Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) | Pernilla August, Kenny Baker | Aimed more towards kids than the originals...

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	Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) Pernilla August, Kenny Baker 20th Century Fox, 2005 average customer review:based on 2694 reviews view larger image
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Its NOT as bad as some would have you believe

Is it really 9 years since The Phantom Menace brought Star Wars back to the Cinema after a 16 year hiatus? Back in the summer of 1999, the world was a very differant place to today. Bill Clinton was still American President. The Twin Towers were still standing and few people had heard of Al Qeada. As we counted down to a new Millennium the world appeared to be on the cusp of a new golden age of econmic prosperity and relative peace. Admist this background came Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The hype and expectation for this movie was probably greater than anything before or since in movie history. What film could ever hope to live up to this hype and expectation? No film ever could. The initial response from fanboys and critics across the world was cries of anguish and pain. Claims of childhoods being raped drowned out the more sensible reflections that actually this movie whilst not particularly great, was as bad as many claimed it was. Now, almost a decade on from the initial release, perhaps the time is right for a more considered view of this film?

The Phantom Menace is the very definition of a "mixed" film. It has both good and bad points, and whether you end up liking this film will depend on;

1. Do the bad points outweigh the good points for you?
2. Do the good points outweigh the bad points for you?

Thus you will find the answer of whether or not this movie works for you, somewhere in the balance of the two.

Some of the bad points; George Lucas's direction is stiff. Lucas hadn't directed a film since 1977 and it shows.
Jar Jar Binks is annoying and tedious and frequently gets in the way, however, as with so many complaints about this film, Binks is NOT as bad as some would have you believe, and you CAN enjoy this film despite the presense of JJB. Children will love Jar Jar, so if you show this film to your 8 year old child, please don't let your loathing of Mr Bink's ruin your child's love for this character.
Other bad points are that the pod race goes on too long (it went on too long in the theatrical release, and for some reason its been extended further for the DVD)
Ewan Mcgregor unfortunatly gets very little to do.
Natalie Portman shines as Queen Amidala, but as Padme she often leaves a lot to be desired. Jake Lloyds Anakin is given some annoyingly silly lines to read out (as with Binks, Lloyd is NOT as bad as outraged fanboys would have you believe)
The Gungans are probably the worse species in SW history (except for the Ewoks of course ;) ) and the final battle between the Gungans and the Battle Droids is unengaging.
Perhaps my main complaint about Menace is that the two characters that get the most screen time, Jar Jar Binks and Qui-Gon Jinn, are the two characters that don't really feature in the next two films. Thus, this is, I think, the central problem with Menace. Its mainly filler. Lucas needed "more" in this film.

Some of the good points; Liam Neeson is the glue that holds this film together. Anybody that says the acting was better in the OT, should look at Neesons performance. Its at least as good as anything in the OT.
The political sub-plot is interesting and engaging and seeing how Palpatine begins his rise to power is compelling. Ian Mcdiarmid is outstanding in the small number of scenes he is given.
The Mother/Son relationship between Anakin and his Mother is well done and you do feel a sense of Anakins pain at being parted from his mother and having to leave her as a slave. The twist of Anakin's origins (that he was born without a father) adds a mystical and mythical element. Deeply religious people may be offended, but "virgin births" feature in many mythical stories.
Seeing the workings of the Jedi Council and how the Jedi relate to the Senate is interesting.
Darth Maul is cool and The Duel Of The Fates is probably the most exciting lightsaber battle of the Saga. The piece of music that accompany's the duel is truely outstanding (otherwise John Williams' score on TPM isn't very memorable - Like Lucas, at times you get the sense he is warming himself up with this picture
The general time and effort and attention to detail is wonderful. For Amidala's gowns alone costume designer Trisha Biggar should have won an Oscar. ILM's special effects are amazing. The film looks outstanding and sounds wonderful. As a piece of art, The Phantom Menace is an awesome blend of creativity and artisitic inspiration. Too bad the final product ended up so mixed.

Just to say, the movie ranks as a solid *** affair, but the DVD package itself takes it up to **** The central documentery; The Beginning is one of the best DVD extras you'll find on any DVD release. An absolute gem. It even captures the moment George Lucas himself realise's the movie is not panning out as well as he had hoped. Also included in the extras is a full commentery, deleated scenes, trailers, music video and web-docs (which are also of the highest quality)

In closing, The Phantom Menace IS a deeply flawed movie. Slow, plodding and yes, in places even dull. Much of it is filler and a setting up effort. But it also has moments of pure brilliance and many parts are good or very good. Theres a fascination at seeing the Star Wars universe; BEFORE THE DARK TIMES. This is a film that is about children and for children. Theres a lightness and feeling of innocence that contrasts fantastically to the much, much darker Episode III. Given the time in which the movie was released, itself a moment that could be described as "before the darkness" you can't help but feel a pang of nostalgia when you watch The Phantom Menace. Even those that hate this film must feel that somewhere?

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Aimed more towards kids than the originals...

but still good. I actually liked this one more than "A New Hope". One of the best things is that there's no Hayden Christensen like the other 2 prequels. It's interesting to compare and contrast Anakin and Darth Vader. It almost seems impossible that this noble young boy will become such a monster, but then you look at certain details and it makes sense.
In my opinion, the pod race was one of the best scenes of any Star Wars film. It's even better if you have a home theater. Jar Jar is a little annoying, but so is/was C-3PO. They're supposed to be annoying, so it doesn't bother me. It ends very similar to the original... In fact, the whole series seems like its the same formula with a different outcome in the end.

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Good Movie

It took a bit longer to get it than I expected, but it's a great movie.

"Feel, Don't Think, Use Your Instincts"

Ok, so now the three part saga has become a six part extravaganza with the '99 release of `Star Wars - The Phantom Menace'. And just when I was about to forgive George Lucas for inventing those ridiculous Ewoks in `Return of the Jedi' he goes even further into the realm of the absurd with the creation of Jar-Jar Binks (You're not a Jedi George, you've already shown us you can't trust your instincts so think before you create).

The special effects definitely continue to improve with each new adventure and getting the Jedi more involved is a big plus. The sinister looking Sith Darth Maul is also a wonderful addition to the 'Star Wars' mythos. Though initially pleased to see the Order of the Jedi play a much larger role in the storyline, unfortunately the "words of wisdom" dispensed by the members of this Order of mystical warriors now comes across as shallow and pretentious, not profound as it had in the earlier films. Yes even with the return of a younger Yoda (since the new films chronologically pre-date the original trilogy) the lessons of the Jedi have lost their potency.

When all is said and done the big question that still puzzles me is why does Lucas continue to populate the screen with so many cartoon looking characters that ruin the Star Wars experience for any fan above the age of twelve? Evidently he's seeking an ever younger audience.

My Rating: -3 1/2 Stars-.

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