China-Tibet Fun for the Whole Family

Rating: Null/10 (6 June 1999)

Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor) discover prepubescent slave Anakin Skywalker's (Jake Lloyd) talents on Tatooine, winning him in a bet. Meanwhile, the evil Nimoudians rade Theed with Sino-Tibetan traces in Nute Gunray's 'Chinese' accent and Natalie Portman's endless exotic costume changes as Queen Amidala. Avoiding RETURN OF THE JEDI's Muppet overkill, writer/director/exec. producer George Lucas returns to balanced entertainment and fun for everyone, especially Ani's podrace, Darth Maul's martial arts with double-lightsaber (Ray Park), and the droid army-Gungan battle sequences with accidental general Jar Jar Binks (body movement model and mush-mouthed Jamaican by Ahmed Best) being zany. Music by John Williams. Yoda and Samuel L. Jackson make appearances as Jedi Council, deliberating upon whether or not Ani is 'the chosen one'. Oh, but we know...