Rating: 
Summary: Why does everybody expect so much of this movie?
Review: I don't understand why a bunch of people are comparing this movie to the three classic Star Wars movies. It's not supposed to be comparable to them because it's telling the story of how the three classics came to be, from the beginning at that. The head Jedi Knight, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and his trainee, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), find out that they have some trouble to deal with, ultimately to fight Darth Maul. However, a new challenge comes up, a young boy named Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) wants to become a Jedi, so it's up to Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to take him along and train him. Some of the unforgettable scenes from "Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace" are the pod race and the fight with Darth Maul. You'll see some of the best known characters from the classic Star Wars movies in their early stages such as C-3PO, R2-D2, and Yoda. Don't watch this movie expecting it to be as action packed or anything like the three classic Star Wars movies, because it isn't. It's just telling the story of the Star Wars trilogy from the beginning. If you expect too much from it, you might not like it that much. "Star Wars Episode II" is coming out in 2002 and "Star Wars Episode III" is coming out in 2005, and they will probably be even better than this movie because they will get more and more like the three classic Star Wars movies, and you will see more of the characters you already know. I recommend any true Star Wars fan to get "Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace."
Rating: 
Summary: Star Wars I is a big flop......
Review: I would like to say that any one who would consider buying this movie is a fool. this wa sthe worst ever Star Wars movie. I am a huge Star Wars fan, and I woulnd't spend my hard earned money on that piece of crap movie. George Lucas, may have did an exellent job making that film, but the movie was slow, and had no relivance to the Star Wars plot what so ever, If you have not seen this movie, don;t wast your time.
Rating:
Summary: This is long overdue
Review: I love the film. The soundtrack is a masterpiece, but what do you expect from John Williams? I loved everything about this movie except the computer Jabba. It's cool to mix the computer images with the costumes but they should've went oldschool with Jabba. I can't wait for the next 2 films!
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: This movie is a great combination of action,a great story line, and amazing special effects. I simply cannot understand how people don't like this movie. I'm looking foreward to the next two movies!
Rating:
Summary: Didn't meet expectations
Review: Didn't meet expectations, and it got five stars? Let me explain... The Star Wars trilogy is just plain good viewing. Sure, Return of the Jedi is a little weak, the 70s dialogue in Star Wars is hilariously outdated, but the movies are just plain good storytelling. That's what it's all about - doing a simple thing well. Few people try, fewer succeed. Phantom Menace is again, a simple thing done well. It is a story of happier times, before the Empire, when the Jedi were the Guardians of the galaxy. It is also a story of the of the rise of the Empire. It's not obvious unless you know some of the story that didn't show up in the movies, so trust me here. I remember the first time I saw Phantom Menace. It was, of course, a midnight showing, and the theater went wild when the Star Wars logo appeared and the theme music started. I, a generally mature 33 year old , was shushed by the teenager with his date sitting next to me, since I was so busy talking non-stop with my friends about the movie and every thing that appeared on the screen. The movie wasn't that good. It was just a Star Wars movie. Of course, a Star Wars movie is better than about 99% of what's out there. It didn't make me think, really. The special effects didn't leave me in awe. Jake Lloyd did annoy me. So did Jar-jar. It was just pure, unadulterated entertainment. And the Jedi, at the peak of their power, did kick some major tail. The fighting was out of this world. You think Luke was a good Jedi. Bah.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful andventure, the force is in it
Review: Phantom Menace was a terrific film for young and old Star Wars. There is lots of action, suspense and fun in it. It may run long but it doesn't let up to entertain. The podrace scene is one of the best action scenes ever to be made and Darth Maul is a menacing foe in a huge finale. Yoda was never better as a little grump either.
Rating:
Summary: pearls before swine?
Review: This is episode I, meaning it relies heavily on the five later chapters to fill in the gaps. I know lots of people were confused by all that was happening and to be honest, there were more things going on than we're used to in Star Wars films. The writing, which came under the heaviest criticism, was very similar in tone and nature to the three previous films. The difference is that we were all younger and more forgiving of the simple innocence. It seems out of place in today's cynical atmosphere, but it's to his credit that he kept the tone similar to those that came before. He kept it 'all-ages' rather than marketing it to 13 year olds the way they did with the inferior Matrix. How easily grown-ups forget the way they saw the world as children. This film explores more than we're used to seeing and that can be confusing, especially to the unimaginative. All the 'disappointed' people seemed to be saying they wanted the same thing served up again rather than treading new ground. This galaxy is populated by a mix of aliens, droids and humans. As humans we tend to think of droids and aliens as puppets rather than characters. Again, this is a shortcoming of the audience. The ideas Lucas brings up are also not popular, this probably hurt the film the most. Greed is a terrible thing in Star Wars, but in America we swear by it. Naboo, a beautiful artistic is beyond the realm of Earthlings who litter their environment. The style of this film is beautiful and shows us that film can be art when crafted by visionary directors. The design, the photography, the palette and scope of the film are truly magnificent. There are so many spectacular scenes, places, characters and events in this film, you must see them for yourself. The podrace, though exciting and stunning, is the only part that detracts from the flow of the story. There are so many strong points that more than make up for this. The lightsabre duel between the three warriors is fierce, magnificent and thankfully silent - most directors would fill such a sequence with pointless dialogue to enhance the adversarial relationship. The ground battle between droids and aliens is beautifully done and briefly returns us to the glory days of epic films. When it comes down to it, who are we to say this is not OUR Star Wars? It is George Lucas' Star Wars, always has been and always will be. This chapter fits in to the whole, though we are two more films from realizing that. The Phantom Menace is most like Return of the Jedi in color scheme, mood and atmosphere and I think it'll be part of the story turning full circle. For everyone who said it's 'not what I expected', try opening your mind and not limiting the film to the scope of your own personal vision, and don't make the opinions of others your own. Maybe you'll start to enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: DVD
Review: What a great movie, one of the best 4 of all time (The other 3 are episode IV,V, and VI), but where is the DVD??. I was so frustrated when I heard that this movie was going to be available on VHS only, and get even more frustrated when I heard that in november Foxvideo is going to release episode IV,V and VI in vhs AGAIN. Please George Lucas this is the time of digital technology and Star Wars fans wants to upgrade. Many people made a great investment in big screen tv's or triniton wega, dvd players and a great sound systems like dolby digital, dts and in some cases THX. Can you imagine how disapointing has to be for this peaople watch this movies in a poor video and sound vhs quality. It's true that Lucas wants to make a special thing with the DVD of this movies and he doesn't have time for work on it right now, but after he finished episode I, he started to work on episode II imediately,and I belive that he would do the same with episode III, so when where going to have the DVD version of this movies in 2005 or 2006??? please I don't think that star wars fans can wait for so long
Rating: 
Summary: Cool movie... poor picture.
Review: I really liked this movie. So when it came out on video I got it that day. I go to the store and buy it. I take it home, pop it in the VCR and then proceed to watch. I find that my cassette has lines in the picture, fuzz, and squiggly lines through the color. Now I have several VHS movies and they don't have perfect picture but not bad picture. I mean George Lucas waits a year to release the movie on tape and doesn't make it very high quality? That was a crime. I still LOVE the movie and think that it is deserved best special effects. I also think that I am going to buy the DVD version when all 6 of them are out. (Yep... you heard right, George Lucas wants to release them on American DVD once all of them are out of theatres.) So if you want Phantom Menace, you run the risk of getting a poor cassette version but it is a great movie nonetheless and it is StarWars which makes it even better. Very cool!
Rating: 
Summary: The force is not with this one.
Review: I've seen this movie multiple times... For the wrong reasons. I like the pod race and the shots of Corruscant (because I love Asimov's "Foundation" series, and Corruscant is like a visit to Trantor in the Asimov Universe.) Now, that's hardly the best reason to like a movie :-) In general, the action sequences are very good, as one would expect from the "Star Wars" movies, and the pod race is the best such scene in the series. (much better than the Death Star trench battle in Episode IV.) The animation of extra-terrestrial life forms are the best yet, and the alien environments and cities are thrilling to view and very imaginative - everything from the Gungian underwater city to the Senate chambers. However, that is the film's only strength here; there's no substance to this film at all. The original series had a zen-like mysticism about it (especially in "Empire"), but in this movie, the only thing we learn about the Force is that humans hear the force through these things called "midi clorians" which exist in a symbiotic relationship in all of our cells and are almost organisms in their own right. Now, talk about cheesy, because we already have found these "midi clorians" in biology; they are the "MITOCHONDRIA"! (they even sound the same!) Now I don't think that my MITOCHONDRIA help me hear the force. (excepting the fact that they keep me alive, and I won't hear the force on this Earth when I am no longer alive.) Sheesh. Jar Jar Binks is just plain annoying. He does not fit in the movie for me. It feels like he was a disney character who wandered in the wrong set when they were filming. If I ever see the movie I just do my best to ignore him. Finally, the ending was way too cheesy, even for Star Wars. (SPOILER ALERT), To expect a nine year old kid, even by a set of unlikely accidents to destroy a dreadnaught of space was too much even for the Star Wars series. (and even though the force was clearly with him, with all of those MITOCHONDRIA, er... "midi clorians" in his cells.)
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