22 years later, in a galaxy far, far away...

Rating: 5/10 (20 September 2005)

George Lucas recently stated special effects are tools to help create movies, and he also said a special effect without a story is quite boring. He's right.
Star Wars Episode I is enjoyable, but its main strength lies in the CG sequences, which are impressive, though some of them seem to be screaming:"Look at what you can do with modern technology!".
The story, about how Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi met Anakin Skywalker, isn't bad, but there are a few elements that make it a bit, uh, ridiculous: 1.The midi-chlorians: was it necessary to add information about the Force's origin when no one asked for it? 2.Darth Maul:He's only a puppet in the Sith lord's hands, and the only line he says in the entire film is pretty forgettable; 3.Jar Jar Binks: He was supposed to add humor to the movie? We already had C-3PO doing that! Even the Ewoks are better than Jar Jar.
Lucas tries to compensate these flaws with the previously mentioned CG and some good acting (particularly Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman), but in the end this is the one Star Wars episode that doesn't justify repeated viewings.
6,5/10