Ages better with time

Rating: 6/10 (3 January 2020)

If you asked me 5 years ago what I thought about the prequel trilogy I might have had a harsher opinion. However, after rewatching them recently and now having seen the full Skywalker Saga, I would say the prequels hold up a little better than I originally thought, though not much.
The CONS: The entire movie is practically a political showdown. Because of this it can be a little hard to follow at times. Jar Jar Binks is in this movie (nuff said). Young Anakin's dialogue is terrible - in fact, most of the movies dialogue is not that good. And despite the summary of this review, the CGI in this movie, however, does not age better in time. The effects are not that good.
The PROS: Understanding this is Darth Vaders origin story is kind of cool, especially if you are a die hard Star Wars fan. You can watch this movie and appreciate it for what it is. Also, watching Palpatine (Emperor) manipulate people is a common theme for his character all the way to the end. Understanding this, it was neat watching him at the beginning, and seeing how he turned the Republic into the Empire. He really is a genius. A few other cool things in this movie are: Qui Gon, Obi Wan, the Jedi Council, and of course Darth Maul.
If you're a fan, you will probably appreciate this movie better than casual Star Wars movie goers. Also, seeing all 9 films really helps gain appreciation for the prequel movies even if The Phantom Menace is practically all about politics.
Episode 1 gets a 6/10.