Genius. Zero pop-culture appeal.

Rating: 10/10 (7 January 2018)

George Lucas is without a doubt a visionary. After years of stagnation and inaction in his film-making career, this man returns to directing and he's better than ever. Granted he'd only directed three feature films in his life before this, doubling that count in the span of decade is a massive undertaking, and this film kicks it off to a phenomenal start.
The tone of this film is awe inspiring. The mystique of the Force so strongly present in The Empire Strikes Back is the silent protagonist in The Phantom Menace, looming in the background, wisely orchestrating things that must come to pass through adversity. Young Anakin's wide-eyed anticipation to explore and experience a huge galaxy is an intimately relatable experience for many of us fans... and even more so, the realization that the world isn't as exciting and wonderful as we thought back when we were children. For me, this film is a window back to emotions that once made life invigorating and mysterious that have long been replaced by a daily grind to maintain my tiny inconsequential corner of society, which is juxtaposed against young Anakin's naivete beautifully in this film in characters such as Watto and Qui-Gon, whose interactions throughout the film illustrate an economic vibrancy that makes the setting so real.
The visuals stand up to the effects of The Empire Strikes Back, and I dare say surpasses them (how could it not, given the technology) in many aspects. This universe is the most alive it had ever been at this point in the chronology of the saga. We see new worlds, explore new cultures, and ponder the philosophies that inform the Jedi Masters we know from the original trilogy.
The story-telling is rich and layered. I can't recall a time I've watched this movie and haven't noticed something new, and I've seen it dozens of times. The plot is ripe with implication and in-between-the-lines dialogue. Each character offers a new perspective to follow throughout the film, making it a film that can be watched again and again. It's a joy to follow the smart and poignant plot threads through to conclusion.
The often criticized acting is detailed and every mannerism in any character can clue you in to a new emotion or thought that makes you re-evaluate the character's entire perspective. Most human interactions in this film are layered, nuanced, and very deeply and warmly human. There is no character drama, there is no ground-breaking performance on part of any of the cast, and that goes a long way to sell the story in its subtlety and depth. No doubt this is a deal breaker for average viewers and fans who want to see Star Wars as the big bombshell space-opera it always was before this film.
There's more yet to be said of the masterfully woven tapestry that is this film's tone. There is a sinister sense of dread that only comes from deeper inspection. There are forces looming in the background, waiting to strike. There is a mystery reaching back behind daybreak into the chilling blackness of the early morning that depicts a history between Sith and Jedi... a hatred blacker than midnight's veil - a mystery that rivals the epic and compelling implications of Vader's history with a delicate subtlety and restrained simplicity some would be tempted to call lazy, and I would agree if it weren't for the finesse with which this plot element informs the tone.
There is a sinister presence in the lack of clear intent on part of the villainy in this movie. The plot that unfolds is never made clear, except through implications that no one character can piece together. It is this sense of darkness hiding just beyond the horizon that gives the film its namesake, and is the endgame of an indirect series of plot points that may leave the average Star Wars fan frustrated to no end.
Suffice to say it's strange that this is a Star Wars film. Now that the creative genius behind the mythos of the originals was at the helm with full control of his project, the pop culture appeal of his universe has been sapped completely.
No doubt, Jar Jar Binks is the strange brainchild of a genius. That's an odd statement in and of itself, but when you look at all the pieces that make up the character, you see an otherworldly ignorance of cultural divides. This blithering idiot has loyalty to his master. This stammering oaf has compassion for a former enemy. This clumsy, useless, socially inept tag along will be the catalyst for bridging the divide between two halves of a world. Amidst all this, the fellow speaks broken old English, which is hilarious to think about more so than to witness; and his accidental victories are conceptually side splitting to realize despite being cartoonishly hard to digest in such a serious film.
For all this, there are slight sputters in pacing throughout the film, as the floppy eared screen test of a digital character gets far more screen time than is justifiably necessary, and that is the most prominent flaw in this perfect film. No doubt the film could benefit from cutting these indulgent creative decisions out of the mix. The editing also lets loose with certain scenes that slow pacing for the sake of keeping an interesting but ultimately irrelevant concept alive.
Despite these unnecessary side thoughts, the film is hyper-focused on misdirection and subtle implication, which makes the film feel messier than it really is boiling it down to its basic elements. In actuality, the craft and finesse in these film-making facets overwhelmingly makes up for these odd mannerisms. It might seem strange that the galactic scale plot is introduced and set in motion during the first act, and then the second act is taken up by Anakin's subplot; but this double-minded, seemingly incongruent story somehow manages to work as the subplot informs the key players of the third act to instigate the finale. This is nothing short of a stroke of brilliance.
The final product is sleek, beautiful, and crisp. The action is ferocious, physical, powerful, and "faster and more intense" than ever. Seeing the Jedi in their prime makes this film worth it as fan of the original trilogy. Exploring new worlds and concepts, philosophical quandaries and lore makes it worth it as a fan of sci-fi in general. And feeling the fresh perspective of a young boy on the top of the world makes it worth it as a human being. This film would have implications on the films to come and ultimately help to recontextualize the original trilogy through juxtaposition. Yin and yang.
This film is a masterpiece of film-making and story-telling. It is by far my favorite Star Wars film from an artistic standpoint, even if I prefer A New Hope for its inspirational faith-based story and classically inspired world-building, The Phantom Menace stands tall beside it as the most fundamentally misunderstood film of all time, and one of the greatest. If A New Hope is a powerhouse of world-building and thematic resonance, and The Empire Strikes Back is a powerhouse of structure and tone - The Phantom Menace is a powerhouse of world-building and tone. It's a perfect combination of all the elements George has contributed to the original trilogy over his career.
It's truly sad that more fans of the franchise don't appreciate this movie or see it for what it is.