The magic and the myth

Rating: 10/10 (11 December 2001)

I've been a big fan of star wars since I saw A New Hope in '77. It was the first movie I ever went and very, very few movies I've seen since have that same magic. I think this movie captures the magic of Star Wars very well, though in somewhat different ways than episodes IV-VI.
*SPOILERS BELOW* Like a lot of viewers, I missed the point with Jar Jar the first time I watched it. He's supposed to be annoying! He is the way he is to show that even those we don't like have a purpose as well as to help define Qui-Gon's (Liam's) character. He tries Qui-Gon's patience as much as anyone, yet Qui-Gon believes all life has value and that everyone deserves a chance. This brings us to the key conflict of the movie - Should Anakin be trained as a Jedi or stay with his mother as a slave? Part of the greatness of the movie is that this question is left completely open for debate.
The music, sound, and visual effects are wonderful in this movie as well and serve to draw you into another world rather than just look cool. The acting of Neeson, McGregor, Portman, and McDiarmond was also wonderful. I also really enjoyed the final lightsaber battles. We see the serene and skillful Qui-Gon, the garish and graceful Darth Maul, and the developing character of Obi-Wan. Like Luke in the original trilogy, Obi-Wan goes from impatient and angry (enough to border on the darkside) to a hero both courageous and compassionate.
My only criticisms are that I wished Jar Jar had grown some by the end of the movie and that I wish Anakin's space battle was more like those in the prior movies (or even the pod race). If it had even had the other pilots interacting more and helping him (but Anakin still being the main hero), it would have more the magic of those other scenes. It's missing a Wedge or Biggs or Dack type character. All and all though, this movie rates in my all-time top 10 favorites.