The Makings of a Good Film Are Present, But Are Sparingly Realized

Rating: 4/10 (3 March 2009)

One could argue that the Star Wars prequels were potentially destined for disappointment after the enormous impact the original trilogy left behind. In-spite of this (whether accepted or not by audiences), the prequels were met with less-than stellar reception; particularly the first two. Regardless, the films were released and are here to be viewed and, naturally, judged. So, how does the first chronological episode stand up in this mind's eyes upon recent viewing? Not exactly good or bad.
To lead things off, let's start with the story; which feels good one minute and then insignificant the next. While the more politically involved segments (obviously to appeal to older viewers) are actually rather good, other story pieces (Anakin's introduction, the Gungans' inclusion, medi chlorians, etc.) feel weak and almost, if not completely unimportant. What's most unfortunate about the story, however, is that it's easy to see and find the concepts of a far more interesting worthwhile story, but the film tends to dodge the possibilities of utilizing these parts. While doing so could've brought the runtime to a borderline of three hours, it's better to have a film be long and more complete than short and feel like a tease.
Similar can be said towards the characters. For the most part, the main characters aren't given much, if anything to work with (Qui Gon Ginn, Obi Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Anakin, Palpatine/Sidious in particular). As a result, most of the characters feel wooden; even the likable Liam Neeson and commendable Ian McDiarmid feel under-utilized. Along with Palpatine, the lack of real script material provided to Maul and Anakin really hurt the film. While Anakin is supposed to be this abnormally gifted child he really doesn't seem this way, especially with Jake Lloyd saying some ludicrous and at times unnecessary lines (such as him basically playing "kid commentator" in the Naboo starfighter) which, combined with his annoying voice don't exactly make him feel like a convincing beginning portrayal of Anakin succumbing to the dark side.
If anything, this film feels more like Natalie Portman's film as Queen Amidala (with Keira Knightley convincingly playing her decoy). Portman actually manages to have a fairly strong screen presence as opposed to the others. She (along with Knightley) manages to be one of the few convincing and seemingly adequate characters. Then there's the oh-so ever-hated Jar Jar Binks who, despite receiving every conceivable condemning possible, isn't nearly as bad as made out to be (well, from my standpoint). If anything, it's his character's slang and dialogue that are annoying rather than his character (which can be attributed to the other Gungans as well).
Probably the film's single greatest strength is the design concepts and how they're handled in the film's technical presentation. For one, the film looks great, the battle scenes are nicely shot (and fun to watch, especially Darth Maul's lightsaber battle) and the artistic style is top-notch with some breathtaking and elegant images. And as if it needed an introduction, the score still holds up well and strong, even during the slow parts it manages to really sell the mood when played.
Unfortunately, what really tears the film apart is that it doesn't feel like much of a start, especially in regards to Anakin Skywalker's character. It's rather odd that Jake Lloyd was chosen for this role since his previous films didn't show much talent (Jingle All the Way anyone?) and that's just the case with this movie. Despite how hard he and the producers may have tried, he more times than not comes off as annoying and nothing like the kind of character we'd expect to eventually become Darth Vader. While him leaving his mother behind is supposed to be the initial set off for his path to the dark side, this is barely even emphasized in the film. As a result, Lloyd's presence as Anakin can almost be disregarded due to his usually annoying or unnecessary significance compared to what the film truly focuses on.
What The Phantom Menace shows is that containing hints of potential in a film simply isn't enough. When simply implying (sometimes in an easy to neglect kind of way) upcoming events throughout an entire film, it becomes too easy to look at the film as a little more than a tease. This is why films such as this, The Matrix Reloaded and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest simply didn't work save for a couple aspects (which, conveniently enough is the action and effects in regards to all three). There's some good in this film and the action scenes are quite good and fun, but ultimately it's a film that promises so much more than it delivers. This isn't a horrible film since the action is very well-executed; but action and effects don't carry a film alone.