16 years wait.... The verdict

Rating: Null/10 (11 April 2000)

Hype, backlash against hype and more hype on video release. Most people are in Love or Hate camps with Episode 1: I don't hate it, I was just disappointed. I was exciting at the prospect of seeing a new Star Wars for the first time, even when I saw the rolling credits I was all but cheering: Then something went wrong. First things first, what's so bloody important about Naboo? This is never explained. Not even die-hard fans know this, George. The least you could do was tell us. This film treats us as fans, not an audience. The mitochlorian thing is a poor attempt at plausifying (Is that a word? It is now!) the Jedis. As for the dreaded Jaa Jaa Binks? Suprisingly, he's not as irritating as people make out. The Gungan Leader (Brian "Shout in funny accent" Blessed) was for me, the most teeth-gnashingly irritating guy on the block. Three cool sequences (The Gungan underwater, podrace and final battle) do not a great film make. And please ditch Ewan McGregor.