Visually Stunning, But Phantom Menace Needs Better Character Development

Rating: 8/10 (1 June 1999)

I saw Star Wars Episode 1 this Saturday at NYC's Ziegfeld theatre. It was just a perfect way to see the film, the crowd was into it from the get go. The visuals and the sound were amazing (if you have any problem with your ears be careful because the sound is deafening). Lucas was able to create beautiful lush worlds and artificial creatures that seemed real. And the story was pretty effective. It left me satisfied and excited about the next 2 installments which will tidy up the series (I guess I felt the same after Empire Strikes Back, wanting to know what would be next for our heroes).
My one and only complaint (oh and by the way I thought Jar Jar Binks was OK) was the lack of character development. We have some interesting characters, young Obi-Wan, the Princess, Qui Quon and Darth Maul, yet we never really get to know them. Darth Maul is an excellent example of this. When he first appeared on screen, the audience went nuts for Darth. He was mysterious and you assumed he was evil but Lucas failed to lay the groundwork for this evil. It would have been nice to see Darth Maul in action a few times kicking some butt with the double light sabre before his confrontation with Obi and Qui. And this holds true for most of the other leading characters. Except for a few instances, Lucas fails to make this characters special, likable or unique. But I am looking forward to Episodes 2 and 3 because I think the story and character development will really be at a premium.