Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) User Reviews

Night Falls on the Old Republic

[Nirgaul · 20 August 2005]

Its more interesting to look back on this now that the series is complete. There were some great opportunities here that got blundered. Instead of interesting parallels between the son and the father, we have repeated stanzas -- only its clumsy; Like when a high school band plays "The Imperial March" at a homecoming game. Amateurish. Instead of foreshadowing, we trip over what is to come. We can feel Ron Howard's presence on the set. Tatooine has retroactively become Mayberry.

This is probably the best of the prequel series from a conceptual standpoint. The designs are outstanding. The first twenty minutes have some overwhelming eye candy and we're off to a great start. But by now you know the real tragedy of this series. This was the last time Lucas would ever rely on real sets to anchor his myth in something tangible. Henceforth, everything would be as digital as possible.

American audiences will perhaps be more keen on the political satire now that *Sith is out. Congressional gridlock was the biggest domestic problem we seemed to have back in '99. Here the epicenter is more China vs. Tibet -- rather blatantly. 'Amidala' is almost an anagram for Dalai Lama. Perhaps that's why her ceremonial dress is red and gold.

A filmmaker is in a unique position to contribute the line "Your focus determines your reality." This is where that focus started to blur.

The first link in a continual cycle.

[Malkav-2 · 19 May 1999]

"Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," "The Return of the Jedi," and now, "The Phantom Menace," are *not* films.

On average, films last about an hour and a half. You pay your money to see them, and they can be good or bad. Either way, most films have a plot, with conflicts that are all resolved within the course of one sitting. Furthermore, most films usually end on a "High note," or open-ended enough to foster a sequel if it makes enough money. There are plenty of examples of this.

The entire "Star Wars" saga isn't like that. These aren't films...they're LEGENDS. Classic storytelling dating back to the Middle Ages follows much the same structure. When you read about the Round Table or the quest for the Holy Grail, those are stand-alone stories within a much larger framework. There's likely not much plot development about Sir Lancelot or King Arthur within those individual pieces of legend, because that's all they are: pieces.

If you've not figured it out yet, there's a reason why the films are in trilogies of three. It's parallelism. Expect to see a lot of elements of Episodes 4, 5, and 6 used in Episode 1. (And 2 and 3, eventually.) Episode 1 matches with Episode 4, and so on, right down the line.

There aren't going to be very many big surprises or suspenseful moments of the first three films in the series. Because "A New Hope" is Episode 4, by the time "Return of the Jedi" rolled around, we already knew that Luke and Leia were siblings and that Anakin Skywalker, their father, was Darth Vader. Going into Episode 1, we already know that Obi-Wan isn't going to get killed, and that Anakin will, at some point, end up with Queen Amadala. It's like reading about Merlin telling Uther Pendragon what will result from his actions in the first few Arthurian legends...we already know what's going to ultimately happen at the end.

And yet, even though we already know the outcome, those stories have lasted for centuries. There never will *be* a standalone "Star Wars" film, because the legacy created transcends the time you spend in the theater. You can look at specific pieces, but it all comes together as a whole.

Finally, if you're disheartened because you were disappointed with "Episode I," remember that this is only Lucas' vision of what "Episode I" is. You may not have liked a bit of dialog, or the acting, or the visuals...it's much the same thing as disliking a translation or the way an author conveyed his ideas. Consider this "The bad chapter" in the entire story, and take into account that the first three films aren't going to have a pleasant outcome, and you're probably not going to be terribly surprised with anything that happens.

Just three more facts against this painful movie

[sdhartusch · 4 February 2002]

I have read all the reviews about the things people dislike about this movie, and I happen to agree with them all. I just want to complain about three scenes which anyone brought up yet and almost made me feel sick: 1 - Every time the gungan´s king mumbled and gestured spitting all over the place 2 - Starship captain saying "We are loosing droids... fast" just when RD-D2 and his mates are repairing the ship 3 - Starship captain illustrating the audience that "The whole planet is a city" when they are arriving to Coruscant (was it too hard for us to guess that one?) The only thing that can redeem this movie is Ayden Christensen getting Queen Amidala to bed in Episode II. Shameful movie. Excuse my english

I liked it ALOT!!!

[jamie_71 · 3 September 1999]

First of all, I was never a die-hard Star Wars fan. That is my older brother. But I went to my grandma's house for about a week on vacation and my mum and I HAD to get away from her, so we went and saw this movie. I must say, I really liked it. It has some major flaws, but I believe the effects make up for it. I really didnt much like Jar-Jar..he's cute and all, but I really wish I knew what he was saying. He shouldnt have had such a dumb accent. The aliens that spoke english gave me a headache. Their lips werent moving in anyway what-so-ever to what I ours might. I had to look away when they talked to understand. I think Mr. Neeson is a MAJOR BABE...who cares if he's 47? He's definetly hot! ANd Mr McGregor...well what can I say, he's a major hottie, too. Maybe they didnt have the perfect roles, but I think the movie is so awesome. I would recommend all SW fans to see it, and even those who arent. It has the best effects I have ever seen. You'll see past Mr Jar jar and the weird-o aliens.

Mixed feelings

[Eviljomr · 10 December 1999]

I guess I'm required by international law to immediately state how let down I was by this film, and to some large extent, I was, but there were things about it I liked. I think a problem with this film is that it had some great individual parts, but they never came together as a whole. I also got the feeling the film was just focused-grouped and test-marketed to death, in a vain attempt to be all things to all people. In the back of my mind, I could never shake the thought that the main purpose of this film was to sell toys. I would enjoy the Star Wars films a lot more if it wasn't so big of a franchise. I found Luc Besson's film The Fifth Element to be a more satisfying and honest sci-fi adventure, and I like the fact that it will most likely be sequal-less. I also liked the fact that it took itself much less seriously, and didn't have the weight of an entire franchise on it's shoulders, which I think was a major problem with The Phantom Menace.

I think a big problem was the casting. I didn't like the performance from the kid who played Anakin (let me state that I do feel a little uncomfortable criticizing child actors, even when a lot of them just aren't very good, which is understandable. It seems like good child actors are often non-American). Natalie Portman, best known from Luc Besson's film Leon, gives a passable performance, given what little she had to work with. Liam Nesson had a "what am I doing here?" look throughout the film. I never really bought Ewan MacGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.

On the other hand, a lot the visuals are pretty stunning, like the "New York City planet" Corsucant, and the light saber duel at the end was pretty cool; but overall, I got the feeling I was basically watching the original Star Wars re-tooled and test-marketed for late-90s consumption, and a lot of the things I liked about Star Wars were missing.

A sad, big disappointment...

[mbarrera · 10 July 1999]

After so many years waiting, I was greatly disappointed with this movie. Mr. Lucas had all the elements there, but the final blend went just wrong. It *could* have been such a great prequel...

Yet, I will be willing to see Episode II. Maybe the force will be with us then.

Boring and plotless

[Ford Prefect · 10 April 2000]

Yes I know it is the beginning to a story. I still hated the thing. The movie was more of a show of what Lucas can do with his FX but there was no substance to the story. It was long and dragged on. It would have been good if he spent more time working on a good story.

Good, but disappointing

[jls1ct · 16 May 2000]

By now, anyone who wants to see this has probably seen it. It's been out on video for over a month.

I saw it in the theater twice, and bought the movie. But overall, I was disappointed. This just doesn't stand up to the first three. Perhaps I'm biased because I love Harrison Ford, but there was just so much wrong here.

My complaints are the same as many others'. First of all, I, too, hated Jar Jar. Matter of fact, the entire Gungan race annoyed me. They really could've done so much better creating a new race. And their "language" was really stupid.

I thought Jake Lloyd's acting was a bit stilted. Ok, he's just a kid, but HE'S DARTH VADER!

Darth Maul? Very disappointing as a bad guy. No real dialogue. No motivation. We don't know why he chose the dark side, or anything else about him for that matter. Then he kills Qui-Gon and is gone before we can get used to him!

In my opinion, the amount of time on screen between Maul and Jar Jar should've been reversed.

Still, it was Star Wars. I just hope that in Part 2, Jar Jar gets killed.

Paper-thin turned into a gross understatement.....

[Chrisje-4 · 17 May 2000]

Needless to say, the phantom menace was one of the most vigorously anticipated movies in The Netherlands, my residence at the time of release. Before the movie hit the theatres, I watched a download off some korean site on my computer, and thought it was cool. When it finally hit the theatre, my girlfriend and I went to see it after the initial rush for tickets had died down. In retrospect, the tickets to that movie weren't worth the paper they were printed on. She even fell asleep and although I seldom do that, I can empathise. The movie becomes unbelievably dull once you punch through the enormous barrage of sound and animation, and is simply not suited for repetitive viewing.

Some say the story is paper-thin... If only it was: I had to whip out a full size electron microscope to even find hints of a story. The characters were about as deep as a shot-glass, and the whole experience was just an anti-climatic.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not a star-wars hater. Quite the opposite, I've enjoyed parts 4, 5 and 6 many times. This one however is a powerhouse FX movie with all the animation, sound and gadgets in the world. But a pretty thing without more to it is just that: a pretty thing. And that gets boring at an alarming pace.

Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson and Pernilla August are good actors in which I'm disappointed because all the big bucks in the world don't justify letting yourself be hired for this B-movie. And for those that doubt their acting skills after seeing this particular film, go see movies like "Enskilda Samtal", "Trainspotting", "Brassed off", "Schindlers list" and "Micheal Collins". Those that read this and haven't seen the film yet might as well have a look at the above instead.

Lucas should have simply quit while he was ahead. It might make him money, but the man has lost my faith as a director/producer.

See it!It´s great

[ana_sofianeto · 24 May 2000]

This film is one of kind. It´s great and, by the way,Jar-Jar isnt annoying he´s kind of cute actually. The movie plot cold be more developed though, but i guess that´s because of episode II and III. The Force is with it. And may the Force be with you

Hit And Miss And...

[azathothpwiggins · 14 July 2021]

After having seen STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE many times over the years, it's time to look at it again.

In all honesty, it's really not terrible. Is it the classic, on par with the original trilogy, that everyone expected? Well, no. And that's the true problem isn't it?

Everyone expected something that this could never be. Over time, the first three films have become legendary, almost mythical. We grew up with them for God's sake!

MENACE is, in its own context, a solid piece of sci-fi. Of course, it has it's less-than-stellar moments, and, yes, there's that damned Jar Jar to roll our eyes at! Annnd, yes, that annoying mini-Anakin!

The whole pod racing thing could have been trimmed or saved for the video game, but it was sort of cool in an intergalactic BEN HUR sort of way.

Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) is interesting, and her fashion sense remains intriguing to this day. Ewan McGregor is a very good Obi-Wan, and Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, does a fantastic job of being mystical.

Those sea monsters were awesome!

Was the CGI overused / overdone? Yes. Were the entire race of Gungans just as ultra-annoying as Jar Jar? Yes.

Was Darth Maul (Ray Park) underused? Indeed. His appearance seems far too brief, especially since this was his only SW movie. He is the most dynamic, threatening character in the whole series of films! Aside from Lord Vader, of course.

So, in view of the past trilogy, and the final two prequels, let's split the difference...

A real ride

[newsteadadam · 29 April 2000]

Star Wars Episode 1 is a great start to the new Star Wars Trilogy. This movie has the best special effects of any movie I have ever seen and the story is a great too. The lightsaber battle between the two Jedi and the Sith is the best part. George Lucus gives the viewers of this movie what he gave viewers almost 25 years ago, and that is a movie masterpiece that will last for years to come.

the third best of the 4 films

[RCarter · 1 August 1999]

I really liked the movie, although it was not as good as A New Hope or Empire, I believe that it holds it's place well in the saga. I am certainly looking forward to episode II, to see what is in store for the heroes. Those who disliked this movie missed something. We already know the ending (Jedi episode VI) and I think that they expected the whole thing be explained in one film. This movie is a great stand alone story and a perfect beginning of the saga.

Ready for Re-Appraisal

[giammamike · 2 June 2005]

It should be noted the 10 I've voted encompasses the entire Star Wars saga, episodes I-VI. But I think time will be kind to The Phantom Menace. If you're already a fan of the movies, and know the original trilogy backwards and forwards, and can't put what you know aside while you're watching THE PHANTOM MENACE, this half will sidetrack you. It's a given. You'll get strung up on the point Anakin constructed (or more properly, REconstucted) Threepio, you'll get hung up on the kid because you know his destiny is to become Darth Vader. The midichlorians will get on your nerves because you'll begin to think the Force is a biological thing and not mystical anymore. It's both. The biggest complaint of THE PHANTOM MENACE I've ever heard is, "I waited 16 years for an intergalactic trade boycott?" We really didn't. We've waited 22 years for REVENGE OF THE SITH. Of course the biggest problem is everyone's seen the ending first. To be able to watch this movie fresh, you'd have to unlearn what you have learned. Get the Rebellion and the Empire out of your system. There is no Rebellion. No Empire. This is the most difficult thing to do. I've only just begun to truly look at it objectively for what it is. Upon my initial viewing, I couldn't help trying to notice "firsts." There aren't very many. Like the other installments, THE PHANTOM MENACE is very tight and fast-paced. If you're with what's proceeding. If you're not, by the time you get to Tatooine with the Jedi, you have no investment with what they're there for. To get their ship fixed so they can get the hell outta Dodge. There isn't much room in the plot for anything else. And why should there be? There are five more episodes to go.

This is very important. I've NEVER looked at THE PHANTOM MENACE, ATTACK OF THE CLONES and REVENGE OF THE SITH as the PREQUEL TRILOGY. I DON'T look at A NEW HOPE, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and RETURN OF THE JEDI as the ORIGINAL TRILOGY. I look at it as STAR WARS, one movie in six parts.

The basic (simple and quick) outline of this entire story was written in the 70s, so I look at it as a really retro product of the 1970s. If this had come out in 1977, do you know how this would be received? Eyes would be bugging out of their sockets. Jaws would be on the floor. It would have cost more than TITANIC did in our modern studio system, and it would have crippled any productive studio.

If you've never seen a STAR WARS movie until THE PHANTOM MENACE, all you're reacting to is the Jedi's mission -- get the spare parts by any means necessary, get to Coruscant and get help from Chancellor Valorum and the senate, that this young boy they meet on Tatooine is special, and helps the Jedi in a big way, and that there is this evil manipulator behind the scenes biding his time. Also, the most difficult thing NOT to do (especially when this movie first came out) is watch any of the other films immediately after watching this one! It'll screw you all up! Reason being things don't start to become completely totally cohesive until REVENGE OF THE SITH and then we casually ease into the storyline of A NEW HOPE. If you bash this movie because it's so unlike the other ones, without that final missing piece snapped into place, you will have issues with the story. It's assured. What Lucas did was basically take one story arc and stretched it like a rubberband into three films. And those are the 'prequels.' True, there are moments in the film specifically tailored for children. Mostly those scenes involve Anakin's character, so where's the surprise in that? This movie can stand alone, but it also links up to Episode II a lot.

This movie does not rely solely on CGI. It's a melange of CGI, puppetry, models, and costumes. The opening crawl is not the plot. It's setting up the plot. At no time at all has the opening crawl in one of these movies been the plot of the film. The story ends up unfolding beyond the opening crawl. And if you see this after Revenge of the Sith, you'll notice more than you did before.

Every scene in this film is like a mini event, isn't it? I can sit here and gush all night about this movie, but I have five more movies in the saga to comment on. I hope my two cents convince someone to revisit this film and see it for the fun flick it is.

As good as it gets

[ajamitel · 18 June 1999]

Having travelled all the way from England to see this movie, I was not disappointed. In fact, the movie is even better on a second viewing, enabling me to see so many details that I had not previously noticed.

Ignore the critics and just enjoy the ride.

Very cool, with only minor flaws

[ryan-38 · 21 May 1999]

Well, it isn't quite as fantastic as the original trilogy, but I found very little to dislike about TPM. The special effects were amazing (natch). I loved the podrace and the sequence at the end where there were four or five different battles going on at once. I actually enjoyed the story. Some have claimed that its intensely political aspects (embargoes, blockades and trade treaties) were boring, but I liked how Lucas showed us more of the inner workings of the world he has created. It was also an interesting way to begin the evolution of the "Star Wars" mythology. I can't wait to see how the questions and problems set up in TPM will come together in II and III. (Hopefully, they will have better titles. Rumors I've heard: Episode II: "The Rise of the Empire." Episode III: "The Fall of the Jedi." I love those titles!)

As for the characters, Jar Jar is definitely no Chewie, but he wasn't as excruciating as he's been made out to be. Lucas could have done better, though. And I miss Han Solo and his deadpan wit. If I were to point to one major flaw in TPM, it would be a lack of a Han-type character to provide intelligent and humorous commentary on the proceedings. What was the deal with Darth Maul? He barely had any lines at all! However, I think will find out a lot more about the Sith in the next two films. I have no complaints about the others. Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson made cool Jedi knights and it was great to see Yoda, R2-D2, C-3PO, Jabba, the Emperor, and of course Darth Vader in their younger days.

In short, don't believe people who tell you Episode One sucks. I found it to be a very worthy entry into the saga and I'm not making any plans for Memorial Day Weekend 2002.

Overrated....

[scott_j · 30 August 1999]

Star Wars Episode One looks really great. The special effects are unparalleled, and even Jar Jar looks (fairly) realistic. The visuals are obviously the product of immense time and effort.

If only the script had been so painstakingly constructed. Lucas' script is full of stale, wooden dialogue that is completely unbelievable. Characters are shallow and underdeveloped, particularly Jake Lloyd's Anakin.

Jake Lloyd's performance warrants criticism also. Admittedly, he is a child actor, but after seeing the Sixth Sense that excuse doesn't quite work. He also ended up on the wrong end of horribly written dialogue; "Yipee!" probably doesn't leave an actor much to work with. Still, his performance was mediocre at best.

Great actors giving mediocre performances pretty much sums up the players in the film. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor have proven themselves to be fantastic actors in other films, yet they too seem to fall prey to poorly written dialogue. The direction of the actors seems uninspired at best. It must be extremely difficult to direct actors (and for the actors to do their job) in front of a blue screen, and while Lucas was once a great director (American Graffiti), he seems to have lost his touch.

Hopefully Lucas gets his act together for Episode Two and accepts some help on the screenplay while relegating himself to a producer position and allowing someone else to direct.

The force is not strong in this one.

[SRVHS · 17 September 1999]

I think that Star Wars Episode: ONE rates at a 5 out of 10. I think this because of two things. First is it's excellen graphics and second on its lame plot. This movie I consider a good movie to see if you like star wars a lot but otherwise it's not quite worth your time. I have to congratulate Lucas on his excellent computer generated graphics. I waoul say that this is the break though incomputer graphics for movies. Throughout the entir movie there is something that is computer generated. This seems hard but what is even harder would be the scene when an actor has to tackle a computer-generated character. If you want to see good graphics and special effects then this is the movie to see. However it seem s that Lucas spent so much time on the graphics it seems that he neglected the rest of the movie. The two main characters have this thing they do which is complete trust in there ablities to know the right spot to stand to not be shot. Seeing a droid miss them for the fourtieth time is just to much. The plot is also lack with two jedi sent out to stop the evil trade federation doesn't quite appeal. Last luck is always with them even in all logic they would be killed. one example of this is when Anakin accidently fires a torpeoe that accidently sets off a chain reaction that saves the day. Luck just acts funny in this movie. All this considered this is a better than average movie so if you have the time then see it but otherwis there probably is something better for you to do. The graphics are the best, and the acting isn't horrible. Last the plot to describe the plot "Its Star Wars".Byron SRVUSD

keanu who? TPM: the best special effects film of all time

[areminder · 10 May 2000]

In order to see this film three times the first day it opened, i not only skipped my classes, but also the senior awards night my school put on. i was fortunate enough to get a scholarship that night, but as soon as i was informed it was the last award for me, i left the ceremony for the theater. For graduation, i even broke the school's rules of "no decorations on caps and gowns" and smuggled in my crimson mortarboard, upon which i copied darth maul's facial tattoos. Natalie Portman's image adorns my desktop wallpaper at least 95% of the time, and I have seen the film over a dozen times. But there's a reason behind being so hardcore, and that reason is this: Star Wars/Episode One/The Phantom Menace rocks hard. Very hard. So hard that for a while i couldn't find a single thing wrong with it. After watching it with increasing scrutiny, however, i feel i am now able to give a balanced review. Basically, you'll like this movie for a number of reasons. It is easy to at least appreciate its numerous production teams who worked their hardest to raise the standards of the special effects industry. In other words, see it for this fact alone. If you're a Star Wars fan, by definition you should love this movie. Additionally, this movie contains some excellent acting talent, with such stars as Liam Neeson, Ewan MacGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Stamp, and the wonderful Natalie Portman. Although I can't say any of the actors were at their best in this movie, they did make it interesting and foreshadowed a more interesting Episode Two (Sam Jackson + lightsaber >worth my seven bucks) Lastly, from a film student's perspective, the movie was truly inspiring, because it is the perfect example of how far someone can take their dreams. The concept of Star Wars could not have been more of a success, and this movie greatly attests to that fact. On the "bad" side, if you're looking for a more serious film, this is not for you. Much of the dialogue is directed towards children, and i know this proved frustrating for a lot of other hardcore fans. Remember though, this is Lucas' world, and he wrote the screenplay. Additionally, the depth of the characters and situations is shallow. Few meaningful rites of passage occur between the characters, because--like many other S/F films and novels--the best way to progress is by coming out on top of a huge fight (i.e. the upcoming Battlefield Earth). Other low points are mainly just Lucas' excesses: Jake Lloyd's cheesy lines, action before dialogue, and the entire entity of Jar Jar (who's lovely to look at, but was it necessary to have him on so much? oh right--kid's movie; gotta remember that... ;), or the missed opportunities: a gifted cast whose potential was stifled, and the chance to expose more of the Jedi powers (what planet did that midichlorian explanation come from?). Remember what i said before, though! This truly is one of the best films of all time and i loved it tremendously. Since this movie had such an effect on me, i hope to be on board Episode Three as a 3d animator (heck, i'll even deliver the coffee, just SOMETHING!), since i should be out of effects school in time. Until then, may the force be with you!

The Phantom Turkey

[enselby · 6 May 2000]

Ok. For a start, let's get this Jar Jar issue out of the way. Kids may have loved him. Some adults may have loved him. However, the way he was employed in the movie was somewhat contradictory. One minute we are expected to be feeling how overwhelmingly hopeless the big battle is. The next we are forced to witness Jar Jar's clown-like prancing among the throes of battle. How can Lucas justify such a contradictory. scene. I am not totally anti-Jar Jar. In some calmer moments i could see his comedic appeal. However, the battle scene felt like the gory first ten minutes of Saving Private Ryan, but with Jim Carrey flopping around doing misplaced Jerry Lewis routines.

Darth Maul. Sorry, simply not terrifying. Darth Vader, now you could imagine that he would kill women, children and babies. Darth Maul. No. I would have been more scared had he been played by Arnold from Diffrent Strokes. Darth Arnold. Ewan Macgregor- one of the most lifeless performances from an otherwise accomplished actor. The script- probably the worst thing about The Phantom Menace. Contained about as much passion as a list of ingredients on the side of a can of beans. Awkward, and quite bewildering. Pod race. Cracking cinema, however. Though that scene seemed more the domain of Spielberg than Lucas for my money. George Lucas. Once a most promising director, but clearly not up to the task. It was obvious that he hadn't directed for far too long (which is a shame, considering he was capable of such a masterpiece as American Grafitti- a wonderful film). Finally, The Phantom Menace is a good enough kids film. But because if its primarily juvenile appeal it will never attain the epic quality of the three original Star Wars films. See it, though. It's worth the ticket price at least.

Jar Jar must die

[orgone_accumulator1 · 19 May 2000]

I loved the movie, amazingly, despite the perpetual annoyance of that helium sucking computer generated aberration, Jar Jar Binks. Exqueeze me?! I would have thought Lucas below ripping off the Wayne's World movies. And I'm sure part of my disgust at a Star Wars character saying that line comes from my dislike of the Wayne's World movie. Star Wars is the single greatest achievement in the world of Science Fiction. It brought that genre to the mainstream, and George Lucas deserves a great amount of kudos for doing so. He did it without diminishing from the genre, which makes it all the more exceptional a feat. But despite all his achievements, he doesn't deserve the apotheosis his fans have allowed him. Soft, weak, inhumorous, garishly disappointing characters like the despicably abhorrent eye and ear sore Jar Jar are creations that keep Lucas from being anything but a mere, fallible mortal.

A swipe at George Lucas for not fulfilling his potential

[L.G.Bag · 24 July 1999]

I don't think George Lucas realised what a huge responsibility was weighed upon his (now sloping) shoulders when he took on the task of creating prequels.

Lucas is starting to make excuses already claiming `This film is for 12 year olds!' I was 11 back in 1977 and at that time Star Wars was by far the greatest movie ever made. Like all fans I now own the original trilogy on tape & find it as entertaining now as I did then.

So why did he feel the formula needed changing?

Does he think kids now days are too thick to understand a plot?

How many kids will still be talking about this film in 20 years time? Kids will drop Lucas & his Phantom Flop like a Jar-Jar Binks action figure with flat batteries as soon as the next 90% computerised film hits the screen.

George you already had a huge fan base, you had the money the special effects & talent to give the world something really special. Instead I felt I was watching an advert for what will no doubt be a mountainous amount of official merchandise.

Final Verdict :- Samurai garbed wooden actors in a computerised Flash Gordon rip off !

How did Lucas manage to make the great Samuel L Jackson look like he as well as Yoda were being operated by one of Frank Oz's rectally inserted arms!!!!!

P.S. BINKS STINKS !

P.P.S. Sorry if these comments are a bit close to the `guidelines' but to coin a phrase `Do not underestimate the... level of disappointment, & hey honest reviews are sometimes like that !

WORST MOVIE EVER MADE

[toddcrofts · 29 October 2001]

There are no excuses that can justify this film. We waited almost twenty years for this movie. This will go down as the most disappointing movie ever.

Any true fan of the original trilogy would honestly admit that Lucas has completely lost it. There were signs that this was coming: Howard the Duck; Willow; the "special edition" additions etc. Lucas is so out of touch it is amazing. Anyone that tries to justify this movie is simply lying to themselves. The first Star Wars was, in its way, one of the best films ever made. The set designs, the special effects, Alec Guinness, the story line -- Phantom Menace has none of these. Sure there are new worlds but they are bland and unoriginal. Sure there are special effects but they boring as well. And the script? I cant believe anyone tries to justify that mess. Earlier posts say its not shakespeare blah blah blah. No kidding its not shakspeare, but this movie makes the Matrix sound like shakespeare compared to the utter garbage presented here. There is no sense of wonder. Everything is stilted. Lucas cannot write. He does not know how to create characters. The movie was too long. Too boring. And then there is the Star Trek factor. The 'force' has been reduced to little bugs in your blood. What the hell? I dont really blame the actors since I dont think Lucas gave them a script or even decent direction to follow. Lastly, the excuse that Lucas geared this to a younger generation doesnt hold. Sure we are older now. So what. A good movie can appeal across age boundaries. Face it - Lucas has not directed anything good since the very first Star Wars. And that was in '77. Every artist loses it at some point.

This movie is not OK. It is not pretty good. The Phantom Menace is the worst movie of all time.

OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE!!!!!

[E-Dog · 25 May 1999]

I couldn't believe what was being said about this great film. How could you possibly not like this movie. It had it all, AMAZING special effects, a good story A GOOD SCRIPT and GOOD ACTING. That's right, you heard me. All you people who were looking for an AFI film why don't you go cry your eyes out again to TITANIC (which I think SUCKED). And also will everyone quit complaining about Jar-Jar Binks. He was so dumb its funny. If you think Jar Jar is dumb then Adam Sandler acting like a retard is dumb. If you want 2 hours and 20 minutes of pure excitement and wonder. See this Movie. It is a rollar coaster ride, adrenaline pumping, dream movie. GO SEE THIS MOVIE

Hmmmm. What can I say.....

[wayner · 21 May 1999]

The plot is awesome, but I don't know about those special effects. I mean, knowing what we know about it all being fake, how can you not percive everything as a bluscreen with computer images in front of it. It really detracts from the movie I think, but then again.... That's just my opinion.