Oh, come on, it's not bad at all

Rating: 8/10 (18 May 2002)

Why does everyone hate this film so much? It's not as good as the original trilogy? Tough luck. Few films are, but that doesn't mean I hate them all.
Viewed in its own right, The Phantom Menace is a wonderfully crafted piece of intelligent blockbuster entertainment that's simply miles away from what is usually supposed to pass as a blockbuster movie. And even in the context of the other Star Wars films, it's a perfectly worthy addition to the canon. Bear in mind that, eventually, this is supposed to be the first Star Wars movie people see, so it's necessary to take some time to perform all necessary introductions and set up the story for the next five episodes.
Let's get rid of the weak points first. Jar Jar Binks has been discussed by many, many people, and while he's not quite as bad as he's frequently made out to be, he's still irritating on occasion. Also, the final space battle is both too short and suffers from a ridiculously contrived use of deus ex machina to save the desperate situation. And, living up to expectations, some of the dialogue is less than excellent.
But with that out of the way, what's left is wondrous. Star Wars has never been about subtlety, Star Wars is about grand operatic drama - and that's what we get here. The four-part climax, constantly cutting from scene to scene, is simply one of the most exhilarating pieces of film-making I can think of. The pod race is equally exciting. And the lightsabre battle to "Duel of Fates" is simply stunning. Name me one other adventure film which can reach these kinds of heights.
Even character development isn't as horrible as some have said. It's the small touches that count - like the intense look of hate Jake Lloyd's Anakin Skywalker flashes at the Jedi Council when they refuse to allow him to be trained as a Jedi.
The art direction is amazing - in this department, The Phantom Menace easily out-does the original trilogy. From the underwater city, to the palace of Naboo perched on the cliff-top, to the city-planet of Coruscant, to the beautiful costumes worn by Queen Amidala, the artwork combines with the (as expected) awe-inspiring special effects to create a vision of another galaxy that is simply without precedent and has to be seen to be believed.
Is it as good as the original trilogy? No, it's not. Very little is. But is it a good film? Yes. Definitely yes.