"I'll be following this trilogy with great interest..."

Rating: 7/10 (1 July 1999)

Firstly, it wouldn't be fair for me to compare this film side-by-side with its predecessors, at least not until all of the first trilogy have been released. It did take me a number of rewatches of Episodes 4,5,6 before I could confidently say that The Empire Strikes Back was my pick. The Phantom Menace is the introduction to an introductory trilogy, and I'm glad to have set my expectations to just that level. Things happen on a smaller scale here, so expecting a grand galaxy-saving plotline is most probably an invitation to disappointment.
Some have said that as a screenwriter Lucas's style is just space-opera, and in many ways that's true. Nevertheless any complaints on the drama aspect shouldn't be heaped upon Neeson, McGregor or the others. Overall I thought all of the actors did commendable work, considering the nature of the script. Jar-Jar and the Gungans were obviously characters created with light comedy in mind, but they weren't as irritating as I had feared (personally I would say that they're about one step up from the Ewoks). In any case, I have no real problem with this at all.
However the story per se is the main reason I watched the film. TPM has put together a pretty solid tale of the beginnings of the main characters, and executed it well. By now they should be adequately fleshed-out to deal with the many changes I'm sure will take place in the next two instalments. The Jedi mythology plays a large role here, with light being shed on many key aspects. Most striking of all is how it depicted Anakin Skywalker, so young and spirited. I had the strange impression that the Jedi Council's reaction to him, the looks on their faces, said it all about his future. It seemed that now and then the film hinted ever so subtly at his eventual fate.
As with the other episodes, TPM is replete with brilliant moments. For me the high point was the pod-race, where Lucas's inventiveness was at its best. Locales like Coruscant, Naboo and Tatooine were nothing short of triumphs in design production. Then there were the much-raved lightsabre duels, which I found to rival the best ones in the previous trilogy in both intensity and duration. My head had started to ache gloriously when it ended! Darth Maul didn't do much more than glower and fight but for this formidable villain, I'm grateful that his actions spoke louder than his words.
Two thumbs up to Lucas and the crew, whose sheer technical ambition alone deserves an award. Once again he's created a universe, a STAR WARS universe, that contains enough diversity, richness and depth to justify the special effects. Admittedly it's a bit overwhelming at times, but never stifling. More often than not my eyes couldn't help but scour a particular scene, just to appreciate the amount of detail put into them.
All I can say in the end is: well done. The Force is strong enough in this one. Now is the right time for me to raise my expectations. 8.5/10 (includes 0.5 of SW fan bias :) )