Good movie--but why the need for the cheesy humor?

Rating: 7/10 (23 May 1999)

I have been watching Star Wars movies all of my life, and I was excited to get to return to the far away worlds and galaxies that entranced me as a child with the release of the prequels. While I had my doubts about how good this movie would be, I must admit that I was pleased and enjoyed 'The Phantom Menace' immensely. However, what bothered me throughout the whole movie was how it strove to be...funny?!?! I don't recall the original 'Star Wars' movies as being comedies...why feel the need to laden the movie with such pitiful Earthlike 20th centuryisms? The ESPN-esque two-headed sports caster was nothing more than a detriment from an otherwise exciting podrace scene. Jar-Jar was a cute character that kids will undoubtedly relate to, but why give him lines such as, "How rude!", which over and over brought to my mind the youngest daughter on the pitiful 80s show 'Full House'?!?!
I will admit that I did find one moment extremely funny--an exchange between R2D2 and C3P0 in which R2 accuses 3P0 of looking rather naked. R2 and 3P0 are examples of how the movie could have successfully obtained the obligatory comic relief, as was the case in previous movies. I don't understand why George Lucas felt that he needed to add comedy to this movie that was not characteristic of the time and location of the events in the movie. 'The Phantom Menace' barely needed any advertising of its own with all of the hype that surrounded its opening. It's not as if he needed to add the comedy in order to get people to go see it! In a movie such as this, contrived comedy relief is little more than a turn off.
This movie was a dazzling display of special effects and action, and while my enjoyment was sometimes limited, I still thought it was a great movie and didn't once breathe in the scene where Obi-Wan watched Darth Maul obliterate his beloved teacher (a scene reminiscent of Obi-Wan's own future demise). I look forward to the next two movies, and I hope that Lucas will refrain from adding the unnecessary comedy into the next ones.