Betrayal

Rating: 2/10 (18 January 2002)

So, I won't be too hard on George Lucas. I watched the making of the Phantom Menace, and in the end, he didn't seem that pleased with the movie. I can understand why. I respect the guy, but... this movie was a disaster.
I mean, the film didn't have the 'feel' of the other 3 movies. It doesn't fit in the Star Wars saga as the masterpiece it should be. And when George Lucas finally has the power and means to make a perfect movie, he lets things go. This movie simply gives one constant whiplash. It plays like it was made for people with severe Attention Defecit Disorder. One second a silly scene with an alien appears (which there were WAY too many of) and then a supposedly serious duel of fates. We have a movie that is constantly retreating from where you think it is going, exploding in different directions.
I proudly own the Star Wars trilogy in a few different formats (!) but I will never buy the Phantom Menace. This movie will not have any impact on the world of Film (maybe join Battlefield Earth for acting, direction, and cut 'expertise') except for it's stunning visual effects, Jar Jar discluded.