Better The Second Time Around

Rating: 8/10 (11 March 2017)

The first time I watched "The Phantom Menace", I was extremely disappointed. Why? High expectations, I think. Upon a second viewing, however, I came to appreciate this film in the cannon much more than I previously had done.
For a basic plot summary, "Episode I" tells the very beginning story of how the Jedi Republic eventually fell to the Sith Empire. In this early effort, Jedi's Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) & Obi- Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) meet up with a very young Annakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), the boy who will eventually become Darth Vader. The Jedi Council (including Yoda!) is introduced, as well as the beginnings of Senator Palpatine's (Ian McDiarmid) treachery in deceiving the Galactic Senate. Also, a new Sith apprentice (Darth Maul) also plays a role in the proceedings.
If you watched this movie close to the time it hit theaters (1999), you were likely disappointed for a number of different reasons. It had been such a long time since Star Wars was on the big screen that fans wanted "everything at once", which this film does not deliver. Plus, the character of Darth Maul was so incredibly hyped at the time, then turned out as little more than a cool double-blade light saber (no personality development whatsoever).
Without all that "Star Wars is back!" hype, though, this movie stands pretty well on its own merits. It sets the very basic path for both the fall of the Republic & Annakin's turn to the Dark Side. It provides some incredible imagery and special effects. It introduces some new characters into the mix (despite the failure that is Jar-Jar Binks). It has one of the best musical codas ("Duel of the Fates") of any movie in history.
I think what people need to remember about "Phantom Menace" is that it was meant to lay the "first stone" of the Star Wars mythology...nothing more, nothing less. Sure, a few characters/scenes fail to excite (e.g. Jar-Jar, extended pod racing), but overall it tells a good story and keeps the viewer engaged (while also throwing in enough "OMG" moments to produce some wry smiles among Star Wars vets).
Thus, though I really thought I would be giving this film 2-3 stars, it turned out to be much better than I had remembered it. I would even go 4.5 stars if possible. If you are having a Star Wars marathon, don't necessarily dread the two hours spent watching this one.