Well, what did you expect?

Rating: 7/10 (31 July 1999)

The Star Wars legend has entered mythology, for our generation. It's almost as if "The Phantom Menace" is "based on a true story", a theoretical recreation of the events that led to the story which we know and love. That said, it isn't bad. The knowing smile that crosses one's lips when Anakin meets Obi-Wan is affectionate, the nostalgic reaction to a light-sabre battle worth the price of entrance alone. The only gripe is the "Wicket Factor". If you remember the cute Ewok who first meets Leia and your reaction to him, then you'll appreciate my reaction to Jar Jar Binks and the other child-pleasing elements of the movie (pod racing commentator with two heads, Anakin's little buddies). I found them slightly out of touch with the true essence of Star Wars, as the Ewoks were. Natalie Portman and Liam Neeson do fantastic jobs in tough roles, though one suspects that his Jedi nonchalance was in part caused by the blue screen that he must have been acting with. Hey, we didn't expect another Empire Strikes Back.