Meesa thinks TPM, a Dud!

Rating: 4/10 (6 June 1999)

. . . and I felt like cutting off "Jar Jar Binks" floppy ears.
No, I'm not a Star Wars fan nor do I pretend to be one. However, I do enjoy some good Sci-Fi flicks. The Phantom Menace (TPM) was not one of them. I was drawn in by some of the hype and also by my ladyfriend. I had some ambivalence, but I figured, hey this is Star Wars, it can't be all that bad.
For me, most of this film was a yawn. I just kept waiting for it to get better. I soon realized the Podrace would be the apex of the whole movie. There was little to no character development; the acting was flat with little emotive quality, no philosophy to anchor the film, too much reliance on the visual and special effects. If you thoroughly enjoyed sci-fi flicks like the Bladerunner, Aliens 1, 2, & 3, and the most recent one, The Matrix, you will not want to see TPM, at least not at the show. Trust me, this flick is for kids, and not precocious ones.
Even for die-hard Star Wars fans, there are some disappointments and excuses for this flop: -don't take it so seriously. -it's a prequel. It's a foreshadowing of the next two. -people have gotten used to blood and gore. -stop believing the critics, watch the film for what it is. -what do you expect? It's a Star Wars film. -watch it again with an open mind, it gets better, and Jar Jar Binks is more tolerable. -episodes II and III will be better. -you can't compare Star Wars to the other sci-fi flicks.
I didn't hear excuses about Matrix or Aliens. What I did hear in the theatre were applause, shouts, cheers, and even laughter. While watching TPM, the audience was completely silent throughout, except for a few chuckles.
That really says it all!
~Andre'