Rating: 
Summary: Timeless? Certainly not.
Review: There is not much to be said about the poor quality of this movie that hasn't already been brought up hundreds of times throughout all of these reviews. To be quite honest, I loved the first two movies (and portions of the third), and I refused to believe, even after being disheartened by the video-game effects of the Special Edition, that a fourth Star Wars movie could be anything short of impressive. I was very wrong indeed - somewhere along the line, someone's directorial beard forgot that Star Wars movies are just that: movies. And being so, they apply to the same rules of what constitutes a 'good' film just as any other moving picture does. (For more information on just how the elements of this film fall short, please see many of the thousand-odd reviews following mine.) The main difference between Episode I and the original Star Wars, is that there is nothing groundbreaking (at least in positive terms) about this movie. Of course, doing so many shots in ugly, un-photorealistic computer generation allows for full-360-degree-we-show-you-every-rendered-detail-of-every-object-by-swinging-around-it-with-the-camera-just-because-we-can cinematography. I have found the special effects to be the downfall of the movie - every problem I have with it can be traced back to the computer visuals. From the added dinosaur walking front of the camera and the tupperware fighters flying around the camera every which pointless way in the New Hope Special Edition all the way to the opening shot in Episode I of a pink tupperware ship to the eyesore that is the whole I-can't-even-kid-myself-that-they're-3D tupperware-skinned Gungan race. Oh, I'm complaining too much, and it's not going to do much good now. Suffice it to say, the newer generation of which this movie was written for, the generation that doesn't even know that Mario has a brother named Luigi, will in no way regard this movie as anything special in twenty years. The twenty-some year olds who saw Star Wars in 1977 were deeply impacted, and the twenty-some year olds who saw Episode I in 1999 had already seen Star Wars many, many times on video and television (and I didn't see them applauding when it was over). There was no ground for Episode I to cover but the younger generation, hence the contempt for a decent, mature audience (but don't listen to me - I hate The Matrix, too). And, as I said, nothing groundbreaking happened in the course of this movie, save for the biggest, most discouraging letdown in movie history, where only someone as sick to say, "If you were a real Star Wars fan you would have liked it," could possibly find any lasting value in this movie. I guess the great imagination that George Lucas has that everyone's talking about is the stretch of imagination it takes to recognize this mess as a legitmate movie, let alone up to par with the orignals.
Rating: 
Summary: The BEST DVD out there.
Review: There is NOTHING out there that could beat this DVD. This is how ALL DVDS should be released in the first place. It has all the extras that DVD buffs dream of. From exclusive commentary by the film makers, to deleted scenes, to documentaries, to multi-angle sequences, to featurettes, production photos, postesr, ad campaigns, and exclusive StarWars.com content. Absolutely amazing. The picture quality cannot be beaten. When filmed digtally, it looks absolutely amazing on the movie screen. The transfer has absolutely no artifcats at all. It's just as clear as it was on the movie screen. The sound is wonderful. The best sound is 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Many DVDs have this, but this DVD destroys all their quality. The podrace sequence shakes the walls, the lightsabers snap-hiss and hums echo through the air. Nothing can beat this. The extras...Lucas proves he is a movie-making god. Just watching the making-of net featurettes will make you appreciate the film so much more. The hour-long documentary is stunning. The deleted scenes...they don't add much to the story at all, but it's always good to see deleted scenes around. The multi-angle sequnces blow away the multi-angle sequences on the Unbreakable DVD. Seeing the submarine chase and the first lap of the podrace from storyboards to animatics is just fun. The trailers...just brings back the excitement and anticipation of Episode I. The music video it just like a trailer. Nothing to special, but it's a wonderful piece of music. All in all, the best set of extras on any DVD. Buy it, experience it, and love it.
Rating:
Summary: DARTH MAUL REIGNS
Review: There is one reason to buy this movie and one reason alone, DARTH MAUL, played by the one and only RAY PARK! Darth Maul is not a fake and neither is Ray. He does all his own stunts in the movie, cordinated most of the fight sequences and simply rocks! The minuses to the film, well, everything else, I have to say. The story, the special effects, the whole underwater sequence that had no point other than saying, "LOOK AT WHAT INDUSTRIAL LIGHTS AND MAGIC CAN DO," JarJar Binks, that stupid kid and the lack of Darth Maul screen time. It had exceptional potential, but at the end, when DM kicks the bucket, it is so lame. Obi-Won shouldn't have stood a chance. Watch and you'll see what I mean. Darth Maul must've been asleep when Obi-Won did that stupid flying flip thing and sliced him up, that's all I can figure. I mean come on, this movie even makes George Lucas look bad! But I'm still buying it on DVD. Just for the one and the only... DARTH MAUL/RAY PARK!
Rating:
Summary: What do people mean no character?
Review: There is plenty of character and plot development in episode 1. It shows the very beginings and only hints out some of what you are to find later. It shows the rise of Palpatine from a lower beuracrat on his way to one day becomiong the evil emperor. There is much story here you just have to pay attention and look beneath the surface. A beginning is a very difficult time, and this movie does a damn good job of it. Starting a legend from a few small pieces. They will get better.
Rating:
Summary: Please remember to recycle
Review: There isn't enough bad things to say about this movie. It's a "comic" without the "relief" in it. Because this movie is nothing but a comic horror, and a boring one at that. Thank God for Star Wars: Clone Wars, because this pile of junk wasn't the force worthy. Horrible acting, horrible plot, horrible computer graphics, horrible!
Rating: 
Summary: Well..........
Review: There isn't much to be said. So what if it wasn't relesed on DVD? The point is that this move lacked what the others had. The plot and characters (especially the Jar-Jar tibe) were more than a bit shalow, the acting wasn't great, and the script was terible. "I'm so proud of you Anne" Annican's mother sqeaks in an unnaturally high voise after he wins the pod race. "you have given strength to those who have none." Oh please! If Lucas works more on the plot, script and characters next time, they might live up to the originals.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing ¿ but essential nevertheless
Review: There was a palpable sense of frustration on emerging from theatres when Phantom Menace was released. A whole generation of young men (and some women) had waited a lifetime for the follow-up from 1970s prodigy George Lucas. Tragically, Lucas used his artistic freedom - which would have been the envy of Chaplin or Welles - to create a glossy children's film rather than a worthy successor to his original trilogy which can truly be said to appeal to all ages. That said, don't believe those who say that this movie is "only" about special effects. The look and feel is in many places majestic, and the visual references are inspired. Witness the influences of African art, classical architecture, legends of Atlantis, great movie moments (Ben Hur, Metropolis) and more. Add to this a whole series of story elements which, sadly, are greater than the sum of their parts - such as the explanation of how a corrupt bureaucracy allows a peaceful trading federation to slide into an oppressive dictatorship - and you have a flawed but fascinating piece of entertainment. In any case, you need to own it for the lightsabre scenes - the best fencing choreography ever filmed.
Rating:
Summary: A New Beginning...Or Not.
Review: There's a irony here, that the man who started the mythos of Star Wars becomes the director who so carelessly destroys it. Does this DVD set new standards? Sure it does. It has A LOT of interesting extras such as computer generated deleted scenes and some very intriguing behind the scenes features. But does this save the movie? Hell no. The original movies like 4,5, and 6 had some great dialouge. While the Phantom Menace has some really interesting characters, its painful to listen to them speak. I'm sure I will get a lot of negative reactions from this review, but Star Wars fans have to ask themselves this...did you actually have fun watching this movie?
Rating:
Summary: Episode I DVD
Review: There's not much to say, its a great movie with action and adventure. Its got some awesome special features you should see. buy it
Rating:
Summary: Falls of the Legend
Review: Theres a penetrating mythology and magic to the original Star Wars trilogy, something that is sorely lacking in this misfiring prequel. What once was art is now just artificial. Computer effects once were a means to an end--now they are the end in and of itself. The mystery is missing. We are told, in no uncertain terms, the ridiculous scientific basis of "The Force." (Lucas, take a hint from Chris Carter--some things are better left unknown.) There's no plot cohesion. We are to believe that the little toe-headed Anakin is to become Darth Vader? How? He doesn't do so much as stomp on an ant! The dialogue is stale and frequently incoherent. An elaborate underwater sequence is offered early in the movie, which contributes nothing to the story. The film's biggest flaw is its lack of character development---scratch that---how about the lack of characterization altogether. We're introduced to a host of potentially intriguing characters--Obi-Wan, Darth Maul, Queen Amidala, Mace Windu, among others--and by the film's end, we really don't know anything about any of them. Disagree? Ok, then, try and describe Darth Maul's motivation. What's going on in Obi-Wan's head through the movie? What three words would you use to describe Queen Amidala's personality? Then come the arguments: "Yes, but the Phantom Menace is setting up events for the next two movies! " Fine, but a movie should still be able to support its own self. Many Star Wars fans will embrace this movie, because, to them 'something is better than nothing.' But sometimes, if you love something enough, you have to give it truth.
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