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

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) | Pernilla August, Kenny Baker | great sword fights, historical background

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Star Wars - Episod...

	Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) Pernilla August, Kenny Baker 20th Century Fox, 2005 average customer review:based on 2695 reviews view larger image
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In defense of Jar-Jar

I think Lucas was right. The more I see this movie, the better I like it. I think, somewhat like Empire did, it will grow with time as it is seen in the larger context.

1. I think there are a lot of fans whose sense of self-identity is wrapped up in this series, and when a character emerges that challenges who they perceive themselves to be (not a comical child), they get very defensive. When I was a child, I LOVED the Ewoks. I had their tree fort (which would later suspiciously emerge as Robin Hood's). I can see now, as an adult, why so many were frustrated by this choice. But it did its job for me as a little boy. I think people need to back off on Lucas about Jar Jar. The major misstep with Jar-Jar was not having him, but having too much of him. There were certain lines and scenes that detracted from the movie - but there were others that provided a nice comic release for a child watching it.

2. I enjoyed the storyline - discovering the boy and the slower parts certainly played out a larger mythological beginning. I give Lucas credit for not forcing constant action and allowing the characters and stories to play out. If you watch the original Star Wars, it is REALLY slow to get going.

Perhaps my biggest gripe with this and all the newer movies is mechanics. Amidst all the Joseph Campbell mythmaking, how many times was Han trying to fix the ship or they were bantering back and forth. These are all much more sterilized - perhaps necessarily so for where the Republic is at the time. Still, I miss the grit.

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great sword fights, historical background

Four stars for the 1st of a tragic swashbuckling film. This is the first film I saw in over a decade, literally, emerging from a self-imposed culture fast. My techno, pop culture, modern movie-making technics lack allowed me to see this film, not only as a connector to the original Star Wars (which blew my socks off seeing it in a first run theater so many eons ago) but as an incredible advance in movie making. Since this film I've had the pleasure of seeing a few more incredible movies that draw on the Marin people and Pixar.

As for the story, it dragged in places and I wanted to see Liam Neelson do more acting.

Who was the masked bad guy? Incredible technic. I would like to see him in action.

Finally, Obiwan - it becomes clear from this snap shot that the faults of the teacher propagate and intensify as they pass through to the pupil. Fringe teacher (Gauwan) to rebellious student (Obiwan) to a break with law (Anakin).

Thanks for a good movie.

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