Very underrated prequel

Rating: 7/10 (6 January 2009)

Of course there is no way that one can duplicate the sheer force of movie enjoyment that is the original 1977 all-time pure entertainment popcorn flick STAR WARS. And NO ONE should have expected that magic could be duplicated. But I'm here to tell you: THE PHANTOM MENACE is a pretty fun flick in it's own right! Following in the footsteps of STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE, this film actually copies that formula very well. An assortment of heroes (human, alien, and robotic) band together to save a queen (in STAR WARS it was a princess) from a galactic terror The Trade Federation (in STAR WARS it was the evil Empire).
PHANTOM MENACE gets off to a promising and exciting start with 2 Jedi knights Qui-Gon Jinn (played excellently by Liam Neeson, who does a good job carrying the film as the lead) and young Obi-Wan Kenobi (reliably played by Ewan McGregor, who would obviously continue the role in the other 2 prequels) landing on the Federation ship to discuss the terms of a treaty between the Federation and the Imperial Senate, but the evil Federation leader tries to have them killed. The Federation is also holding the planet Naboo hostage, so the Jedi rescue the Queen Amidala (a captivating young Natalie Portman) and hide her out in the remote planet of Tatooine, the home of young Anakin Skywalker (we all know who he becomes!).
On Tatooine, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan learn that this boy Skywalker (played by the very young Jake Lloyd) is blessed w/ the powers of The Force and enlist him in a pod race to win money to pay for their ship parts and repairs. This pod race scene is one of the most exciting modern-day action sequences ever put to film. An example of when CGI totally works! I NEVER tire of seeing it. If you don't like ANY OTHER scene in this film, you've got to like this one! Unbeknowst to the Jedis, there is a more evil force pulling the strings of the Federation, a dark knight Darth Sidius who compels them to get the treaty signed. Sidius enlists an apprentice, Darth Maul, to help move things along.
The Jedi (bringing Anakin with them to be trained as a Jedi) get the queen to Coruscant, the home planet of the Imperial Senate and the Jedi Council. Residing at the head of the Jedi is none other than our good friend Yoda! The 2nd-in-command on the council is Mace Windu (effectively played by Samuel L. Jackson), who is leery about the boy Skywalker becoming a Jedi. Senator Palpatine (well played by Ian McDarmid) from the queen's planet Naboo gets her to call for the expulsion of Senator Valorum (good work by the veteran actor Terence Stamp) as the head of the Senate.
The tale is actually simple, although it all sounds convoluted and complex. What I like about THE PHANTOM MENACE is that it is much like the first STAR WARS in that it is fast-paced (although it contains a lot more dialogue and scenes and of course CGI) and is just about adventure. It doesn't care about back-story or reasons or character motivations. The four-pronged finale of (1) Amidala and her royal guard fighting palace droids, (2) the Gungans fighting the techno-troopers, (3) Anakin and the Naboo pilots attacking the Federation shiop, and (4) the lightsaber duel of Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan battling Maul is exhilarating.
Of course there are some noticeable minuses.
*Jar Jar Binks and the Gungans are not good characters and it seemed a bit tacked on how they were the key to defeating the Trade Federation in the climactic attack.
*Because Jake Lloyd is featured as young Anakin and has quite a bit to do, it is somewhat hard to take that he is going to be Darth Vader one day. But he's just a kid, and he's not that bad, but his lack of acting skill is rather noticeable.
Also, MENACE has some rather bland dialogue. The dialogue in STAR WARS wasn't Shakespeare, but it was very succinct, with quotable lines and the actors made it sing. It was simplistic without seeming simple, like it is in this prequel. Yet it's not nearly as bad as others say it is.
The story, the novelty, the pacing, the adventure sold us on the 'original'. Also, I think the CGI is used pretty well in MENACE and doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the film. The CGI podrace was best sequence of the film. At least PHANTOM MENACE has at least got these elements working in it's favor enough to make it an enjoyable film experience!