Some praise for Natalie Portman and Pernilla August

Rating: 5/10 (5 November 2000)

The Phantom Menace has been so much attacked by the french media that it's sometimes little hard for me to defend it against its detractors... Well, I just would say that I liked the movie, not as much as The Empire Strikes Back, which is still my favorite. George Lucas did a great job with this good premise of the famous saga : special effects ( of course ), editing, music, costumes, design( the look of the Nubian Ship is perfect ), all of that is quite good. The story is maybe too complex sometimes, but I enjoyed the political subplot - one of my favorite scenes is Amidala's audience to the Senate. The casting is excellent, especially Natalie Portman and Pernilla August, who are in my opinion the main characters of this episode : they play right two strong and determinate women who have a important place in Anakin's heart. I simply loved them !