Life on other planets? Apparently not!

Rating: 5/10 (20 May 1999)

There must be some mistake. Please tell me there has been a mistake. Lucas spends two hours on a plot point involving the invasion of a small planet that should have lasted no more than twenty minutes. This was supposed to be Episode 1, right? "Phantom" feels more like Episode 1.5.
All the questions I had about the beginning of the saga remain unanswered. Where does Obi Wan come from? What about Yoda? What was the Republic like before the dark times? What is the origin of the dark side? Evil Sith apprentice Darth Maul exclaims in one of his too few lines, "Now we will finally get our revenge." Revenge for what? This is Episode 1, remember?
But what bothers me most about "Phantom" is not the uninspired story. The dim light in this star system is the depth (or lack thereof) in Lukas' characters. Liam Neeson delivers his lines like he has just read the script for the first time. Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan is one dimensional and passive at best. Even R2D2 registers more emotion than Princes Amidala. Sadly, the only new character with any spark of personality is Jar Jar Binks. It's too bad that Jar Jar is also the most irritating new character. Wait a minute... strike that... the two-headed pod race commentators certainly take that prize. George, what were you thinking?
The film is not a total loss. There are brief moments of wit and charm. But these sparse bursts of excitement wet our appetite for more. Unfortunately, more never comes.
The characters are cardboard, the script is stale, and there are more unnecessary special effects than our eyes can comprehend. It's a good thing that "Phantom" is the fourth installment in the saga. Had it been the first, it probably would have been the last.