scott29's Full Review: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
If you're a person who got even a little excited as the movie approached, you'll most likely have a great time. Unfortunately, it's become the cool trend to bash this one, so be prepared to make up your own mind.
While it doesn't come close to the classic original Star Wars or the even better Empire, The Phantom Menace is still a welcome blast of fun. It has it's flaws to be sure, and some of them (JAR JAR BINKS) are pretty large, but it's just to tempting to get caught up in Lucas' universe all over again. Simple heroics and adventures can be enough sometimes, especially with the promise of new discoveries of characters we all know so well
This is the first episode in the early Star Wars years. The following two will fill in the blanks between this one and Star Wars Episode 4 (which of course is the original SW).
It was a daunting project to undertake, given the immense backstory and legions of demanding and unforgiving fans. But Lucas still showed up with a colorful and exciting space opera.
Ewan McGregor acquits himself adequately, while a somber Liam Neeson takes center stage. They are Jedis, and protectors of Annakin Skywalker. Annakin possesses an almost unique skill, that of The Force. It is the hope of the Jedis that he can be trained how to properly use this gift.
On the other side, there's the evil Senator Palpatine, whose diabolical political machinations will begin the battles that are to follow in the next installments. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon basically have to get Annakin from point A to point B, only those typically spectacular dangers keep arising. From Pod Races to underground cities to the requisite outer space dogfight, it's just a fun ride.
Say what you will about George Lucas not being a brilliant writer. That may be true, but few filmmakers have the big-scale vision that he does. He creates a magnificent universe in this movie. The irony is that the very genre he helped define has passed him by, and his own movies now seem quaint or corny. Well, if Star Wars is corny, call me colonel because I truly enjoyed The Phantom Menace. While everyone chose to concentrate on the sincerely annoying Jar Jar Binks character, I chose to catch up on my childhood and enjoy the movie.
Perhaps it's the very rare of case of just WANTING to like a movie, in which case I need to see it three or four more times. As it stands, this is a Star Wars movie. To call something 'The worst Star Wars movie' is still a pretty big compliment, though. All that aside, movies with scale and imagination are what turn little kids into hardcore lunatic movie-lovers, and that's always a good thing.
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