Funnier than I had expected

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 1999)

The critics aren't fans, because anyone who thrilled to the first trilogy will love "The Phantom Menace." Ewan McGregor is excellent as a young Obi-Wan; Natalie Portman is touching; the Darth Maul character is especially frightening; and the swordplay is without par. The only weaknesses were occasional lapses in Jake Lloyd's acting (give him a break, he's just a kid), and it can take a while to understand the pretty prominent character Jar-Jar Binks. Other than those two things, the movie was great. Waiting for the next in the series will be VERY hard.