Rating: 
Summary: Hey guys it's a great movie.
Review: For all those critics who've been ranting on Lucas and The Phantom Menace lighten up. It's a great movie. That's the effect that Episode one is supposed to give off. That things are good but they're going to get bad really soon. I think it was genius to have Lucas cast Jake Lloyd as the young Anakin Skywalker, it will make Anakins seduction to the Dark Side much more heart-wrenching. Would Luke's salvation of Vader have been nearly as rewarding if he had been the cynic Han Solo? We're talking about foils here. If your paying attention instead of being overwhelmed and gawking at the special effects you can see the classic triology shinning through. I think to many people are blinded to the real story because they can't get their eyes past the beauty of Naboo. George Lucas is writting a Saga not just a compilation of unrelated stories, these movies are acts to a gargantuan story.
Rating: 
Summary: VERY, VERY, VERY average
Review: The next two episodes which complete the Star Wars saga will have to be a huge improvement on this installment, if only to save the great name of Star Wars. From the word 'go' the potentially likeable team of Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor are battling against the forces of the dark side, the robots of the trade federation, and a decidedly dodgy script. The cheesy performance of the young Anakin Skywalker certainly doesn't help matters, and the sound and visual effects just don't seem to have the same positive influence on the film as the originals did. What did help the film's cause were the superbly convincing performance of young Natalie Portman, the Queen of Naboo, and the interesting and exciting character of Darth Maul, the original villain. However, as all of these new ideas, characters and plots enter the fray. e.g The trade federation, Naboo, the Sith and blood tests to check how strong you are with the force. You could be left asking yourself "What has this got to do with the Star Wars story?" You could quite easily walk out of the theatre wondering what it was all about!
Rating:
Summary: Dissapointing to say the least
Review: I loved the Star Wars films, past tense. Really good cast except for Jake Lloyd and Jar Jar. The pod race is too long and many of the special effects look like a video game. Empire had far better effects and that was 20 years ago. ...
Rating:
Summary: simply put: STAR WARS IS RUINED!
Review: For the love of God couldn't they have just left it alone? The first 3 were perfect. But now Star Wars will be forever tarnished. Episode One was easily the biggest gimmick in the history of movie making; the biggest let down of all time. I remember sitting in the theater and praying for Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, Vader, or Chewy to pop-up on the screen and save this thing. But that didn't happen. Instead I found myself slouching in the seat and feeling stupid for wasting so much time waiting in line. Now on to the movie itself:I felt sorry for Liam Neeson, what a pity to waste such great talent. Ewen McGregor was good also, probably just him and Neeson, unfortunately their acting wasn't enough to save such a poorly written script. All the rest of the cast were mediocre. (I'll get to The Kid later...) The special effects were... uh, stupid. Special effects aren't supposed to be characters. It was like watching a puppet show or something. I dont' know how George is gonna remedy this problem in the next movie-- it seems he's dug quite a large hole for himself. Plus he's also stuck with some of the same dumb actors, i.e. Natalie Portman. What was Jar Jar's purpose? He was fine for about 10 seconds. I think as a rule they should've limited the dialogue between real people and animated characters to no more than 10 seconds. Finally, Anakin. The golden rule in hollywood: never use child actors (except the kid from The 6th Sense and the girl from Excorcist). Okay, I'm done wasting anymore time on this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: The Jar-Jar Effect
Review: Okay... here's my take on the whole Star Wars saga gig. I dug Episode 1. Yes, it has its problems (which I will address, I promise) but visually, it is filled with color, vibrance, excitement, and a hint of possibility. And that's the keyword to all the Star Wars films: possibility. Throughout the saga, we see the Dark Side as materialistic and bent upon power, destruction, and obsession. The Sith always speak of "destiny," almost as a nihilistic ultimatum that everyone is forced to endure; according to them, there is no way out of what one can foresee. However, the Light Side continually speaks of being "guided" by the Force, and a possibility for change from a foreseen destiny still withstands. Perhaps this is why Qui-Gon Jinn's body does not disappear when he passes on as Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi's did... He lost that organic belief in the spirit and emotion, resigning his trust in Anakin and those around him to the events he has foreseen. True, these events were of good nature: he freed Anakin from slavery and helped his doomed crewmates aboard the Queen's ship. Yet, he lost that belief in change. Also, this same obsession and trust in a pre-determined fate may also be why the Emporer rebuilt the Death Star in Return of the Jedi... His sight in the future was dominated by an obsession with realizing the creation of this ultimate weapon of power and destruction. Luke's destruction of the first Death Star simply allowed the Emporer, in his mind, to create a more powerful and defensive weapon to better accomodate his sight of "destiny." My point is, the Light Side prevails and human vitality and possibility reign and bring a balance, an awakening, within the characters' lives. Maybe i'm over-analyzing all this. Still, here's my point: I think George Lucas is caught up in the special effects of his films, but I also think he's gotten lost in trying to thematically place all of his characters. Forgive me, but I actually did like Jar-Jar Binks. I think his purpose within the series was to show an innocent rise in power throuh the luck of chance. But, other than that thematical reason, he really serves no purpose as a character. I liked him (strange as that may sound), but he was kinda pointless other than for the kids and comic relief. Deep down, beneath a very rusty surface, the Star Wars saga has a very human heart. Nevertheless, George Lucas should not stumble upon these themes by chance, as Jar-Jar has by his own fate. Just because we now have the ability to tell a story and let go of all boundaries doesn't mean that we HAVE a great story to tell. Please, Mr. Lucas, retain the integrity of your films as an art and as entertainment. You succeeded with flying colors in American Graffitti and A New Hope... even moreso with The Empire Strikes Back. We understand your purpose in repeating events (the bigger fish eating the smaller one... twice. The Death Star... twice.) but please remember to expose that human nature to the Star Wars films creatively, extending beyond the boundaries of repetition in storytelling. And above all, don't get mixed up with entertainment and the themes you aim to express. It seems more and more like these two things are becoming oil and water, shaken not stirred. When, in fact, they should be more like that blue goop that Luke got served from Aunt Beru. Episode 1 is fun, guys. It succeeds in entertaining, but left too much repetition & seemingly-dropped plot elements.... and too much bland acting. (as a result of no character development... not lack of talent and skill on the actors' part) Please, I'm on my knees, leave your characters with that sense of possibility and change; this is the one thing that still can be preserved for the future of the Star Wars universe. Maybe I've overdone all this and gone overboard and melodramatic with my analyzation. *shrug*.... And majorly fun, and at times, touching. Rock the house, Mr. Lucas, and keep it fun for us all, never forgetting to implement your themes beyond just plain ol' symbols and into the acting, script, and cinematography... Make art.
Rating:
Summary: Jar Jar? Please...
Review: Don't get me wrong. I loved this movie - I saw it five times in the theaters. But the one thing that really bothered me was the character of Jar Jar. I realize the movie was intended for a younger audience than has become Star Wars' following...but Jar Jar was too much with his silly pig latin talk and just plain stupidity. I didn't think he added to the plot at all. What I was very impressed with was the end, how there were so many things going on at once (three? four? different large events) and they were all followable and linked and made sense. I also thought the casting was fantastic. Ewan McGregor made a totally believeable young Obi-Wan, and while we obviously had never met an older Qui-Gonn Jinn, Liam Neeson was wonderful in the role he played. And little Jake Lloyd had the perfect look for Anakin; young, innocent, charming, but with a quiet intelligence and intensity that spoke volumes of his abilities. Did anyone else find the explanation for the Metichlorians (sp) to be rather trivial and silly? I really didn't like it at all. I'd tend to think of the Force as being something metaphysical - not something you can quantify by taking a blood sample. That and Jar Jar were my main complaints. Other than that, what a FANTASTIC movie! Have four years passed yet????
Rating: 
Summary: Star Wars, or, Flimsy Confrontation?
Review: The proper use of Special Effects is to enhance a film, not to outshine the actors, characters, or story. Sadly, Lucas spent too much time on his visual 'sumptuous feast', rather than developing characters, and especially their interaction with each other. The premise itself offered no real prelude to the famous trilogy, where it should have been exploring the origins of the Force, the Dark Side and the Jedi Council, then leading into the action sequences. At least Terry Brooks got that bit correct in the book, when he explained the significance of a Master and an Apprentice (there are only ever two), and the history of the Dark Side. Jar Jar Binks is almost completely superfluous to the plot (almost, because he does serve the role of Guide), and is essentially there as a marketing gimmick for children; just listen to his dialogue! - "Exsqueeeze me!" What made the original trilogy brilliant was that the story was character driven. Han was a scroundel, Luke was a naive youth coming of age, Leia was a feisty girl and so on. These characters had depth, whereas no-one in Episode One did. The imagination and story-telling skills behind the first triology were clever and artistic. It is clear Lucas has the talent and skill to make brilliant movies based around strong, well-developed characters and stories. Unfortunately, with Ep. 1, he seemed more concerned about producing a marketing giant. He knew people would flock to the movie because it was Star Wars and so did not need to entice people to the cinema wih strong characters and interesting storylines. I hope that with Episode II Lucas goes back to more traditional story telling methods, ie., characterisation, dramatisation, plot line developments, in order to tell a great tale. The potential is there for a great new trilogy - the tale of a boy strong with the Force succombing to the powers of the Dark Side is a tragic scenario and should be dealt as one - not some flamboyant expression of digital technology mimicking artwork.
Rating:
Summary: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Just my two cents
Review: This movie is surrounded in controversy. Some hate it and some like it whilst others seem to like it but have problems here and there. I fall in the latter category. I like this film but I had a few problems with it. Before I continue with the review of the film I will just mention a bit about the transfer. The widescreen image that we get on the video is THX certified and is one of the most impressive widescreen tapes I have. Colours just jump from the screen. The sound is also reasonably good. Just turn it up really loud and you will know what I mean. Firstly the positives. The lightsaber battles, the pod race, and the droid fights were extremely impressive. The large space battle towards the end was very impressive. Well done Industrial Light and Magic you guys have produced quite impressive pieces of eye candy. The story was relatively simple and easy to follow as well. Jar Jar did not annoy me, he provided some well timed comic relief for the kids as well as few instances for the adults. Lastly Ian McDiarmid has the best performance in this film in my opinion. The problems however were concerned mainly around the actors. Jake Llyod was awkward with his deliveries. I expected so much from Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor, that their performances seemed dry. Apart from the acting and a relatively slow middle (on Tatooine) it was an impressive Star Wars film. By the way the only thing preventing this from getting 4 stars is the fact that this would look so much better on DVD in anamorphic widescreen and full 5.1 surround. VHS just isn't that impressive in its presentation anymore.
Rating:
Summary: total and utter...
Review: i've never been so completely disappointed by a movie. Lucas let the special effects drive the story.. oh wait, what story? The only part of the movie which was even remotely well done was the pod race. maybe because it didn't really require too much acting. The characters were completely one dimensional, showing absolutely no passion whatsoever. Star Wars meets disney is what it was. Jar Jar Binks (or whatever his name was) was the most annoying characters i have ever had the displeasure of seeing in a movie. The movie was over before it even began: special effect, some dialogue, special effect, special effect some dialogue, etc.. movie over. If i were lucas i would have thrown The Phantom Menace out and started again from scratch. if i could, i'd rate it negative stars .
Rating:
Summary: As hard as I try...!
Review: As hard as I try I still have issues with this film.I have eagerly awaited this film since George Lucas first anounced his plan for the Star Wars saga way back in 1977. I was 17 at the time and still in high school.I am now 41 years old and none of the films that I have seen to date can compare to seeing the original Star Wars films at the Lowes Astor Plaza on Broadway here in New York for the first,or 21st time. Needless to say, The Phantom Menace is not the film that I waited 20+ years to see. Although I enjoyed the film in the theatre it did not hold up to repeated viewings. In all fairness I must say that the film is a technical masterpiece. Yes ILM did break new ground with the computer graphics. Yes the film is beautiful to watch. George Lucas however,somehow,somewhere,seemed to forget that special effects do not make the film. All the razzle dazzle in the world is useless if the characters; who are supposed to be the driving force of the film are not fully realized,and badly acted. It is evident that Mr. Lucas was so engrossed in the special effects aspect of the film that he paid little or no attention to script and characters. I found the acting to be flat and emotionless. Qui-Gon and Obi-wan walk through much of the film in a coma. I felt nothing for these characters whatsoever,considering the acting credentials of these two performers. Jar Jar binks is one of the most unlikeable characters I have ever seen on film. Being an african american I cannot help but notice the racial stereotype used for Jar Jar, although George has denied it. Natalie Portman turned in a good performance as Queen Amidala but I found it difficult at times to know who was the real queen and who was the decoy through all that heavy makeup. In regards to little Anakin it was evident that Mr. Lucas cast this child for his looks and not for any real acting talent. I understand that the purpose of the film was to establish the background of the new characters but I still feel that the film suffers greatly because of a lack of a central villan. The one great character created by Lucas in years was Darth Maul. We needed to see more of this guy. I was greatly disappointed that the character recieved so little screen time, not enough dialog, and a serious upstaging by Obi-wan. The character deserved better. Compared to the other films, The Phantom Menace goes to the end of the line behind The Return Of The Jedi; my least favorite of the Star Wars films until now. I think that George Lucas needs to return to basics. Maybe he should invite Steven Speilberg, and James Cameron over for lunch and take notes. All things aside it still is Star Wars and well worth seeing. I am looking forward to seeing how the characters develop in the second film. PS: If George Lucas ever gets to read this, Midi chlorians?!!!!
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