Unjustly disregarded - *** Possible Spoilers ***

Rating: 6/10 (21 May 2002)

It's really amusing how fans have reacted to this movie. When it came out, seemingly everyone sheepishly said they liked it. Now Episode II is out (have yet to see it), everyone's first comment is, "It's so much better than Episode I", or "I had given up hope on Lucas, but now I'm revitalized!" Episode I is not a stand-alone film, nor should it be. It seems that's how most critics view it. The bottom line is, though not flawless, this is a great installment to the saga and I'll tell you why.
First off, Lucas managed to keep the same look and feel for his universe and on a technical note, stayed in line with all of his old cinematic and editing techniques. An example of this would be one scene scrolling away to reveal the next scene, like so many cut sequences in the originals. Most sequences are short and concise, keeping the viewer informed and attentive. This aspect has been confused with Lucas rushing the story, or having written exceptionally bad dialogue. I admit, Lucas will never be remembered for his ability to write dialogue, but this style was more than welcomed in the first three, so why not now? All of these things are very reminiscent of the old films and highly welcome.
In fact, with the exception of Jar Jar Binks and an (at times) stiff Obi Wan, all the characters, including young Anakin seem like they could have been in the first films. This is especially true for Qui-Gon Jinn. Liam Neeson does an excellent job of playing a Jedi; he demonstrates the same strength, patience and wisdom of the original Obi Wan. I liked his character a great deal and was sad that he was the fallen one (every Star Wars film needs one!)
Many have complained that the storyline is too complex. I found it to be very simple and completely in line with the Star Wars genre. Since the film takes place before the Empire and Rebellion, Lucas is forced to show us something of equally great and dire scale, which he does an excellent job of
doing between the Planet of Naboo, the Galactic Senate and Jedi Council. Seeing how the galaxy once was and how the situation (from the original films) came to be is a true delight to watch.
I don't even have to get into the 'givens', such as the special effects and planetary settings. Even critics of this film cannot deny the fantastic action sequences, namely between Jinn, Kenobi and Maul, which is easily the most spectacular lightsaber duel of all the films (again, I haven't seen Episode II!)
The biggest downfall of the film is Jar Jar Binks. Though his character is annoying, he doesn't ruin the film. As a side note, both Lucas and Samuel Jackson publicly said they felt Jar Jar was a failure because the guy who played Jar Jar (Ahmed Best) was black (which I didn't even realize until weeks after seeking the film). This is a pathetic excuse coming from Lucas for creating such a dismal character. Sorry George, it didn't work. That happens sometimes, get over it! The only other gripe would be the at times "cheesy" moments, such as the Pod Racing announcers, who totally clash with the feel of the film and Star Wars universe by their modern-style announcing and "grooving" when Anakin wins. Thankfully, their appearance is short.
To summarize, this is a decent film and for anyone who's following the Star Wars saga beyond the movies, such as the countless Lucas-endorsed novels (I recommend the Timothy Zahn books), comics, role playing and video games. Anyone who is a casual fan and is expecting this movie to be like the original three may be disappointed. The last point to make is that Episode I will be taken a lot differently when the entire trilogy is released. I guarantee that many people who criticize this film now will like it after Episode III is released in 2005 when they've had a chance to see all three.
I sincerely hope Lucas carries out with yet a third trilogy (he's been toying with the idea since the beginning), set years AFTER the original three. Han, Leia and Luke in their 60s?! Gotta see it.