Rating: 
Summary: Great fun! But missing SOMETHING....
Review: I am a big movie buff. I don't like typical action films (e.g., John Woo) and I stay away from Hollywood romantic comedies. However, I STILL liked this movie, despite the incredible amount of criticism that surrounded it. Granted, Jar-Jar Binks is annoying and there were not any chracters that really stood out (a la Han Solo style). Nonetheless, I still chalk this up as a movie that IS worthy of being in the Star Wars vein. But just barely. Ewan McGregor was truly the best actor in this film as Obi Wan - I look forward to seeing him in the future Star Wars movie. He can carry himself as well as any Jedi I know. :-) Unfortunately, Lloyd's stilted and forced acting as Anakin Skywalker makes me relieved that we won't be seeing him again. Some people I know found that the plot was too complex - wranglings between the Federation and the Republic seemed too political somehow, it has been said. But I liked the shadow of what is to come (dare I say, The Phantom Menace?) and eagerly await seeing how the Empire grows. And what is it that turns Skywalker into Darth Vader? I think that there are some problems with the film, but I saw it twice and loved it each time. And, remember, this is just a set up for the rest of the movies.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Star Wars yet!
Review: This movie is truely amazing. It got bad reviews but this is only the beginning, the first 1/6 of a 12 hour saga! The effects were absolutely breath-taking and the story was awesome, add that to the amazing lightsabre duel at the end and you've got a very special movie. P.S. - To all of you who hated TPM: Lucus will redeem himself.
Rating:
Summary: Don't like it? You don't understand it.
Review: I am getting fed up with people that berate this movie simply because they do not understand it or can't think beyond the surface level. Yes, Jar Jar was irritating. However, since when does everyone speak perfect basic (as English is known as in the SW universe)? Just on this planet called Earth, we have thousands of different dialects of English, many of which are barely understandable by "American" English speakers. Why wouldn't this be duplicated on a galactic scale, especially for an isolationist race, such as the gungungs, who don't have much use for, or chance to speak, basic? Jar Jar's clumsiness is Lucas' Redemption Character theory (see: Ewoks). No matter how bumbling stumbling stupid you are, you too can save the galaxy. We can only hope that Lucas realizes that 10 years have gone by between P.M. and Episode 2, so Jar Jar will have plenty of time to study proper basic. Next, Metichlorines: I did not like this explaination at first. However, when I stopped to think about it, it does make sense. It does NOT explain the Force. It only explains the heredity of the force, why certain people can become Jedi and others can't. The higher concentration of metichlorines you have, the better you can communicate with this mystical Force. Given the fact that finding Force sensitivity, and Force heredity, is a very large part of the Star Wars story, this is a good explaination of it. Ok, the story: Any body who complains about how dull the story is remember this: Phantom Menace is not "A," "One," movie, in and of itself. It is 1/6th of a movie. A lot of people did not like Empire when it first came out because of the ending. However, a lot of people today agree that Empire is the best (perhaps not favorite) of the original 3 due to story telling, cinimatography, and the like. When you look at P.M. with the rest of the Star Wars stories, I think you will agree that the story is amazing and fits very well. Perhaps you should read one of the books (Heir to the Empire, by Timothy Zahn is a great start). This, at least, would tell you the name of the Emperor (creepy old dude shooting lightning bolts in Jedi) and who he was before becoming Emperor. (Yes, the character is in P.M.) Now, I will agree that the acting could have been better, but come on... Mark Hamill? Ok, bottom line is that Phantom Menace is not one movie but a single part of an entire story. If you look at it as such, coupled with the (and I don't think anyone can disagree with this) SPECTACULAR special effects, I think you will agree that this is a great movie, worthy of the name Star Wars. Even great enough to challenge Jedi as my favorite of the movies (though that has mostly to do with the fact that the Emperor's character is my favorite Star Wars character, and he doth rocketh much in this movie, if you know who he is... Oh, wait, what was the title of this movie? "The Phantom Menace!")
Rating: 
Summary: The Phantom Premise
Review: This is the kind of movie you make when you have unchecked authority, no limit to what you can spend, ready access to all the special effects you could possibly want to use, and little concern about what your audience actually cares for. A sad heartless creation, "The Phantom Menace" wants to win us with stunning visual elements and sound effects. These overwhelm the few attempts to give us suspense and drama...which fail for anyone familiar with adventure stories because they are tired and obvious. Disappointingly little is done with the capable cast. And when familiar characters appear, they give us no additional insight into who they are (or why their role in this movie is necessary). Granted, the film-maker had a great burden of viewer expectations to handle...but one would hope that these expectations might have been used beneficially. Rather it seems they were avoided in order to provide something that no one else had suggested. Of course, this movie also had to fit into the series and needed to lay the groundwork for the planned sequels. But it should have been designed to stand on its own. Instead, the audience is presented with little more than a parade of characters and an introduction to what lies ahead. The first movie filmed in the series -- Episode 4 -- was able to accomplish that and much more.
Rating:
Summary: I know you've already seen it but........
Review: Hey, i know youve already seen this movie, if youre like me, then youve seen it hundreds of times.Given the 5 stars i gave to this movie, you're probably thinking "This is just one of those die hard star wars freaks whod give it 5 stars even if it was pitifull."Well, then you'd only be half right.This movie didn't sink in the first time i watched it.Then i bought the movie, watched it, and i realized how cool it was.I think so many people thought this movie let them down because they were expecting to much.With anything that ha sstar wars in front of it,everyone expects it to be a milestone in every sense of the word.Well, i think the movie was great.I'm sure it made a lot more star wars freaks out of a lot of kids, and attracted some of the old kodgers (no offense guys) who where there when the first ones came out, to go see this one.I think it is a milestone.It introduces a few ill-known actors,and puts them in an excellent movie.The acting and special effects where great.The story was also excellent.I cant wait till E2 comes out.....
Rating:
Summary: Special Effects Save The Day
Review: If it wasn't for the amazing special effects, The Phantom Menace would have crashed and burned. But even the special effects are wasted on a weak plot and some mediocre acting (mainly the kid who plays Anakin Skywalker). The pod race scene was nice as well as the underwater world, but overall, something just seems to be missing. The movie doesn't really go anywhere in the end. The other Star Wars films were much more focused and exciting. The Phantom Menace was good on the big screen, but after watching it on video, I grew sick of the film immediately. The film is average and if you didn't see it in the theater, then don't bother with the video.
Rating: 
Summary: Good film actually 3 1/2 stars
Review: I liked Star Wars Episode One.It isn't nearly as good as the original trilogy,but it's a good start to the Star Wars saga.It was very fun seeing Annikan Skywalker(Darth Vader) as an innocent little boy.(hard to believe what eventually happened to him!)The visual effects were fantastic.Some of the acting was a little weak,and some charactors underdeveloped,but on the whole I really enjoyed it.Now I really can't wait to see episode two expand on what episode one started.
Rating:
Summary: too much folklore mixed with bad science
Review: I understand that folktales reach out to us because they are familar to us, yet I can't help but wish that Lucas would do something new and different. I have no idea why the Jar Jar character is here, no idea why they felt the need to explain the "force" in bad psuedo-science terms, and little respect for something that seems more geered toward making money off of toys than entertaining an audience. I was very very disappionted.
Rating:
Summary: Something Is Missing!
Review: Let me start off by saying that The Phantom Menace is an OK movie. Sure the graphics are amazing in this movie, but doesn't it seem that it might get a little boring if the special effects swallow the almost the WHOLE MOVIE?! There were not those suspenseful, dramatic, romantic parts in this movie. Take The Empire Strikes Back for instance. It was made in 1980 when there wasn't near the technology for special effects then, and STILL it was one of the most popular movies OF ALL TIME! So does there have to be that many computerized stuff in a movie to make it great? To me, there were too many annoying characters (Jar Jar Binks). If you are in to the special effects of the movie this IS the movie for you. If you are like me and actually want to have a good story in a movie, watch the original trilogy. They need to spend more time thinking of the story rather than finding effects that would impress the audience.
Rating:
Summary: Here we go again...
Review: Well, it was not what I expected, but then again I was remembering the thrill of seeing Star Wars for the first time on the large screen at age 12. It was a good movie, and the special effects were fantastic though.
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