To hell with the critics.....

Rating: 10/10 (1 June 1999)

If one thing can be said about this movie, this would be it. Star Wars movies were never known for the actor's performances. It's the fact that these movies were, and are still, damn fun movies to watch.
Liam Neeson, as Qui-Gon Jin, was a perfect choice in my opinion. The wisdom of his character and his handling of the lightsaber made up for the fact that he spoke his lines like he was reciting them.
Natalie Portman made an excellent and charming queen. She seemed to inject the movie with emotion when it really needed it.
Ewan MacGregor made an excellent Obi-Wan Kenobi. He played his part perfectly.
Jake Lloyd was NOT a disappointment. Who else could ask Natalie Portman if she is an angel and keep a straight face? He perfectly bounced back and forth between someone who was serious about his work and not caring about himself to a kid.
Ray Park's performance as Darth Maul wasn't as intimidating as David Prowes and James Earl Jones' performance in Star Wars, but it was just as menacing. His abilitity with the double bladed lightsaber astounded me.
Saying all this I have to ask one question: how does this movie compare with all the other sci-fi movie crap, aside from Star Trek stuff, that we've seen?
All in all this was a fun movie to watch. A real treat for the fans of Star Wars and a surprise for people who don't know Star Wars.