a worthy addition to the "Star Wars" saga

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 1999)

George Lucas is right; this movie doesn't live up to the hype. However, it is on par with the other two movies, and its special effects alone are worth seeing.
I really enjoyed this movie, and I am emphasizing that it is a movie, not a film. Liam Neeson gives an excellent performance as Qui-Gon Jinn, and Ewan McGregor is believable as Obi-Wan Kenobi. The rumors that Jake Lloyd's performance is "stiff" are untrue. The boy acts as a young Jedi should. The computer-generated character Jar-Jar Binks provides plenty of comedy but gets a bit tiring by the end of the movie. Natalie Portman's performance is merely adequate, but it doesn't detract from the quality of the movie.
The trailers for this movie do not do justice to the special effects. The computer-generated characters look nearly real, and they work well with the actors. The race scene is, quite frankly, the coolest thing I have ever seen, and the final space battle is shorter and smaller than the one in "A New Hope" but is amazing nonetheless.
This is not the best of the Star Wars movies, nor is it the worst. It's worse than "Empire" and "A New Hope" were, but it's a bit more compelling than "Jedi" was.
Go see this movie, even if you aren't a "Star Wars" fan. You'll be amazed.