Unbeatable effects and incredible action, but it just lacks the soul of the previous trilogy.

Rating: Null/10 (28 May 1999)

I have been waiting for what seems like forever to see this film, and I couldn't help but get wrapped up in the infectious hype and excitement surrounding one of the most anticipated events in movie history. But did I enjoy it? Well this is the question which has been driving me mad since the day I saw it, and I think I have finally come to my conclusion.
If we forget about the other three Star Wars movies and consider this as a film in its own right, it has a lot going for it. The stunts and choreography in the lightsaber battles are absolutely staggering. Its not just the effects in them, but the overall realism that raise them above previous duels. Its been sixteen years since Return of the Jedi, and to say technology has improved dramatically would be an understatement. Lucas creates worlds and characters so believable that you just can't help but be amazed. The Pod Race section of the film is quite possibly the most incredible scene, raising beliefs about what can be achieved with special effects to new heights.
But is the stunning visual and aural presentation enough to satisfy a real fan of the genre and place The Phantom Menace up in the Sci-fi history hall of fame together with the other trilogy?
Well, in a word, no.
I really wanted this film to be a complete epic, but unfortunately it just doesn't live up to expectations.
For starters, there isn't enough character building to give you an emotional link with any of the life-forms in the film. Maybe this is because of the occasional wooden acting, maybe its due to the under-use of important characters (such as the brilliantly fearsome, yet disappointingly silent Darth Maul), or maybe its because there are just too many characters in it for you to get attached to any of them. The over-use of CGI techniques in generating some of them doesn't help in this respect, because you don't feel for them as much as you should, and you end up not really caring if they get laser bolted or not. This is possibly because you just know that they aren't "real", but merely a creation of some clever chaps from the 3D animation department (but it also could be due to the overuse of that damn Jar Jar character).
Secondly, there is no doubt that this film is aimed strongly at a younger audience. I have no real problem with this, and I don't get annoyed at any film just because it sacrifices gore, violence and strong language to get a PG certificate. However, for some strange reason we seem to be plagued with irritating babyish characters and kid-saves-the-day themes throughout the entire film. I enjoyed the rest of the trilogy when I was a kid, but it didn't rely on any of this cringe worthy kindergarten stuff!
The plot itself is passable, but I didn't feel truly connected with the supposed desperate struggle of the queen and her people to save the city (perhaps there wasn't enough scenes of suffering of the inhabitants of the city). All this business of the senate and the trade stuff just wasn't interesting.
But even though these problems aren't enough to spoil the film, they are enough to disappoint a fan. When we start to make comparisons with this and the rest of the trilogy it really does start to fall to pieces. I mean which would you rather see? Jar Jar or Chewbacca? An uninteresting droid ship or the near-invincible Death Star? The useless-at-aiming yet stylish stormtroopers or some pointless two legged computer generated droids? Darth Maul might have had some chance of stealing the terror induced by the powerful presence (and voice) of Darth Vader, but the poor chap is allowed only the simplest of grunts in his inadequate on-screen time. There wasn't anywhere near enough classic space battle action, and to think what could have been done with the incredible standard of special effects makes this point even more disturbing. The occasional cameo appearance of some well know Star Wars characters is a nice touch, but it wasn't enough to keep a true fan happy. And what's happened to all those wonderfully placed one-liners like "Your powers are weak old man"? There isn't even a word spoken in the final light saber duel!
Above all, it just lacks the soul of the other three movies. I would recommend this film to anyone, because it is good, but it's just such a shame to think what it could have been. I hope George Lucas knows all this, because there is no doubt that the Star Wars universe has an undeniable potential which can be explored to the full in the next installment of the prequels.