People are too hard on a fantastic film ...

Rating: Null/10 (19 May 1999)

This film is the pinnacle of what makes going to the movies what it should be: fun, exciting, entertaining, and satisfied.
While many will argue that special effects outweighed the story and the characters - one thing to consider is this; the original trilogy wasn't very deep in character development - not even Luke himself. While this film isn't THE COLOR PURPLE, it delivers what it promises.
The strength to this film (to me) is the fact that until now, you have seen the Jedi as the 'loner' or 'the underdog' or 'the apprentice'. You never got to see it as 'an organization' or even more appreciative - as a job. Getting to see the Jedi doing their job as guardians and defenders of justice is fantastic. With effects no longer an issue, they have taken the task of showing you what it was really like to a new level. While I feel they could have shown other Jedi 'working' in the film, I have no complaints - they finally have enough lightsaber play in a single movie now!
Yes, the children elements are abound (as I call them 'the comic relief'). However, no more so than Return of the Jedi, and this time, they are done not with Muppet-like creatures but with state of the art computer graphics - which entertains the adults as well as the children. The complex politics behind the situations should more than confuse the children (I know it did
me when I saw Star Wars at 8 years old - Republic? Senate? All I knew was 'goodguy-badguy').
In summary, there are dozens of ways to feel robbed when you open your wallet (like THE MUMMY), but The Phantom Menace delivers and if you go into the theater ready to enjoy it; you will.