Ugh.

Rating: Null/10 (9 October 2000)

I'm a huge fan of the original "Star Wars" trilogy, but no matter how much I try, I cannot enjoy "Phantom Menace". Sure, sure, the special effects are great, but they're let down by an uninteresting story and truly awkward dialogue.
Also, Jar Jar is not the only offensively racist character in the film. The green Trade Federation aliens are the worst kind of Fu-Manchu/Yellow Menace stereotypes ("Ah, so! Qreen Amidara!!") and Watto the Sicilian nearly says "What's a matta for you?" a couple of times.
There are a lot of little annoyances... Jar Jar jumps around like Bugs Bunny (the diving scene is really embarrassing), you can't really see what the spaceships look like in the final space battle, Amidala over-enunciates... and why is it that the aliens introduced at the beginning of the pod race never seem to appear in the race itself?
Worst of all, though, is that the Jedi are not really the heroes one would hope for. They lie, cheat, try to use Jedi mind tricks to get their way and have little or no compassion for other "pathetic life forms". What is it that makes them the good guys? Is it because they're good looking? That doesn't sit well with me.
Sure hope Episode II is better.