No Criticism - Just Thoughts...

Rating: 6/10 (21 November 1999)

Who could ever resist the power of the well-known prologue followed by the well-known ,Star Wars' theme combined with the well-known ,Star Wars'-logo entering the screen? Certainly not me. The struggle for the premiere tickets was worth it. The first 30 seconds of every ,Star-Wars' movie create a kind of adrenaline rush that other movies seldom deliver. I got sucked into the story right from the start, checked back in to reality after the curtain closed, and went home with the ,Imperial Stormtrooper'-theme banging in my head. Wait a second...the Imperial theme? There goes the neighborhood.
I went to see ,The Phantom Menace' a second time, without the hype of a premiere and 100% hardcore-fan-audience-vibes around. Now what does it say about a movie if the warmest moment happens with R2D2 entering the screen for the first time, bringing back that good old family-feeling? Obviously something works extremely well, if a metal can with wheels becomes a beloved friend through moving pictures. On the other hand the emotional depth of the film cannot be that big, if a moment like that sticks out as much as it does. While in the old ,Star Wars' films you had characters like Han Solo, Darth Vader or Princess Leia, in the new one not much charisma is offered. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor both suffer from what I would call the ,Luke Skywalker' effect, though the creation of the not so perfect Jedi Qui Gonn Jinn definitely is a point in the writing that stands out. Credits go to Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Pernilla August and Samuel L. Jackson who is able to create charisma and presence within the few moments he appears. Yoda is always welcome and Darth Maul has a short but memorable part. The duel between him, Obi Wan Kenobi and Qui Gonn Jinn is one of the best moments in the film. John Williams' composition and the choreography of the lightsabre-fight create a truly powerful moment. The computer animation of course is impressive but I feel that it still lacks some heart and soul. Jar Jar Binks so far has not convinced me -in fact the escape from Jar Jar Binks planet has its lengths- , only the rough blue salesman on Tattoine gets the credit (!). Probably that is connected to the direction of this movie that might have been better, especially concerning the relationship between Anakin and his mother. For the story I would have wished more. The first part could have gotten to the root cause of everything. Where does the emperator come from, how did the bad things all get started, etc.
But let's not forget that we're talking about the first episode. The first act, so to speak. The exposition. Since I find ,Return of the Jedi' far more thrilling than ,A new Hope' I can't say how much I'm looking forward to see episode II (episode III is more than words right now...). Everything now is in place, therefore ,The Phantom Menace' can be considered a good exposition that is -to some significant extent- able to stand alone as one entertaining film. And in the end of Episode II or III there might be a new Han Solo, a new Princess Leia, a new Chewbacca, a new theme to remember. So everybody go and see this movie. Get fascinated by the wisdom of Yoda, the theory of the force and the darkside and make George Lucas what he deserves to be: richer and more appreciated than he already is. For the future I politely ask to see better writing and direction, but whatever happens: ,Star Wars' is ,Star Wars', George Lucas is George Lucas.
And by the way, if You feel uncomfortable with all the ,sci-fi' hype surrounding you, remember: it's just a fairy tale with knights, queens and princesses...and the good side that wins...