'Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace' Review
Nominated For: Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is regarded by many fans to be one the worst Star Wars films, and some even consider it an abomination to the franchise along with the rest of the prequels. While I agree that it's my least favorite Star Wars film, I don't quite feel that some of the criticism given to it is always justified. There are many things wrong with this movie, but few ever consider the things that the prequels added to the Star Wars mythos and some of the things it's done right.
Now, I'm not going to defend this film, as I see the flaws and will provide my honest opinion about them. One of the aspects that seems to accumulate the most hate from fans is the extensive use of CGI. I can agree that at some points CGI wasn't necessary and practical effects could have been used in place but there are some scenes where it actually adds to the experience.
First off, the podracing sequence is incredible and thrilling to watch.
Second, the effects for the Battle Droids, blasters, lightsabers, etc. actually look pretty great and really submerse themselves in this world adding to the experience.
One thing that I think actually improved from the Original Trilogy in some regards were the lightsaber battles. In the Original Trilogy these duels always seemed to have more weight and dramatic tension, which is a plus, but the prequel lightsaber battles are fun to watch. In particular the main fight between Obi Wan, Qui Gon Jinn, and Darth Maul at the end of the film is amazing! The fight choreography is beautiful and the scene is certainly enhanced by John William's epic score in particular "Duel of the Fates". The one thing that shall remain constant throughout every Star Wars film is the quality of John William's work.
One of the cons to this film is that there is a focus on intergalactic politics that honestly the audience could care less about at times. This focus was totally unnecessary and definitely detracts from the film.
Another negative was the introduction of what many fans consider to be the worst Star Wars character ever made, Jar Jar Binks. Now Jar Jar is obviously a part of the film for comedic relief but at times just seems too goofy and ridiculous to take seriously or even care about. I don't despise Jar Jar, but I wouldn't quite consider myself a fan so I have more of a neutral stance on the character. I can agree that he was unnecessary though.
Now one thing that was included that I did enjoy were the winks and nods to fans of the Original Trilogy with the inclusion of everyone's favorite droid duo, R2D2 and C3PO. I liked that Lucas decided to connect the films even more by including them and adding an origin story for both droids. Another thing I noticed was that there are some things that mirrored specific plot points and scenes from the Original Trilogy.
A few new characters in the film that I actually enjoyed were Padme, Qui Gon Jinn, and Darth Maul. Unfortunately, Maul had very little screen time and was sliced in half (however in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which is considered canon, it is revealed that Maul survived). But Darth Maul was certainly a welcome addition, especially with his dual-bladed lightsaber.
Onto the acting... I can say some of the performances on display are fantastic while others are mediocre. Liam Neeson was a perfect choice for Qui Gon Jinn. Ewan Mc Gregor was a terrific choice for the role of a younger Obi Wan, and I particularly liked seeing him try to include some of the things Alec Guinness did to make the role so great.
Natalie Portman is fine as Padme, and Jake Lloyd does a decent job, either coming off very energetic in high energy scenes or like a generic child actor in dramatic scenes. The remainder of the cast either didn't quite catch my attention or weren't given enough to do for the film. I think the storyline of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a little bland and some moments of the film can be very boring but I did like some of the ideas Lucas planted within the film.
Overall, I can say this is in my opinion one of the worst Star Wars films, but a decent film when not under the pressure of comparison to the Original Trilogy. If you are planning on introducing your children to Star Wars prior to the release of The Force Awakens then I'd recommend showing them the movies in the order of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack Of The Clones, and then Revenge Of The Sith.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is regarded by many fans to be one the worst Star Wars films, and some even consider it an abomination to the franchise along with the rest of the prequels. While I agree that it's my least favorite Star Wars film, I don't quite feel that some of the criticism given to it is always justified. There are many things wrong with this movie, but few ever consider the things that the prequels added to the Star Wars mythos and some of the things it's done right.
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