Rating: 
Summary: "We must do something quickly to stop the Federation."
Review: Following a 16-year hiatus from the original "Star Wars" trilogy, writer/director/producer George Lucas returned with the beginning of a new "Star Wars" trilogy set years before the events that take place in the first trilogy. This set of "prequels" (as the term was coined) begins with the 1999 film "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace". In this film, the Empire does not yet exist. Instead, the galaxy is governed by the Republic, whose main political body is a large, elected assembly of representatives known as the Senate. The chief executive, known as the Chancellor, has very limited powers and is elected by the Senate. Unfortunately, due in part to its size and countless political interests, the Senate operates extremely slowly and is incapable of making quick decisions when necessary.Such is the case with the planet of Naboo, which is headed by an elected queen, Queen Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman). Naboo is under threat of invasion by a group calling itself the Trade Federation, which is headed by Viceroy Nute Gunray (Silas Carson), because Queen Amidala has refused to sign a peace treaty with it that would ultimately deprive Naboo of its sovereignty. Naboo's senatorial representative, Senator Palpatine (the returning Ian McDiarmid), is able to have Chancellor Finis Valorum (Terence Stamp, who played "Bernadette" in the 1994 Australian film "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert") send two Jedi to Naboo to broker a peace agreement. Upon the advice of a cloaked individual known as Darth Sidious (also Ian McDiarmid), the Viceroy orders that the two Jedi, a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his teacher Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), be ambushed upon their arrival to the Federation starship. However, they barely escape to Naboo's surface along with the Federation's invading droid army. On Naboo's surface, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon meet an irritating, non-human Naboo native named Jar Jar Binks (voice done by Ahmed Best) who helps them obtain transportation to Queen Amidala's palace without being noticed by the invading droid army. Once there, they help the resistant Queen escape the planet's surface (along with Jar Jar), but damage to their ship forces them to travel to the desert planet of Tattooine instead of the Republic's primary planet known as Coruscant. On Tattooine, their search for replacement parts leads them to a winged individual known as Watto (voice done by Andrew Secombe), his very young slave, Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) and Anakin's mother who is also enslaved, Shmi Skywalker (Pernilla August). As with any previous "Star Wars" film, the cinematography and special effects used in "The Phantom Menace" are excellent; but sadly, the writing and dialog are pallid. The film's two biggest problems are the character Jar Jar Binks and Jake Lloyd's portrayal of Anakin. When George Lucas released the previous "Star Wars" film in 1983 ("Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi"), he introduced a bunch of furry little creatures known as Ewoks. Many people found them endearing, but some found them annoying. In similar fashion, Lucas created an underwater species on Naboo known as the Gungan, of which Jar Jar Binks is part. Unfortuneately, the Gungan's Jamaican accents and immature vocabulary made them (especially Jar Jar) far more annoying than endearing. As for Jake Lloyd, it is very strange that with so many fine, young talented actors, that Lucas would select a highly animated and unconvincing actor to portray one of the film's most important characters. There are, however, many memorable scenes in the film that partially make up for the film's inadequacies including Obi-Wan & Qui-Gon on the Federation starship, views of Naboo, the pod race, Qui-Gon's first encounter with Darth Maul (played by Ray Park, voice by Peter Serafinowicz), Queen Amidala's address to the Senate, Anakin standing before the Jedi Council that is headed by Yoda (voice done by Frank Oz), the Gungan/droid battle, the Naboo castle invasion, and the final battle between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon with Obi-Wan. Other memorable characters include C-3PO (the returning Anthony Daniels), R2-D2 (the returning Kenny Baker), Sebulba (voice done by Lewis Macleod), Captain Panaka (Hugh Quarshie), Jabba the Hut and Boss Nass (Brian Blessed). Overall, I rate the double-DVD version of "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace" with 4 out of 5 stars. The additional DVD includes many fascinating clips of how the film was made, including the creation of Darth Maul and the choreography of his fights.
Rating:
Summary: Struggle for preservation
Review: A good movie about the struggle of the Queen of Naboo (Natalie Portman) to maintain the freedom and way of life of her people, against the scheming Trade Federation.
Reminds me of the struggle of the State of Israel, and it's courageous people, to survive against the machinations of the United Nations, European Union, Non aligned Movement, International Media, World academia etc.
Portman is lovely and vivacious, with an unforgettable smile.
Queen Anakin refuses to abandon her people in their hour of need and stands against the powerful forces rather than yield. The two Jedi knights battle the forces of evil played by Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor, and of then the over the top Jar Jar Binks.
But aside from Portman 's Queen Amadala, the other unforgettable character is the small boy Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) , apparently the future Darth Vader.
Rating:
Summary: Not so bad
Review: I wass soooooo excited to hear that they were making 3 prequels. I went and bought the 1st 3 just to remeber. I had a blast watching the 1st second and 3rd. Then, I went in to the theater wioth my piopcorn and they turned down the lights and it wasn't half bad. If your comparing it to the other Stars Wars, Well, that's like comparing Wayne's World to National Lampoon's Vacation.
Rating: 
Summary: Good overall
Review: I'd probably give it 5 stars if Jar Jar Binks wasn't around so much. But it's still an integral part of the Star Wars sage.
Rating:
Summary: another puzzler? Do you like or not?? Yes, but...
Review: Phantom Menace was long awaited. Lucas made a BIG MISTAKE in waiting so long to move back into bring the Star War Sagas to film. The long long wait caused so much anticipation that I think before this movie was cursed with high expectations, so HIGH that it set up everyone for a BIG disappointment. I have watched the film repeatedly, and I am left with the feeling - Lucas, you had ALL THESE YEARS, and this is what you settled for? And I do mean settled. Time has passed and we are Special Effects "trained", so the power of Light and Magic is sort of ho hum now...we except bigger and better and when we get it we go...is that all there is? It would be curious...had Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones been released all those many years ago would they have impressed us more??? One only has to look to the brilliantly conceived and executed Lord of the Rings movies to see the ability to thrill us is there. What is the different? - THE CHARACTERS. You care so much for the struggles of Frodo, Aragon and the others...and in caring everything about the movie becomes more real, more vital. You have a hard time caring about the characters in Both of the New Star Wars movies. When you don't care, you are left with Special Effects. They are great, but there should be writing and acting to SUPPORT THEM. I enjoy the performances of Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor, but on the balance the sparkle has dimmed on the force. The original movies worked because YOU CARED. Think back when Harrison Ford was being frozen and the expression in his eyes and the expression in Carrie Fishers....they is what kept the movies special in everyone's heart. One hopes the final instalment of this trilogy gets back to that. Fun time, but it will not live long in your heart as a special film. And please,GL, pay a little attention to better dubbing. At times, this has plagued both films. A fun time...but leaves you thinking you were somehow shortchanged.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent DVD, mediocre film
Review: [THIS TEXT REFERS TO THE DVD WIDESCREEN EDITION.] The classic Star Wars trilogy is, without question, one of science fiction's crowning achievements. When the "special editions" of the classic trilogy were released, the series received a huge revival, and rumors began to surface about a "new, prequel trilogy". In May of 1999, the first one of these prequels arrived in theatres. And now, the film has arrived on DVD! Read on for my review of Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace. BASIC PLOT:
The time is thirty years before Episode IV - A New Hope. An organization known as the Trade Federation has began setting up blockades across the galaxy, creating a large problem for trade ships. After a failed attempt to stop the blockades, two Jedi knights ally themselves with a Gungan, and the queen of Naboo (and all her close followers.) During an escape attempt, they are forced to land their ship on Tatooine, where they meet a young slave boy they feel may be the one that will bring balance to the force. It doesn't take long for them to realize that this is no ordinary boy - he is extremely gifted. After repairing their ship, they head back to Naboo to settle the issue with the Trade Federation once and for all. FILM OPINIONS:
This film was a good idea, but it just wasn't executed all that well. The major flaw is, without question, the character of Jar Jar Binks. This character is pretty much comic relief - AND NOTHING ELSE. Why would you waste a character like this? The lightsaber duels look better than ever (you've gotta love that double-bladed one), and some of the new (or is it old?) technology is cool, but the film ultimately falls flat. We're introduced to a number of characters, but we don't get very much character development. I was also disappointed that we didn't get any premonitions to Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader (I was hoping the title of "Phantom Menace" would refer to his transformation to the dark side, but, in fact, it's just a reference to Darth Maul.) Likewise, the idea of the queen using a decoy is just stupid. Is she a coward or something? Because of this, you'll often be confused as to who is who (I know I was.) And the ending of the battle above Naboo is just stupid, because it's won by ACCIDENT! One of the reasons people loved the first film in the classic trilogy so well is because the characters were going after a direct target. They knew what to go for, and they knew they were taking chances. Not true here. Another huge flaw is the lack of space combat. Other than the battle above Naboo at the end of the film, we don't get any! To put it simply, this is a mediocre entry in the Star Wars series. DVD:
The saving grace here is the DVD. There's a whole second disc of bonus material. In addition to a "making of" featurette and the typical DVD stuff, we get the holy grail of DVD extras - deleted scenes. No, these scenes don't reveal anything too important, but they're still a nice touch. There is no shortage of bonus footage here. In fact, there is so much of it, that if you watch all of it, it will be longer than the actual film! Lucasfilm really outdid themselves here. OVERALL:
Although this was a mediocre film through and through, I feel that an excellent job was done on the DVD. If you're new to the Star Wars series, start with the CLASSIC trilogy. Don't bother with the prequels unless you're a Star Wars nerd who can't get enough of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: La película más incomprendida de la historia del cine
Review: Hola, soy Darth Laden. Escribo mis críticas en castellano, asi que si sos de un pais en el que no hablen de este modo... qué lástima. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace es una película impresionante. Llena de CGI (Imágenes creadas por computadora), pero que no molestan en absoluto. Es más, enriquecen la historia. Lucas sigue siendo un muy buen contador de relatos fantásticos, por mas que muchos digan que está viejo, que no puede dirigir, y que esta película apesta. Particularmente, no me parece que apeste, y pienso que, aunque es posiblemente el peor episodio hasta la fecha, es todavía un muy recomendable film, incluso mucho mas que The Matrix, que es del mismo año, y es una copia del comic "The Invisibles" del maestro Grant Morrison. Me parece que Lucas cambió mucho en todo el tiempo en el que se dedicó al ocio (hizo algunas cosas como productor, pero estamos hablando de su rol como director), y no está ese Lucas de antes mucho mas fresco, y juvenil. El tiempo mata todo. Lucas ya no es mas joven, hay que admitirlo. Está viejo, si, pero bien. Ve las cosas de otra manera. No sé por qué los fanáticos clásicos de la Trilogía Original (yo, lamentablemente, no soy uno de ellos...) se horrorizaron tanto con este episodio. Si bien la historia es un tanto ingenua, está muy bien contada, y tiene muy buenos personajes (como Qui-Gon Jinn y Darth Maul, por ejemplo). En fin, Star Wars regresó, y es probablemente mejor que todo lo que da vueltas por ahí. Ahora esperemos con ansias Episode III... que probablemente sea la mejor película de la galaxia (por lo menos de ésta...), y en la que veremos la caída de Anakin al Lado Oscuro... y el comienzo del verdadero Señor Oscuro...
Rating: 
Summary: There Are More Problems Here Than Just Jar Jar
Review: Yeah, I know I'm a little late on this but in 1999 when I saw this movie for the first time I was so disgusted I promised never to watch it again. Well, after a couple of years on DVD I decided to give this one another chance. It really didn't deserve it. The story is very simplistic. Two Jedi Knights (Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi) are called to settle a trade dispute. The planet Naboo has been invaded by the greedy Trade Federation and they demand that Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) sign a treaty giving them control of the planet. Amidala flees the planet with her guardian Jedi and they have to repair their ship on Tatooine. There they meet Anakin Skywalker. Who just like Jesus was born to a virgin mother and may be "the chosen one" that will bring balance to the force. Anakin is a slave and is freed after a long pod race in which he wins. After this Anakin, the Queen, the Jedi, and our friend Jar Jar travel to Coruscant so they can pursuade the galactic Senate to intervene against the Trade Federation on their behalf. Meanwhile Qui Gon Jin takes Anakin to the Jedi temple so Anakin can obtain permission to recieve Jedi training. A very cranky Yoda says the boy is too old and dangerous to become a Jedi. The very cranky Yoda orders Qui Gon to return to Naboo with the queen to protect her. Back on Naboo a really big battle is fought and Qui Gon Jin dies and then Obi Wan kills a Sith Lord named Darth Maul. Qui Gon has a funeral then there is a big celebration. The end. Okay, so the problems. There is not an interesting character in this entire movie. They are lifeless figures on screen whose dialog only serves to keep the plot moving along. There is no real villian. Darth Sidious spends the entire movie hiding in the shadows giving threats and Darth Maul only serves as a plot device to kill the Jedi. His screen time is minimal and his character is hardly developed. As a villian he has nothing on Darth Vader from the classic trilogy. Another problem is Anakin. I watched the documentary "The Beginning" and to be honest Jake Lloyd was the worst one who did a screen test. I have no idea why they chose a kid who couldn't pronounce a lot of the words in the script. Speaking of that documentary, Rick McCallum the producer serves as kind of a yes man to George Lucas. His job is to tell the documentarian how great the movie is going to be. I guess he gets paid a lot and his job would have been lost if he had been honest and said the story was terrible. Then there were the Trade Federation guys. Yeah, I know, a lot of you hate Jar Jar the most about this movie but he was not nearly as annoying as these Trade Federation guys. They wear mask that look as if they were purchased in a dime store and talk in bad Asian accents. When they guys are on screen I wonder if I am watching a Star Wars movie of the Power Rangers? Okay, a lot of people think the saving grace of this movie is that Pod Race. The Pod Race was modeled after that chariot race in a movie called Ben Hur. But in Ben Hur there were real actors on real sets. Not some kid in front of a blue screen. Just like Star Wars and Return of the Jedi, there is a battle station fight at the end in which our heroes most destroy the station. And if you have no life like me you will have noticed that ROTJ ended with a funeral pyre, a celebration, and then end credits. TPM also ends with a funeral pyre, a celebration, and end credits. George Lucas had not directed a movie since the original Star Wars and it showed in this movie. This movie is too mediocre to deserve the honor of a one star rating. I give The Phantom Menace two middle fingers up. Way up.
Rating:
Summary: On 2nd thought (and viewing), actually better than "Clones"
Review: I had to reconsider both my original review of this flick and "Clones" after having actually watched both movies w/I a week of each other. After the initial letdown of "Episode-I", I was ready to jump on the "Episode-II" bandwagon. In retrospect, while they both share some flaws, in many respects "Menace" is actually superior to "Clones". "The Phantom Menace" has a comparatively simple plot - an intergalactic commercial group called the "Trade Federation" suddenly turns militant in the face of burdensome taxation. They blockade the backwater world of Naboo, threatening an all-out war if their demands aren't met. Why the Federation has taken that strategy is a mystery to the ruling government - the Senate of the Intergalactic Republic. Because the galaxy is largely at peace (except for pockets of lawlessness) there is no standing army. Instead, the Republic relies on the Jedi Knights - warriors schooled in the power of The Force - to maintain peace. When Jedi Knights Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) find themselves unable to forestall a war, they rescue Naboo's elected ruler Queen Amidala (Portman) from certain capture. Having escaped the Federation, Amidala's damaged ship is forced to make emergency repairs on an even more remote planet - Tatooine. Needing parts to fix their ship, and with nobody willing to accept their Republic Credits (even when prodded by Jedi mind tricks), Qui Gonn and Padme (one of the queen's loyal handmaidens) enlist the help of a local slave named Anakin. He's just a kid, but even Qui-Gonn can tell that the boy has the power of the force flowing through him. Soon the quest to repair the ship and escape to the Capitol of the Republic includes a mission to save Anakin as well, determine the nature of the Force energy coursing through him and to evaluate him for entry into the Jedi. This flick was a letdown in many ways, but it does have some qualities that survive repeat viewings. Visually, it is spectacular - the final dogfight between the Federation and the Naboo was not topped or even equaled in "Clones". Both films have epic battles involving computer-animated combatants, but the Gungans have more character than the clone army (though I wouldn't want to face-off either side, ridiculous characters are better than none at all, and the clones are utterly lacking in that area). The story is simple - though the more complex plot of "Clones", with its many continuity lapses and gaps reveal that its makers have a narrative problem which is best served by keepings things simple. Both films are marked by an epic Jedi duel, though the one in "Clones" was strikingly unspectacular. Christopher Lee as Dooku also demonstrated that he can function quite well as an all-around lord of Evil in "The Lord of the Rings", but the script gives him little to do, and the story can't make up its mind as to whether we're supposed to think he might be good, or banish any idea that he's not utterly evil. In contrast, Ray Park as Darth Maul is utterly drenched in evil, his face and body language communicating a very palpable sense of the Sith - the force of evil Jedi ready to tear the galactic order to shreds. Maul's battle royale - alone against Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan easily rivals that between Vader and Luke from "Return of the Jedi" in its narrative coherency, and is only clearly topped in that respect by Luke and Vader's duel from "Empire". While we can lament that "Episode One" wasn't the kind of film that grabbed us from our first viewing (like "Star Wars" or "Raiders") it's still a film that can grab us. Just make sure you give it some room, and wide-screen DVD with which to do it.
Rating:
Summary: Darth Maul
Review: I liked this one, though the downfall to this one was Jar Jar Binks and thank god he was in less scenes in Attack Of The Clones ... good highlights include when Dath Maul takes on McGregor and Neeson(classic). the pod racing is loud and great and can Queen Amidala change outfits, man. a notch better than Attack Of The Clones. one of the best of 1999
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