Not exactly a let down...

Rating: Null/10 (21 June 1999)

Let me first start off by saying that I'm a huge Star Wars fan....but I'll admit if they had put out a trash movie, Star Wars or not, I would be the first to admit it sucked. If you're a fan of the series, don't believe the critics who say it has no place with the "Star Wars" titled slapped on, or the people who say something to the effect of "...The best Star Wars yet!" The best, it is not, but I don't think it's the worst, either. I'd rate it third, behind Empire and A New Hope, and ahead of Jedi. I'm not the type of person who sees enough movies to understand the plot entirely during the first viewing, so I saw it a second time two days ago, after seeing the first showing (May 19th, 12:01 AM). I was much more impressed the second time, as I picked up on the plot much better. With a movie the magnitude of the Phantom Menace, I think people have a tendency to get too caught up in the visuals and don't necessarily "get" the plot the first time around....but after the second time, I'm much more impressed with the movie....as a Star Wars movie. It's been said before, but I think this movie sets up episodes II and III beautifully....it's definitely not a movie that could've stood alone, like say, A New Hope. Flawed? Yes, but I wasn't looking for the "perfect movie." Ignore the hype either way. I liked it for what it was....a Star Wars movie, not something that focuses on stellar acting performances, or a classic story. If you're a fan, and see it twice, one time for the experience, two for the story line, I would bet you won't be disappointed.