Star Wars: The Phantom Menace - Movie Review

Rating: 4/10 (15 April 2020)

Whilst there are some things that I like about The Phantom Menace, they also do some absolutely terrible things and it's always a slog to sit through.
Firstly, most of the acting is mediocre. Jake Lloyd played the role of Anakin Skywalker and he didn't do a very good job at all. Natalie Portman has grown into a very talented actress nowadays, but even she wasn't that good in this film. The only person that I really liked was Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn.
By far the worst part of The Phantom Menace is the screenplay. It's filled with wooden dialogue, uninteresting plot elements, and plenty of immature humour that has no place in a Star Wars film. It's been said by everyone else before me, but I also really hate the character of Jar-Jar Binks. He is extremely annoying and comes across as a bumbling idiot.
Fortunately, the pod race scene and some of the lightsaber fights are extremely entertaining and kept me engaged throughout. I also think that the narrative picks up after the first act. It's never great, but it definitely improves as the film goes along.
Overall, there are some things about The Phantom Menace that I really like, but overall it's quite a chore to get through and it contains a really terrible screenplay.
SCORE: 43%