Rusty Lucas utterly fails to deliver

Rating: 1/10 (25 May 1999)

Given that the Star Wars trilogy is the central, organizing story of my generation, I and the many millions of hungry fans have every reason to expect a more heartfelt effort than "Phantom Menace".
There are many elements present here that would normally harpoon a movie (wooden dialogue, holes in plot, lack of character development, etc.). But I forgive Lucas these trespasses- heck, the original featured these sins, too. What is utterly unforgivable is the yawns he generates with second-rate special effects, a poorly paced plot, and a stubborn insistence on using digital effects instead of actors (is he really that uncomfortable around live professionals?). Lucas Arts PR types trumpet the fact that principal shooting was completed in 65 days, and that there were seldom more than three takes per scene. Guess what? Such slipshod production values are apparent in the final product! The digital characters that Lucas takes such obvious pride in look too jerky and cumbersome, like claymation or bad anime. Whereas the Trilogy pushed the technical envelope, this film features pre-"Jurassic Park" effects technology. The frenetic pacing and masterful editing that gave us such wondrous experiences as the Battle of Yavin and the chase through the asteroid belt are absent as well: the cut scenes from "Rebel Assault II" quickened my pulse far more than "Phantom's" climactic space battle, and the heavily hyped pod race was somewhat less satisfying than expected. Even John Williams' score sounds tinny and disinterested (although the choral accompaniment to the superb light saber battle is one of the film's few highlights).
Also troubling were the blatant racial stereotypes- was that Alphonse D'Amato, doing a reprise of his "Judge Ito" remarks, as the Federation Viceroy, or what? And does Lucas hold his audience in such utter contempt that he feels comfortable stealing scenes from Disney's "Aladdin"?
Lucas has been out from behind the camera for too long, and the rust shows. Perhaps more troubling is the sense that he's going through the motions. He can redeem himself (and isn't that what this series is all about?) if he gives us a thoughtful Episode II, but as it stands right now, this film is in serious jeopardy of sinking the whole series: if it wasn't a Star Wars film, I would have walked out within the first 20 minutes. My generation, nay, all the peoples of the Earth, deserve far, far better in the next installment.