Amazing first instalment

Rating: Null/10 (11 January 2000)

In 1977 a film opened in cinemas which was to change the way we looked at films, that was and still is Star Wars. 22 years latter and audiences are once again about to enter the exciting cinematic world of Star Wars with the cinema release of Episode 1.
Even though this film is new, and from the same writer and director it could never have the same movie impact which star Wars had thrust upon the public, the amazing special effects which previous to that film could only have been imagined in a small boys mind were now displayed for all to see.
What Episode 1 could bring to the audience was the beginning of a saga started many years before, to open a new chapter in the life's of the Skywalkers and of the force. Written and directed by George Lucas like the original Episode 1 is brimming with exoctic locations and far off worlds populated by strange creatures. The special effects may have becomes more life like but the film has trully kept it's story telling ability. It would have been very easy for the film makers to have ignored the true story line and to have concentrated on the special effects using them to hold the film together. What they have created is a film which in the words of Harrison Ford is " Story telling with effects ".
Episode 1 was always going to have one major draw back, what ever they did in the film the audience still knew the future of many of the characters, and those which they do not know exactly they will use their star wars minds to calculate the future paths of them. There will not be a person in the cinema who will not know the fate of Anakin Skywalker, and if there is then what are you doing watching this film, for it is obvious that you are not a fan.
The only major problem for me was the fact that the technology has increased to such a level that there are of course many more creatures featured in this film that in the original 3. What is concerning me is the flow of the film when placed together when all finished to create the complete 9 part film. The technology and effects will be of todays high quality and standards for the first 3 films, then reduce slightly to the 1977 quality and standard for the next 3 and then jump back to the same quality as the first 3 if not even better. I feel that is may affect the cinematic flow of the film when watched all together. In some ways I feel it may have been better to have blended some of the old techniques used in the original film ie actually using model instead of the large use of computer graphics with todays technology and then used the advanced work for the final 3 films. There will be many people who will think I have lost my mind, but I can assure you I'm completly sane, I'm just looking at this film from a technical point of view, and also as a Star wars fan.
This film is the first in 9 films, and so has to set the scene the same as A New Hope had 22 years ago, if these films follow the same film style as the previous films, then we are to expect a much darker instalment from the second of the Prequels and then a lighter more fun third instalment. The first film has the hardest job, by having to introduce all of the characters, and to set the scene for the rest of the 8 instalments to come in the future.
Overall I liked the look and feel of Episode 1 apart from the few minor concerns as outlined above, and as a star wars film I felt it had the right feel to it. If your a star wars fan and are looking for the answers then this is the film to watch. Keep you eyes open for the next installment and remember the force will be with you always.