A multi-layered and fun first act of a growing space opera.

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 1999)

Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace is a ground-breaking, must-see film. Whether or not you are a Star Wars fan, you will miss out on a great film experience if don't see it on the big screen. In case you have heard critics bashing it for lacking certain dramatic elements, or hard-core fans bashing it for lacking the "magic" of the originals, let's put it in perspective...
Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace is like the first act of an eventual six-part work of art. Many critics seem to have overlooked this fact, and are quick to point out the shallowness of the characters and the lack of a smooth-flowing story. It also contains one too many bathroom jokes, choppy editing, self-indulgent use of CGI, and somewhat annoying inconsistencies (for hard-core SW fans) with the previous Trilogy. All bad points to be sure, by any film-goers standards.
However, that is not what The Phantom Menace brings to the growing space-opera, or movies for that matter, as a whole. In and of itself, TPM is an excellent setup, story-wise, for FIVE more chapters of a saga as well as an exciting and fun action film. No film that I can think of, especially in the sci-fi/action genre has ever been able to pull off such a feat.
True Star Wars fans will watch with first-timers a two-hour escape into a new universe. We see the Galactic Republic brought to life in beautiful shots of Coruscant, Naboo, and even desolate Tatooine, shedding light on what Luke, Leia, and Han were fighting so hard to restore in chapters IV, V, and VI. Creatures buzz with life, even the overused Jar Jar Binks, and at times, it is difficult to tell what is real and what is not in this film. (95% of the movie is computer-enhanced imagery.)
The audience is taken into a galaxy far, far away that has all-too down-to-Earth conflicts. Greed and the lust for power _begins_ to threaten a peaceful galaxy defended by the Jedi. I was particularly impressed by the acting out of this conflict by the new cast. Liam Neeson plays Qui Gon Jinn, a maverick knight who discovers Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), a slave boy who has superior talents. It will be fascinating to see how this boy becomes the evil Darth Vader in parts II and III. Natalie Portman brings a strong performance as Queen Amidala, and Ewan McGregor is perfectly cast as young Obi-Wan Kenobi. On the Dark side, Ian McDiarmid plays a subtle and manipulative Senator Palpatine. The ultimate scene stealer is Darth Maul, played by martial-artist Ray Park. You will not be disappointed with this villain, even though he only has four lines!
Without spoiling the film, I would have to say that the final forty minutes of TPM are more action packed, better-looking, and exciting than the climaxes of the original Trilogy. While ROTJ had three sequences, Menace has four: a ground battle for Naboo, a space battle that displays Anakin's abilities, a three-way lightsaber duel between the ultimate good (teamed-up Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan) versus the face of upcoming evil (Darth Maul), and a unique Queen-led mission to reclaim the throne.
The film ends with everyone wanting more, much like when the curtain goes down on the first act of a fantastic play. What will happen as the events of acts II and III unfold? Go into Episode I with this frame of mind, and admire what a truly clever and entertaining movie it is.