not good

Rating: 4/10 (30 May 1999)

An average rating of 8? Are you kidding me? Phantom Menace has some of the worst dialogue ever..I don't understand how the actors kept straight faces saying some of the things they did. Even with the prodigious acting talent of Neeson and McGregor, the lines still came off sounding completely ridiculous. And the character of Jar Jar...just that alone ruined the movie for me. I was even a little insulted by the stereotype the character seemed to portray. not only does Jar Jar stereotype black people, the viceroys were a nasty stereotype of asians, and Anakin's owner, the shop-keeper, was an offensive characterization of latin people. George Lucas' style of directing and his falir for screenwriting is completely dated, and so is Star Wars. I will say the special effects were amazing, which saves the movie from being a complete waste of money.