Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Every Saga Has A Beginning
This epic movie takes a journey back to the earliest days of the Star Wars legend. Witness the first historic meeting between young Anakin Skywalker and Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi, the young Jedi Knight who comes to be his mentor for a time. The film explores the beginning of the legend as the Empire begins to take shape amidst a galaxy in turmoil.
Member Reviews
Easily the worst of all the Star Wars movies - beatlejuice95
I went back and forth on this one between giving it four stars or three. If it wasn't for how much of a star wars fan I am, I might say this film is a 4, but compared to the other 5 films, it is easily the worst. It may have the coolest villain in all of the films in Darth Maul, and I'm ok with the story line, but after that I have a couple of big complaints.
Jar Jar Binks was annoying, and clearly added for comic relief, but it was obvious that was his only purpose in the film. My biggest complaint was the way the finished product looked, in specific the droids, and the use of CGI was glaring. This after ILM invented techniques in the first 3 films that have since been copied by virtually all big blockbuster special effects movies, it was a huge dissapointment. You would think a movie made some 22 years after the original movie would look more realistic, not worse, but that is the case here.
Once I get beyond the above mentioned complaints, I do settle in to enjoy this movie, but I just don't find it as enjoyable as the other 5.A Decent Sci-Fi Flick - TheShamus
Imagine for a moment ... the Star Wars series never existed. George Lucas was a relatively unknown director with releases like, "American Graffiti". A movie called "The Phantom Menace" is released. How successful do you think it would have been?
I really beleive the movie would have trouble earning $50 million at the box office. However, it would be the type of movie which would be likely to spawn a loyal following. Who knows if it would be successful enough for a sequel.
Back to the real world.
Regardless of how good, "The Phantom Menace" was, there is no way it could have met the lofty expectations of some fans. However, it could have been much better.
The movie spends a lot of time developing characters and setting the "universe" in which Anakin Skywalker exists. For sci-fi fans, it shoudl be a mostly enjoyable experience ... minus perhaps, the annoying sidekick CGI character, "Jar Jar Binks".
There are some action scenes, but mostly, it is dramatic sci-fi politics which will become "long in the tooth" for many non-Star Wars fans.
It's pretty cool to have 6 movies which all tie into a larger saga ... and "The Phantom Menace" is definitely the weakest of the series. The impressive special effects and supurb soundtrack help somewhat to sway me to a three star review. If it looks good and sounds good ... it must be good ... right?
/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\George Lucas writes legend like an episode of 'Family Ties'. - KOBA
These films struck a bland, austere, and matriarchal note which cuts all the way through these diverse and exciting environments. It could've been a great adventure, but it splits its story over too many supporting characters, none of which add or build on anything, because Lucas is not a writer. I think these films reemphasize the importance of screenwriters in this industry. Go back and compare it to 'THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK'.
Star Systems are severing ties to the Republic in what will form the Empire... there's some mystery the Jedi need to go to Naboo to warn the Queen of, and she meets her future husband... that's all that's going on here. The tone varies so much because it doesn't know when to be exciting/thoughtful/foreboding, so we have ROLES instead of CHARACTERS --like Jar-Jar, the walking doll. We spend so much time with CGI, creatures, and a whining blond boy, that all of the important things are sucked right out of it.
Member Reviews
Read All...
Easily the worst of all the Star Wars movies - beatlejuice95
I went back and forth on this one between giving it four stars or three. If it wasn't for how much of a star wars fan I am, I might say this film is a 4, but compared to the other 5 films, it is easily the worst. It may have the coolest villain in all of ...A Decent Sci-Fi Flick - TheShamus
Imagine for a moment ... the Star Wars series never existed. George Lucas was a relatively unknown director with releases like, "American Graffiti". A movie called "The Phantom Menace" is released. How successful do you think it would have been?
I ...George Lucas writes legend like an episode of 'Family Ties'. - KOBA
These films struck a bland, austere, and matriarchal note which cuts all the way through these diverse and exciting environments. It could've been a great adventure, but it splits its story over too many supporting characters, none of which add or build on ...