A Good start to the series but Not a great Movie onn its own

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2002)

I was eagerly awaiting the DVD release of any Star Wars movie, even The Phantom Menace. Then when it was released on DVD it was hammered by fans of the original three Star Wars adventures, but I think we all know why that is. Most of the rabid fans saw Star Wars as youths and as they grew older, they held on to the magic of the movies. This is great, I think and I like the original films too, but when The Phantom Menace rolled around, these fans were no longer youths, but adults instead. Just as the original films were aimed at a younger audience, so is The Phantom Menace and as such, the grown up fans were displeased. Yes, this is a silly, wild ride through the Star Wars realm, with annoying characters and tons of merchandising potential. But come on, so were the original three movies and while an argument could be made for Empire, A New Hope and Return of the Jedi are clearly aimed toward the younger folks. And while the fans ignore the countless plot holes and annoying characters in the original trilogy, they lambaste The Phantom Menace, simply because it wasn't "how they remembered Star Wars to be," what a joke. This installment has some classic scenes and some bad ones, just like the original films, period.
Also this film seamlessly merged animation and live action, and ought to be considered one of the most important, dazzling, ground-breaking movies ever made. This 1999 production, which brought director George Lucas out of a quasi retirement, revealed that some of his skills had rusted, particularly his feel for dialog and his feel for casting. His subsequent shepherding of that dialog through that cast leaves much to be desired . . Then you have the introductory nature of the story itself and the political stuff. This slower pacing turned off people expecting a major epic like stuff found in the Galactic Civil War that was chronicled in Episodes IV, V, and VI. Also, a lot of the time the movie seems disjointed. You go from fast action to long periods of slow scenes before getting back into anything else.

On a positive note this is a perfect example of what a DVD film can and should be, the new 2-disc Fox release of the 4th "Star Wars" film (though it is the first episode of the epic story) is impressive indeed. Well, this isn't the same Phantom Menace you saw in the theater. Including about three minutes of new footage, this transfer has been struck from the same high-definition master created for the video and broadcast releases over a year ago, albeit with the new additions. The 5.1-channel Dolby Digital sound, which has EX enhancements, whips up the film's excitements at every turn. The bass is aggressive, the surround effects are distinctive and plentiful, and the film's sound mix is as creative and pervasive as its special effects. Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, and THX-certified to boot, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace boasts a generally stunning, though not quite perfect transfer.
Another way to look at this movie is that on it's own, for non-or casual Star Wars fans it's a rather cruddy movie with one or two cool sequences. As for regular Star Wars fans, they see the movie as the introductory chapter of a six-chapter book that is just meant to show where the major players come from and set up the next two chapters in the prequel trilogy. Again, the movie is just the beginning and some people weren't expecting that. Personally seeing how Palpatine rose to power is kind of cool, but for non-fans it's a bore.
*************spoiler alert*************************** Two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his young Padawan learner Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) have been sent to settle the dispute, but things don't quite go as planned. This opening scene is one of the first things that caused people to question the continuity of the prequel. Obi-Wan told Luke that Yoda trained him, but the first time you see him in Episode I, he is with Qui-Gon. Young Ben mentions in this scene that Yoda tells him to be mindful of the future, and in the audio commentary George Lucas explains that a Jedi would be trained in the temple (where Yoda is) until about eight or nine and then he will become a padawan to a Jedi Knight. So all is well so far in the continuity department.
As the negotiations go sour, the two Jedi sneak onto a droid army invasion force landing craft and go down to Naboo where Qui-Gon runs into the completely CGI created character Jar Jar Binks . Ok, Jar Jar. As with almost everyone else I cringed when he first opened his mouth, and yes I do think that he is too much of a clumsy presence in the movie and is way overdone. The Pod Race sequence as it was in the original version was a ride that many thought was worth the price of admission alone. From the incredible sound featuring specific engine sounds for each pod, to the ultra fast CGI effects, the race was very fun.
Before that happens, the dreaded Midichlorian explanation rears its ugly head. So instead of being just an energy field that binds the galaxy together that some people are able to sense, the Force is drawn to people by microscopic life forms called Midichlorians. This revelation p***ed off fans even more than Jar Jar (if that is possible...) and it looks like it isn't going anywhere. In the audio commentary Lucas addresses the Midichlorians and basically says that he always wanted to explain why some people could use the Force and others couldn't and the Midichorians were the way. That doesn't help the matter as it changed one of the central things of the Star Wars Mythos and that along with Jar Jar are the two gaping wounds on the movie for me.
Obviously the best one of the four scenes is the dual. It's exactly what people were expecting in a new Star Wars movie and it is my absolute favorite scene in the movie. You have two Jedi from the time when the Jedi were in their prime fighting off an expertly trained Sith Lord. It's the ultimate Star Wars fanboy scene.
On the other hand, the Gungan battle with the Battle Droids is the ultimate Jar Jar haters' nightmare as it is basically nothing but Jar Jar accidentally killing a bunch of droids. It is a great effects scene as it is pretty much 100% CGI, but still. By the time you get to this scene in the movie, you are absolutely sick of Jar Jar and you just want him to go away.

The same thing could almost be said about the space battle as Anakin accidentally crash lands inside the Droid Control Ship and then accidentally fires off two torpedoes into the main reactor to blow it up. Sure, Anakin is a great pilot, and yes the Force is extremely strong with him, but that all is just a little two convenient even for a fully trained Jedi Knight much less an eight year old boy.
In the final analysis The Phantom Menace is a fun, but brisk and light romp, one that the entire family can take time and again. This two disc edition from Fox is more than up to task, so if you're at all interested, The Phantom Menace is recommended.even though it's the worst of the four current movies but still very enjoyable Also both the Star Wars fan and DVD fan in me were not disappointed. The disc has plenty of great extras and an absolutely fantastic presentation that fits with the theme of the movie perfectly. I gave it an 8/10.