Read Negative User Reviews for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

3

VincentV.Sep 28, 2008

Dear George, the story was okay, just okay, but the very boring race, jar jar binks and the failed tries to be funny just made it a long annoying movie...

16 of 21 users found this helpful

1

seventhbeaconDec 30, 2015

The only positive thing I can say about this movie is that it's better than "Attack of the Clones". Faint praise, I know, but apart from the terrible writing, ridiculous plot, and failed execution of filmmaking, there are still some amazingThe only positive thing I can say about this movie is that it's better than "Attack of the Clones". Faint praise, I know, but apart from the terrible writing, ridiculous plot, and failed execution of filmmaking, there are still some amazing musical and visual cues to be had. If only there was a way to mute the dialogue.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

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1

Prequelhater878May 19, 2015

One of the worst movies I have ever seen. With dull writing, dull characters, and a dull plot this movie makes starring at a wall more fun and exciting

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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3

Jailhouse_McGeeJan 8, 2013

Okay, let's face it: If episode I would have been the first star wars movie, there would not have been a episode II. If the only (good) thing everybody remembers about a movie are some eye-candy scenes (and I am talking of course about theOkay, let's face it: If episode I would have been the first star wars movie, there would not have been a episode II. If the only (good) thing everybody remembers about a movie are some eye-candy scenes (and I am talking of course about the pod race and the double light sabre duel), you know your movie is in trouble, because it fails on all other levels: storytelling, character development, acting, pacing and tone. This movie feels like a well-calculated commercial product that should deliver to all audiences, but it's all about a shiny surface and nothing beyond that. And let's not forget about Jarjar, the most annoying character ever to be put in a movie.… Expand

13 of 20 users found this helpful137

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3

Jack97Jan 1, 2014

Yes it does have impressive action and visual effects to spare, but Star Wars: The Phantom Menace fails to match the original trilogy's unique blend of characters, moments and scale.

6 of 10 users found this helpful64

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2

CiaranBohanApr 21, 2014

While living up to the brilliance of the revolutionary original trilogy could not be expected. The first instalment of Lucas's 'Prequel Trilogy' really sets the tone for how low star wars would sink. This tale, unlike the first three,While living up to the brilliance of the revolutionary original trilogy could not be expected. The first instalment of Lucas's 'Prequel Trilogy' really sets the tone for how low star wars would sink. This tale, unlike the first three, contains a story no human could understand and fails at its job to keep even the hardest of fans from shedding a tear at what star wars has become. The only reason I have rated the movie above 1/10 is simply due to John Williams once again incredible score, with 'Dual of the Fates' being a soundtrack masterpiece.… Expand

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

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0

TJAWNov 18, 2018

A catastrophe in almost every imaginable way, The Phantom Menace is a near-unwatchable fiasco of a Star Wars movie, filled with god-awful performances, laughable dialogue, some of the messiest and most dated-looking CGI action sequences everA catastrophe in almost every imaginable way, The Phantom Menace is a near-unwatchable fiasco of a Star Wars movie, filled with god-awful performances, laughable dialogue, some of the messiest and most dated-looking CGI action sequences ever put to film, a needlessly complicated, cliché-ridden story that still doesn't make a lick of sense almost 20 years since the film's release, disgraceful racial stereotypes and intolerable, insomnia-curing pacing that stretches out the jumble of failed political plot threads to form an unforgivably long runtime.… Expand

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

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3

MoviebuffreviewJun 19, 2011

The reboot or return to the widely successful and acclaimed Star Wars saga was disappointing in just about every way. With the exception of the Ewan McGregor and Liam Nesson, the acting was underwhelming, the dialogue made me barf in myThe reboot or return to the widely successful and acclaimed Star Wars saga was disappointing in just about every way. With the exception of the Ewan McGregor and Liam Nesson, the acting was underwhelming, the dialogue made me barf in my mouth, the pacing was awkward and often slow, and the villains were not only unclear and underdeveloped, but lacked the threat and power that Darth Vader and the emperor had in the original trilogy. The ending was a little better, with some solid action, and throughout there were some decent effects, but many of the actions scenes had no real weight to them and felt like they were there just for the sake of being there. Episode I is disappointing, boring, and not worth your time if you are a Star Wars fan.… Expand

5 of 9 users found this helpful54

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1

LaGuertaFeb 26, 2013

Jar Jar, midi-chlorians, droids, The Trade Federation, C3PO built by Darth Vader are just a few reasons why I have a mirror shatteringly bad feeling about this.

8 of 16 users found this helpful88

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3

Longbottom94Apr 27, 2013

The Phantom Menace may be one of the biggest cinematic disappointments of all time. Although it would have been almost impossible for this film to live up to the ridiculously high expectations that the fanboy's had but upon it, the finalThe Phantom Menace may be one of the biggest cinematic disappointments of all time. Although it would have been almost impossible for this film to live up to the ridiculously high expectations that the fanboy's had but upon it, the final product is so monstrously dull it has unearned the dubious honor of one of the worsts films I have seen. Although the pod race and final duel scenes were quite enjoyable, I can't shake the feeling that the only reason they stand out is because of the awfulness that surrounds the picture.… Expand

7 of 14 users found this helpful77

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2

ReviewerMan44Jul 1, 2011

The Phantom Menace takes away from everything the original Star Wars films were all about. A good story, likable and relatable characters, a universe that drawed you in, and good acting. The Phantom Menace (one of the most hyped andThe Phantom Menace takes away from everything the original Star Wars films were all about. A good story, likable and relatable characters, a universe that drawed you in, and good acting. The Phantom Menace (one of the most hyped and anticipated films of all time) manages to do almost none of these, trying to please our minds with childish humor, bright colors, and silly, ridiculous characters. *Hint* Jar-Jar Binks is one of the worst characters ever created in any movie...ever. The other problems arise with some utterly horrible character development and acting in general. Liam Neeson leads the cast as the strongest but still stumbles and falls here and there. Natalie Portman comes over as likable, but we never get to know her character enough to even care. The same goes for the new villain, Darth Maul, who would have been better if we had learned a bit of his backstory. Obi-Wan is played by Ewan McGregor, who fails on all fronts and just gives a bland impression. Lastly Anakin Skywalker just...well he's a kid, and he's an actor with a decent future but just comes across as though he is reading the script in front of him. Overall Phatnom Menace is a disaster and the worst Star Wars yet.… Expand

6 of 12 users found this helpful66

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2

CyberPunkFeb 13, 2012

Why George Lucas? Why? Way to completely ruin the backstory to Star Wars with these awful prequel films. Yes, every single one is bad. Each film lacks a decent plot, lacks good characters, and lacks any emotional involvement that made theWhy George Lucas? Why? Way to completely ruin the backstory to Star Wars with these awful prequel films. Yes, every single one is bad. Each film lacks a decent plot, lacks good characters, and lacks any emotional involvement that made the original films so great. If you think these movies are good, then I suggest you go on to Youtube and type in "Red Letter Media" and watch their in depth reviews of these terrible films.… Expand

5 of 10 users found this helpful55

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0

AkashVijayJan 19, 2015

Star Wars I: the Phantom Menace is abysmally structured. I'm honestly having a very very hard time figuring out where all three Acts begin and end. Perhaps, it was meant to be that way. One can ask, is that ambitious or flawed? I vote forStar Wars I: the Phantom Menace is abysmally structured. I'm honestly having a very very hard time figuring out where all three Acts begin and end. Perhaps, it was meant to be that way. One can ask, is that ambitious or flawed? I vote for flawed. Not simply because I feel Lucas severely lacks the writing capabilities to write an abstract narrative but also because it's nothing like an abstract narrative. The problems start right from the opening shots and this is a problem in all the Star Wars movies. It starts off with backstory, with lines of narrative, scrolling up as John Williams' soundtrack plays along, serving as exposition for the upcoming events. Why couldn't they create a quick montage - a series of rapidly edited shots or just a basic sequence of still photos or simply start off before that. The entire purpose of film is to convey a story through the wonderful language of images. And when Lucas throws narrative at us, just as it appears in the script, let's just say it's a very underwhelming opening. Terrence Malick was able to briefly portray evolutionary progression and natural selection from the most elementary to the most multiplex of creatures, all in about 20 minutes in the Tree of Life. Lucas was asked to carry no such burden.Ewan McGregor is a decent actor but his role is so poorly written in the movie. For the most part, his job consists of 3 basic exercises. He walks alongside Liam Neeson stating the obvious, he looks up when he enters rooms and he keeps questioning Liam Neeson's "high intellectual Jedi converse" so that Liam Neeson can start explaining the plot. The entire Jedi counsel exists so that Lucas' characters can sit around and explain the plot to the audience. Jar Jar Binks may be the most annoying character I've ever had to witness on screen. But there are so many versions of him in this movie. It's intolerable.
Since, all of us have already seen Lucas' pantomime 1977 original, we should all agree that he's the master of oversimplification. The characters are all so black and white. There's not a single character even remotely leaning towards the second dimension. And in fact, this is a problem with all the Star Wars movies. They all show us distinctly, which characters are good and which characters are evil but none of them tell us why. In fact several movies like Apocalypse Now, Rashomon, Taxi Driver and in more recent years, Pans Labyrinth and the Dark Knight, have explored this idea of the relativity of morality so brilliantly. But of course Lucas doesn't bother with interesting objectives of that sort. The entire "dark side of the force should rule the galaxy" is as cliched as it gets. How many movies have been made where the bad guys want to take over the world? Too many to count.
But the part where I began to despise it, was the last 45 mins, which was literally jam-packed with mind-numbing CGI action. I found it amusing that Lucas thought he had the ability to juggle multiple story lines (rather I should just use action sequences instead of storyline) from the "epic" battle between the droids and Jar Jar's, to Anakin's random "attempts" to destroy the "what-ever the hell that was" all accompanied by a triumvirate lightsaber dual between Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor with the man with the double ended light sabre. And then on top of all that, we have the dialogue. Now this is something that I am infuriated by. Lucas' writing skills are pre-school. A 10 year old could write better lines of dialogue and convey more emotion. Greeting Cards have exuded more passion than Lucas' raw use of words. It's as bad as I've ever seen (and that's not in any way an exaggerated statement).
The Phantom Menace is a disgrace to everything that contributed to the world of cinema and it opened the door for several other mindless action movies. It's over-filled with computer imagery and is completely hollow within. There's no psychology, no philosophy, basically no ideas in it whatsoever. It's the work of a machine rather than an artist and it was as entertaining as filling out your Income Tax forms. It may be appealing to adolescent boys who grew up with those characters but to me this is just a sad money making practice targeted at a series run out of control.… Expand

5 of 10 users found this helpful55

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0

JurassicWookieNov 7, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. as Mr. Plinkett says "This Movie SUUUCKS!" Special Effects look up Jar Jar Binks Then you can talk to me about BAD Special Effects..............Spoilers IT SUCKS!… Expand

5 of 10 users found this helpful55

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3

ArkonBladeMar 13, 2011

i loved the original trilogy and was so excited to see the new trilogy. it opens pretty good and i had a good feeling ... and then jar jar binks shows up and the horror starts . he can only be found humorous by 5 year olds any one older theni loved the original trilogy and was so excited to see the new trilogy. it opens pretty good and i had a good feeling ... and then jar jar binks shows up and the horror starts . he can only be found humorous by 5 year olds any one older then that will be preying dath maul takes his head off ASAP. it only keeps heading down hill after that. then we get to meet a young anikin skywalker and who ever this kid is who did his acting was horrendous and i dont put it all on this kid i give most of the blame to lucas who directed this mess. lucas pretty much abandoned one of the key features that made most of us love star wars so much . that being charicters we liked and rooted for . in this one there is no one outside of maybe obi wan and qui gon who i remotly thought where ok. lucus focases all his energy on special effects and nothing els . which yes do look good when i am not cursing jar jar and aniken.… Expand

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

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3

NecromusDec 4, 2012

I absolutely loved the original trilogy as a kid. 17 years waiting in anticipation for the prequels (since Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977 stated it was "Chapter 4") raised expectations very high that almost no movie could live up to it. But II absolutely loved the original trilogy as a kid. 17 years waiting in anticipation for the prequels (since Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977 stated it was "Chapter 4") raised expectations very high that almost no movie could live up to it. But I didn't expect something as horrible as Episode I. A poorly rendered and annoying Jar Jar Binks ruins almost every scene with his clumsy antics bordering on racist (he behaves the way African-Americans were portrayed in old racist shows in the past and he's based on a Jamaican Rasta-man type character too!). The acting by Anakin was boring too, but it might not be his fault, after-all George Lucus somehow manages to take amazing actors like Ewen McGregor and Samuel L. Jackson and make them look mediocre. I saw this movie once in the theater and never wanted to see it again. Once it was on TV and I muted it while talking on the phone and noticed the visuals are absolutely beautiful, it is too bad the story and directing sucks so bad. However, there is a version of this movie out there called "The Phantom Edit 1.11" which is an edit of the movie by a Star Wars fan that cuts most of Jar Jar's annoying antics out of the movie along with all of the redundant scenes where the characters are explaining to other characters what you have just witnessed happening in the scene before. The Phantom Edit 1.11 is much more watchable and enjoyable, do yourself a favor and watch that one instead, it is way better than the official version.… Expand

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

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3

jfrotylpe532Dec 4, 2012

And so begins the terror of the prequels. Poorly made, not to mention some of the worst acting on the planet. Lucas could do way better than that. Sadly we need the prequels to know the beloved Star Wars began. Until next time Lucas you suck

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

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0

BenHazeldenJan 23, 2015

This is a fantastic thriller fantasy action adventure! Please watch, much good. Experience incredibly developed characters - like Jar Jar Binks (my favourite). A cold hearted thriller.
0/10 - Ben Hazelden

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

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2

LarsC.Dec 8, 2003

I loved the original Star Wars movies the moment I saw them. As I grew older, I learned to analyze movies for myself and found that they still held up (although Return of the Jedi was a slight letdown) to my good image of them. Since I had I loved the original Star Wars movies the moment I saw them. As I grew older, I learned to analyze movies for myself and found that they still held up (although Return of the Jedi was a slight letdown) to my good image of them. Since I had heard some bad buzz about the film before I saw it, I tried to keep my expectations at a rational level. Unfortunately, it sill managed to disappoint terribly. The effects, while good in theory, had no life to them, and many looked less real than even the corniest rubber puppet in the Mos Eisley cantina. I really tried to like this movie, I tried to convince myself that I had just bought into the hype machine. However, no matter how I analyzed it, I found it to be a colossal train wreck that shames the good name of Star Wars.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful

0

NeilSApr 7, 2006

This film is what Lord of the Rings would have been if it had been filmed in a parking lot rather than New Zealand.

2 of 4 users found this helpful

0

KatherineFeb 25, 2007

Horrible. It was hard enough to get through the Jar Jar Binks crap. And the kid is the worst actor I have ever seen. George could have done waaaaay better then this.

2 of 4 users found this helpful

3

JacobNov 28, 2015

The Phantom Menace is a great tech demo for what CGI and ILM can accomplish. Some of the worlds created with CGI are stunning. The vehicles all look and sound great. The moments where the visuals and sound take over like in the Podrace andThe Phantom Menace is a great tech demo for what CGI and ILM can accomplish. Some of the worlds created with CGI are stunning. The vehicles all look and sound great. The moments where the visuals and sound take over like in the Podrace and final dull are when the movie is fun and Podrace feels like Star Wars. Unfortunately, once the characters start talking the movie is terrible. The story is weak with poor pacing, low stakes, and no clear threat. None of the characters are interesting ranging from dull to annoying and all of which are underdeveloped given dull/cheesy dialogue. In short the movie is either dull or boring and for the most part doesn’t feel like Star Wars. I loved this film a lot as a kid but that time is long gone. Regardless of how bad The Force Awakens may end up being it can’t be any worse than this.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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3

flamed_steakFeb 22, 2011

The film represents a story that didn't need to be told. He could have started the prequel trilogy at Attack of the Clones, given himself greater room to breathe and left this story to the novelists. Unfortunately George Lucas didn't thinkThe film represents a story that didn't need to be told. He could have started the prequel trilogy at Attack of the Clones, given himself greater room to breathe and left this story to the novelists. Unfortunately George Lucas didn't think his charachters needed to develop as long as he sent the audience on a ride, which was something that worked in the 80's but didn't cut the mustard in '99.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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3

PatrykGJun 9, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. People say that the only way you can hate this movie is if you grew up with the originals and was hyped for The Phantom Menace in 1999...well let me tell you something. I was not even around when that film came out, I watched it for the first time in 2006, a day after seeing the original trilogy for the first time. Then I found out there was three more films, I thought that was weird, like they could have ended the series with three films but they made three more that were prequels. So before seeing Episode 1 for the first time I said to myself "Well this could go either way", so I watched it, with no knowledge of what the movie looks like, I only had a disc without a box, haven't seen any trailer or anything like that. So I'm watching this movie and I swear that I didn't understand a goddamn thing in it. Something about a senator (didn't know what that was) and a taxation (didn't know what that was), basically the only word I recognised from the opening crawl was "Jedi". Then stuff happens...blah blah blah...the Viceroy guy was like "This is impossible" when Qui Gon is cutting through the door (couldn't remember Qui Gon's name until years later) more political talk later, something about some treaty uh signing it will legalise THE INVASION OF AN ENTIRE PLANET?!! Whatever. They meet Jar Jar, who honestly I didn't find that annoying or funny I was just struggling to understand a single word he said...then after like 3 days the Trade Federation finally invade the Naboo...the jedi rescue the Queen, they go to tatooine, i was hoping that this would save the movie and it turns out that Tatooine is the worst part of this movie...nothing happens in it...Anakin was the most annoying character in the movie, and him building C3PO made turn off the movie and leave...but then I came back I had to finish this crap...stupid bet was made between Qui Gon and Watto (I still don't understand it) then the 10 minute race that felt like an hour, it's easily the most boring part of the movie it's not like Anakin used the force for the first time and won the race or anything like when Luke was the last one left to destroy the death star in the first film he was using the force for the first time, it wasn't trivial to the whole movie like the podrace scene was...then the mother just lets her son go just like that with some strangers they just met and yeah...but that's ok because he's eight years old and you don't make any mistakes at that age...then Coruscant...oh god...i can't continue but i will...some senate meeting about something, really do you think i cared anymore at this point? i gave up a long time ago...uh then the queen is like "I move for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership", and everyone's like "VOTE NOW VOTE NOW VOTE NOW" even though I was 7 then, I still knew that you can't get rid of someone with just one vote, how does this senate even work? That means anyone can just say this vote of no confidence and then they'll elect another one and that will happen to him and again a new guy and so on...Oh god the jedi scenes where they don't do anything but sit in chairs...whatever, SKIP!!! So then they go back to naboo, something uh happens blah blah then that devil guy shows up, yeah I'm sure he has a name, I'm just calling him devil guy, with the double bladed lightsaber, which i guess is supposed to compensate for his lack of character? So they fight him while like 3 other things are happening...BOOOOOOOOOOOOORIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!! Some other things happen, Anakin blows up the ship by accident when all the naboo pilots couldn't do it...Qui Gon dies because Obi Wan keep up with the fight because some stupid red force shields were closing at any time Lucas wanted them to...uh yeah then Obi Wan kills devil guy and whatever, they burn his body, a parade happens and it's over...I honestly don't know what that was, but it wasn't a Star Wars film!!! I mean holy f*ck how do you not get more than one thing right about this series, it wasn't that difficult...the one good thing was the soundtrack, THAT'S IT!!! 3/10 Awful crap...… Expand

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3

Sergio2008Jan 3, 2016

This movie is the worst of the Stars Wars franchise. Poor acting, saturation of CGI, lack of character chemistry, and just flat-out boring at times. Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars film I saw, and even as a kid, the movie felt like aThis movie is the worst of the Stars Wars franchise. Poor acting, saturation of CGI, lack of character chemistry, and just flat-out boring at times. Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars film I saw, and even as a kid, the movie felt like a chore to watch.… Expand

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1

MichaelBagamerySep 5, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I should probably have broken my promise to myself and gotten **** after watching this tripe. 'The Phantom Menace' is easily the worst 'Star Wars' movie, and a terrible film in general. Some lowlights:

Jar Jar. Just the most obvious of this movie's myriad artistic miscalculations, he's unfunny and stupid.

Acting. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor are the only two actors in this movie who actually seem to be trying to rise above the material.

Pointless call-forwards. Actually, 'Attack of the Clones' is worst with this, but they're there and visible in 'The Phantom Menace' too.

Characterization. Whiny little Anakin is very true to how most little kids are; I should know, as, to my eternal chagrin, I used to be one. But this movie seems to be promulgating the notion that youthful pettiness makes one evil. No, no, it doesn't. Hopefully, once you turn fifteen or sixteen, you realize 'God, what an **** I've been' and resolve to be better than that.

Pod racing. Um...scratch that, counterproductive padding! From a narrative standpoint, it's obvious Anakin is supposed to win that race and win his freedom from...Watto (is that his name? I don't remember it being mentioned during the movie). From a logical standpoint, however, he should NOT win that race, since he's young and green as a conifer.

Midichlorians. Yes, I gathered from the original trilogy that the Force was an invisible forcefield which Jedi could manipulate to their own ends, but which bound every organism in the GFFA. So they have something in their blood which makes them one with the Force or something? That has either unfortunate implications or it's just an outright contradiction in the plot.

Action. As in, there's not nearly enough of it until the last fifteen minutes or so, and while it is exciting when we get it, by then it's too little too late.

Overall, this is easily the lamest Star Wars movie, never thought-provoking or even accidentally funny, though I will give a point for Darth Maul's double lightsaber. That was literally the only memorable part of the film that was thus for a good reason.… Expand

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2

epiclucaSep 4, 2014

This film is a travesty. The first Star Wars release for over a decade and after the epic trilogy that is A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi, you would expect this movie to be much better. In the age of advancedThis film is a travesty. The first Star Wars release for over a decade and after the epic trilogy that is A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi, you would expect this movie to be much better. In the age of advanced special effects and storytelling, it's a shame that this movie turned out how it did. A mixture of bad CGI and unrealistic story points (Such as an 8 year old winning a pod race, after he breaks down and takes about 30 seconds to start up again) just to explain how he can get out of slavery. The writing is lazy, and it comes off more as a childs fantasy film, rife with happy colours and the awful mess that is Jar Jar Binks, a character who mispronounces words and is really the jester of the movie, less funny more sad. Sad that in this age of cinema, a film series as epic as Star Wars has to stoop down and dumb down to appeal to children.… Expand

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1

BrakkenApr 28, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Phantom Plot!
What was the point? I was concerned about who would slap Ani's face the soonest, but as he turns into Vader anyway, I'm not sure how to care about a loud-mouthed, impudent child that is supposedly a slave. Mitochloreans (sp - I don't give a hoot enough to even check) are not a force, but are cells now: this destroys the whole point of faith and super-human justice: only those with enough correct cells are good enough Jedi. The first three movies established that faith - yeah, FAITH - prooves one's mettle. Oh well.

CGI swamped the movie and were accompanied by cardboard performances. The notion that any of this movie as being part of reality 'long, long ago' evaporated with GPUs. The first three movies still engage me, but this one was devoid of reason and extremely irritating. Ja-Ja say no more. I'm begging you.

Final Verdict: Eiw.… Expand

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3

YorkManJan 2, 2016

TPM is George Lucas' imagination gone into CGI overdrive. With every single whim unquestioned we get the first part of the original Six episodes of Star Wars delivered to us 16 years after RotJ, and what did we get...?

We got a bloated,TPM is George Lucas' imagination gone into CGI overdrive. With every single whim unquestioned we get the first part of the original Six episodes of Star Wars delivered to us 16 years after RotJ, and what did we get...?

We got a bloated, borderline nonsensical tale of how a Jedi Master, his apprentice, a 14 year old Queen and some obnoxious, CGI abomination of a sentient, bidepal creature end up accidentally finding the one who will bring balance to the Force. The one being a 9 year old kid who has absolutely no charisma.

Political machinations fly left and right as the villain of the piece (who we all know is the dastardly political leader of the planet on which the Queen is the ruler) begins to move his pieces on Lucas' chessboard, culminating in a three-way battle between some fighter craft in space, a CGI robot army vs a CGI bipedal creature army, and the two Jedi squaring off against a nasty Sith Lord.

At the time of the film's release it was praised by audiences (check out the video clips of people coming out of the cinema in 1999!!!), and even most contemporary critics were blown away. It was only in retrospect, relatively quickly afterwards it has to be said, that people began to actually think about the film and what it was about, and the hate and anger lead many to the Dark Side of the Force!!

As a popcorn movie, it's fine. As a piece of pop-culture, it's referenced as the point where George Lucas stopped being revered as the creator of one of cinemas most enduring masterpieces. As the start of a new 'prequel' trilogy, it's piss-poor.

Unfortunately, however bad this film was/is...... Worse was to come.… Expand

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1

mrdr4gonDec 15, 2017

One of the greatest cinematic blunders of all time. The fact nobody thought to put a stop to this is baffling. Resembles the original films of its parent franchise in name only.

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3

Tcurran2Dec 23, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The film that is now synonymous with abject failure, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, is a monumental misstep from writer/director George Lucas. Though it possesses a great deal of visual imagination, Lucas's once epic space opera franchise is reduced to a complicated mess of a plot of taxation and trade federations. Devoid of any interesting characters, the only respite from this plodding affair comes in a final battle sequence between the horned villain Darth Maul (Ray Park), and our protagonists; Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson). This sequence is also muddled, as Lucas cuts to three other events happening simultaneously, creating a tonally jarring climax whose execution even if perfect, could not have saved this film.… Expand

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3

notheguyOct 18, 2018

Sort of disappointing, I understand that this was targeted towards kids, but I cannot give it higher than a 4. Definitely by least favorite in the series.

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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3

akerr2Oct 20, 2015

This film set the tone and the epic build up to Episode IV however it needed more explanation and perhaps a "movie between movies" as the transition from this one to Episode II was very loose. The underlying sith plot was not shown enoughThis film set the tone and the epic build up to Episode IV however it needed more explanation and perhaps a "movie between movies" as the transition from this one to Episode II was very loose. The underlying sith plot was not shown enough light for some of the audience to properly understand.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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1

HenryKrinkleOct 28, 2015

The bad - The writing, plot, acting, characters, dialogue, overuse of over ambitious CGI, the woeful attempts at humour.
The good - Ummm.... The music?

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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3

BarneyOnMTJan 5, 2016

WHAT I LIKED: A prequel to the amazing Star Wars trilogy stands out mainly for it's spectacular final action scene, aided by the new-found modern effects. 'The Phantom Menace' succeeds in the bare bones of it's plot too - and it does creditWHAT I LIKED: A prequel to the amazing Star Wars trilogy stands out mainly for it's spectacular final action scene, aided by the new-found modern effects. 'The Phantom Menace' succeeds in the bare bones of it's plot too - and it does credit the originals thanks to the score and production design.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It was just delivered very badly: it takes ages to get going for a start, and then when you're into the meat of the story it gets bogged down with confusing politics that overwhelm any character development. This clearly isn't helped by the largely dull, monotone acting, plus some of the characters themselves are cringey and laughable too. All this means this is undoubtedly the worst Star Wars adventure of all.
VERDICT: This is a dull film throughout that only gets exciting in the last 20 minutes - sadly a poor effort from Lucas that fails to capture his success with the originals.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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0

tonyGreenJun 17, 2011

Incoherent, dull. No characterization. clunky dialog. Headache-inducing overly busy CGI. If the original Star Wars movies had never been made this would be a forgotten cult movie watched merely for the lulz.

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

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0

heloheApr 20, 2015

Utterly and completely disappointing. So much CGI has been crammed into this movie that it makes your eyes hurt from watching it. Everything looks fake. There is no charm no emotions as they have been to the original trilogy. The plot is justUtterly and completely disappointing. So much CGI has been crammed into this movie that it makes your eyes hurt from watching it. Everything looks fake. There is no charm no emotions as they have been to the original trilogy. The plot is just boring and lame, all characters are annoying and forgettable. The boy playing Anakin is just an awfully terrible actor. If you compare it to other young actors (see Game of Thrones) you will notice that at least with a somehow decent acting choice some part of the movie could have still been saved.
But then there is this terrible terrible Jar-Jar CGI abomination. It fails at everything, it fails at humor, it fails at having any benefit to the movie.
While the old trilogy had a clear story line, some very memorable scenes and characters. This has nothing. I can't remember a single scene that was interesting or that I liked.
George Lucas should have better listened to his advisors instead of trying to do everything himself.
I know he is a big fan of modern computer imagery / CGI and so on. It does not really make the movie any better. It actually makes it much worse. The carefully crafted models used in the old trilogy look way more realistic and better even after many many years.… Expand

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

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0

CottleJan 19, 2012

This film broke my star wars loving heart. I totally agree with this movie critic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI . The 50 minute long roast of this scar on the star wars universe is by far more enjoyable than the movie.
OnlyThis film broke my star wars loving heart. I totally agree with this movie critic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI . The 50 minute long roast of this scar on the star wars universe is by far more enjoyable than the movie.
Only redeeming feature was Darth Maul who was without a doubt the most interesting character.… Expand

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

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0

MetanarMay 21, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Far from being a successor to the original trilogy, 'The Phantom Menace' (what were they thinking?) is boring, nonsensical and would, in fact, have been better if they had just gone all out with it being a child's cartoon so there was no implication that adults who enjoyed the original films were meant to enjoy this trash. It's clear this is meant to appeal to kids; you've got Jar Jar providing unfunny slapstick, an annoying brat who has no idea what's going on and somehow magically figures out how to pilot a ship in the end to save the day and simple one dimensional characters that any adult would recognise as cardboard cut outs of people. I don't think there's a single likeable character in this film. Obi-wan is whiny and does nothing for the whole film, Qui-Gon is just a flat boring character, Padme is similarly devoid of character, Jar Jar is a cartoon character and Anakin is just an annoying kid. The sure-fire best way to ruin the character of the fearsome Darth Vader was to make a new film that showed him to be a stupid kid who says "BOOM- they blow you UP!".

The plot doesn't make any damn sense, the characters are just awful and after watching this I'm left feeling like I just banged my head against a wall for half an hour because I feel about 50 IQ points dumber.… Expand

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

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0

igorgaviDec 27, 2015

"Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was the most disappointing thing since my son[...]And while my son eventually hanged himself in the bathroom of a gas station, the unfortunate reality of the Star Wars prequels is that they'll be around."Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was the most disappointing thing since my son[...]And while my son eventually hanged himself in the bathroom of a gas station, the unfortunate reality of the Star Wars prequels is that they'll be around. Forever." - Plinkett, Harry… Expand

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

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0

cjohnson596Dec 27, 2013

George Lucas dumped all over this travesty of a movie. How can you not compare it to the original Star Wars episodes 4, 5, and 6? And in comparison I cannot sit through this entire movie and watch the painful train-wreck that it is. LikeGeorge Lucas dumped all over this travesty of a movie. How can you not compare it to the original Star Wars episodes 4, 5, and 6? And in comparison I cannot sit through this entire movie and watch the painful train-wreck that it is. Like watching a computer generated video game that frequently throws miserable one-liner humor at you.… Expand

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

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2

ReubenIsAGodDec 16, 2015

Really bad film, probably oneofthe worst films ive ever seen. Bad dialog,annoying chara ters. **** even watch he prequls . dont watch it, tis **** 101

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

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0

IntroduceJun 15, 2014

Everyone knows it,
Anyone who pardons e1PM is simply in server denial,
It will always be known as one of the great
disasters in cinematic history.
Sad but oh so true.

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

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0

Nakan22Jun 30, 2014

George Lucas ruined star wars with this terribleGeorge Lucas ruined star wars with this terrible film.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................… Expand

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

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3

GreatbealloFeb 8, 2012

This movie is a train wreck in slow motion. This is easily the worst of the franchise, mainly because Jar Jar and Anikan are insufferable and pollute the film with every uttered line. There are some strong moments. I particularly enjoy DarthThis movie is a train wreck in slow motion. This is easily the worst of the franchise, mainly because Jar Jar and Anikan are insufferable and pollute the film with every uttered line. There are some strong moments. I particularly enjoy Darth Maul and the podracing sequence, but these elements are fleeting, and the film stumbles along at a miserable pace. George Lucas has a wildly creative imagination, and some of his ideas are brilliant beyond measure, but he does not know how to direct or write. This movie could have been something great, but instead it is mediocre.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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3

potatoes351Oct 31, 2012

For the start of a new trilogy in the Star Wars universe The Phantom Menace sure does show people how not to do it. This is the start of a trilogy to highlight the young Anakin and his inevitable journey to the dark side of the force andFor the start of a new trilogy in the Star Wars universe The Phantom Menace sure does show people how not to do it. This is the start of a trilogy to highlight the young Anakin and his inevitable journey to the dark side of the force and become Darth Vader and father to Luke Skywalker. This is Star Wars gone kiddy though, with the kid who plays a child Anakin being annoying as **** and having a stupid sub plot with a race of toad like people called Gungans who make painfully unfunny jokes. Good CGI but poor execution and Liam Neeson being the only saving grace.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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3

BananaCinemaJul 15, 2016

Three words: Jar Jar Binks, he flushed star wars down the drain and ruined both the movie and the prequel trilogy, HE'S JUST SOOOO ANNOYING, he's only there for comic relief, it feels like the movie was made for kids, the movie lacked drama,Three words: Jar Jar Binks, he flushed star wars down the drain and ruined both the movie and the prequel trilogy, HE'S JUST SOOOO ANNOYING, he's only there for comic relief, it feels like the movie was made for kids, the movie lacked drama, suspense and action, characters talked too much and politics, which no one cares about, especially the kids, the pod racing scene SUCKED (though i will admit, it generated an awesome video game), and it RUINED my all time favorite star wars character: darth vader, cause now, i'm supposed to accept the fact that Vader used to be some Blondie kid with a squeaky voice and bowl haircut, and who's so whiny (though the whiny part is only show in the later movies) and only joined the dark side because he didn't get what he wanted.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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3

Thatonenerd2187Dec 11, 2016

Star wars the phantom menace is the worst star wars movie by far in the franchise. With it's boring characters, terrible acting, terrible cgi that does not hold up well, and the fact that is completely boring makes this unwatchable.

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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2

Jota19751138Jan 24, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Movie with a very loose story and unfortunate characters like Jar Jar binks, after many years of waiting I was very disappointed.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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3

seanreneauMay 20, 2018

Phantom Menace has a great lightsaber battle and that is about all. Phantom Menace is a boring addition to the Star Wars universe with bad CGI and bad acting.

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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0

dellamorteMay 10, 2011

I was one of the original SW fans who camped outside the multiplex up to a year before The Phantom Menace opened in May 1999. Fair enough this was the Odeon in Manchester, England (and not Sunny California), but hey at least I can say I wasI was one of the original SW fans who camped outside the multiplex up to a year before The Phantom Menace opened in May 1999. Fair enough this was the Odeon in Manchester, England (and not Sunny California), but hey at least I can say I was there, with the tramps and junkies, in the rain, mud and urine and semen... Yep a great time to be homeless it was. Anyway when the police finally told me the cinemas restraining order against me was no longer enforceable I went straight in to see this movie. And what a movie it was. First off I was really happy it had the original trilogy's opening (and closing) credits. I was also glad it was set in outer space, just like the other films. I was also glad they decided to re-use the original John Williams theme and not go for some rubbish modern pop music. As for the rest of the film, the acting across the board was on the whole cleverly under stated, with occasional moments of over statement. The length of the film was about average. Meanwhile the title of the film proved to be no where near as bad as other potential film titles such as: â… Expand

3 of 8 users found this helpful35

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0

AwesomeguyRApr 12, 2014

Worst movie of all time. It is so bad that I went back in time and shot myself to not see it. Na i'm just kidding the word is tone. It sucks like your mom last night.

3 of 9 users found this helpful36

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1

HomeCriticMay 23, 2014

An awful mess that shouldn't have been made in the first place...
Great actors wasted, plot that makes no bloody sense, unlikable bland characters that are completely unrelatable and **** JAR JAR. BINKS. Do I need to add more?..

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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3

CritiqueGirlMar 4, 2011

I was extremely disappointed. There was too much CGI and not enough story. Although the series was always conceived to have a trilogy prior to the trilogy, you would think it was written, acted and directed just to make some more money.

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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3

nahtan1244Jan 7, 2017

I Love star wars. It's been a crucial part of my childhood and beyond. I fondly remember watching the prequels and thinking they were gods of a movie. It's not so much the case today. The thing about the phantom meance is Geroge lucas is aI Love star wars. It's been a crucial part of my childhood and beyond. I fondly remember watching the prequels and thinking they were gods of a movie. It's not so much the case today. The thing about the phantom meance is Geroge lucas is a great story teller. He has some excellent ideas that made the foundations of the story great but it was just executed very poorly. Too much exposition, Jar Jar, whoever thought he would make a great general? weird stereotyping in the voices, wooden acting all across the board. Seriously queen admadala barley cracks a smile and the way she delivers her lines make me want to go to sleep. The only good thing That makes this a 3 is the lifghsaber fight plus as I mentioned before the great outlying of the story. I think George lucas is a great story teller but he can't put his thoughts into action and make it a great movie. That's why the original trilogy was so good. Even though he inly made one star wars movie he wrote the story for all 3 and they were fantastic. I admire George lucas. I feel bad as he had to prepare for alot of backlash sense episode 1 and even if he is not a perfect director I thank him wholeheartedly for bringing star wars into my life and I am glad he was able to share it with his vision. all I have left to say is thank you lucas for not ruining my childhood but creating it.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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2

CTHReviewsMar 7, 2018

Look, this isn't the worst movie ever. I wouldn't even say it's... terrible. But this is still a really bad movie. The crappy effects, the dull writing and direction, and the ungodly pace are the main things that make me want to sink TheLook, this isn't the worst movie ever. I wouldn't even say it's... terrible. But this is still a really bad movie. The crappy effects, the dull writing and direction, and the ungodly pace are the main things that make me want to sink The Phantom Menace deep into the Naboo Abyss.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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0

InconnuxJan 11, 2019

I can't express how bad this movie is. One of the few movies that I have considered walking out of the theatre. Painful

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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3

spencieMar 15, 2018

This is why I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, The Phantom Menace is a terrible movie. The visuals are bad, the story is bad, the characters are boring, the story in uninteresting, even the acting is bad. I'm not a big Star Wars fan because halfThis is why I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, The Phantom Menace is a terrible movie. The visuals are bad, the story is bad, the characters are boring, the story in uninteresting, even the acting is bad. I'm not a big Star Wars fan because half of the Star Wars movies suck.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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3

GarethBOct 5, 2018

Darth JarJar is awful, somethings didn't need to be in this... Anakin made C3PO??? Midibloodychlorians?????? so disappointing after star wars being away for so long.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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2

Young_NachoDec 30, 2019

As much as everyone hates Jar Jar, he is somehow the only character that shows emotion in the entire film. Everyone else is just a robot spitting out this aimless nonsense for 2 hours, until the fantastic final fight scene occurs, wakingAs much as everyone hates Jar Jar, he is somehow the only character that shows emotion in the entire film. Everyone else is just a robot spitting out this aimless nonsense for 2 hours, until the fantastic final fight scene occurs, waking everyone up from their slumber. There is no main character, all logic goes out the window, and every new thing introduced by Lucas is CHEEKS.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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3

YesterJun 10, 2020

It's just a bit too drawn out and it's not a really interesting part of Anakin & The Republic's Fall.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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3

SantiagoSantosMay 13, 2020

This movie as a really bad script with really bad acting. The only thing I think this film does well is the pod racing sequence and Darth Maul's battle with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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3

EthanR592Jan 23, 2020

I would write a lot about how terrible this movie is but I think "It's the Phantom Menace" pretty much sums it up alone. There's a reason people say to skip this one when watching all the movies on the Machete Order.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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3

CakperDec 30, 2019

ass movie no good man dont see please dont bad it no good is bad very bad ok?

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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0

Bigmouth123Jan 4, 2020

Horrible. Horrendous acting, dont get me started on Anakins horrible acting. Jar jar was even better than him tbh.

0 of 13 users found this helpful013

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3

thethethe4Jun 1, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the most disappointing StarWars movie, the actors are lack laster and some of the scenes are just plain boring. The racing scene in the movie is boring, the ending of it is predictable and honestly it just makes me sad. The movie also suffers from a crippling reliance on CGI that makes the films visuals look worse than the original three movies. If you are a Star Wars fan than I would watch just to understand Anakin better otherwise avoid this film.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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2

jonrock411Jul 28, 2020

Overall, Phantom Menace is a flawed film. While it isn't the absolute dumpster fire that the early internet fan culture had made it out to be, it is neither the "reclaimed masterwork" that modern one seems to think it is. There are moments ofOverall, Phantom Menace is a flawed film. While it isn't the absolute dumpster fire that the early internet fan culture had made it out to be, it is neither the "reclaimed masterwork" that modern one seems to think it is. There are moments of greatness throughout, and a clear appreciation for good world-building, but it's all just filigree. The actual filmmaking is where the film suffers, leading to a dull confusing mess of a film.… Expand