SW fans will love it, maybe even worship it, but there is a darkside as well.

Rating: 8/10 (20 May 1999)

No movie is perfect, no matter how bad we want it to be. Phantom Menace is a great film, entertaining, dazzling, and it satisfies the withdrawal cravings SW fans have been having for 16 years. But I wouldn't be being honest if I didn't state that I think the character developement, and thus character empathy level, was lacking in this film. One explanation is that this film has to set up the entire series through to Jedi, but even so there's always room for character developement. I didn't feel like I knew any of the characters, whereas in A New Hope I instantly felt I knew ALL the characters, and therefore was invested with a strong emotional connection with the story. But lets face it, SW fans don't want to see Phantom Menace for in depth characterization, they want to be taken to a galaxy far far away. And therefore Menace delivers what it promises, or what it owes to fans, and so is a success in it's mission. Now, if we could only have seen more of Darth Maul! He stole every scene he was in. I give it an 8 overall.