Exercise in concept and technology over heart.

Rating: 5/10 (21 May 2005)

I'm not a die hard star wars fan, but i did enjoy the original trilogy very much, three films that birthed the most original and focused concepts to grace a sci-fi film, and they still impress today after almost 30 years. So been what i am, i didn't have the huge expectations that some had for what this film should be, but i was intrigued to find out the origin story and witness the birth of all those great characters.
The story of Phantom Menace bases itself in politics, an alien race called the trade federation harassing the planet of Naboo, which itself must find unity between it's two separate civilisations to combat this oncoming force.
This creates the basic background for the real action. The trade federation is been driven on by the malevolent Sith Lords, the sect resembling the dark side of the force, using them to gain a threshold in the galaxy for further development. Jedi ambassadors, the good side of the force, Quoi Gon Gin and Obi Won Kanobi, are sent to induce peace and a setting down of arms between the TF and Naboo. The Sith struggle to assassinate these Jedi, who find refuge in the disputed planet, where they befriend a Gungan native, Jar Jar Binks, and proceed to try and save the captured Queen of Naboo Amidala and seek safer grounds. This just so happens to be the desert planet of Tatooine, where the Jedi meet an intriguing young boy, Anakin Skywalker, a slave to the wily tradesman of the Tatooine Space Port, and part of a far larger slave population, including his family. Quoi Gon senses a great affinity of the force with this boy, and is certain he is destined for greater things.
So ensues the rest of the film; space battles, a pod race, epic ground battles, light sabre duels, the eventual compromise to the political sub plot and absolutely astonishing special effects and art work from ILM to fully realise for the first time George Lucas's imaginative creation the way he wanted it, the reason he collaborated an expert team of technicians so long ago, after many Oscars, to get it to where it is now. Yep, i am a fan of the special effects, even though some have dismissed it as been overkill. This is epic stuff, and extraordinary stuff, to see such magnificent creations of a focused vision brought to life with so many different techniques, many pioneering,used for this soul purpose, plus other cosmetic touches like stunts and extras. It's this practical use of special effects that always impresses for any film that tries it, including the original trilogy. This is the crucial difference that means an Oscar nomination or not for special effects. Obviously this got one.
That's 5 of the 6 out of ten. It could have been 7 of the 8, but this is why it isn't. The lack of joy, heart or commitment in most of the actors playing their roles. It really bogs this film down and it's a huge shame. The reason behind it could be the fact that the script itself doesn't hold any wit, funny humour or character. There are points when it tries, but these are artificial and basic, nothing colourful. But it's the acting that really isn't up there. A script can be the best piece of writing since Shakespeare, but if you don't have the actors to bring it to life, it's wasted. Then again, a script can be awful, but the acting can adapt to fit it, so you get melodrama and hamming, making it fun. Here, we have a script that's bland but not the worst, definitely salvageable with the right acting. That's what we don't have. Deliverance is monotonous for the most part, with occasional emotional backing at the most intense times. That's not enough to believe in these characters. In the original trilogy, all the actors seemed to thoroughly enjoy what they were doing, giving it their all and making the characters likable and breathing life into them, even when the script got extra cheesy. Here, all we get are plot pushing lines. No one seems to be enjoying or putting any effort into their work, and that reflects big time in the performances, which drains the life out of the drama and the film. Jake Loyd seems to be the only one trying, but his limited skill with young age and the script prevent him from getting any further than anyone else does. It's a huge shame because this is a talented cast that could have worked and it makes what should have been the great moments in the film fall flat. Lucas found what he was looking for in the technology, but unfortunately overlooked his actors. He improved in number II, and it looks like he has in III also, but i think this episode was important and he ruined it.
It's hard to like a movie based solely on special effects and action, which seems to be everyone's argument for this film to be a success, a sheer thrill ride of action and awe. Yeah, i dug all that big time, but the originals had that and more. Heart, soul and warmth in the script and committed actors that wanted to succeed and did. This movie didn't have that and whenever it tried it either became too immature (Jar Jar Binks) or too stagnant (Some "witty outbursts" from the Jedis like "I've got a bad feeling about this." delivered in the same tone as every other line). Overall, an extra mark for a 6 because it was cool to see the events taking place that would influence the known future, plus it's got star wars written all over the production design and action and that'll keep me comin back to the sequels, whether or not i enjoy them in the end.