Rating: 
Summary: Glorious!
Review: I gotta tell you I got this DVD since friday, apparently here in Israel they come out ten days before USA. This DVD is gorgeus the best one I can remember since T2. The Beginning ROCKS I mean it's unlike any behind the sceans before, it's not bunch of interviews it's kinda more like Cops in a way. Now for deleted sceans. I realy can't understand the way they cut the pod-race for the release of the film. the left out all the intresting parts and went with the boring stuff. I've always got bored when I watched it. for the DVD the put back in some of those intersting moments but still the coolest of the all, sebulba's fire thrower they left out. this DVD made me love the podrace and bag for more. all in all this DVD made me like TPM much more cuz now i can better understand it and it's even got me more optimistic about AOTC cuz u can actually see that Lucas felt he went a bit to far on this one. It even made me like Jar Jar a little bit, well, maybe not like him but feel sorry for him. hope you'll all enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Great special affects....dissapointing story
Review: I grew up watching the first Star Wars Trilogy, and like millions of people I couldn't wait to watch The Phantom Menace. The special affects were definatly cool, but what happened to the story? I was really unhappy that they took several characters from the original trilogy, and made them look like jokes. For instance: Greedo, the Sand People, and mainly Anakin Skywalker. I HATE it when a character saves the day by pure accident. Anakin just happens to end up in the right spot at the right time, and accidently hits the right button that saves the Universe. And don't even get me started with Jar-Jar Binks, the Pod Race Announcer, and Jar-Jar Binks clan leader. Although the computerized characters were really cool to look at, sometimes it felt cartoonish, and I didn't feel like they meshed real well with the real actors. I missed the way the characters were in Star Wars, like Chewbacca, and the various faces in the Mos Eisley's Canteena. One of the cool things i loved about Star Wars in the first place is because I felt like I was in the movie, experiencing the adventures right along with Luke, Han and Leigh. Their world didn't seem that different from mine, but Episode 1 just seems too fake and less REAL...and it doesn't take itself seriously at all. I know there are a lot of Star Wars Fanatics out there grinding there teeth at my review, but please don't get me wrong, I love Star Wars and I loved certain scenes in this one, but It just didn't live up to any of my expectations. Buy it anyway though...it's deffinatly EYE CANDY!!!
Rating:
Summary: The legend continues!
Review: I grew up with star wars and was 6 when it came out in 77, that makes me 29 now. I found this look back at the begingings of starwars and to see how obi wan and, who luke and lea's mom and father was was awesome! I loved liam neeson(as usual) and again he delivered a #1 performance as master qui gon jin..and ewan mcgreggor did a great job, and they did a good job matching a young obi wan with that of the older one from the original movie.."master" george lucas does it again..keep up the good job..
Rating:
Summary: Interesting philosophies, not a great movie
Review: I guess I'm not a Star Wars geek. I enjoyed the original 3, but I didn't like this one. I enjoy all of mixed pholosophies mixed into a wierd intergallatic setting. I have to admit... I did enjoy it somewhat, but I've seen better. Not worth dressing like a Star Wars character and wait in line for a week or so. (You guys, learn that this is FICTION. You waste too much elbow room with those maniac costumes in lines, and scare the children and the public.) The little boy speaks so unnatural-- like he is reading lines off of somewhere. Still, what a superb acter is he. This boy will age like good wine, assuming he will change and grow in character selection. Is it worth to buy it on DVD? I say that this is good enough to rent on VHS for a night from Blockbuster.
Rating:
Summary: George Lucas, you gotta be kidding
Review: I guess it was inevitable... after all the hype, the movie had to be a letdown, but this much of a letdown? What "The Phantom Menace" adds up to is a banal script, some really dreadful dialogue, some idiotic characters (somebody lock up Jar-Jar and throw away the key), and some dazzling, stupendous special effects. The second installment should be a lot more promising when we find out when and how young Anakin Skywalker took the initial wrong turn that ultimately transformed him into Darth Vader; that movie may have some real juice to it. For now, Lucas and Co. need to realize that it takes considerably more than awesome special effects to make a good movie.
Rating:
Summary: George Needs Our Money!
Review: I guess what chaps me the most about this video is the price. I didn't need a book and some lame slide--I just wanted the movie. It was simply a way to justify charging almost double for a widescreen version. I guess when Lucas decides to release it on DVD we can all buy it again! I already have two box sets of the trilogy. God, I feel like an idiot. Thanks George!
Rating:
Summary: Average prequel with an excellent DVD!
Review: I had a feeling I was not going to like this movie. The trailers looked disappointing and I just felt a 'modern' Stars Wars flick would put all of them out of place. I was wrong. This is a good movie, and even though it was disappointing and a little too modern for me like I thought it would be, I was entertained throughout. The film has some very good action scenes, great acting from Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman (whose character twist, quite simply, confused the hell out of me) and the visuals are breathtaking. However, good visuals, brilliant sound and fabulous editing do not a great movie make. The things I disliked about the movie were the fact that the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi hardly has any involvement into the plot, but the twist at the end is sure to have him more included in Star Wars: Episode II ' Attack of the Clones. I also hated the character of Jar Jar Binks. What an annoying little [guy]! Technically, he was pretty amazing, but he was just a brat with an overacted voice by Ahmed Best and some of the cheesiest lines in any recent sci-fi film. The worst thing about the movie, however, is the fact that the villain is never really developed. I would've liked to know more about Darth Maul's background and attitude, but all I knew about him was he has a red and black head, is the apprentice of the evil Mayor and has a double light-saber. Despite that, I was entertained by the movie and I didn't hate it. The pod race was exciting, the boy wasn't annoying like that AWFUL Jar Jar Binks and I loved seeing Yoda again, a little younger. Hopefully, for the next instalment, the plot will be a little better, Chewbacca and Han Solo will return, the villain will be better developed and we won't see anymore of Jar Jar Binks! Let's just say the force wasn't exactly with George Lucas for this movie, but it was a good stab at a saga beginning. NOTE: This DVD is brilliant! There are so many features, I loved the making of the game and the commentaries the most. Even if you only though the movie was average like me and didn't buy the movie, ask a friend with this DVD if you could check it out because the behind-the-scenes and commentaries and making-of features are well worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: I don't care who hates it--I LOVE IT!!
Review: I had never been a fan of Star Wars before this movie-I was a kid then, sure that the Science Fiction of Star Wars was a bunch of confusing mumbo jumbo, weird, dumb, boring. We had watched one in 3rd grade, I didn't even watch it at all.
But you know, I'd had never cared enough to see them. Never even given it a chance.
I was in 6th grade-I believe. It was in a Time for Kids magazine. An article about this movie-me first thinking "oh, stupid old Star Wars" absent mindedly. But, that afternoon, I was stuck in the car with my older sister, (an 8th grader at the time) wiht only this magazine to entertain us.
As we looked through the two pages dedicated to this movie, we became a little interested-"This doesn't look so bad" we were thinking. I remember Queen Amidala's headdress catching my eye. "Who is this?" I wondered. It seemed very interesting.
As we informed my dad how this movie didn't look so horribly unbearable, He told us "Yeah, Star Wars. The originals are very good. I've tried to tell you before.Sure, we can go and see it."
I remember the night we had planned-my dad was getting home late from a job he had to do-and I was actually nervous. What if he didn't get home in time for us to see this movie? I had a feeling inside-a feeling that somehow, this was going to be a movie I would really enjoy.
He turned up a little late, and we arrived in the theater as the "STAR WARS, EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE" Writing screen was scrolling. I sat down, a little more excited than I thought I would EVER be about 'stupid old Star Wars'.
It really saddens me-honestly, makes me very very sad-how badly this movie is ripped apart. As I left the movie theater, I was enthralled, entranced-and most of all, totally SURPRISED. Star Wars wasn't dumb, old, or stupud. It was AWESOME, AMAZING, IMAGINATIVE-and more than I ever thought it would EVER be.
I watched the other Three later the same week-and loved them, finding my favourite character, Leia, and just loving these movies even more.
Jar Jar Binks is a fresh, halarious, comic relief character-he had me laughing so many times, and made me really love him fro all his thousand faults. Star Wars is made with love and effort, by a man who has a vivid imagination and a love for what he does. Jar Jar was meant ot be a lovebale, funny, great chracacter-and that is exactly what I think of him as.
The actors portrayed roles not easily filled with perfection and an amazing quality that kept me in this movie.
I love it-I will love it forever. Star Wars will always be special to me-it showed me a new world and a new way to look at everything. It has charm, humor, wit, heart and of course, The Force. And I don't mind at all if I am pelted with Unhelpful votes.
Star Wars will always be...Star Wars, to me.
And that's all that there is to it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not too shabby, Mr. Lucas...
Review: I had to do it... I had to get both versions of the Phantom Menace... I mean, I might as well wear out the pan & scan version and save the widescreen edition for special occasions (whatever)... anyway on to the film... I think enough has been said about the content of the film itself. There will always be endless debate about how great/horrible the movie was, about how funny/moronic/racist/utterly worthless Jar Jar Binks was/is... but I digress. The movie is actually enjoyable & very watchable (coming from someone who has seen it over 1 dozen times already)... like John Williams said, it's a great Saturday afternoon movie. Great introduction to the young Obi-Wan Kenobi and his teacher Qui-Gon Jinn (if he trained Ol' Ben, though, how come he never mentions him in the later films?, Darth Maul is totally cool and wields a pretty mean lightsaber, Jake Lloyd is adorable as Anakin, Natalie Portman is wooden as Queen Amidala, and Samuel L. Jackson & Pernilla August turn in pretty good supporting roles. The widescreen edition is presented in a pretty cool format, with the 35mm cell and the booklet. Technically, the video is above average. Good thing I bought the widescreen version; when I started to watch the pan & scan version, halfway through the film the picture became distorted & jumpy, eventually becoming totally unwatchable. When I returned the film for an exchange, the cashier mentioned that they had some problems with a lot of tapes that were returned for similar reasons... so much for THX mastering. The picture is not as clear as I though it would have (& should have) been; it tends to jump in certain places, and happens to be more noticeable in the pan & scan version. I checked it out on at least 3 different VCR's so it's the tape that has the problem. The Dolby Pro Logic soundtrack, however, is another story; rich and very deep in the bass parts, the soundtrack stands out from the get go (with the THX "test" before the film begins). The lightsabers hum all around the room and the starships sound (& feel) like they are taking off in your living room. Highlights include the various lightsaber duels (which put the duels in the original trilogy to shame), the space assault on the Trade Federation, the unbelievable Boonta Eve pod race, and the obligatory celebration at the end of the film. George Lucas tends to go overboard on some of the CGI in this film, with the cardinal sin of making Jar Jar Binks a major character. The film lacks the imagination that Lucas used in the first film. Instead of thinking a scene out (like the now legendary Creature Cantina sequence), with the current technology Lucas can just digitally drop crap into every scene without thinking about it. It shows in many of the scenes, none more so than the droid/Gungan battle. On the whole, however, the movie is fun to watch and pretty much geared towards children (how else to explain the cuteness of Anakin & the buffoonery of Jar Jar?) Pick it up and have some fun on a lazy, hazy (or rainy) Saturday afternoon(s)... you won't be disappointed you did...
Rating:
Summary: On 2nd thought (and viewing), actually better than "Clones"
Review: I had to reconsider both my original review of this flick and "Clones" after having actually watched both movies w/I a week of each other. After the initial letdown of "Episode-I", I was ready to jump on the "Episode-II" bandwagon. In retrospect, while they both share some flaws, in many respects "Menace" is actually superior to "Clones". "The Phantom Menace" has a comparatively simple plot - an intergalactic commercial group called the "Trade Federation" suddenly turns militant in the face of burdensome taxation. They blockade the backwater world of Naboo, threatening an all-out war if their demands aren't met. Why the Federation has taken that strategy is a mystery to the ruling government - the Senate of the Intergalactic Republic. Because the galaxy is largely at peace (except for pockets of lawlessness) there is no standing army. Instead, the Republic relies on the Jedi Knights - warriors schooled in the power of The Force - to maintain peace. When Jedi Knights Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) find themselves unable to forestall a war, they rescue Naboo's elected ruler Queen Amidala (Portman) from certain capture. Having escaped the Federation, Amidala's damaged ship is forced to make emergency repairs on an even more remote planet - Tatooine. Needing parts to fix their ship, and with nobody willing to accept their Republic Credits (even when prodded by Jedi mind tricks), Qui Gonn and Padme (one of the queen's loyal handmaidens) enlist the help of a local slave named Anakin. He's just a kid, but even Qui-Gonn can tell that the boy has the power of the force flowing through him. Soon the quest to repair the ship and escape to the Capitol of the Republic includes a mission to save Anakin as well, determine the nature of the Force energy coursing through him and to evaluate him for entry into the Jedi. This flick was a letdown in many ways, but it does have some qualities that survive repeat viewings. Visually, it is spectacular - the final dogfight between the Federation and the Naboo was not topped or even equaled in "Clones". Both films have epic battles involving computer-animated combatants, but the Gungans have more character than the clone army (though I wouldn't want to face-off either side, ridiculous characters are better than none at all, and the clones are utterly lacking in that area). The story is simple - though the more complex plot of "Clones", with its many continuity lapses and gaps reveal that its makers have a narrative problem which is best served by keepings things simple. Both films are marked by an epic Jedi duel, though the one in "Clones" was strikingly unspectacular. Christopher Lee as Dooku also demonstrated that he can function quite well as an all-around lord of Evil in "The Lord of the Rings", but the script gives him little to do, and the story can't make up its mind as to whether we're supposed to think he might be good, or banish any idea that he's not utterly evil. In contrast, Ray Park as Darth Maul is utterly drenched in evil, his face and body language communicating a very palpable sense of the Sith - the force of evil Jedi ready to tear the galactic order to shreds. Maul's battle royale - alone against Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan easily rivals that between Vader and Luke from "Return of the Jedi" in its narrative coherency, and is only clearly topped in that respect by Luke and Vader's duel from "Empire". While we can lament that "Episode One" wasn't the kind of film that grabbed us from our first viewing (like "Star Wars" or "Raiders") it's still a film that can grab us. Just make sure you give it some room, and wide-screen DVD with which to do it.
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