The phantom story (screen) (vhs)

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2015)

It's funny to write those lines in the zenith of hype for Episode VII!
OK, i'm honest : back to its release in 1999, it was really wonderful to have Lucas doing another star wars : the best proof is that I was at the midnight screening and that i have a lot of stuff about it (maybe the strangest would be the CD-ROM « insider's guide »)! Also watching it again, it's indeed pure entertainment, a lot of fun and action with a little wisdom and emotion. It's visually stunning, with never seen before sets like this and it has a incredible cast as Lucas confirms he really knows how to pick up : Natalie, Neeson, Mcgregor, McDiarmid, August, Loyd is a fun kid and it stars also Keira Knightley as Amidala's help!
However, the movie has 3 major failures for me :
1) all the aliens are ugly : Gungans, Nemodians, Watto, Sebulba! I can't understand why making non humans means doing snots ! Back to first trilogy, the aliens were most original !!
2) I can't understand Jedi violence and strict philosophy : Instead of delivering a universal and friendly message that comes from the heart, the way those Jedi are violent, fundamentalist rank them to the level of stormtroopers « from a certain point of view »! And what about Yoda heartless analysis of a poor kid who has left his mother behind : too much suffering ! With all this, i can't say that Jedi can be an healthy inspiration !
3) the story lacks polish : in the first trilogy, Lucas has deepened his stories, especially with the help of Kasdan ! Here, it's like a first draft: there is too much useless characters, too obscure story lines and stupid choices ! What's the point to introduce a new deadly menace with Darth Maul if he had to be eliminated after five minutes ! That quick fate suppose he was only a simple, fragile cheep so ? The same with Qui-Jonn : it's a waste he had to be wipe off after one movie ! I'm sure that if the story would have been more revised, it would have been better and the later episodes with their stupid continuous changing of dull, boring cast would have been more interesting at the end !!
So the phantom menace is thus this very incomplete, disappointing script !