An engrossing, but somewhat disappointing film

Rating: 6/10 (15 May 1999)

I was fortunate enough to get to see this at a preview screening this weekend, and I was, overall, rather impressed. Let me start this off by saying that, yes, I was inevitably a little disappointed having waited 16 years to see the movie, but despite that it still delivers... for the most part.
The special effects and 6.1 channel Dolby Digital Sound were incredible, creating a rich, detailed, world for George to play with. I commend ILM for their rendition of the pod race, audience members were literally ducking their heads and turning side to side with the pods. That said, while the Star Wars universe is as viscerally sumptuous as ever (perhaps more so), a bit of the heart seems to have gone out of it. At times, the special effects are indulgently over-used, and seem to overshadow character development, drama, and depth. The score, however, is magnificent; predominantly filled with all new material, vestiges of the all too familiar themes remain lingering in the background to remind us all that this is, after all, Star Wars. I think everybody in the theater felt chills go go down their spines when bars from Luke and the Emperor's Themes were played, they are potent reminders of what this series is all about and portents of the tragedy that awaits in episodes II and III.
The performances? Neeson seemed perfectly cast as the noble Jedi who is the guardian of peace and justice, his sublime wisdom coupled with McGregor's passion gave the film a heart and soul that seems simultaneously fresh and familiar. Lloyd shows great potential (which is fitting, given his character), and, while lacking the polish of the more experienced actors, delivers as well as can be expected. Natalie Portman does adequately, acting a bit like Fisher in the first film, minus the spunk. Jackson and Oz are superb in their, unfortunately, very small parts (Jackson appears in all of three scenes and Yoda's only in 4). Ian McDiarmid's Palpatine is nearly perfect - subtle, Machiavellian, and manipulative - and though he's often in the shadows, his Iago-like presence is perpetually felt. The only other performance that is really worth mentioning is Ahmed Best's Jar Jar Binks (and, yes, he only contributes the voice, so he doesn't deserve all the blame), who is completely ingratiating and frustrating. The character was a hit with the kids in the audience, but I was fervently hoping that Qui-Gon would "accidentally" eliminate him from the film entirely. Jar-Jar does to this film what the Ewoks did to Jedi, but far more thoroughly than they did, kiddify it. He draws the viewer's attention away from where it belongs, and serves only as a target for mundane slapstick humor and a venue for ridiculous antics which detract from the story.
As to the story itself, it is original and often riveting, but drags a bit in the beginning. The stories have always been the films' strong suits, and this one is replete with the allegory, mythology, and symbolism that we've all come to know and love from these films. As with Neeson's performance, the spiritual quest is given a sublimely subtle twist, but far too little is made of it (presumably this gap will be filled by the next two). The atmosphere is engrossing and well fleshed out, and the viewer gets the vivid impression that this is a real world with something always going on behind the scenes or just beyond your peripheral vision, which adds enormously to the experience.
Of course, the reason the film works as well as it does is because we already know the universe and even some of the characters. Young Anakin hasn't yet turned to the Dark Side, and so his potential, humanity, and Christ like nature are constantly emphasized - but everyone there knew who Darth Vader was. It is for exactly this reason that we are almost moved to tears when we see the sacrifices made for this innocent savior of the Jedi whom the audience knows will become Dark Lord of the sith and hunt down (with the help of a seemingly innocuous senator named Palpatine) virtually every other Jedi shown in the film. Williams score complements these scenes nicely, the elegiac undertones emphasizing the sheer tragedy of it all (he plays bars from Luke's theme just as Anakin begins his odyssey).
The scope of the film is just as epic as its predecessors' but most of it happens off screen (for example, we never see exactly how Palpatine maneuvers the Senate, but we know that he does it), and for this reason it seems just a little bit more static and impersonal. When Neeson and McGregor are together, there's a chemistry between them that works and we begin to probe the depths of this Bushido-like Jedi code, but it seems to happen far too rarely.
This film is similar to the Godfather part III in that there is a fascinating paradox at work: the film wouldn't work well at all without the context provided by the other films, but it is, almost unfairly, compared to the other masterpieces and is, thus, mildly disappointing and unfulfilling. The film does contain a rousing score (Williams did a masterful job), rich tapestry, complex story, stark characterizations (in most cases), familiar undertones, and all new faces; yet something seems to be missing. Perhaps it's because The Phantom Menace feels primarily like a setup for the next two films. Maybe that will make them all the more absorbing and intelligent, and will make this film look better in hindsight. Perhaps it's because the film seems lacking in the spiritual and emotional depth the original Trilogy is known for. Or perhaps it's just that my expectations were high. Regardless, the film is worth seeing and will hopefully serve as a poignant backdrop for the darker, deeper, and more tragic sequels that most Star Wars fans and film buffs are hoping for.
The Force is with Lucas, it just seems to have faded a tad with time. 7.5/10 or ***