Highs and lows

Rating: 6/10 (19 May 1999)

The Phantom Menace is like a roller coaster ride with a very long climb up the first hill. Everyone can't help being excited by the Star Wars logo and the music. And what follows in the first fifteen minutes is visually spectacular. But then the movie becomes awfully gabby until the pod race. Is it worth seeing? Yes. Worth seeing twice? Maybe. I now feel that the critical backlash was too harsh, and that while Lucas may have written a confusing script, he still seems humble in his desire to entertain. My one big complaint is that the sleek, silver troopers collapse like boiled broccoli at the slightest touch--they pose no threat. And Jar Jar Binks seemed stoned to me. He looks like he never got out of Woodstock. But this is worth the trip and the wait. And it sets up for very interesting things to come.