A good (not great) addition to the Star Wars saga.

Rating: 7/10 (3 November 2001)

I have been debating for a long time whether or not to write a review on Episode I. Star Wars is not just another film series to me, it is a very special series. The Empire Strikes Back is definately my favourite movie of all time, and I did not want to have anything negative to say about Episode I.
After first viewing this film, I was a little bit shocked at how "candy coated" it was. It seems that this film was made for children. I just could not grasp the fact of a young Darth Vader running around yelling "YIPPPEEE!". It made me quiver inside. However, after viewing the film today on DVD, while listening to the commentary track, I have finally been able to grasp more about what Lucas was thinking when he made this film. Lucas wanted to make Anakin appear as a young man, who was very kind and generous. This way, it would be alot more interesting to see just why he turns to the dark side. Think about it...if Anakin was a little trouble maker from the beginning, it would not be as interesting. We would know right away why he turned. Anyone that was in trouble their whole life, would obviously be sent down the dark path. However, in making Anakin a good little boy...it just makes it more interesting to see why he turned. Where did he go wrong? What kind of choices does he make? What in the world could possess such an innocent child to turn into one of Hollywood's greatest villains?
The story is definately not spectacular, like any of the other three original movies. However, remember that this is the first act in a very long story. Lucas needed to introduce the characters, give them a little bit of a history. This way, further in the series, we will know exactly where they came from.
Of course this movie will never live up to the original trilogy...but it is very far from being the worst movie ever made as some like to claim. If you have a DVD player, invest a few dollars, rent the movie, or better yet, buy the movie. Watch it with Lucas' commentary on. You will definately see a different side to "The Phantom Menace". It really helped me in learning to accept this movie into the fantastic universe of Star Wars.