Star Wars Lite--but still Star Wars!

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 1999)

This is very much a Star Wars movie. It has the same feel to it, the same atmosphere. After sixteen years, that's a remarkable accomplishment.
The FX are top-notch, the acting isn't bad, the story is so-so--and that's the main way Phantom Menace falls down. Where Episode IV was a complete and completely satisfying story in and of itself, Episode I is of necessity a prelude, a setup for what is yet to come. Which means the story is a bit shallow, and characterization likewise, because it has to introduce everyone and everything and set things up for parts 2 and 3. When all is said and done, this will probably be recognized as the weakest of all the Star Wars movies.
And yet, it's still a Star Wars movie. It still has the power to take you away, back to your childhood when you saw the originals for the first time. Watch it and reminisce, and don't expect too much and you won't be too disappointed.