A Must-See Film!

Rating: 10/10 (20 May 1999)

I just saw Star Wars - The Phantom Menace at a midnight showing last Tuesday night. I would have to say that this movie was nothing short of spectacular. For months now, everybody has been talking about the special effects and the sound quality of this movie, but you have to see it to actually appreciate what Lucas has done. I've heard from a few people that the movie has sacrificed dialogue and story quality while focusing more on special effects. I totally disagree with this. It is true that Jar Jar Binks gets a little too much screen time for a character of his type, but I really don't think the movie suffers from this.
I strongly believe Phantom Menace does more than set the stage for the next two movies. It delivers an excellent story, interesting characters, and manages to do this while surrounding the audience with sound and effects that actually put you in the story. Any true Star Wars fans will love this movie. Even viewers that aren't really interested in Star Wars movies could watch this movie and appreciate it. Anybody want to bet on whether or not we'll see George at the Oscars this year?