Undwerwhelming in the character department, but retains the imagination and excitement befitting a Star Wars film

Rating: 6/10 (13 May 2015)

I once came across a complaint concerning an early scene in Episode I, wherein the two main Jedi drink tea, cited as evidence of the director losing sight of what makes the Star Wars films so exciting. Yet the subsequent sequence includes the sight of two Jedi fighting side by side, blaster bolts deflected in rapid succession, a lightsaber plunged into a metal door to melt it, and eerie insect-like machines with shield generators. How many upgrades to things in the original films were crammed into this one sequence?
Don't get me wrong, for this is not intended to uphold "The Phantom Menace" as a great piece of filmmaking. It still has a host of defects, many of which have been multiplied or magnified due to the clamoring of a fanbase overly insistent on being offended. Yet, its successes have been largely dismissed, and it is not the painful experience that many have declared it to be.
Despite modern critics pandering to the fanbase with textbook theory and overcomplicating the matter, the biggest issue has always simply been the "less than compelling" characters. The story, despite the occasional straining of logic and uneven pace, is passable, and, to its credit, contributes to the two primary subplots of the prequel trilogy: the creation of Vader and the establishment of the Empire. Disregarding the other prequels, I think it is interesting to learn that the Jedi leaders originally had grave doubts about Skywalker's future, a grim reminder of what eventually happens. However, I do agree that placing more weight and focus on a development as significant as the resurgence of the Sith would have made for a more streamlined experience. But, I digress.
Criticism towards the characters, while not unwarranted, has been misdirected. Most of the actors put forth earnest efforts, particularly Ewan McGregor and Pernilla August. The problem is that they weren't given much to work with. Qui-Gon Jinn, despite having maverick-like characteristics that befit his role in the story, is too subdued for a central figure, and we don't get much beyond the very basic mentor/student dynamic between him and Obi-Wan. Queen Amidala gets by on admirability and determination. True, she makes some hasty or unwise decisions, but given her age and established inexperience that shouldn't be surprising. Her good intentions are constantly highlighted, so she gets credit for that, and I can't say I was unimpressed by how she conducted things during the climax.
Some of the more effective characters don't have much substance, but are memorable, and sometimes that's more important in this film series. The CGI alien creatures, with one glaring exception, are a delight to watch. The shrewd, abrasive Watto is particularly interesting, and a testament that something simple as a unique means of locomotion can add much. The sleazy, hot-headed Sebulba is also great, and Boss Nass is amusing. The secondary villain, Darth Maul, may not have much screen time, but capably fills the role of a menacing, shadowy assassin. No doubt ever exists in the audience's minds that he is a capable threat. Notice how he refrains from the usual doubt exposing taunts, indicating his desire for a purely physical victory.
Two aspects of the film that are indisputably well done are the effects and music, both of which have always been crucial to the Star Wars franchise, and both of which save "The Phantom Menace" from true mediocrity. The reason for this is summed up well by the great Roger Ebert, who wrote, "the importance of the movies comes from their energy, their sense of fun, their colorful inventions and their state-of-the-art special effects". People have grown so preoccupied with other aspects of production that they adamantly proclaim the impossibility of a film succeeding by virtue of its technical aspects; they're wrong. Such movies as "Spider-Man 3", "Transformers 2" and "X-Men 3" were unable to do this because their visual effects were underutilized, ugly, or plumb not impressive. The standards of special effects in the "Star Wars" movies have always been far above average, and this evident extra effort helps make up for deficiencies. Consider the string of expository scenes after the main group arrives at Coruscant. The individual discussions are mostly stale, but the scenes look so good that this part of the movie hardly feels bogged down.
The 4-faceted climax is by far the best section of the movie, and helps overcome the preceding feelings of mundaneness. Though the space assault feels perfunctory and lightweight, the other 3 subplots are entertaining in their own way. The capture of Viceroy Gunray has its fair share of surprises (am I the only one that thought it was neat that a female character was essentially saved by another female character?), and the battle between the gungan and droid armies benefits from interesting new technologies. As much as I like the AT-ST walkers, this battle is an order of magnitude above the ground battle of "Return of the Jedi". The best segment is the duel between Maul and the Jedi, which remains a fine demonstration of innovation and upsurge in kineticism, trends that will extend to the succeeding two installments.
While it remains the least of the "Star Wars" film series (not counting the debacle that was "The Clone Wars"), "The Phantom Menace" manages to be passable. Yes, it has lapses in logic, unsubstantial characters and fails to truly expand the mythos, but, as the critical reaction indicates, these do not demolish the entertainment value to the extent that some would profess. Audiences expected greatness, Lucas delivered adequacy, but given that more than a decade has passed I implore people to adopt a better attitude about it.