It's Star Wars, Baby!

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 1999)

Okay, I'm not a Star Wars dork...really, I'm not. I just love the movies, they're classics. So is "The Phantom Menace" able to live up to the previous ones? This depends on the viewer rather than the movie itself. So far, I've seen it twice. The first time, I thought it was okay, but not as good as any of the originals. I went back a second time, though, and boy was I surprised. Maybe it was because I entered with a different mindset...the first time, I let the hype get to me...the second time, I went to see it just because. I was blown away. The movie is amazing. Not only do I think this lives up to the originals, but I have a feeling (maybe its the Force :-) that these prequels are going to dominate the originals. When I first saw it, I was disappointed that they didn't develop the characters...but the second time, you begin to notice the subtle nuances of each character, pick up on little tidbits of dialogue that you might of missed before, even the facial expressions work wonders to convey the sense of connectedness between the protagonists. You also notice, if you're familiar with the original movies, that the majority of the dialogue foreshadows things to come not only in "The Phantom Menace" itself but also in the whole saga. The only instructions I give is this: don't let the hype get to you, go in there expecting nothing, go in with a clear mind, and see it more than once!!!! See it the first time just to see it, to witness the grandness of the effects and the kick-butt light saber duel. But see it a second time and more for the details, the development of plot/character/and the overall saga storyline. Just like the other Star Wars movies, "The Phantom Menace" gets much better with more viewings. Even Jar Jar wears on ya :-) Bottomline: This movie is GREAT!!!! Two thumbs up, 10 out of 10 stars, a Must See again and again and again! I can't wait to see it for a third time!