An Insult to the Trilogy

Rating: 6/10 (2 December 2000)

George Lucas' Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace does not work. It is not a product of its times, and it fails as an attempt to recapture the concepts that made the original trilogy a product of its times. It is not simple, but is instead complex to the point of muddiness, and cannot be appreciated without an extensive knowledge of Star Wars trivia. It is an imitation, while the beauty of Star Wars lies in its uniqueness and novelty. The weakness of the characterization allows special effects and action to take center stage, thus shifting the film into the less timeless realm of sci-fi. While it has its own brand of "feel of the old," this is a brand that denies the fresh, raw, and exciting elements of the frontier feel of the original trilogy. What is more, Episode I's "feel of the old" forces technology to the forefront, pressing backwards the crucial elements of man and magic. Even Couresant, which has the most potential for conveying a sense of mystery and for avoiding technology's alienation of men, fails to develop sufficiently to restore these elements of man and magic. Lucas' choice to create a more polished film does away with any remaining remnants of raw feeling, and the acting unfortunately assists in the relegation of men to second seat, behind technology. Only Liam Neeson turns in the performance that a film bearing the name of Star Wars truly deserves. All of these elements thus force the visual elements of the film-special effects and costuming-to the forefront, denying the actual substance that should support the work. Episode I is a big show of inappropriate glitz and glamor-just what Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Return of the Jedi avoided being-without much to back it up, and without innovation. It thus falls into the trap of becoming just what the original trilogy was noteworthy for breaking from: a sci-fi flick. Finally, the beauty of the original trilogy as a unit suspended between unmade trilogies makes the completion of Episode I sacrilege.