Great. With the best final reel of the series.

Rating: 6/10 (20 May 1999)

While TPM will not, in the fullness of time, be considered the best Star Wars film (ESB still holds that lofty position) it is certainly a peer of ESB and ANH and, IMHO, better than RotJ. It has stunning visuals, excellant acting by its major and minor characters and has an entertaining plot. Its poor critical response is due I think to the fact that this is the first Star Wars film that assumes Star Wars knowledge by those watching it. Some of the best non-effect scenes in the film (read anything with Ian McDiarmid) are lost on those who don't understand that we are watching Palpatine's ascent to power--and that he, not the much-licensed Darth Maul, is the real villain of the piece. I don't want to put in to many spoilers to my review but it has been a long times since I've seen anything as droll and understated as Palpatine's last comment to Anakin.
On the whole the acting is excellant--this is the best ensemble ever in a Star Wars movie. Liam Nesson matches Alec Guinness' standout performance in the original Star Wars and Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman are both likable and exciting to see on screen. In smaller roles Pernilla August, Hugh Quarshie, and Brian Blessed all give wonderful performances. The scene-stealer award must go, though, to the already mentioned Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine. His performance alone is worth the price of the show. If Mr. McDiarmid fails to at least get a Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination it will be a crime against great bad villains everywhere. Ray Park, Terence Stamp, Frank Oz and Samuel L. Jackson are all fine in what are basically cameo roles. I think I speak for the vast majority of the film audience in wishing for a few more moments of Mr. Park and a few more audio selections from Peter Serafinowicz (voice of D.M). A great secondary villain that we see too little of.
This is not to say the film is perfect--I think Mr. Lucas miscalculated slightly by setting Anakin's age as 8/9 and not a more suitible 12/13. Jake Lloyd is in fine form when piloting a pod or ship and suitably stone faced while centerstage at the jedi council chambers but he can not (could any 8 or 9 year old?) make us believe that an emotional attachment could arise between an 8 yr old and a 14-year old. Natalie Portman tries her best to meet Mr. Lloyd halfway but for her too the premise will not work. At most her affection for young Ani comes accross as some form of misplaced maternal instinct. Indeed part of Ms. Portman's inability to make us believe a romantic attachment is that she plays her role (that of a young but smart and saavy Queen) so well. I personally found the much-maligned Jar-Jar Binks less irritating than I anticipated, but still irritating, thankfully he practically disappears during the second half of the movie. One suspects that even George tired of his antics--Memo to George: Please limit Jar Jar to a cameo in the next film--or if you have to have a Gungan as a main character use the vastly amusing Boss Nass.
The above quibbles aside, The Phantom Menace ranks among the best of its genre and deserves a solid overall 8. I gave it one extra point because, with the exception of Roger Ebert, none of the major critics appeared to review the movie for what it was, but rather what they though it should have been. Lastly I gave it a final extra point (bringing it to a magic 10) for that amazing last reel--arguably the best last reel of any of the Star Wars films to date.