I am flabbergasted in more ways than one.

Rating: Null/10 (21 May 1999)

Okay, first off, I loved The Phantom Menace. The action was suspenseful, the lightsaber duels were fantastic, the acting was almost all OK...
Here's what I don't like about it: Star Wars fans are criticizing it! Everyone seems to have forgotten what Star Wars is all about: Good fun, excitement, and corny dialogue. As the credits rolled, I was near tears because I was so moved by the power of actually having just seen a Star Wars movie on the big screen for the very first time, and I turned to my friends and found them all dissing it! "Under developed characters!" "Annoying Jar Jar Binks!" "Childish humor!" Well, honestly, Threepio is as foolish as Jar Jar. The Ewoks were far worse than The Gungans... every fault that Episode One has can also be found in the original Trilogy. The only thing I kinda agree with is that Darth Maul should've had more screen time. He was great, and I would've liked to see more of him. However, his lack of lines made those scenes were he did appear all the more powerful. It was a surprise when he showed up, and this element really worked.
Anyway, I wish people would stop looking for the wrong, which is exactly what's happening. It Star Wars -- have some fun!