Great SFX but something missing.

Rating: Null/10 (22 July 1999)

STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE
I have already seen the film twice that's just to begin with and you pick up a lot more the second time round, as I plan to see it lots more. This is not because it is a great film, in fact although I hate to say it but Metrix is better. But Star Wars is more then just a movie, Star Wars is History in Movies. You would never had Metrix, or Terminator or Aliens or the Mummy without the legendary Star Wars.
Remember also, Star Wars is a child's movie (cert. U) so don't view it in the same light as Matrix or Terminator or Aliens etc.
Great SFX but maybe just to many. Wonderful visual aspects that you just want to tell George Lucas not to move the camera so quickly so we can look at the details more closely. It moves from one wonderful scenery to another. Jar Jar Binks is not as bad as everybody says, he's worse! Why did they ever put the irritating bloke in the movie I will never understand. But having said that you do tend to get used to the annoying creature the second time round and he puts a smile on your face :-)
The little boy that plays Anakin is not a bad actor (no worse the Keanu Reaves anyway) but Ewan McGregor should be shot for his lacklustre performance as a Jedi Knight, no match for Mark Hamill. Although Liam Neeson is not as entertaining as Harrison Ford he gives a better performance then his jedi student Ewan McGreger.
Without a shadow of a doubt best moment of the film is the lightsaber duel between the Jedi's and Darth Maul. The Sith Lord is just great, popping in and out of scenes like some kind of phantom. The choreography in the duel is just first class and it's worth watching the whole film just for this alone. The sound is also unbelievably outstanding. When you hear John Williams score at the beginning of the movie you take notice. The pod race is only second to the race in Ben-Hur as sometimes I thought I was in the driver's seat!
Having said that most people would probably not even understand who the Phantom Menace was, let alone kids. But George has set it up nicely for the second film.
For all those people that love Star Trek I will never understand why when they have watched this kind of science fiction. I mean who can anybody ever go back to Star Trek films?
When the film started in the Odeon Leicester Square everybody clapped and cheered and some even took pictures of the first part of the film, the part that says "The Phantom Menace". You can't get that from any other movie. Star Wars is what cinema is all about - entertainment. No need for blood, violence, swearing or sex just pure cinematic pleasure.
toco!