Well worth the wait... Stay in line, guys!

Rating: 9/10 (14 May 1999)

For those of you who have been waiting in line for a few months now, you'll be both excited and slightly envious when you hear that I saw the movie last Wednesday, and believe-you-me... It's well worth the wait. What Lucas has done with Phantom Menace is create a movie similar to what he did with A New Hope in the sense that the movie is complete in itself and also a brilliant preface to open up the series of Star Wars films. We are brought back "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away" with John Williams brilliant score, and trust me, if you're anything like me, chances are you'll be sitting in the movie theater in disbelief until you finally hear the main Star Wars title theme and watch the nostalgic scroll-screen glide away into space. Now, many of you have probably heard the reviews. A few critics are saying that it won't live up to the pre-hype and inevitably crash within the third week of its release. But to quote Peter Howell of the Toronto Star, the "film is virtually critic-proof", meaning that regardless of what anyone is willing to say about the first chapter in the Star Wars saga, people will be lining up for it anyway. Many of these reviews target Jar Jar Binks, the fully digitized Gungan character whose lingo is nearly as twisted as the backwardspeak of Jedi Master Yoda. Undoubtedly, Jar Jar's appeal is aimed at the younger generation of budding Star Wars fans, and parents be warned: Your children will want a Jar Jar Doll. Regardless of the specific breakdown of who each character is meant to sell to, remember that as you sit and watch the film you're witnessing the epic first chapter in the Star Wars saga. What more incentive do you need? Some old favourites are back. Such as Palpatine, in pre-Emperor form; Yoda, in pre-rheumatism form; and Obi-Wan Kenobi, in Ewan McGregor form. Be ready for the pod-race of your life. Enjoy!