Rating: 
Summary: STAR WARS I: THE PHANTOM MENACE
Review: A great movie that shows what CGI can do, and getting a basic start on the STAR WARS UNIVERSE of how it all began. Although my main complaint has to do with the movie not being released on DVD, what is George thinking? Compared to DVD, VHS does not offer the crisper sound and picture quality that DVD does. It really is to bad George but the VHS version will never do the movie justice.
Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: A great movie, lives up to even my admittedly lofty expectations!Perhaps not as spectacular as The Empire Strikes Back(but then again, what is?), but it certainly shines in comparison to The Return of the Jedi(the worst great movie ever made). The fx are spectacular, the characters are well acted and memorable(despite complaints to the contrary) and I, for one, look forward to seeing how it all turns out over the next 2 chapters!
Rating:
Summary: The Worst Star Wars
Review: A great movie..........but the worst of the series. I found Jake Loyd was a bit weak, and the atmosphere was off. All in all, though, it was incredible. Good action stuff and a must for Star Wars fans. No, Jar Jar is not that annoying!
Rating: 
Summary: If it looks like cow dung, smells like cow dung...
Review: A horrible, unnecessary waste of time, talent, and money. All of the special feature books and DVD extra features are not worth the price of having to sit through this painful exercise in patience. This is a mess -- period.
Rating:
Summary: Not George's best, but still good
Review: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, A New Hope was made, and was a hit. 2 years later, Empire Strikes Back bravely carried on the tradition. Return of the Jedi was another box-office smash. Everyone anxiously awaited Episode I to take us where we had never been: Darth Vader's history. And it comes out, not exactly what we had expected. Lucas' main mistake was trying to fit too much in to too little time. 3/4 of the viewers couldn't absorb it all. At one point he had 4 battles going on at the same time! Still, the effects are amazing, if too heavily relied on. Hope Episode II's better.
Rating:
Summary: a huge disappointment
Review: A long time ago, in a decade far, far away...a better movie was made. I could not believe that Lucas could put together such a mess as this film. It is long on sound and fury, but signifies nothing. I saw the original Star Wars film 17 times when it played in theaters. Yet after all this time, I only stood in line to see this film once...why? To begin with, there are really no great characters. The droids are reduced to a cameo scene, and linked to young Aniken in an unlikely way. Obi-Wan is underused. The princess is...well, which one is she supposed to be anyway. Jar Jar Binks is just plain irritating. And Darth Maul, a villian who looked so threatening and ominous in the trailer, is reduced to a bounty hunter with five...count them FIVE...lines. By the way...what was they plot anyway? Lucas said he waited 17 years to make this film because the technology did not exist to make the special effects he desired for the film. Yet it wasn't the effects I remember from the original. It was the mythology and the characters. Let's hope George gets tired of playing with his new techno-toys and settles down to write a good script for the next film. Otherwise, I might not care about Star Wars III.
Rating:
Summary: 90% CGI Effects + 10% Plot = DULL
Review: A long time ago,in a film studio far far away...George Lucas began a franchise. The original Star Wars ( now Episode 4 ),relied on an actual story,that was accentuated by "special effects". After seeing "The Phantom Menace",you will find yourself wanting of those simpler times. Frankly,they spent too much time on trying to WOW everybody with computer imagery,and they forgot to write an actual story,that mattered! Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman both give good performances,now if they only had a film to use them in! The film worries more about showing us all these "really cool aliens",and all these "really cool planets and space ships",than advancing the story. What purpose did the Pod Race serve? The Underwater Kingdom? Did we need the stereo type characters? ( not only is there Stephen Fetchit...er...Jar Jar Binks,we have the anti-semetic Watto the pawnbroker,and let's not forget the overly Asian aliens at the begining of the film.) What were THEY thinking?? Is it any wonder that Darth Maul stood out? He was the only interesting character! ( Okay,Samuel L.Jackson as Mace Windu is good too...but that's a given.). A lame Episode 1,with a lotta explaining to do!The film itself is only worthy of 1 star. But the 2nd Disc full of nifty extras,bumps it up to a 3 star deal!
Rating: 
Summary: Remember, we're not 7 anymore.
Review: A lot of 30 year olds are harping about how episode 1 was disappointing. Others say it was too directed at kids. Guess what? So were the first ones. Here are the facts: 1) Watch it as a 7-year old, you'll love it 2) The characters in the first trilogy took 3 episodes to be developed. Give these guys some time. 3) Sure, Jar Jar can be annoying, but so can 3PO. 4) The effects are great. They are cutting edge. However, we are not surprised by them anymore. The key to enjoying this very good film is not to be expecting to be blown away like we were in 1977. It's not perfect. It has its flaws, but so did episodes IV-VI. But it's science fiction which tells a story we have been thinking about for 17 years...and it's a pretty darn good story.
Rating:
Summary: Made me feel like a kid again
Review: A lot of harsh criticism has been aimed at THE PHANTOM MENACE (mostly by rabid STAR WARS fans who wouldn't be happy with anything less than the sci-fi equivalent of CITIZEN KANE) but it really is a pretty good movie and certainly a worthy prelude to Episodes 4, 5, and 6. One thing to remember is that this is just the set-up -- greater and more complex stories (hopefully) await in the next two. But as such, this is still an amazingly creative film. Despite a 16 year absence from the STAR WARS universe, Lucas has managed to create something as stunning and jaw-droppingly awesome as any film since the first three. The story may not add up to much but, MY GOD, what sights we get to see! This is the most realistic and fully-imaginged science fiction epic ever filmed. Perhaps I'm just easy to please, but THE PHANTOM MENACE left me slack-jawed and giggling with glee. I felt like a 5-year-old again, watching the originals for the first time. Any movie that can overcome my now-ingrained cynicism about modern movies is tops with me. So there. In closing, I will say that I could have done with a little less of Jar Jar Binks. But that's a minor quibble. My 5-year-old neice loved him, so there you are. Something for everyone. Lastly (and most importantly): WHY IS THERE NO DVD OF THIS MOVIE! WHAT IS LUCAS THINKING! I DO NOT DO V-H-S !
Rating:
Summary: If you like Star Wars for Star Wars....
Review: A lot of negative reviews have been given about Episode I, beyond the scope of Amazon. I never saw the original Episodes when they first came out in the movies. I didn't even see them when they first came out on video. So when I did finally see all three (all within a week, about 2 years ago) I had a somewhat different perspective. The special effects were no longer as impressive as they were in 1979, but I still instantly loved the trilogy. Seeing Episode I in the theater was the first time I saw Star Wars in the movies, so all you Episode I bitter people will probably chalk it up to that, but I still greatly enjoyed the movie. I will say I have seen the video about 5 or 6 times, and I still love it. I will concede that Jar Jar was definitely not what Lucas probably intended him to be, and not everyone is an Oscar contendor for their work. But I once heard George say in reference to this movie that he meant it to be fun. And that is what it was. I thought the fighting scenes were excellent, and to those who say the characters have little to no sustinance, I believe a great deal is learned through and about Qui Gon Jin and Obi Won, and look forward to learning more of Anaking and Obi Won in the next movie. I think anyone who really strongly disliked this movie, or called it a disappointment, went into it with the wrong attitude. Did you think Darth Maul would have had more or a presence in the film? Perhaps, but if you are a fan of Boba Fet then you really can't complain at all. And if anything about the lineage of the characters of Star Wars and the history of the Jedi interests you, then this film is well worth seeing. Does Anakin seem like he will become Darth Vadar? No, and that is the whole point. If he did, well then we could skip right to Episode 4. Though I was just a little one at the time the first three movies came out, from what I understand they did not get rave reviews when they came out either. Perhaps 20 years later Phantom Menace will be looked upon as just another Lucas Masterpiece. To those of you lingering skeptics and critics who say the film had nothing but effects, ask yourselves this: Who is the Phantom Menace? You may think the answer is obvious to you, but ask a friend (preferrably one not as bitter). I did, and it sparked a debate over two different characters. Not bad for a movie with "no redeeming qualities."
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