Star Wars for Kiddies

Rating: 4/10 (21 May 1999)

This movie had incredibly cool special effects. It could have been spectacular, but wound up being just so-so. The first three movies of the triology were great, but this one fell short in all areas except for the visual.
Most jarring of all were the aliens. From the icky Jar Jar, to the Trade Federation representatives, to the leader of the Gungans, to the pod race announcer - every alien was played strictly for laughs. They were all just too precious for words. This may get a chuckle from the under-12 crowd, but for everyone else it has to be jarring. The Trade Union representatives in particular could have been menacing, but they were cartoon figures instead.
There was no real sense of menace or drama in this film. The underwater race through the core of Naboo could potentially have had the impact of the race through the asteroid field in the original Star Wars, but was merely another ho-hum cartoonish adventure.
The time line is so "off" also. This is supposed to take place 30 years before the first Star Wars I understand. In that movie Obi-Wan was an older man who appeared to be in his mid-70's. Here, 30 years earlier, he is in his mid-20's. My, being a Jedi is aging, isn't it? It was actually the Liam Neeson character who was the correct age to be Obi-Wan, and that could have had great dramatic impact - if his young apprentice, for example,had been killed by Darth Maul, and he vowed to train young Anakin Skywalker as a replacement. His bitter desire for revenge could have been part of the fuel that fed Anakin's darker desires.
Also, for a Republic that has lasted 20000 years the brief rise and fall of a so-called Empire in a mere 30 is barely a blip on the cosmic span, rating barely a line or two in the history books. It cheapens the efforts of the rebel alliance of the later 3 episodes. You would have to imagine that the vast majority of folks would still be loyal to the Republic that had served their civilization for untold millenia. Probably outlying planetary systems never even knew of the Empire!
Well, after waiting so many years for this movie I'm sad that my major feeling is disappointment. I think I will have to go back and watch the videos of the first 3 movies to wash the taste of this one from my mouth. Thank heavens for Liam Neeson. He lent the movie the only dignity it had.