Lucas's Menace.

Rating: 1/10 (16 June 2015)

Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace (1999): Dir: George Lucas / Cast: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ahmed Best: Over-hyped bag of junk bent on throwing special effects at viewers to cover up the vacant screenplay. We are introduced to young Anakin Skywalker who will grow to become Darth Vader in the future trilogy. Liam Neeson arrives as a Jedi master who bids for young Anakin Skywalker's services. With him are Obi Wan Kenobi, the lifeless Queen Amidala, and the totally annoying Jar Jar Binks. What was George Lucas thinking when he introduced that duck billed moron into the franchise? The story is one blazing saber fight after another with several that occur within the first five minutes. Neeson is basically reciting what Alec Guinness did as Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. The fact that this storyline occurs first doesn't take away the fact that Star Wars was made first. Ewan McGregor as Kenobi is there to fight and little else. Natalie Portman is generally a superb talent but here she is mannequin lifeless as Amidala, and her little smile in the conclusion is as corny as Jar Jar. Jake Lloyd overacts as Anakin and reduces the future Darth Vader to a snot nose brat. Ahmed Best has the prized realization that he played the pitiful Jar Jar Binks. Its purpose is to begin what was great but the result is a film suitable for the local junkyard. Score: 1 / 10