The character development could've been stronger in 'Episode I'

Rating: Null/10 (14 June 1999)

After sixteen years, it seems that George Lucas could have developed stronger character development for this prequel. The only thing that really improved was the makeup and visual effects.
So, was it worth the wait? Yes, it was worth it. I'm not just saying that because I'm a "Star Wars" fan. It is entertaining, but it just does not have strong legs to pass as a stand-alone prequel.
Two Jedi masters (Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor) land on Tatooine where they meet a young boy named Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who happens to be a slave. They eventually take him to Coruscant so that he can "learn the ways of the force" and become a Jedi. The pod racing is cool and breathtaking, even though it is a reference to the chariot race scene in "Ben Hur."
To sum this up, "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" is a fun movie. Let's hope that Mr. Lucas will do better with the next two episodes. My evaluation: **1/2 out of ****.