Surprisingly Good

Rating: 8/10 (3 July 1999)

Excellent movie - I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish, and found TPM a high-energy escape that was well-crafted. I agree with the disparaging comments re: Jar Jar Binks (a bit overdone), however the whole movie is excellent.
As Lucas states, SW4 was brown, SW5 was black and white, SW6 was green (Endor)....I suppose SW1 is gold. Many chinese and european themes in the main palace. Superb rendition of politics and visuals in Coruscant.
Differences from other Star Wars movies? This one was more land and city and underwater-based, where the first three episodes had a lot of space battles. The interpretation of a massed battlefield was excellent, as were the palace shots.
Remember, this episode chronicles the old Republic, and does a remarkably good job. The only thing missing was a patriarch figure; the one provided in Jar Jar's king wasn't adequate. The pod race was excellent, including the story surrounding it, the crowds, the announcer, and the results.
I have no idea why people said this was the worst of the Star Wars films; I have seen the original 3 movies over 30 times each and find this one a deserving addition to the Star Wars universe. I am disappointed that I let the negative reviews keep me away from the movie until July.
Liam Neeson was the strongest part of the film; he carried it with a quiet, powerful dignity that helped. The boy Anakin was a great piece of casting; he was terrific. Especially appealing was his success in spacefighting.
To improve? I would have preferred an older queen figure; the marketing boys were at it trying to sell to a young audience, and the lack of older powerful figures did not help convey the regal importance of the era being chronicled in this first episode. And 70% less Jar Jar would have helped. He was at his best in the battle scene. Wish the 'viva gordita' dog was there to do a cameo - now That would have been funny.
Overall, it was a complete thrill and I am sure to return to the moviehouse several more times this summer to enjoy this great entertainment. I am a long time SW fan and found this prequel to be an interesting addition to the series.
Thanks to George Lucas for continuing to make these movies, even though he's rich enough not to have to. It's an artist's work. And an R2D2 'thhhppptt!' to the folks who put the movie down - it took a lot of effort and talent (especially computer animation and logistics problems in Tunisia etc.) to bring this film to the screen.
Enjoy the film!