The excitement leading up to the release of “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” was beyond compare. The original Star Wars trilogy were among the most popular films of all time. I seriously doubt any film could have matched what fans had hoped for in terms of Episode I. Still, on release day, we all did our best to be among the first people to see the movie. I remember I didn't end up seeing it with my family for about a week or two after it came out because it was so popular that the theaters were literally selling out of seats. Then we finally got seats to see it and I remember how excited me and my brothers were. It was special for us. My brothers were all very different people but the one thing we all loved was Star Wars.
“Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” depicts the Jedi trying to negotiate a deal between the Trade federation and the people of Naboo. Little do they know, there is a darker power behind these events. The evil Sith reveal their existence once again and plunge the galaxy into chaos.
Liam Neeson led the cast as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Ewan McGregor portrays a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, a role previously played by Alec Guinness. Jake Lloyd played Anakin Skywalker, a child destined to become Darth Vader. Natalie Portman is also featured as the Queen of Naboo. Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz all reprise their roles from the original trilogy.
Upon it's release, the film ended up disappointing most fans and getting mixed to negative marks from critics. The movie felt very different to the original trilogy despite it's familiar settings. This is in large part to it's shift in using computer generated images over practical effects. This is perhaps most obvious with one of the most hated characters in the franchise. Regardless of how you feel about the character, Jar Jar Binks was revolutionary as he was the first all cgi character in a motion picture. Unfortunately, Jar Jar Binks was an extremely annoying character.
The film has also been panned by many who claim it was boring. The film shifted the focus from a galactic civil war to the political turmoil that led up to that conflict. From a story point, it would be very difficult to ignore the politics that leads up to war. The film may have been flawed at inception but people often leave out the many good qualities of the movie when discussing this film.
I enjoyed the actors a lot. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGreogor felt like they belonged in their Jedi robes. Ray Park made for a menacing Darth Maul. I even thought Jake Lloyd did a good job. A lot of people made fun of Jake Lloyd's performance in the film to the point he quit acting and suffered a breakdown. I thought Lloyd did a remarkable job and I thought he was much better than Hayden Christensen turned out to be.
There is also no denying how great the action scenes were. The lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul remains one of the best of the franchise. Set to John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates”, it is one of the most iconic themes of recent history.
I am not going to lie and pretend their wasn't some serious issues with this film, but it was also the first Star Wars movie we got in what felt like forever, so that is something to be happy for. I will also fondly remember this as a time I got to bond with my oldest brother. He has since passed away but that bonding time spent over Star Wars can never be replaced.
Grade: B
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