I know this movie gets a lot of smack, yet this is my favorite of all the movies. Yes Jar Jar binks and Aniken are annoying, besides that Obi-wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jin are excellent and are convincing in their roles. Darth mole is pretty dope even tho he has less than 15 minutes movie time and 3? lines. More people need this movie a better chance. That's just me tho.
Description:"I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga"I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is Star Wars, but is it my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breather Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film--the adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.
Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet, a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics.
Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We will watch your career with great interest." Indeed! --Tod Nelson
"In spite of the extremely annoying and poor acting kid they chose for this movie, most everyone loves the light saber fights, and I don't think they could have chosen a better Kenobi. And that was extremely important to me. He's long been my favorite character, so without a good Kenobi, nothing much else would matter to me. Yes, Yoda's appearance is a bit weird in this one, but they improve it in the sequels, and really, this one is still quite entertaining, as only Star Wars movies can be. "
erichaskell added this to a list 8 months, 3 weeks ago
“I know this movie gets a lot of smack, yet this is my favorite of all the movies. Yes Jar Jar binks and Aniken are annoying, besides that Obi-wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jin are excellent and are convincing in their roles. Darth mole is pretty dope even tho he has less than 15 minutes movie time and 3? lines. More people need this movie a better chance. That's just me tho.” read more
Explore
Join Listal
Movies
TV Shows
DVDs
Music
Books
Games
Lists
Reviews
Images
9 comments
Favorite Movies -- A Year by Year Review
