Underappreciated but fairly rated

Rating: 7/10 (18 December 2019)

I recently watched this again in the run up for The Rise of Skywalker. I believe that TPM is a decent film, very different in tone from the original trilogy but in a way that feels free, representing the freedom of the Republic and peace-time at this point in the SW timeline. There are some scenes in which I feel the acting lets it down, and it can come across a little dull in comparison to the other entries but it's a great 'debut' entry.
The handling of the initial Invasion of Naboo is handled well, with a good introduction to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, the Trade Federation (along with its droid army) and the Gungangs/ humans of Naboo. The two Jedi are very overpowered in the first hour of the film, so there's never really a feeling of threat, which can make it feel a bit slow, but when they get to Naboo it really picks up. We meet Anakin, get a pod-racing scene which still holds up to this day and then get our first duel through Darth Maul vs Qui-Gon.
Seeing Anakin as a child and knowing this is the person who becomes Darth Vader offers a very sombre, tragic element to the story which is of course what Lucas intended. I feel like the scenes where Qui-Gon has freed him and is taking him away are sad, but on closer inspection seem a little rushed from the side of Shmi, who shows the bare minimum of emotion in giving up her son, possibly never to see him again.
Then there's Coruscant, with Palpatine managing to manipulate his way into becoming the new Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, seemingly with little effort on his part. The Jedi Council rejecting Anakin, with the latter indirectly causing friction between the Council and Qui-Gon was enjoyable to watch, especially considering Anakin's overall arc. Again the film lags a little here. Coruscant is basically a short pit-stop where events important to the overall SW lore/timeline can happen.
When the Jedi return to Naboo (with Anakin, little confusing as to why a child is allowed to come to a designated war zone) the film picks up. Padme and her guards take on the Droid Army, with help from the Gungans on the ground with Naboo fighters along with Anakin in the air. Meanwhile Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan battle Darth Maul in one of my favourite duels of the franchise, ending with Qui-Gon's death, insanely impressing fighting from Obi-Wan and the 'death' of Darth Maul. Qui-Gon making Kenobi promise to train Anakin as he dies was poignant and helped to paint the picture of Obi-Wan's reasoning for Anakin, and how that entire relationship started in this film.
Overall The Phantom Menace is a genuinely enjoyable film that introduces a whole host of great characters (along with a couple of questionable ones), sometimes the acting from a certain few feels inconsistent/ off and the plot tends to rush, creating a bit of an oversight on logic but it entertains until the end and introduces the audience to Anakin Skywalker. 7/10