Only the Beginning....

Rating: 7/10 (20 October 2000)

Something was missing from the premier chapter of the Star Wars saga. So many extra's have been put into George Lucas' 1999 installment but he ultimately sabotogued his pure, spiritual vision from the original trilogy. The visuals are very stimulating and the action scenes in THE PHANTOM MENACE leave you wanting more. This time around, the action starts a generation before Luke Skywalker's birth, as brave jedi knights struggle to bring justice to an oppressed planet at the hands of the evil sith. The power of the force suffers from scientific overload and the plot stutters repeatedly in scenes filled by ridiculous, useless and pointless CGI alien characters (no names need be mentioned). The Star Wars saga is setup well, with major characters being introduced and the archetypal good vs. evil conflict begins. Some of the magic is gone, but the promise of a deeper, darker character driven sequel is eminent in the film's cliffhanger ending.