line "Aren't you a little short for a storm trooper?" Yoda claims Anakin to be too old as an excuse not to train him because he sees danger in Anakin. BUT! Qui-Gon was right... Anakin IS the one who, as prophecy dictates, brings balance to the force. Remember Vader/Anakin kills the Emperor, NOT LUKE! Even Vaders line to Obi-Won "the last time we met... now I'm the master" hints to the prequels, a fight is going to occur in Ep-2 or 3. With upcoming episodes the evolution of Anakin to Vader will take center stage. Episode One is a vehicle to bring Anakin to the Jedi. If you recall the original Star Wars recieved mixed reviews when it was released in the later 70's. Now it's a classic. Keep watching you'll grow to love Ep-1 when the other pieces of the puzzle fall into place. One thing I do agree on... Jar Jar was idiotic pandering to the god of merchandising. Write him out of Ep-2 post haste.
Rating: 
Summary: Great effects, but lacked what made the original so special.
Review: Episode One isn't exactly the best movie of the year, but I had a helluva good time with some of the scenes (namely the pod racing scene). What Lucas needs to do is to not pay so much attention to effects and make his characters more... likeable. Maybe give them some depth and development. Some of these guys just appeared out of nowhere, as if Lucas didn't feel like making up any original origins. Jake Lloyd was bad as usual; Osment would have been a better choice. Lloyd tries too hard with his in-your-face voice and redundant facial expressions. Jar Jar didn't annoy me as much as he did with other folks, and Darth Maul. Oh man. He was great. Those fighting sequences were beautiful. Lucas is a fool for killing him off so fast, and he should have had more screen time. Ah, well. Maybe in Episode Two, Lucas will try harder to give the people what they want: Original, wholesome, light-hearted fun and not a special effects ridden excuse for a box office hit. Like I said, it was entertaining. Very entertaining. But it's hard to even think that it belongs in the same series as the first three.
Rating:
Summary: THE FANDOM MENACE
Review: Episode One of the STAR WARS saga is actually a very entertaining film that does not deserve the bad rap it has taken since its initial release. The plot, while confusing to some, is actually rather interesting and raises many question along the way that will be answered in upcoming installments. George Lucas, who wrote and produced the saga, sets up many starting points for the following five films, laying the groundwork so to speak. The only mistake being made here is that he relies too much on the viewers prior knowledge of later episodes in the saga, not considering that they will one day be viewed by future audiences in chronological order. This actually begs the question, should the films be watched in their proper order or not??? Yes, the film does have some weaknesses, but it also has several strengths. Sadly, many 'fans' ignore the strengths all together. Liam Neeson is very good in the role of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. He is just as I have always envisioned the Jedi to be like in the days of the Republic. It is obvious though that Director Lucas didn't know how to utilize Liam's extensive acting abilities for maximum effect, leading to some of his performance being a bit stagnant when it should have been heart felt. I still enjoy his performance, but it could have been so much more! Ewan McGregor was an excellent choice to play the part of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He manages to do a wonderful interpretation of the late Alec Guiness, who originated the role in Episode Four (the original film), and really makes you believe that he is the younger version of the character. Oddly enough, the choice was made by Director Lucas to cast Kenobi as a secondary character to Qui-Gon. This relegates a character, whom many believe should have been the main character, to the sidelines throughout much of the film. Regardless of this fact, Ewan still manages to give a fantastic performance. Queen Amidala, played by Natalie Portman, is presented quite well on screen. She properly exhibits and maintains the regality needed for the role. As Padme, however, she fails to deliver. This is where the actual characterization existed in the script, but Natalie doesn't waste any time with it. Every time there is need for actual emotion from Padme, she seems to just read her lines. The scene in which she reveals her true identity to the Gungans and begs for their help is blandly delivered with disastrous results! I like Natalie Portman and think that she is a good actress, but I will never understand why she couldn't put forth some type of effort in this pivotal role. Young Anakin Skywalker, the central figure of not only this film but the whole saga, is portrayed this time around in a most under whelming manner by Jake Lloyd. There are three factors that contribute to the failure of his performance. First, the character of Anakin was given some rather badly written dialogue that the best of actors would have trouble dealing with. Secondly, dealing with a child actor sometimes requires the director to actually work more closely with them in order to get a suitable performance out of them, which I get the feeling George Lucas doesn't bother to do. Thirdly, I don't think that little Jake was really up to the role from the beginning. Yes, he may be a cute kid and all, but cute doesn't cut it when you are the central character of the film! JarJar Binks, a much maligned and hated character portrayed by Ahmed Best, is the main reason for so much hatred being heaped against this film. Though his character is outlandish and irritating to an extent, he also has several truly humorous sequences that tend to be forgotten or ignored. He is not as detrimental to the film as many make out. Basically, if you dropped the more cartoonishly portrayed elements of him, and cut back on the scenes of his cowardly, bumbling behavior during the land battle, he would be much more likable. The action scenes are mostly well done here, with two sequences that steal the show. The pod race midways through the film is a very exciting experience filled with lots of edge of your seat thrills. That, and the light saber battle during the finale between the two Jedi and the villainous Darth Maul which is also very exciting. It is one of the most beautifully choreographed sequences done for the saga yet. The land battle with the battle droids and Gungans is pretty good, but suffers a bit from JarJar antics and excessive CGI. Too bad the space battle during the finale didn't get as much attention as the other showdowns did. From script to screen, it suffered the most with silly accidental scenarios that ultimately win the day for the good guys. Some of the deleted scenes available on this DVD release have been re-inserted into the film, including elements from the Pod Race Grid Sequence, Pod Race Second Lap, and the entire Coruscant Taxi Trip. These are good inclusion to the film, helping to tie certain scenes together a bit better. I would like to have seen the Waterfall Sequence and Farewell To Jira put back into the film, but those will have to remain as extra features. The other scenes are of little importance and better left on the cutting room floor. In the end, THE PHANTOM MENACE is a good film. It captures the spirit of adventure that makes these films fun, though it crosses troubled waters from time to time. It isn't perfect by a long shot, but it is still a credible entry that is much better than people want to make it out to be. Three years later Episode Two would improve on many, but not all, of the problems encountered here. In the mean time, beware of the excessively critical 'fans' and their vitriolic comments! 3 ½ Stars!
Rating: 
Summary: "Star Wars" in name only; what a disappointment...
Review: Episode One, with its stunning visuals, is a thrill to look at. Parts of it would have worked great as an IMAX show about visions of other planets. As a movie, and particularly as a Star Wars movie, though, it falls far short. This film, unlike its predecessors, falls into the sci-fi trap of putting spectacle over story, special effects over character development. Yes, it had a lot of hype and expectations to live up to, but storytelling is still storytelling no matter what the medium and genre. It pains me to say it, but this particular Lucas installment is all flash and no Force.
Rating: 
Summary: garbage
Review: episodes 4-6 are in fact some of the most outstanding movies I have ever seen....but this one, is just [bad], i really didnt like it at all, I can't believe I saw it in the theatre. The only cool guy Darth Maul has like two lines, but on the plus side the computer animation is top notch, other than that you'd have to be an ultimate star wars nut to like this.
Rating:
Summary: Not a lot of heart, but a lot of fun!
Review: Even if the film didn't live up to its' hype, it's still a visual feast like its' predecessors. I've heard several people argue grass should not be in STAR WARS films. We had trees in RETURN OF THE JEDI, didn't we? What's wrong with that?
The special effects and creature make-up are incredible, as is the film itself. It is full of wonderful visuals. You get to see the towers of Coruscant Plaza, the Naboo Forest, Tatooine 30 years before the original trilogy, and the overall effect is absolutely eye-filling. I still don't know what George was thinking with Jar Jar Binks. His character is so lame-brained and annoying, but granted he was essential to the story and is a heavily made-up character. I just hope with EPISODE 3 Anakin's first act of vengeance after becoming Vader is killing him off. Then again when your name is George Lucas, you are making it all up. There are no rules. The only rules are the rules of the imagination, and George Lucas has an extraordinarily visual imagination. It is a real joy to see Ian McDiarmid back as the Emperor, C-3PO and R2-D2 when they are first introduced to the story, Yoda as now a more realistic Computer Graphics character and not a hand puppet as used in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI. It's hard to conceive that this is "the saga before the saga" because it's so different from the original three.
I think who really steals the show is not Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks, but Ray Park as Darth Maul. It is a small role, but a role that Park portrays with the utmost conviction. He is silent but deadly like Boba Fett, fearce and powerful like the Emperor, and terrifying like Darth Vader. He is the ultimate Sith Jedi, and the climactic lightsaber battle between Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi is nothing short of incredible. Hearing the "Duel of the Fates" theme in the background gives the entire sequence an eerie quality, as was certainly intended. Jake Lloyd is in my opinion very good as the young, innocent Anakin Skywalker. He is such a kind, charming, and intelligent little boy. I find it a very scary thought that the tyke will soon become the big, bad Darth Vader. It sends chills down my spine! Also major credit to John Williams' score. What is STAR WARS without John Williams?
Definitely the best moments come through the lightsaber duel at the end of the film, even Errol Flynn movies can't compare. Now that I'm older I see where STAR WARS has its' flaws, but it's still fun to be in another galaxy even for only a day. Yet after it's over, I can't help but say to myself. OK George, it was great. Now let's move on to something else.
Rating: 
Summary: must have (if your a hardcore starwars fan)
Review: even if you didn't like the movie compared to the previous Starwars flicks, if you are a hardcore star wars fan you basically have to buy this DVD. If you don't know why, then your not a hardcore starwars fan (not that there is anything wrong with that).
Rating:
Summary: Incredilble Sound and Special Effects
Review: Even if you don't enjoy the story, the special effects and audio are worth it. I just watched it again last night with the volume way up. Wow! The second disc is also very interesting. All the making of.... Very cool stuff. This is a very high tech film. A real keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Please edit this movie!
Review: Even showing up on DVD couldn't save this movie. It's too much for kids. Jar Jar's antics annoyed the heck out of me and got downright ridiculous. Why couldn't anything be done on purpose. I think little five year olds still would have liked Anakin and Jar Jar if they killed a droid on purpose. Anakin destroyed a whole Droid Control Ship and saved the day on accident and Jar Jar couldn't even pick up a weapon and fight droids invading. He did it all with his clumsyness which made the movie sooo unbelievable. The droids didn't even seem like a threat when no Gungans died and thousands of droids did. Crazy isn't it. It's not like I wanna see good guys die, but where's the threat if none do. Look at Return of the Jedi or A New Hope, many got killed trying to take out the Death Star and you were left wondering, "are they gonna do it?". The fighting scenes with Darth Maul were awesome, best parts. Episode 1 basically represents Star Wars since it is supposed to be watched first. Not a good beginning to the saga. Too much of a little kids movie and it brought down Star Wars. You go from the threat of the Rancor and the Wampa monster over to Jar Jar. Oh well, Episode II: Attack of the Clones looks AWESOME! But so did the trailer of The Phantom Menace.
Rating:
Summary: George Lucas is the master
Review: even those of you hate Jar Jar should love this flick, because the more you hate him the happier you will be when Anakin eventually cuts him down!! The Duel of Fates alone makes this a must have :)
|
