Well worth the wait... Can't wait for Episode 2!

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 1999)

From the moment the "Long ago in a galaxy far, far away..." text appeared on the screen until Jar Jar spoke his first line, I was about as close to Heaven as a person can get on this mortal coil. What a thrill! I literally could not believe my eyes. I had to figuratively pinch myself several times during the movie.
This movie is nothing short of amazing and a great deal of fun to watch. I enjoyed it tremendously.
Sure, there are things you can quibble about. This isn't the perfect Star Wars movie by any means. (That would be _Empire Strikes Backs_, the movie that took Star Wars from a simple popcorn movie into the realm of modern mythology.) Anakin is too young for a romance with Amidala to be plausible, and there's a bit too much "Anakin, Boy Wonder" in the plot. And Jake Lloyd's acting could have been a lot better. I personally did not dislike Jar Jar at all. He rather grew on me. I admit though that a little less Jar Jar probably would have been better.
But all of those minor quibbles are nothing compared to what was really great about this movie. First off, there are the strong performances by Liam Neeson (perfectly cast as Qui-Gon Jinn) and Natalie Portman. Secondly, the lightsaber duel at the end of the movie is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Wow. Ray Park, the guy who played Darth Maul, is a real martial artist and it shows. This lightsaber duel totally blows away any lightsaber duel from the previous Star Wars movies. Those lightsaber duels were between old men and/or novices. These are properly trained Jedi in their prime, and they kick butt. Thirdly, the story is great and the pacing is wonderful. Finally, the set design, the costume design, and the special effects are nothing less than ground-breaking. I especially liked the Queen's costumes and the design of the Queen's palace.
Make no mistake about it. This movie deserves to be a Star Wars movie. I rank it higher than _Return of the Jedi_, and just a bit lower than _Empire_ and _Star Wars_. It exceeded my expectations.
I predict that Episodes 2 and 3 will be even better. I can hardly wait. Thanks, George Lucas!