Star Wars: An Incredible Beginning

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 2001)

When I was a small kid, I used to wonder what the Star Wars universe was all about. Imperial soldiers, droids, flying spaceships and starfighters, Jedi Knights, Darth Vader, etc. I was curious with all of these stuff but when I watched all the three Star Wars movies, I began to understand what George Lucas, the creator of the popular sci-fi saga itself, was trying to accomplish: explore the awe and wonders of our ever expanding universe. And now, 22 years after the release of the first movie, George Lucas and his entire crew at Lucasfilm bring the most anticipated movie of 1999, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I am truly impressed with this incredible film despite its noticeable flaws. The evil Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the peaceful planet of Naboo. To resolve that matter, the Galactic Republic decides to dispatch the two Jedi Knights, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn to the Trade Federation Battleship to arrange a negotiation with the Neimodians. Unfortunately for our heroes, the negotiation never takes place and so they fight face-to-face with thousands of battle droids, escape to Naboo, and there they meet the annoying yet kind-hearted Gungan, Jar Jar Binks as well as the beautiful Queen Amidala (ok, I know some of you out there complaint about her make-up). Later, our heroes meet Anakin Skywalker, a mysterious boy who is believed to bring the Balance to the Force. In my opinion, Anakin is such a cool person because he is a great podracer who never wins a single match until his recent confrontation with rival Sebulba (he is going to fly a Naboo starfighter too during the battle of Naboo. Bravo to Jake Lloyd!). You need to see the rest of the film if you haven't watched one yet. Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a very enjoyable movie that may even attract those who are not widely known to the Star Wars universe. I especially like the locations on some planets (the Naboo Palace and the wondrous city of Coruscant) as well as its awesome special effects. To heighten up the action, Darth Maul makes an incredible performance during the climatic battle with the Jedi Knights. However, I never say that The Phantom Menace is a 100% perfect movie. The storyline is pretty weak (gee, I wonder what George Lucas is thinking) and some characters aren't well developed. Still, this IS just only the beginning, and perhaps there will be a major improvement by the time Episode II is released.