Rating: 
Summary: I have a bad feeling about this," says young Obi-Wan Kenobi
Review: I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi. Well, you said it, Obi-Wan. I wanted to like this film, instead, I ended up shouting half-way through it "We waited almost 2 decades for THIS?"After all, the third Star Wars film, Revenge of the Jedi, really didn't live up to the first two films. Man, those Ewoks. Yeck, too cute. And the re-release of the "director's cut" first Star Wars only pointed up that we loved that film because back in the 70's, we'd never SEEN anything like it. The script, in retrospect, is thin. The cast was good and they held up what today looks like a pretty basic sci-fi effort. Well, things can go from bad to worse. "Phantom Menace" is, without a doubt, WORSE than "Revenge" and the weakest film in the whole lot. I watched it twice, just to make sure I wasn't mistaken. No, I wasn't. What is bad? Well, for one thing, the plot just seems to take skips and jumps. We sort of, kind of, learn things about Queen Amidala and the rebellion. We get a glimpse of the Emperor but learn not a lot about his motivations. We peek into the world of the Jedi Knights, and get a bit more insight into their hidden world, but again, not enough to really flesh out this intriguing brotherhood. And then there's Jar Jar Binks. Without a doubt, the WORST character ever. Whoever objected to Jar Jar as a racist stereotype was right on the money. Not only racist but really annoying. I kept hoping he'd get speared in the battle scene, but as usual in films, the bad guys have incredibly bad aim. And that flying blue wasp shopkeeper was also pretty poor. If Anakin was so smart, why didn't he just pick up a big flyswatter and do us all a favor? What's good? Anakin Skywalker as a child, and his mom. Some viewers didn't like the babyish Anakin--thought he was too young for the role, but I liked him. I thought he was superb in the pod race and when he interviewed with the circle of Jedi Knights. Jabba the Hutt is always terrific. I am huge Jabba fan. And Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) had real dignity and poise, and her costumes were thrillingly huge and imaginative. The end, where one of the Sith is killed and we learn there are always two Sith, master and apprentice, does a lot to explain some of the mystery of the Empire's struggles. That left me wanting more. The special effects are, of course, excellent. With so many films using stunning effects nowadays, it's easy to get blase about good effects. But the natural movement of the animated droids, fighting machines, and yes, even Jar Jar Binks, is something that you just have to admire. We can only hope the "Attack of the Clones" improves upon "Phantom Menace." That shouldn't be too difficult.
Rating: 
Summary: It's STAR WARS not "A Beautiful Mind"
Review: All I can say is that I've seen this movie about 7 or 8 times on screen and DVD and it just keeps getting better with each viewing especially if you have the original Special Edition Trilogy with which to compare. Liam Neeson is *outstanding* as a rebel Jedi. Period. Great casting choice. Ewan McGregor gives us a pretty good look at an apprentice Obi-Wan. But the story is what drives this series and George Lucas certainly has a great story. I reduce it to 4 stars but not because of Jar-Jar Binks - who actually gave more life to this film than he gets credit. You're *supposed* to be slightly annoyed with him the same way C3PO tends to drive you crazy. That's the point. He has some really funny lines and the comic relief does it's job. I give this 4 stars instead of 5 because of the incomplete information about the Jedi universe and their history. Not until Attack of the Clones do we really see enough of this. The Jedi Council was repeated all too often with not enough forward movement. There's no hint of "Count Dooku" or whatever his Jedi name is which seems to be a huge plot point in Clones. Oh well, they still set up Obi-Wan and Anakin very well and the Sith is explained appropriately. Mitichlorions (sp?) are pretty well explained as the basis of the Force. The politics are OK which is, after all, the entire reason for the conflict along with the religious implications of Good v. Evil. I'm amazed with Ian McDiarmid the actor being able to reprise his prequel role as Senator Palpatine with the full expectation of where his character is going. The score is superb as usual because Star Wars is as much John Williams (to a point) as George Lucas. I've only seen Clones twice and I don't understand why people are trashing Phantom Menace so much. It has *MUCH* better acting than Clones and thousand times better dialogue. If you are objective, you can't honestly say that Clones is a better story, either. Of course, any movie with Christopher Lee as a villain is OK in my book but, please, did they have to duplicate the scene between Saruman and Gandalf almost verbatim?? It's a good continuation of Phantom Menace but much stiffer and with a totally corny romance to boot. Where's a young Harrison Ford when you need him? This is supposed to be about Phantom Menace but you can't help to mingle the other films when reviewing. My final criticism: George Lucas is a great story conceiver but he needs to hand over directing and partial screen-writing to someone else for Episode III like he did with V and VI. DVD bonus material: very good - definitely worth the price. All a Star Wars junkie could want.
Rating: 
Summary: funny because so corny
Review: i've never been a star wars fan but i've always liked sci-fi. i wasn't expecting much from this movie and in that respect i was not disappointed. this movie is nonsensical, boring, corny, and childish. that said, i still enjoyed watching it (but i couldn't understand a thing jar jar was saying, and yes jar jar really is a silly, unecessary character). the movie was so bad it was funny. the parts i liked: lightsaber dual (didn't everyone), ewan mcgregor (just because i like him)and...that's about it. the DVD had some nifty extras where we got to see everyone working so hard to make such a bad movie. if you're not a star wars fan, beware, this movie [stinks]. but if you're not going to kill yourself because a movie is really dumb, take the time to rent it (don't buy it!) and spend two hours laughing at it!
Rating: 
Summary: .
Review: Defintely this movie is not one that will go down in the annals of great films, in several respects. But at least it's about good guys and bad guys, and the grey, middle turf that lies in between which is what everyday life is, unlike all too many movies these days. The whole vague "Force" thing is and always has been kind of strange, but I'll forgive George Lucas' philosophical and theological shortcomings because I ate alot of popcorn when I saw it on the large screen originally and was rooting for the good guys, since they always win in the end. I mean, Obi-Wan slew the diabolical-looking Lord Maul by slicing him in two with the light-saber. . .the good guys always win. Anyway, I think this movie, and the second episode which is out now, AND the yet-to-be-released third one will all make more sense when they are viewed all together with the three other movies in a large box-set that Lucasfilm or Fox or whomever will most likely release before the end of this first decade of the third millenium. The extras on the DVD are interesting though!
Rating: 
Summary: The Movie, the DVD, the Legacy
Review: The Phantom Menace. Was it really that bad? Many of the people who have seen this film do not give it credit where credit is due. In this writer's case, I thought it to be just as good as the original trilogy. Now, before all of you disbelievers groan and stop reading, here's why. The reasoning behind many of TPM's criticism lies in it's target demographic. Some people thought it was just too "kiddy". Well, in a way it was. It was made in a way to reflect the times of prosperity, and to reflect the age of Anakin. For all of you who have seen AOTC (are there any who haven't?), you know that it much, much darker and more mature. Why? Because Anakin is older, and more mature. During war, happiness is almost non-exsistent, as displayed by Episode II. In Episode I, the Republic is prospering as it never has before. Therefore, times are happy and enjoyed by all creating the so-called "kiddiness" (if that's a word). The plot was superb, the acting was excellent, and the action scenes were some of the best of the five movies. Out of 10, I give it a 9.9. The only reason I took 0.1 off, was the scene where Anakin flies the starfighter. That was rather hokey, but it makes sense since he is so strong in the force and is, don't forget, the chosen one. If you Anti-Phantoms out there still aren't satisfied (which you "people" probably are not), the Phantom Menace is A TON better once you see AOTC. It explains and fufills the things that the monsters that didn't like TPM didn't like, for example, Jar-Jar. Ah, Jar-Jar. Many see him as the annoying one. He was annoying. But he was meant to be. It has a reason and a purpose. It shows his intelligence is not very high. This plays prominantly in the Star Wars Saga, as you can see in AOTC, Jar-Jar's gullibility and stupidity convince him to start a vote giving Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers, starting his gradual transformation to the emporer. So, in a way, it is because of Jar-Jar that the galaxy has to face the tyranny of the Empire. As I come to a close, you can send me hateful e-mails, you can look down on me, and insult my level of maturity, I won't care. I thought The Phantome Menace had the original flair the the original trilogy had and even pushed the envelope in places the Original Trilogy hadn't yet touched. Accept it or not, this great prequel has taken us to the next level of film making. Keep up the good work George.
Rating:
Summary: Screw the critics, they don't know everything...
Review: Many critics who slammed this film don't realize the challenge George Lucas had in rewinding his famous saga and telling a story that started in the middle from the very beginning. It was over twenty years after the first film, a LONG time to keep fans waiting. Filmmaking had grown technologically by this time, but Lucas had to keep the simplicity of Episodes IV-VI. But still it had to be interesting, the casting of younger characters had to be right, it had to be accurate, it had to give hints......see? This is a lot for a director/producer to think about.
I think "Episode I" pulled off all of its set tasks quite well. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough to warrant its big box office draw. It was also a nice starting point to build toward two bigger, better films with Episodes II and III.
The actors: I think Liam Neeson was great as Qui-Gon Jinn. He had the serenity of a most experienced Jedi and the power of a master of sabre battle. Ewan McGregor, almost always a jewel, was the ideal to play the young Obi-Wan. He nails the character that Sir Alec Guinness set forth for him, and his youthful energy gives a lot to the battle sequences. Natalie Portman was more effective as Padme the handmaiden (or is she??) than she was as the stoic queen. Her accent was like nails on a chalkboard during the Senate meetings and other conferences. But that's okay. She's better in Episode II.
Jake Lloyd....hmmmmmmm....he is young and precocious and cute, but there were probably better child actors out there who could have played this part. I think Haley Joel Osment might have been good if not a little obvious. Ray Park as Darth Maul: He is a man of few words, but big action. He was fantastic and I was sad to see him killed off so early in this trilogy. Samuel L. Jackson: can't wait to see him get more screen time. Yoda: good to have you back if only for a moment. Still a wise master, you are.
Finally, I will address the issue that bothered audiences the most: Jar Jar Binks. When I first saw the movie, I liked Jar Jar. I thought he was quirky and kind of cute. But he seemed out of place in this movie. He was what I call the "toy character" in a science-fiction films. He was someone for the kids to laugh at, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that. Adults just find him a bit annoying after a while.
The action sequences: MARVELOUS!! Not too phony, yet not too realistic that a fantasy element is lost. The light sabre battle was the best one I have ever seen. When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan jump/flip across the platforms and land in front of Darth Maul, it is one of those moments that makes you go, "Oh yeah, something's about to go down!" (That aforementioned moment: watch it in widescreen or you lose Obi-Wan on the right. That irritated me about the VHS release.) The pod race scene was very good and should be enjoyed in stereo/surround sound. Turn it up, make it like NASCAR!
Overall, the movie was one of my favorites. I know I'm biased because I'm a Ewan McGregor slave, but I did consider everything about this film so as to be fair. I liked it, others didn't. It happens.
Rating:
Summary: A movei for every sci-fi buff
Review: Excellent lightsaber duel
Rating:
Summary: It hurts to give it this rating.
Review: I find myself constantly defending this movie to others, except Jar-Jar of course. And as a lifetime Star Wars fan, somebody who grew up on Star Wars, it is very hard for me to bash this film ...... but I will. I loved the final lightsaber battle, it really saved the movie in my opinion. And the pod racing scene was great. But the whole Gungan thing was a complete waste of time.
The similarities between this film (the 1st of 6) to possibly the weakest of the original 3 (Return of the Jedi, 6 of 6) are almost unbelievable. The final climactic scenes include a jedi battle, a land battle between an alien race created for children (Gungans/Ewoks), and a space battle. So you'd think Lucas would learn from his mistakes. Apparently not.
A lot of people have had a problem with the technology factor as well. For going so far into the past, the technology really appears to be better. Probably a side affect of the improved special effects.
I'd just like to add "what ever happened to actors playing parts, and not EVERY character on the screen being a digital creation? If this keeps up, whats the point of even making a movie with actors? ...
Rating:
Summary: beh
Review: I've heard people complain and say that this movie is too much of a kids film, but that's being unfair to kids films. If you want to see a more creative kids film then watch "The Neverending Story" or "Labrynth". This movie's trailers hyped up the podrace, but if you want to see an exilarating ride watch the magic carpet ride from "Alladin". Finally if you want to watch a kids film with good characters then watch "Goonies".
Rating:
Summary: Very dissappointing movie, but good special features
Review: I'm sure I won't say anything that hasn't been said before, but here goes: I found this movie extremely disappointing, as both a Star Wars fan and avid movie buff. However, I added an extra star to my review grade because I enjoyed the numerous special features. I will start with the actual movie: I could sit here a nitpick about a thousand little things that I didn't like and thought were poor choices on Lucas' part, but instead of being completely negative, I have decided to just talk about a few bad points and few good points. Pros:
1) I enjoyed seeing some of the origins of the characters of the later movies as their youthful selves. I also liked some of the first time characters, such as all of the Jedi Masters at the Temple and the Siths.
2) Unlike most fans and purists, I liked Lucas' use of "midi-chlorians" (although I think the name is dumb). I think that a scientific origin of the force is much better than it being some sort of abstract religious concept.
3) The effects and overall look of the film is undeniably spectacular. All the CG fits in pretty much perfectly with the real sets and characters. Cons:
1) I found Jar Jar Binks absolutley revolting. I did not enjoy any of his jive-talking antics or idiotic pratfalls. He was featured far too prominently and had too many lines.
2) I hate to pick on child actors, but I though Jake Lloyd did not do a very good job. He seemed very wooden and flubbed many lines. Even if he hadn't flubbed the lines, they would have fallen flat anyway because they were very poorly written. Would it have killed Lucas to make Anakin a little older, like 11 or 12 for this film? I think that would have made a huge difference.
3) I found the "highlight" scenes overlong, boring and, at times, non-sensical. By "highlight" scenes, I mean the pod race and the Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon/Darth Maul light saber fight. First of all, both of these scenes were overlong and given far too much importance. I found the pod race very annoying because of: a) the out-of-place announcer (sorry Greg Proops, but it's true), b)the ridiculous fart joke before the start, c) Anakin's silly proclamations, d) the fact that it was really a glorified NASCAR race. The light saber duel I found bad for 2 reasons: a) an over-reliance on form over substance. At several points it seemed like Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon could have just poked Maul in the back or chest with the light saber, but instead did a little flip and missed their opportunity, and b) the goofy red barriers that opened and closed at intervals. What possible purpose could there be for them? I could go on and on with negative things, but I think I've gotten my main points across. The DVD: I was very pleased with the special features on this DVD. A pretty good and informative commentary, and dozen+ little featurettes, storyboards, and all kinds of other goodies are easily accessible and well organized. In summary, as a Star Wars fan, this DVD is a must-buy, but I guarantee that I will not watch the movie more than a couple times for the rest of my life, and that will be only becasue I may watch them all in a row on occassion.
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