Not so bad, but not so good either

Rating: 1/10 (19 June 1999)

For some reason the critics skewered this film (with the notable exception of Roger Ebert) and diehard Star Wars are already lining up for Episode II. The truth about The Phantom Menace lies somewhere in between.
First, I like Star Wars. However, I don't walk around with a double-bladed lightsaber in my hand when I go to the movies. I have seen TPM twice, and as far as I can tell I will probably only see it one more time, on video (hopefully on DVD, if George Lucas ever allows it).
Now the film. I like special effects. Really I do. But since Lucas has publicly stated that TPM has but one (ONE!!) non-digitally retouched scene (look for the grate) one must wonder what the real effect of CGI is. We can now say that CGI can be used to disguise blatant and flagrant racial stereotyping (Watto the Jew, the Japanese Trade Federation), create annoying throwaway characters to sell toys (Jar Jar Binks), and make the movie look really really cool. I mean it looks REALLY REALLY COOL. Lucas really created a brilliant and realizable galaxy.
But unfortunately there isn't much else in this film. Because it's the first chapter of a 6-movie cycle, you got to cut em some slack for a pointless premise. If I want to learn about taxation and trade routes I'll go to school. Let's face it, TPM is a throwaway movie. I think Lucas knew this from the start, otherwise he would have put a lot more thought into the plot, the characters, and the effect of various (ill-advised) explanations for various things in the Star Wars universe, especially the midichlorians.
Midichlorians are stupid. Period. The Force was originally a spiritual concept. It's the Chinese concept of chi. Midichlorians make for a moronic and illogical "scientific" explanation. Plus Anakin Skywalker is a virgin birth, a pointless and unnecessary biblical reference. Also isn't anyone troubled that Jake Lloyd is 10 years old and Natalie Portman is 17 and she's gonna bear his children?? Someone please tell George Lucas he's pushing the bounds of credulity here. Oh yeah, and Darth Maul has exactly 2 lines. How sad.
The major thing about the film is that it sets up Senator Palpatine's rise to Supreme Chancellor. It sets up the rest of the Star Wars films. Other than that, I hope I never hear of the planet Naboo again or see another Gungan in Episodes II and III. I give this film a good rating because I can forgive it for such lapses only because I expect never to see them again. The film has nice special effects, and Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman are all good actors. Note that all 3 don't actually do much of anything in this film, with the exception of Portman who confusingly alternates between being Padme and Queen Padme. That's right, Lucas is saving them for Episode II.
Rating system: 1 to 10
Rating for TPM: 7/10