Necessary But Inert Installment in the "Star Wars" Series

Rating: 6/10 (26 September 2006)

George Lucas, what hath thou done to "Star Wars?"
Alas, only die-hard "Star Wars" fans will be able to enjoy this first prequel, and even they may be hard pressed to muster up an ounce of interest in this inert story about trade disputes and underhanded politics that doesn't make an ounce of sense until you've seen episodes II and III. Admittedly, "The Phantom Menace" gets better after you've seen the rest of the series, but on its own merits it's a pretty shaky effort.
Lucas proves that he has virtually no skill in directing actors, as normally good performers like Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman sink like lead weights under terrible dialogue that no one could do anything with. (And don't even get me started on Samuel L. Jackson, who looks like he would rather be doing his laundry than appearing in this film). Lucas gives his actors no help either, as "Menace," and indeed the entire second trilogy, may as well be animated, and more often than not an actor is stranded in a sea of computer-generated graphics with nothing to react to. This computer-generated world looks nothing like the world created in the first trilogy, and that inconsistency is one of the most distracting things about the prequels.
There are things about this movie I do like, though. I like the scenes with Anakin and his mom; I like Darth Maul; and I liked the pod race scene. Everything else feels like what it is -- necessary but unengaging set up for the REAL story that doesn't pick up steam until parts II and III.
Grade: B-