A good and entertaining 'STAR WARS' film despite what angry, uptight nerds say!

Rating: 9/10 (15 May 2012)

'STAR WARS: EPISODE I – THE PHANTOM MENACE': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
'THE PHANTOM MENACE' was recently (last February, 2012) rereleased in theaters as a 3D reissue and although the 3D conversion added little to the film it was definitely fun to see the movie in theaters again (and I saw it on Valentine's Day no less!). This first chapter in the series (fourth released film though) is perhaps the least popular with 'STAR WARS' fans but it's the most successful of the series financially and well liked by the general public. I really enjoyed the film (even being a 'STAR WARS' fan) although I have the same problems with it most fans do (I hate Jar Jar Binks and wasn't impressed with the casting of Jake Lloyd as the young Anakin Skywaler) but it's still a lot of fun despite it's flaws. Probably the most true to the original series of the prequels.
This prequel is of course set decades before the events of the original three films when Anakin Skywalker (destined to become Darth Vader) is just a young boy. The Trade Federation is attacking Naboo (a peaceful planet) with plans to take control of it. While confronting the leader of the Federation, Nute Gunray (Silas Carson), two Jedi Knights, known as Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), are attacked. They escape and head to Naboo to warn the Queen there (Natalie Portman) of the Trade Federation's evil plans. They flee together to Tatooine where they meet Anakin. Right away Qui-Gon knows he's important.
The movie is classic Sci-Fi and a great action adventure film. Some feel that writer/director George Lucas (performing both duties for the first time since the original film) geared it too much towards kids (rather than the now adult original fans) but the movies were always supposed to be kids films. True Jar Jar and Lloyd are more annoying than anything previously seen in a 'STAR WARS' film but there's a lot to praise in the film as well. An all-time great movie villain (Darth Maul) and one of the coolest fight scenes ever in a movie (between him and the two jedi). There's the crowd pleasing pod race scene plus tons of other great action. We get the beautiful Natalie Portman and Liam Neeson giving the best acting performance of any 'STAR WARS' film (the acting and dialogue went severely downhill in the next two installments). Once you get past it's flaws the movie is still a lot of fun! It was the funnest of the prequels to see in the theater (for me; having been 16 years since the last film). 'THE PHANTOM MENACE' is a good and entertaining 'STAR WARS' film despite what angry, uptight nerds say and the rerelease is nostalgic fun!
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