THE PHANTOM MENACE, while not the best in the series, is terrific entertainment, with its heart on the right place.

Rating: 9/10 (7 January 2008)

My Take: It's still everything I could possibly hope for in a STAR WARS movie, flaws aside.
After a successful re-release of the original STAR WARS trilogy, George Lucas has finally released the first "prequel" to his classic trilogy. STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, the first of three "prequels" to the original STAR WARS trilogy, was released in 1999, and instantly became one of the most talked about movie of that summer (it's also known to be The most anticipated movie of all-time since GONE WITH THE WIND perhaps) and also became the biggest hit of the 90's. One of the main attractions of course are the (expected) big-budgeted special effects, which are a breakthrough even for recent effects-laden hits like JURASSIC PARK and INDEPENDENCE DAY. The plot, which revolves around politics and government conspiracies disguised as Galactic annihilation, and characters were panned. True, the plot is sometimes confusing and the characters are a bit incomplete, but is this ever the strong point of the STAR WARS films? I think not. I for one put this criticism aside and enjoyed the film. Lucas has created a world here, and he fills every bit of it with startling discoveries and wildly imaginative visuals that will make you go "wow".
Since it is (chronologically) the "first" STAR WARS film, it gives us hints of the characters which will know later on in the following episodes. First we have a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, which will later be known as the wise Jedi Ben Kenobi, who is still a young apprentice to Liam Nesson's Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jin. There is also Anakin Skywalker, who would later be converted into the evil Darth Vader, who is just but a young boy with dreams of becoming a Jedi and a pilot. He is played by underrated Jake Lloyd, who may have slipped on some of his lines but has enough charm to play the young dreamer. Other characters who are introduced include Senator Palpatine, who would later become the evil Emperor, and those adorable droid duo R2-D2 and C3PO, which is but a bunch of bolts and wires. There was heavy criticism on the characters being pale and bare-bones. I think this criticism is overrated. We already know most of these characters, which will soon be more exercised and the later episodes. I think the point of THE PHANTOM MENACE is to introduce these characters. The characters are more like wine, the get better by age.
An the plot? Well, it is convoluted and sometimes confusing, but I don't think the point of THE PHANTOM MENACE is not to create a political crisis version of a sci-fi epic. His point is to create some new things to give the audience a delight at the purchase of the movie ticket. Once again, Mr. Lucas succeeds in creating dazzling special effects, which aren't just terrific and innovative, it's also imaginative and wondrous. This are the best kind of special effects. You can create an explosion with many innovations on special effects, but if there isn't any imagination in it, it's worthless. The special effects in this film are innovative but imaginative. I liked that beautiful underwater villages, the terrific city towers of the planet Naboo, there is also the desert planet inhabited with various creatures. There is also an army of primitives fighting against an army of war machines created entirely of computerized images, not to mention the exciting pod race along rugged desert terrain. These dazzling and exciting visuals are a feast for the eyes, but they are also filled with awe and discovery.
Granted, it is not as good as the original trilogy, but it really doesn't have to be to be a great film by its own account. Set aside the political talk and just let the visuals take you away from the limitations of a movie seat. I think it is a great film which is more enjoyable and entertaining to look at rather than to think about.
Rating: ****1/2 out of 5.