The Saga Begins... beautifully

Rating: 9/10 (26 September 1999)

I am so tired of people putting down Episode I. I find it hard to imagine a better first chapter to a story so many people know.
On May 19 I waited in line for three hours to get my tickets and I was not disappointed. In the movie we learn some answers to questions that have been asked for 20 years. And we are now asking some new questions. Hidden in the film are some wonderful inside jokes. Familiar lines, characters who one would think are looking for a way to phone home (see trivia on this movie) and some wonderful foreshadowing make this film so great.
The biggest thing to remember is that once again we are only seeing the first of three chapters. You have to expect some questions not to be answered.
The fight scenes are absolutely breathtaking. They are so fast-paced and energetic. You can clearly tell how much more formal training these Jedi had as compared to Luke.
Darth Maul is the new Boba Fett. Only in Star Wars could a character with so few lines gain such a big following. This guy is one of the most evil people I have ever seen.
This movie keeps the tradition of Star Wars by entertaining the masses with out the need for senseless violence, foul language, or any kind of nudity. Through out this story two main characters and several pilots die, but little blood is seen. This is the sign of good movie making.
My reactions to popular complaints...
(THEY SAY) The acting was sub-par. (I SAY) What movie were YOU watching?!?! Jake Lloyd is a child. Did you really expect him to be quoting Hamlet?
(THEY SAY) Jar-Jar Binks is annoying. (I SAY) Jar-Jar is one character. Stop obsessing about him and he will go away.
(THEY SAY) The movie is racist because some characters have stereotypical accents. (I SAY) Classic case of "Darned if you do, darned if you don't". If everyone spoke exactly the same people would say the movie was racist because there were no foreign sounding characters.
(THEY SAY) The movie did not live up to the hype. (I SAY) The public created the hype. As far as I know there were only two trailers. People who had missed the band wagon back in 1977 tried to make a new one this year. They wanted toys, posters, stand-ups and contests. They were the ones who told themselves they would learn about how Anikin turned to Vader. They set their expectations up way too high. Don't blame Lucas.
I must admit that the film is not perfect. But what is? This is George Lucas' story. He will tell it his way. We should be thankful that we get to see these chapters at all. If you think you could write a better story, or direct a better movie, go right a head. I'm sure there will be people here to pick it apart for you.
My best advice to fans who felt let down, is go see it again. The movie gets better with every visit. You know the characters, you can understand some of the accents easier and you have more time to catch the things you might have missed.
And if you still don't like it? Well, why don't you just go and rent Titanic again because I guess you just don't get it.
May the Force be with you.