Where's the force?

Rating: 4/10 (13 July 2001)

I really have no idea what a Star Wars virgin would think of this movie because I have no perception of that viewpoint; The Trilogy is like a religion to me. My review of The Phantom Menace is mainly for those who recognize the number in my username (2187) and not for those who call me "a geek." I hated this movie, but I am ready to back up my argument. I am also ready to make a few arguments in favor of this film, for as an aspiring filmmaker myself, I would want constructive criticism, not unmerciful bashing. The main reasons I hated this movie are 1) it doesn't even compare to The Trilogy, 2) it's kind of boring, and 3) Jar Jar Binks.

Some may say that TPM had way too high expectations, too much anticipation, too much to live up to, etc. So what? That's just the way it goes; we (the fanatics) had high expectations and TPM should have and could have lived up to them. But it didn't. Star Wars lives as the number 2 box office seller ever for a reason. There's no reason George Lucas couldn't have made TPM just as good. SW had a simple, easy to follow plot with exciting battles and colorful characters. TPM had a complicated, confusing plot with dull, predictable battles and flat, simple characters. The makers of this movie were trying too hard to impress everyone. Too many special effects make them not special anymore. The computer graphics could have been good but they were overdone and ended up looking fake.

The Phantom Menace is boring because it lacks emotion. Anakin was too young; he should have been a teenager and a good actor. Then we could have seen some real passion in his eyes. Liam Neeson was pretty good, a believable Jedi, but he should have talked about the force more and not those weird midi-chlorians. The force is what makes Star Wars so brilliant, and it was only hinted at in TPM, which is backwards because this movie is supposedly where it all begins. And Anakin not having a father? That's taking it a little far. He's not magical; he's just the one who supposed to bring balance. And Queen Amidala got on my nerves because she had no personality and Natalie Portman sounded really weird talking in such a low voice. Ewan McGregor was good as Obi-Wan, but I'm biased because I love him.

The greatest flaw of all was Jar Jar Binks. I swear I would have liked this movie a lot more had he not been in it. He was brainless, annoying, served no real purpose in this movie at all, and he looked like a cartoon. The least they could have done was have an actor in a costume; a computer graphic is not a character. You couldn't even understand what he was saying half the time. I hated him so much I could have pulled out my hair and eaten it. He just ruined this film for me. He made this movie painful instead of entertaining. We already have C-3P0 and R2-D2, two of the greatest sidekicks ever created; we don't need another one, let alone one with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

So what got me through this movie? Number 1, the music. John Williams' score lives up to the expectations by far. The song that plays during the fight between Qui-Gon, Darth Maul and Obi-Wan is absolutely amazing. Thank goodness George Lucas stuck to one tradition: one of the most talented composers to date. Another thing that I liked was the introduction of R2-D2 and C-3PO into the saga. R2 saved the day as always and meets 3PO for the first time; that was a great part of the story. These two should have been in the movie more, as they are trademark characters of the Star Wars series. Also, as mentioned before, Neeson and McGregor held on to the remains of the true Star Wars spirit left in this movie. But why were their light sabres different? They had to change that too?

Overall this movie was a disappointment to me. Many have said that the two episodes to come will explain the confusing plot and make The Phantom Menace seem not so bad, but that is not acceptable. All three movies of The Trilogy fit together as one, but they also stand strong individually with no extreme explanations needed. TPM should be the same. Lucas and crew knew what they were getting into with this project, and they should have tried harder to make this movie more like the originals we know and love, and less flashy (it gave me a headache after a while). However, I do hope that Episodes 2 and 3 learn from the mistakes of The Phantom Menace.