Far from being a disaster.

Rating: Null/10 (8 December 2003)

Let me get it out of the way, I really like The Phantom Menace. While there was a lot of indifference when the film was released, I really enjoyed it. The first prequel to the fantastic original trilogy may not be the strongest film of the Star Wars series, or even one of the best blockbusters to come out of Hollywood, it is nevertheless an entertaining ride with a lot to recommend it. First of Liam Neeson is perfect as Qui-Gon-Jinn (I hope that spelling is right). The nearest that we Northern Irish have to a movie star of our own without doubt the best actor in it. His commanding presence and wonderful delivery of his lines recalls Alec Guinness. That's not to say that Ewan McGregor isn't good as the young Obi Wan as he is superb also. While his accent attempt may be a little too English for some, he is better than would have been expected. In saying that Natalie Portman brings the film down a bit. Her performance is, dare I say, a little wooden at time, which is a surprise considering her fantastic performances in Leon and Beautiful Girls. She is undeniably beautiful as Queen Amidala (she is the mother of Princess Leia, she has to be beautiful), but her performance needed a lot more work. Likewise Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker. Some child actors can be great, but Lloyd just sleep walks through the film and considering the importance of the character he is playing, it does damage the film a little.
Acting, however, is not what this film is about. It's about lightsabre duels and CGI and there is plenty of both. Lucas does go a little overboard with the CGI but the effects are stunning (especially the Spartacus style battle at the end) and the lightsabre battle between Obi Wan, Qui Gon and Darth Maul is spectacular. While his skills as a writer of dialog may have slid over the twenty odd years between his last directing gig, there is no denying that Lucas can still put on a spectacle.
This film is not the second coming, nor is it the disaster that critics and nay sayers painted it out as. I have never been on of those Star Wars obsessives, although I admit I have always enjoyed the films, but The Phantom Menace is a film I found hugely entertaining. The pod race, the knowledge that we know what will happen to Anakin, it all makes for an entertaining film. Sure it's not art, it's entertainment and is a pure example of what cinema is meant to do. The dialog in the original Star Wars film wasn't the strongest either and essentially this is the sun lit world that Lucas is presenting to us before the darkness settles in with the next two installments.
As a moderate fan of Star Wars, I believe that The Phantom Menace is a fun film and one that is hugely enjoyable.