Come on TPM lovers, tell everyone how you feel!

Rating: 8/10 (31 May 1999)

First off, considering that according to IMDB's graph, about 3/4 of the voters gave SW I a 7 or better, why are there not more positive reviews in the comments? If you liked the movie, people, please share your thoughts!
Now that I'm done ranting, on to the subject at hand, Phantom Menace, which I saw for the second time today. This is a worthy addition to the SW saga and only gets better with repeat viewings. The lightsaber duel at the end absolutely rules! I watched the original SW (aka Episode IV: A New Hope) on video the other night and was surprised how disjointed the duel between Kenobi and Vader felt. TPM's duel blows it out of the water. Just goes to show how far the effects have come in 22 years.
Best points: 1. The effects, of course. Every cent of the $115 million Lucas spent is up there on screen. 2. Most of the leads turn in good performances. Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon is excellent. Natalie Portman gives a competent, albeit unspectacular performance. Episode II should be a chance for her to really shine. 3. The story. It looks tedious on the surface - political machinations about a trade embargo - but if you look deeper there are some more sinister things going on. (Hence the title)
My main complaints are: 1. Many of the supporting cast seem a bit flat. Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine and Ray Park as Darth Maul are notable exceptions to this, but Captain Panaka is probably one of the most unmemorable characters in the series. 2. The space battle at the end. It's not nearly as well staged as either of the Death Star battles, and nothing really of interest happens until Anakin shows up. Then again, maybe that was Lucas' intention. 3. People who complain about Jar Jar. :) He's not really that bad, and he has some moments which are genuinely funny.
My rating - 8 out of 10. Not as good as Empire, about the same as the original (oops, Episode IV).