Fear Leads To Hate, Hate Leads To Anger, Anger Leads To Suffering ...

Rating: 8/10 (10 September 2013)

In a far-off galaxy, the ancient order of the Jedi Knights are sent to protect the planet Naboo from an invasion by the robot army of the Trade Federation. They rescue Queen Amidala and travel to the desert planet Tatooine where they meet an unusual boy, Anakin Skywalker, who helps them repair their ship. As the war on Naboo escalates, can they return in time to save Amidala's people ?
George Lucas' first movie in twenty years and the first of his trilogy of prequels to the Star Wars movies, this is a wonderful, slam-bang, action packed, funny, tender and dazzling entertainment extravaganza, which brings back all the fun and excitement of the Star Wars universe. It has its critics, but don't believe a word they say - The Phantom Menace has a great story, terrific characters, archetypal heroes and villains, fabulous visual effects and sensational action sequences. Doug Chiang's visual design alone is simply breathtaking, from the Gungan swamps and their amazing underwater domed city, to the extravagant opulence of the marble palace of Naboo, to the planet city of Coruscant. The spaceships and technology are smoother, sleeker, more naturalised than than previous Star Wars movies, while the life forms are wilder and more varied, but the whole still fits seamlessly within Lucas' imaginary realm. The cast are superb, with Neeson stunning as the philosophical yet passionate Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn; everyone comes together around him and his noble heroism is the anchor on which the story is founded. Portman, McGregor, and gifted child actor Lloyd are all great in support, but as is often the case with this type of material it's the actors in the smaller villainous roles who steal the movie - Secombe as the shifty Toydarian Watto, Park as the hair-raising Darth Maul, and McDiarmid as the crafty Senator Palpatine. And let me state this for the record - I love Best as the goofy Jar Jar Binks, who brings a much needed comic relief and whose dialogue alone ("Exsqueeze me !") is worth watching the movie for. All of the scenes come together; the big pod-racing sequence is an obvious highlight (and a benchmark of stunning CG work), but the intimate scenes - particularly between Neeson and Lloyd - are deeply touching, and there's an excellent four-way finale, cutting between the Gungan battle with the droids, the outer space shootout, the storming of the palace and the epic lightsaber duel. As ever, the icing on the cake is a magnificent score by John Williams, which utilises the old themes well but powers in fabulous new ones, notably the rousing Duel Of The Fates chorale, and the gentle Anakin's Theme, which is both lilting and disquieting in equal measure. What else is there to say about this movie except see it. Nobody has quite the imagination of the amazing Mr Lucas, and his contribution to cinema cannot be overestimated. This fantastic fantasy film is a glorious return to the enchanting and dynamic landscapes he created with the original Star Wars, but is vibrant, different and enthralling in its own right. Don't miss it.