Even "Star Wars" can fall flat on its face if not taken the proper precautions. ** out of ****

Rating: 4/10 (4 June 1999)

"Star Wars--Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" is a perfect example of how even a movie with as much anticipation and reputation as "Star Wars" can fall flat on its face if not taken the proper precautions. As I watched the movie fail and flop I though to myself in amazement of how easily the present flaws could have been prevented. George Lucas must have been perfectly content of his prominence here, and must have thought that hard core fans of his work would except anything, no matter how good or bad, that he would lie in front of their starving faces.
The film is said to lead up to the original "Star Wars" trilogy which was supposed to be the middle addition in the series of three trilogies. I hear that there will be many follow ups to "Episode 1," and that what we see in it will only be the baseline for the rest of the upcoming movies. What the filmmakers are undoubtfully forgetting it that until we see the entire threesome, we really can't judge the trio as a whole. But until we see those movies, we simply have to evaluate "Episode 1," as a film all on it's own. And as an individual production, it's an inconclusive disappointment.
The story really is two plots in one; the first about a futuristic Queen in turmoil and the second about a young boy who just may be "the chosen one," by the force. So, what's the force? Being the first in line of a series, it should be the most informative. But these filmmakers assume that audience will already have background knowledge, thus leaving many major plot points absent.
Anyway, the movie opens with a confrontation between two Jedi Knights: Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, against bad alien frogs. We meet several new characters, most of them fully computer animated, thus an incomprehensible character audience relationship of what little depth the offer. Queen Amidala is torn from her nation for protection because the "bad guys," want her to sign the treaty so that they may do something illegal legal.or something like that.
The visual effects in "Star Wars-Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" are just as you'd expect: some of the greatest in film history, right up there with the ones in "What Dreams May Come" and "Event Horizon." They allow us to experience a sense of discovery in every scene. We are entering a period of technological breakthrough here, and we are almost to the point where directors can project whatever he or she imagines on the screen. George Lucas takes advantage fully with "Episode 1." There is one particular overwhelming sequence where Anakin races his flying pod in a championship race. This scene was so fast paced and articulate that I felt dizzy by the end of it.
The problem with the movie isn't visual effects or storyline, its characters. Stone faced, woodenly acted, poorly presented, dryly written characters. Never are any of them developed, interesting or understandable. The dialogue is blunt, flat and straight forward, never including any imagination whatsoever. Not once did any individual in the film show emotion, facial of physical reaction to any sort of excitement, thus the audience is almost ignored.
I would like to end my review of "Star Wars-Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" by simply asking that you, who probably will eventually see the film, judge the characters not on reputation of the actors or the movie, but on hard merit. I eagerly await the arrival of the next "Star Wars" film, although it may sound like I am an anti-star wars guy by this review. In reality I am surely not, enjoying two out of the three originals. I will doubtlessly receive e-mail, which is welcomed, from many fans who disagree with me on "The Phantom Menace" achievement. I stand firm on disappointment, however. But I continue to have high expectations on the coming attractions. For whenever I saw the young undetailed Anakin Skywalker on screen I thought to myself "There's the real story."