just ignore the hype and criticism and get ready for a great ride

Rating: Null/10 (23 May 1999)

There's been so much hype for this movie that it's almost ridiculous. Everything from ordering advance tickets to hard-core fans camping out at box offices shows that this may be the most anticipated movie ever. However, as George Lucas himself said in an interview on May 9th, "People should have a well-rounded life. I'm happy that Star Wars stimulates young people's imagination, but when you're in a situation like this where you have so much hype and expectations, a movie can't possibly live up to that." He's absolutely right, the more hype you have going in, the more disappointed you'll be. After seeing the movie on May 19th at 7:30, I've never felt so good walking out of a movie theater. I must admit that I'm a huge SW fan, but the feeling of seeing a new chapter in the saga unfold on the big screen generates the same feeling that people had coming out of" Star Wars: A New Hope" in 1977. AS for the bad criticism bombarding this movie, who cares? Some of their gripes didn't come to mind while I watched the movie. First of all, Jake Lloyd's performance as Anakin Skywalker has been criticized almost everywhere, which seems a bit unfair. He's enthusiastic, not polished, and besides, that's pretty much what you'd expect from a nine-year-old-would-be Jedi, right? Also, Jar Jar Binks isn't as annoying as people say he is. At best, he's funny; at worst, he's nothing more than a scenery-chewer who is still tolerable. Finally, the idea of THE PHANTOM MENACE turning movie theaters into giant arcades is both unreasonable and unfair. I do think that Lucas over-does the effects sometimes (with so many ships and aliens on screen, you don't really have the time to appreciate everything), and even then, the effects are to help create the universe we're in, not to be thrown out there for small moments of awe. I loved all the action sequences, including the pod race, the ground battle between two completely computer-generated opponents, and especially the two-on-one lightsaber duel (my favorite part!). Personally though, I think the space battle involving Anakin was more amusing than thrilling (you'll have to see for yourself). Also, the music score was excellent, incorporating familar tunes with new twists, and also providing foreshadowing (listen carefully when Darth Sidious appears, and when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan speak about Anakin's future.) Overall, when you're standing outside the door to a new SW experience, just clear your mind of hype, criticism, and may the force be with you.