Yes, it really is that awful

Rating: 3/10 (26 February 2008)

"A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing." If The Phantom Menace was one's only clue as to what sort of filmmaker George Lucas is, one would never guess that the above quote is attributable to him. The first episode of the Star Wars saga seems to be nothing but special effects, with no real story to speak of.
One of the biggest problems with TPM is that none of the characters are in any way established. Who are these people? Why should we care about them? The only real glimpse we get into a character's psyche is a clumsy, "I sense great (emotion) in you, (character)." It's a good thing those Jedi are around to tell us what everybody is thinking, because the writing sure doesn't convey it. Especially disappointing is Obi Wan Kenobi, who is completely unrecognizable from his later incarnation. He's just there, serving no apparent function.
I've always felt that Jake Lloyd is unfairly criticized for his performance as Anakin. Sure, he was terrible, but who wasn't terrible in this movie? Whether it's the result of the extensive special effects giving the actors nothing to react to, or Lucas's notorious apathy in working with the cast, several actors who have proved their greatness time and again come across as flat and lifeless in this movie. We're talking actors the caliber of Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, and Natalie Portman. The only people who come out of this unscathed are Pernilla August and Ian McDiarmid, who actually give some depth and complexity to their woefully underdeveloped characters.
Apart from possibly some advance in computer technology, the only real good thing that came from this movie is John Williams' faultless score, which is the only element that actually provides a believable bridge between this prequel and the original trilogy. The music brings life and meaning to all the things that the movie completely botches: the awe and beauty of the underwater city; the tension and excitement of the pod race; the dark underpinnings of Anakin's innocent character; the menace of Darth Maul; the epic bravura of the final duel. It's easy to see why John Williams has resided at the top of the composer heap for over thirty years--nobody can score a film like he can. And apart from the gorgeous locations and sets, that's really all I can muster by way of praise for this unfortunate film.