Easily the Least Inspired, Worst Film in the Series

Rating: 5/10 (14 September 2000)

Phantom Menace contains none of the charm or spark of its predecessors, instead using special effects to hide its lack of substance.
It seems that recently, all big-budget action-fantasy movies are SO obsessed with giving the audience an eyeful of jaw-dropping special effects that they forget to give audiences things to ponder. Such is the case with Phantom Menace: it is more interested in making extravagant use of special effects technology than providing a tight, well-written, script that is equal to the previous three films.
This film obviously caters more to children with its carnival-esque atmosphere than the other Star Wars did. I would rather see Luke talking to an animatronic Yoda in the damp, foggy, mystical forest world than see Jar Jar Binks making a complete ass of himself in a CGI-created underwater world. The contrast between this and the rest of the series is so great that one could easily skip this film and just wish for something much more concrete in the next installment.
The performances here are not at all impressive or heartfelt; characters are thinly-scripted, and spew one-liners. Big name stars are placed in miniscule roles, yet they don't add anything to the story; in fact, they seem to be there to distract from its flimsiness. Example: "Oooh, look, it's Samuel Jackson," in a scene that could have easily been deleted from the film.
If you're looking for a fun fantasy ride full of eye-popping visuals and clean, wholesome family fun, you could do a lot worse than Phantom Menace. Die-hard Star Wars fans will certainly be disappointed with what seems more like an insult than a prequel to the rest of this awesome, pioneering series.
5 out of 10