"Hard to see, the dark side is."

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2005)

Since 1999, when The Phantom Menace became the first new Star Wars movie in 16 years, there has been much bemoaning by Star Wars fans about how this movie, as well as Episode II: Attack of the Clones, ruined the Star Wars franchise. I shared similar thoughts, but after watching both movies recently, they may not be on the same playing field as Empire Strikes Back, but you cannot tell me that it is any worse than Return of the Jedi. The Phantom Menace may have Jar Jar Binks, but at least it doesn't have any Ewoks. The Phantom Menace is a visionary wonder, ushering in the digital revolution that has been the impossible now routine in movies. Entire characters, cities, space battles were designed and executed on computers here in breathtaking beauty. The complaints about the Star Wars "prequels," as Episodes I and II have become known as, have not been over special effects. The outcry with these films have been the story. Sure, I wish more had happened to get Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) closer to becoming Darth Vader in this movie, but we did see the meeting between Obi-Wan Kenobi (the very good Ewan McGregor, he sounds so much like a young Alec Guinness, it's scary), we do get to see some outstanding light sabre battles between Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Darth Maul (Ray Park), and the eternal scheming by the future Emporer, here only a Senator, Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Yes, Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) is in this movie, but he's no more annoying than the Ewoks were. The movie is a solid one. And since it's the first chapter of a story, even those not familiar with the Star Wars saga can enjoy it. The pod race sequence is visually wonderful, and there are some real human emotions that do make their way into The Phantom Menace. Any one who goes away to college can sympathize with Anakin as he leaves his mother to become a Jedi. For the bashers out there, get off your high horse, step back and look at The Phantom Menace again and try to enjoy it. You never know, you may end up liking it.