Only for SW fans

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 1999)

One week from it's opening I've seen this movie four times. I was a little bit nervous in the theatre because of the critics I had heard talking crap about The phantom menace, but at the end I wasn't disappointed, not a bit.
Perhaps the reason why some people loved it and some hated it, is that this movie is made only for Star Wars fans, and I mean real fans. We got the movie from beginning to end. We understood the purpose of the story: to set things for Episode II and III. A story that could've been told in 20 minutes? So was A new hope! It is the first act of three. Do you go to a play expecting to see the whole story in the first 20 minutes? Of course not! I've never heard someone say "Oh, what a disappointment of first act, they should've skipped right to the second" when he's going out of a play. This sounds ridiculous.
Face it people: you would've loved The phantom menace had it been the first Star Wars movie and hated A new hope had it been released this year. It's that simple.
I've read other comments on The phantom menace and I can say the same: you want a story that can be told in a single-movie? go see Casablanca or Gone with the wind or who-knows what. I'm seeing Episode 1 six times again because this is when I have the chance to experience it in a theatre the way it's meant to be.
So this goes for all of you critics: do you want to enjoy The phantom menace as the movie it is? It doesn't take only to see Episodes IV, V and VI; read other Star Wars stories, take a look at the comics, get a little more information of this huge universe that was born in 1977! Oh, what am I saying... please leave the seats for someone who will appreciate a great film.