passable prequel

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 1999)

One of the most tricky obstacle courses through which many films must maneuver is the one known as "the expectations game." Some films, for one reason or another, find themselves hyped beyond the level of any possible human realization and risk crashing and burning when finally unspooled before an impossibly demanding audience. Certainly, no film in history (with the possible exception of "Gone With the Wind") has ever met with move prerelease anticipation than this longdelayed prequel to the most beloved movie series of all time. That "The Phantom Menace" survives this buildup at all is, perhaps, testament to the vision and technical skill of its creator George Lucas. For this newest installment, though lacking the novelty and homespun charm of the original 1977 classic, emerges as a reasonably entertaining and enjoyable summertime action film. What distinguished the first film, in particular, was, of course, the complete novelty of the experience. Certainly, no one had ever seen anything like it before. Now, twenty-one years later, and after two sequels and countless imitators, it has become impossible to recreate that feeling of newness and freshness that so imbued the original film. In fact, a bit too much of the plotting and imagery echoes the first (or fourth, if you prefer) installment of the series: the strongwilled, but endangered princess, the final attack on the enemy spaceship, the climactic gathering of the main characters as they are showered with kudos by a grateful society. Indeed, the final scene is actually emblematic of some of the failure of this film. In the original, since we were made to care for the main characters through their sharply drawn personalities and sophisticated wit, we left the film feeling exhilarated. Here, since the characters (each of them acted with stodgy seriousness) have not registered deeply as likable and recognizably human compatriots in adventure, the scene falls flat, and we leave the theatre feeling strangely let down. In addition, Darth Maul is completely ineffective and even inexplicable as the film's main villain. So, given all these flaws, what makes "The Phantom Menace" a relatively entertaining film? Essentially, it is Lucas' ability to create such fantastic worlds and to respect the audience's ability to connect this story to the future tales with which we are already familiar. The heavy reliance on exposition, which might sink another action film, actually lifts this one because we feel we are watching a puzzle slowly coming together and wait eagerly for the entire picture to emerge. In addition, Lucas takes a dramatic risk by only hinting at the evil propensities hidden within the seemingly angelic boy we know will grow up to be Darth Vader - and these hints only come through the concerned statements of the Jedi masters around him, not through any of the statements, actions, or even mannerisms of the child himself. This provides an arc to link this installment through the next two films to the fourth episode. As to the special effects, many are extremely impressive (especially the pod race), but the space battles seem strangely bland and not much more technically advanced from the originals. In fact, for a movie with "Star Wars" in its title, this film takes place surprisingly little in space. Moreover, it is not always unnoticeable when an effect is actually an effect. Many of the CGI effects seem less seamless than say those in "Jurassic Park". The photography also appears a bit blurrier and more washed out than one might expect. All in all, "The Phantom Menace" probably will not hold up upon repeated viewings as well as most of the other installments do. But, for its narrative thrust and its often dazzling special effects, this is a film worth seeing at least once.