Read User Reviews and Submit your own for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace - Page 3

4

Roger1718Dec 20, 2017

The overuse of CGI and terrible scripting and acting make this movie laughable at some points. The rest is just plain and simple, and unfortunately all lightsaber fights look terribly planned and choreographed.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

4

Jk9785Feb 23, 2017

A fun but incredibly flawed film, Lucas' first entry in the Star Wars prequel trilogy is a disappointment to say the least, with bland characters, computer generated effects that don't hold up well (with a few exceptions), and a characterA fun but incredibly flawed film, Lucas' first entry in the Star Wars prequel trilogy is a disappointment to say the least, with bland characters, computer generated effects that don't hold up well (with a few exceptions), and a character who, in my opinion, is the most annoying character in cinema history. The one, the only, Jar Jar Binks. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor's performances remain the only bright spots in this film for me.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

6

samsterJan 21, 2018

It was alright. Not enough action besides the end and to cringe.

Plot: 3.5/5
Action/ Entertainment: 3/5
Music/ Visuals: 5/5
Acting: 2/5

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

6

TheRussianatorApr 6, 2018

The horrifically awful characters of Jar Jar and Anakin, and the aged blue screen/green screen extravaganza are paired with the really good lightsaber battles and charisma of Liam Neeson, which makes for almost a guilty pleasure - which isThe horrifically awful characters of Jar Jar and Anakin, and the aged blue screen/green screen extravaganza are paired with the really good lightsaber battles and charisma of Liam Neeson, which makes for almost a guilty pleasure - which is not a compliment for Star Wars.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

7

FilipeNetoFeb 23, 2018

This film, released more than ten years after the last film in the original trilogy, marks the start of the second Star Wars trilogy, a prequel to the original movies. It may even be considered that, if the first trilogy was the story of LukeThis film, released more than ten years after the last film in the original trilogy, marks the start of the second Star Wars trilogy, a prequel to the original movies. It may even be considered that, if the first trilogy was the story of Luke Skywalker, the second is the story of Darth Vader. In this film, directed and written by George Lucas, has the participation of Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, among other actors.

This is a film that seeks to begin a new trilogy but that's full of failures, with a single guilty: George Lucas. He made the script and the direction, but he seems so concerned about action and special effects that forgot everything else. The script is reasonable, the connection he makes with the previous films, although remote, is credible. However, it gives too much importance to things that don't matter (as the race where Anakin participates) and ignore events that, if they had been developed, would have made the film more interesting. This is the case of the Naboo's invasion, which should have been more dramatic, and Luke chose to observe coolly, from the Amidala's palace windows. Another flaw is the character's design. Lucas took all the emotional and psychological side, emptying them. There are even certain characters that shouldn't exist because they have no relevance, as Sebulba, a poor attempt to create a villain which is never threatening. The passion of Amidala and Anakin, who should have been intense and overwhelming, hardly goes beyond the exchange of glances, prudish and restrained, unable to move the audience. Its a film with plenty of action, but a huge emotional shyness, unable to make the audience shed a tear. The public sees and appreciates, but isn't attached to the characters. The most notable exception is Jar Jar, a humorous and well developed character, making the audience love him or hate him and leaving anyone indifferent. So, if by some chance the actors didn't seem to be particularly inspired in this film, we can blame Luke, as the actors did what was asked of them.

Action scenes and special effects deserve applause and are, truly, the great strong point of the film. The new technologies have enabled to make wonders apparently unbelievable at the time of the first film. The costumes, characterization and scenarios also deserve congratulations. The soundtrack wasn't particularly great but the editing and sound effects were at the highest level, leading to the Oscar nomination for Best Sound, Best Sound Effects and Best Visual Effects.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

9

Sidious58Mar 8, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Un ottimo film con ottimi effetti speciali per l'epoca. Probabilmente è il film meno drammatico della saga data l'assenza di una guerra vera propria.Gli unici veri problemi sono una corsa degli sgusci tirata troppo per le lunghe e una battaglia su Naboo non troppo eccezionale… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

10

Saif112Jul 13, 2018

The phantom menace is the best movie i have i ever se and George Lucas is the best director

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

4

Syn_againSep 28, 2010

The only reason this movie is not a 3 or lower is simply due to the fact that an interesting character - Darth Maul was introduced. Aside from this there are no good takeaways from this movie.

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

All this user's reviews

9

DBPirate1129Apr 25, 2015

SKIP TO THE END FOR REVIEW SUMMARY.

The Phantom Menace is a divisive film, to say the least. Fan expectations were extremely high in 1999 when the film was released. However, I'd say that it's by no means as bad as people think. The PhantomSKIP TO THE END FOR REVIEW SUMMARY.

The Phantom Menace is a divisive film, to say the least. Fan expectations were extremely high in 1999 when the film was released. However, I'd say that it's by no means as bad as people think.

The Phantom Menace, the fourth Star Wars film but the first chronologically, follows Jedi Masters Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi as they help Queen Amidala save her planet of Naboo from invasion. Along their adventure, they meet Anakin Skywalker, who Qui-Gon believes to be the prophesied Chosen One that will bring balance to the Force. While the film seems inconsequential at first glance, it proves to be a worthwhile addition to the saga.

There are a few awkward lines here and there, but I find that the movie's plot, soundtrack, action, and effects more than make up for it. Qui-Gon, who we follow for most of the movie, is a rogue and idealistic Jedi. About midway through the movie, we get to see the other members of the Jedi Order and it's interesting to see how Qui-Gon clashes with their beliefs. Jar Jar Binks' (the controversial comic relief in the film) presence in the movie has definitely been exaggerated over the years. He by no means ruins the movie and even serves the story well by helping to set up the ending battle sequence. And I'm sure that most of you know already that the famous lightsaber battle at the end of the movie is well worth seeing. The film also benefits from the chemistry between Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson), Shmi Skywalker (Pernilla August), and Anakin (Jake Lloyd).

I think that Star Wars fans today would really benefit from giving the prequels another go. They really aren't as bad as most people think. The Phantom Menace provides an engaging and interesting plot combined with some of the best action in the saga.

Review was redone ahead of The Last Jedi.… Expand

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

4

AaronWasserman2May 3, 2014

Pathetic and down right embarressing. it barely gets a 4 just for effects, music, and some cool fights. aside from that this movie is BAD. Most people do not count it as part of the saga

2 of 8 users found this helpful26

All this user's reviews

7

PaxsterSep 8, 2010

As much as Jar Jar Binks is disliked I actually quite liked him. I know I'll probably be killed by most fans for saying this but I did think he was alright. I felt Liam Neeson had a good performance but McGregor needed some serious work. TheAs much as Jar Jar Binks is disliked I actually quite liked him. I know I'll probably be killed by most fans for saying this but I did think he was alright. I felt Liam Neeson had a good performance but McGregor needed some serious work. The Pod Race was way to long and the kid playing Anakin kind of annoyed me. A fairly good movie but no classic.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

6

TokyochuchuApr 28, 2013

Despite all the fanboy hate, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace was a decent sci-fi adventure film. There are some impressive scenes like the pod race and the climactic light-saber duel. The political maneuvering of Palpatine is alsoDespite all the fanboy hate, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace was a decent sci-fi adventure film. There are some impressive scenes like the pod race and the climactic light-saber duel. The political maneuvering of Palpatine is also fun to watch. The movie is overlong, though, and slips in to tedium now and again. Still, nowhere near a bad movie.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

6

hoops2448Oct 21, 2011

The Star Wars saga according to many a fan took a lot of hits with this instalment but in my opinion it took more from the Return of the Jedi (a overly long, preachy pile of hogwash). Phantom of the Menace is entertaining to say the least andThe Star Wars saga according to many a fan took a lot of hits with this instalment but in my opinion it took more from the Return of the Jedi (a overly long, preachy pile of hogwash). Phantom of the Menace is entertaining to say the least and while it doesnâ… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

8

SpiderJediDec 19, 2011

In 99, I didn't much care for Episode 1, but now, after watching it on blu ray in 2011, it's not as bad as I remembered. It's just the first chapter of the saga, and like many character introduction pieces, they can be a little dry. I justIn 99, I didn't much care for Episode 1, but now, after watching it on blu ray in 2011, it's not as bad as I remembered. It's just the first chapter of the saga, and like many character introduction pieces, they can be a little dry. I just think that expectations were very high, and we all had our own version of how this was going to play out in 99. Don't close your mind to it, but just rewatch and judge it removed from the anticipation.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

6

JaySupertrampFeb 6, 2012

Im a Star Wars fan from since the beginning and in my opinion George Lucas should have let Episode I been were it was before ... in a drawer! But we cant go backwards in time so Im writing a review for this. For a movie on its own its aIm a Star Wars fan from since the beginning and in my opinion George Lucas should have let Episode I been were it was before ... in a drawer! But we cant go backwards in time so Im writing a review for this. For a movie on its own its a medium done work. The acting is good and for its time the special effects are good as well. The plot is important for the Star Wars Saga but all the rest is rubbish. Its way to much a kids movie - cant even try to mess with the originals.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

6

cameronmorewoodNov 12, 2012

Phantom Menace is easily the worst of the six Star Wars films, but is it really as bad as everyone says? No, it's not. They're all just pissed they had to wait 15 years to see it.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

6

jyzmanMar 8, 2013

Not as good as the prequel trilogy, but this film is far more enjoyable than Attack Of The Clones. The Podrace was the highlight of the film, and the lightsaber battle at the end was good as well. Some of the film is a bit predictable and theNot as good as the prequel trilogy, but this film is far more enjoyable than Attack Of The Clones. The Podrace was the highlight of the film, and the lightsaber battle at the end was good as well. Some of the film is a bit predictable and the jokes a bit, and Jar Jar is very annoying, but the movie is still enjoyable.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

4

Movie1997Dec 22, 2015

Having not experienced Star Wars as a kid, I thought that I should watch all of them starting with "The Phantom Menace". Unfortunately, this did not kick things off to a good start. Right off the bat you get a lame and pathetic story aboutHaving not experienced Star Wars as a kid, I thought that I should watch all of them starting with "The Phantom Menace". Unfortunately, this did not kick things off to a good start. Right off the bat you get a lame and pathetic story about tax federations, weak characters and even worse performances. The visuals are completely overblown and suck you out of the movie. I don't think I need to say anymore about Jar Jar Binks. While I didn't find him to be the biggest abomination in cinema, he does leave a bad taste in the mouth of viewers. But it's a not a flat out terrible movie. There are some great light saber fights (even if they are too well choreographed), and there are even some (not many) but some moments of promise. However it doesn't fulfill the way that it should be use of George Lucas' direction. The problems this movie has are because George Lucas doesn't know how to write characters let alone get real performances out of his actors. You can tell he's more about style than substance. Overall, while not a terrible movie, it's boring storyline and dull characters make "The Phantom Menace" one to simply skip. I'm going to give it a C-!… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

7

NathanJonesSep 28, 2013

A good start to the Saga. The Podraces are awesome, Darth Maul is awesome, and the lightsaber fights are cool. I see everyone whining, moaning and complaining about this film just because for what it is, there is no reason for any of theA good start to the Saga. The Podraces are awesome, Darth Maul is awesome, and the lightsaber fights are cool. I see everyone whining, moaning and complaining about this film just because for what it is, there is no reason for any of the hate. F*** the haters. Score: 3/5.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

7

horcrux2007Nov 28, 2015

I suppose I should start calling this "Confessions of a Star Wars Virgin"... Anyway, I've finally come to the much-maligned prequel series and a movie that gets considerable hate, The Phantom Menace. Maybe because I don't esteem the Star WarsI suppose I should start calling this "Confessions of a Star Wars Virgin"... Anyway, I've finally come to the much-maligned prequel series and a movie that gets considerable hate, The Phantom Menace. Maybe because I don't esteem the Star Wars film as the greatest films of all time, or maybe I just have lower standards than most, but I found The Phantom Menace to be the most fun Star Wars movie yet. Yes, there are enormous flaws with Episode I, but like every other film in the series, the good moments don't just excuse the bad; they topple them. The Phantom Menace follows Jedi Knight Qui-God Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi as they escort Queen Amidala on her travels to the planet Coruscant, hoping to find a peaceful end to an interplanetary trade dispute. They also encounter Anakin Skywalker, before he became a Jedi, who appears to have unusually strong powers of the Force. I was definitely surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie based on how much hate it has received. Being the first movie in a trilogy, The Phantom Menace is going to feature a lot of exposition and many seemingly stock characters. I would hope many of the plotlines and character arcs are continued in the next couple of movies because, but I have to at least give it the benefit of the doubt for now. The movie's good moments made me completely forget many of the bad ones that came before it. The pod race in particular was stunning as well as the final fight with Darth Maul; showing the Jedi in their prime made the lightsaber fights more fast-paced and exciting. Even though I enjoyed the movie, I can completely understand the hatred it has accumulated over the years. If I was a big fan of the original series, and I had to wait sixteen years for this, I would be pretty disappointed as well. Maybe being a Star Wars virgin allowed me to enjoy Episode I more than I should have, but, at least for me, The Phantom Menace was the most visually impressive and maybe even the most fun Star Wars movie yet by continuing to showcase the series' creativity and imagination.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

10

parsa2000Dec 2, 2014

A very good and fantastic movie. A very good screenplay good acts and good special effect. It is the best movie from Star Wars sries. I like this movie more than the others.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

4

MrMovieBuffDec 27, 2015

(I had to review this movie sooner or later, so here it is)

George Lucas returns in the director's chair for 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace', the highly anticipated space opera prequel that will tell us the story of how the famous Darth(I had to review this movie sooner or later, so here it is)

George Lucas returns in the director's chair for 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace', the highly anticipated space opera prequel that will tell us the story of how the famous Darth Vader became...Darth Vader.

The movie stars Liam Neeson as Qui Gon Jinn, a legendary Jedi warrior with his accomplice Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) who travel to find a young boy they believe will bring balance to the force and will one day, become a legendary Jedi fighter.

The movie starts with promise, still giving us the iconic crawl text sequence with the iconic theme composed by the great John Williams. Some of the action sequences here do look impressive, as you would expect from a movie made in the late 1990s. We also meet the female protagonist in the movie named Padme (Natalie Portman) who gets on really well with the young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) and they seem to have this strange romantic infatuation with one-another. I use the word "strange" simply because Anakin appears to be an eight-year-old boy, and Padme appears as a teenage girl...somewhere along the lines of 13, 14-years-old.

Director, George Lucas, who hasn't directed a well-known feature since "A New Hope" in 1977 clearly has shown how his skills as a filmmaker has somewhat fallen for the nearly 22 years he has taken between directing features. The story is an interesting story as we (mostly "Star Wars" fans) learn how one of the most iconic villains in motion picture history becomes the person we know them to be. Unfortunately, it's the execution of the movie and how the story is being told that comes off as a disappointment, which led many fans to react with outrage and hate towards this movie.

But we need to discuss the elephant in the room, or maybe the Gungan in the room, that is the ever so hated Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best). This character has gained some notorious hate because of his voice and antics on screen. Lucas clearly wanted to make a comic relief character similar to that of the Genie in 'Aladdin' (1992), where the jokes and obnoxious behavior would result in laughter, instead, the jokes result in frustration from the audience as we want to know, when will Jar Jar Binks shut up?

There are many moments where we see Binks constantly falling over, screaming, becoming the victim of slapstick, physical comedy and even just getting himself in danger so we could see him do something funny. Unfortunately, he is neither funny nor helpful, the movie wouldn't be any different without him, although, it would be slightly easier to watch.

Another trouble this movie faces is the dialogue, it is very expository where characters such as the legendary Qui Gon Jinn use very long words relating to "Star Wars" things and speaking like he is reciting poetry, or verses from the Bible. There is never a moment where we see the characters speak realistically, or even times where they are not trying to drill in your heads what the movie's plot is. The story execution is so thinly written, Lucas depends on dialogue to help the audience catch up.

The CGI here is the real deal, it is a very lush looking movie, in fact, that is pretty much the reason why it got made. Throughout the 1990s, with films like 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' (1991) and 'Jurassic Park' (1993) have broke new ground with their almost realistic looking CGI as technology improves, even four years before "The Phantom Menace", an animated film called 'Toy Story' (1995) was released becoming the first ever CG-animated feature film.

We get many scenes where characters are in certain set-pieces standing before other CGI characters in a CGI hall-like room and we get many establishing shots and wide shots to showcase what a great looking movie this is. It is gorgeous and well-made, but that isn't enough to hide a bad script.

All in all, "The Phantom Menace" is only worth watching for the final fight between Obi Wan Kenobi, Qui Gon Jinn and the main antagonist, Darth Maul...this fight scene may look more like dancing due to the unnecessary flips and twirling of the lightsabers like they are batons...but it is pure eye-candy.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

4

MovieManiac83Apr 24, 2015

Things get off to a cold start with the much parodied credit crawl. Where Episode IV goes for the in media res jugular – “It is a time of civil war!” - problems in Episode I are not quite so pressing. Events are “alarming” perhaps, there’sThings get off to a cold start with the much parodied credit crawl. Where Episode IV goes for the in media res jugular – “It is a time of civil war!” - problems in Episode I are not quite so pressing. Events are “alarming” perhaps, there’s certainly plenty of “turmoil” and we all know “taxation” is a thorny issue but the context is clear: like Anakin, this conflict still has some growing up to do. The menace is still phantom.

An inexcusably lazy establishing shot - the Jedi shuttle cruises past the camera - and lethargic opening sequence hardly help pick up the pace. In A New Hope’s famous opening salvo the bad guys fire first and ask questions later, in The Phantom Menace the Jedi are ushered into a meeting room while the semi-bad guys go into video conference with Darth Sidious about whether an invasion of Naboo is legal or not.

This arse-numbing inactivity recurs throughout The Phantom Menace: because the battles lines are not yet drawn and sides are still being taken there is always much explaining to be done, characters are forever having update meetings or being introduced to one another. The plot machinery lumbers through the gears, hampered further by the strange declarative dialogue and by an apparent disinterest in making these scenes visually interesting.

Critics complained that Lucas had got yet worse at writing for humans in the twenty-two years since Star Wars, in fact it is simply that, beyond Alec Guinness talking about the force, the plot of A New Hope requires no exposition - The Phantom Menace on the other hand is all explanation, much of it, like the midichlorians, unwanted and unnecessary. (To be fair, Lucas waited a generation before spoiling his enigmatic myth with background material, the Wachowski’s jumped that particular shark in film two.)

And yet there is still much pleasure to be had watching our full-blown Jedi guides in action. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan quickly discover that things are mercifully worse than the credit crawl predicted, a robot invasion force is being unpacked, Naboo is under actual threat. Sadly, we never actually see any of the massacres that are apparently taking place, instead we land somewhere that looks suspiciously like the woods near Leavesden and meet one of the galaxy’s more annoying comedy sidekicks (although not as annoying as fans frantically searching for a scapegoat would have you believe). After all, this film has at its hero a small boy – it cannot visit the dark 12A places.

Tatooine turns out to be a total bust. They leave Obi-Wan behind, Amidala pretends to be Padme for no good reason, Anakin whines a lot, there’s some mumbo jumbo about a mystical birth and at absolutely no point does Han Solo turn up. Bastard. This is a section so flabby that even the electrifying pod race goes on for one lap too long.

But hell, we meet Vader Jnr. and he says goodbye to his mother, which is the only essential action of the movie, so it’s almost worth the trip.

Lucas probably imagined that Anakin’s goodbye would be the real heartbreaker but he couldn’t write it and Jake Lloyd couldn’t act it. The irony is, we don’t need it. Given where he is destined to end up, Anakin doesn’t need to be innocence personified when we meet him. Indeed, we are told that the kid is too old to be trained and that the Jedi council fear him, facts that are utterly lost on an audience who see only a bowl-headed brat.

Perhaps best of all, we have the death of Qui-Gon. Liam Neeson has manfully carried the action on his shoulders throughout (the subsequent prequels desperately miss him) and his final words – “Obi-Wan, promise... Promise me you will train the boy” - provide the movie with its only real weight.

And yet if only Lucas could have stopped thinking like a fearful father and acted more like the fearless myth-maker of old, there’s a quick fix that would change everything. Imagine for a moment a street urchin orphaned by the Clone Wars, a scoundrel scamming to survive, already using the force without even realising it. Imagine a cocky fifteen-year old robbing Qui-Gonn, competing with Obi-Wan and flirting with Padme. Imagine, for a second, an Anakin invested with the spirit of a young Han Solo…

The most disappointing film of all time it remains, but with the galaxy of hype now far, far away Menace seems much less of a public menace than it did in the summer of 1999. Alongside the obvious action highs, the ability to consume the saga in a single sitting has created a veritable feast for those fans still keen to mine for irony, with Palpatine’s Shakespearean scheming particularly delectable here.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

8

J0eJan 15, 2016

I do not get all the hate for this movie it has an ok story it has good characters and some bad ones 2 cool bad guys and 2 bad ones has some bad acting but also good acting. Overall it is a good movie with a lot of flaws and I know it has notI do not get all the hate for this movie it has an ok story it has good characters and some bad ones 2 cool bad guys and 2 bad ones has some bad acting but also good acting. Overall it is a good movie with a lot of flaws and I know it has not aged very well but it still is cool has some awesome characters and awesome fight scenes.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

4

The_fantastic94May 3, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Star wars fans had to wait 16 years for another cinematic adventure to the galaxy far far away, unfortunately, the patience did not pay off. However just like with Darth Vader, there remains some good in it.
The predconditions could not have been better though: George Lucas, mastermind behind his big franchise, was back in the directing chair, John Williams composed the score and the cast had some pretty good names to offer.
Unfortunately, the movie is very disappointing. Bad dialogue, an overdose of CGI, a childish, whiny Anakin Skywalker who ought to be Darth Vader one day, and Jar Jar Binks, the probably worst movie character in history, make "The phantom menace" an unsatisfying and frankly rather terrible experience for moviegoers and Star wars fans. A badass Darth Maul, well portrayed Obi-wan Kenobi and the stunning lightsaber duel at the end prevent it to be a complete disaster like its successor, but cannot heal our wounds caused by the major flaws in the film. What a waste!… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

5

benskylerhillMay 20, 2018

Ah, The Phantom Menace: one of the most hated movies of all time. That hate is arguably quite justified--not because it's a bad film, but because it has the structure of a fascinating prelude to a classic saga and wastes its potential-filledAh, The Phantom Menace: one of the most hated movies of all time. That hate is arguably quite justified--not because it's a bad film, but because it has the structure of a fascinating prelude to a classic saga and wastes its potential-filled premise on passive, poor execution.

Star Wars: Episode I does, in fact, have some redeeming qualities. For one thing, this is where the action sequences began to be modernized. The lightsaber fights are elegantly choreographed and the transition into CGI-powered space-battle scenes works very well most of the time. The other primary positive trait of The Phantom Menace is its plot. Many people are bothered by the fact that it focuses on slow-burning political tensions rather than fast-paced attack-and-retreat military action like the original trilogy did. This doesn't bother me at all. There are political drama-thriller films that are very entertaining, and the politics of Episode I's story are quite fascinating when it's considered that they have a massive impact on the fate of the galaxy and eventually pave the way for the rise of the Empire from the original trilogy. The sad thing is that what could have been a thoroughly engaging politically-centered war film crumbles into the pitfalls of poor storytelling. The high-stakes, desperate situation of Naboo is swept under the rug thanks to purely wooden acting and emotionless line delivery. The script doesn't articulate things as well as it should sometimes, but the real problem is the fact that pretty much every actor appears to be reading from a teleprompter. It also doesn't help that nearly all of the exposition is given through dull scenes in which people sit down and discuss things, and the combination of all of this gets old very very quickly. To engage an audience with dialogue, there must be something else happening--moving--in the scene to accompany it, and there is absolutely none of that present for the majority of Episode I.

There are some visually striking scenes (especially by the standards of 1999) but there is certainly an enormous over reliance on special effects. The original trilogy made its universe appear real through the use of tangible makeup and models and physical sets. The Phantom Menace has horrendous set design with visible gaps filled in with unnecessary CGI and some scenes entirely created with computers. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but the effects of 1999 just weren't ready to create entire worlds and the lack of anything physical in many scenes makes the world appear cartoonish and it severely weakens the believability of the galaxy far far away.

The Phantom Menace is not a train wreck, as some believe it to be. Darth Maul remains one of the best villains of the franchise and there are many visual improvements that were kickstarted with this installment. But it certainly ranks among the most disappointing movies ever made because it could have been infinitely more exciting had there been more talent involved in front of and behind the camera.

Story: 7
Acting: 2
Script: 4
Visuals/Sound: 6.5
Entertainment Value: 5.5

OVERALL SCORE: 5/10… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

5

billJul 15, 2009

The problem with this one (for me at least) was that jar jar binks charactor. From start to finish he was so annoying I could not enjoy any of the scenes he was in, its to bad mr. Lucas didn't have the sense to kill him off. However, The problem with this one (for me at least) was that jar jar binks charactor. From start to finish he was so annoying I could not enjoy any of the scenes he was in, its to bad mr. Lucas didn't have the sense to kill him off. However, the pod race scene was well done and this star wars has possibly the best lightsaber fight in the history of star wars.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful

5

SnafuFrankNov 17, 2011

This film has no tension, drama, suspense, focus, excitement, development, and most importantly, it has no story to tell. For what it is, it's a joyless ride of random nothingness filled with flat, undeveloped, boring stereotypicalThis film has no tension, drama, suspense, focus, excitement, development, and most importantly, it has no story to tell. For what it is, it's a joyless ride of random nothingness filled with flat, undeveloped, boring stereotypical characters that none of us would care about. Why didn't George Lucas hired others to direct the prequels just like he did in The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi? Why didn't he? If he did, the prequels could have ended up way better. But no, he himself had to direct all the prequels, and for that he has destroyed his godlike reputation.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

All this user's reviews

4

InlikeflynnJun 8, 2014

The problems that comes with this movie is that everything lacks grip...

Why are all the characters so dull and boring? I really can't imagine why made everyone so robotic; is hard to describe the characters because of their lack ofThe problems that comes with this movie is that everything lacks grip...

Why are all the characters so dull and boring? I really can't imagine why made everyone so robotic; is hard to describe the characters because of their lack of personality, I just can't imagine the actors in my head trying to play out the lines in the script without any kind of passion in it or maybe the directing was non-existing. The special effects haven't aged well, I can tell that almost everything in this movie is CG and if I look closely I am sure I can find some texture raptures (Although I am not fully sure of that myself)... The general story is so boring that I can guarantee you that you will not care at all about what it's going on, stiff acting and odd concepts for the expansion of the star wars universe.

I can honestly say however that the soundtrack is great; with memorable tunes like "Duel of the Fates" that you won't get out of your head and the well choreographed fight scenes that are just fun to watch. The Phantom Menace has too many flaws to just be a passable flick but it's at least fun to enjoy thanks to it's few saving graces.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

All this user's reviews

8

mm007Oct 13, 2016

[8/10]
-------------
PROS: 1.Liam Neeson, Ewan Mcgregor, and Natalie Portman did good jobs. 2.The cute little boy anakin skywalker. Watching him was a charm. 3.Super action packed climax.Though Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) dies. 4.After[8/10]
-------------
PROS:
1.Liam Neeson, Ewan Mcgregor, and Natalie Portman did good jobs.
2.The cute little boy anakin skywalker. Watching him was a charm.
3.Super action packed climax.Though Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) dies.
4.After watching the sequel triology, really wanted to know the back story (How and why Anakin Skywalker becomes Derth Vader).Back story started really beautifully.

CONS:
1. Boring race in the middle.
2. jar jar binks failed to be funny and just made it a long annoying movie.
3.Too much characters.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

All this user's reviews

10

cforthewinNov 13, 2016

I nice movie to stat with with good action, a good story, and mostly good characters. It is not a perfect movie but it is definitely a good movie and a great way to introduce kids to star wars.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

All this user's reviews

5

HalfwelshmanOct 9, 2011

Cast your mind back to May 1999. You may remember quite a buzz of excitement in the air. The world was awaiting the release of a new edition to the Star Wars saga, 16 years after it ended. To put it mildly, The Phantom Menace had a lot toCast your mind back to May 1999. You may remember quite a buzz of excitement in the air. The world was awaiting the release of a new edition to the Star Wars saga, 16 years after it ended. To put it mildly, The Phantom Menace had a lot to live up to. It may yet go down in history as the most divisive film of all time. As often parodied, it split Star Wars fans down the middle. No one could deny that the effects were superb, flawless even. But what bothered many was the clunky dialogue, the wooden acting and the fact that it didn't seem to belong in quite the same world as the series which shares its name. My main problem with the Phantom Menace is that I'm relatively indifferent to it. It's not awful by any means, in fact it has many redeeming features (but no where near enough to make it a great film). The visuals were the best in the world at the time of the film's release, and still hold up today. The realisation of Coruscant, the "capital of the galaxy" in the form of a planet-wide city is an interesting idea, as is the Gungan's underwater "bubble city" and both look sensational. The film also has two stand-out action sequences - the pod-race, a creative, heart-thumping Ben-Hur tribute, and the "duel of the fates" which forms the finale of the film. This three-way lightsabre battle between a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) against the formidable Darth Maul (Ray Park) wielding an iconic double-bladed lightsabre. This has to be among the finest fight scenes of all time - the choreography is extremely creative and the execution flawless - it's a real testement to the stunt crew working on the film. Brilliant visuals and two memorable scenes cannot save a film, however. The story isn't up to much, and you don't have the high stakes of the original films - you know who's going to survive, it being a prequel to the original series. Lucas has never been great at dialogue, but during his Star Wars prequels, he seems to become worse at it over time. In the Phantom Menace you can look forward to such gems as Obi-Wan's "do not defy the council master, not again", young Anakin's "Are you an Angel?" speech, Yoda's classic "how feel you?" and pretty much everything said by Jar-Jar Binks. Ah Jar-Jar Binks - no other three words send shivers down the spine of a Star Wars fan so effectively (accept maybe a debate into who shot first). He's a truly irradeemable character - narratively unnecessary, insulting, and very, very annoying. The other actors and their characters are either unremarkable (MacGregor, Lloyd and Portman) or look thoroughly embarrassed to be on screen (I'm talking about you, Mr Neason). The Phantom Meanace is a disappointment, but in truth, it could never live up to Star Wars fans' high expectations, but it's good for providing the odd cheap thrill. And John Williams' scoring for the series is still great.… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

All this user's reviews

7

sil3nt_nickMar 24, 2013

Well written and amazing effects.

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

All this user's reviews

10

SalvalarJan 4, 2015

The real score for this movie is an 8, but I score with a 10 because here are many people mad about the original trilogy of Star Wars that want to feel as the were 17 again... and that's not possible. I feel sorry for the people that see theThe real score for this movie is an 8, but I score with a 10 because here are many people mad about the original trilogy of Star Wars that want to feel as the were 17 again... and that's not possible. I feel sorry for the people that see the original trilogy at the right age and the see the second trilogy been so unfairly critic with it.

The real problem with this people is that they want to feel in Disneyland as they was 17, but the reality is that you have no 17 and you will never had. If you return to Disneyland with 40 sorry, you will not feel the same, the attractions doesn't change a lot, you are the one that change, you are harden to surprise, you are not a child, you are not an adolescent.

The film is below Star Wars and The Empire Strike Back, but is better than the Return of the Jedi for example, and the lightsaber battles are the best of all the two trilogies. The bad guy are good (valid me the contradiction), Jar Jar Binks are annoying is true, but they are kinds in the cinema that love it, I understand George Lucas position.

I understand the demand of the people of unaltered version of the original trilogy, and I am sure George Lucas or Disney will decide to release soon or late. But that is no a reason to make a documentary exaggeratedly criticize George Lucas and his legacy. Is no so awesome than the original trilogy, but is awesome. I know persons that see the second trilogy with the right age that really love it and think that the special effects of the original trilogy are poor.… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

All this user's reviews

4

JBAug 12, 2006

Great special effects and music. Terrible acting, story, dialogue, characterizations and costumes. Anakin should never have been an enslaved toddler. There is no group cohesion, which is what made the exploits of the original trilogy's Great special effects and music. Terrible acting, story, dialogue, characterizations and costumes. Anakin should never have been an enslaved toddler. There is no group cohesion, which is what made the exploits of the original trilogy's cast so entertaining. Despite what may be said of the original acting in the first trilogy, I've always felt that it shined over poorly written lines ... not the case here. A poor work.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful

7

CrusaderDec 22, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not at all what fans wanted and that is part of the problem. One of them being how Anakin saves the day out of a "fluke". However it does get better every time you watch it. I'm not one of those who ever disliked this movie and I now I think it's really good.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

TyranianApr 13, 2019

Don't really get the prequel hate, these films are actually better than the originals with a darker tone and more grandiose feel.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

4

ryflemanJan 7, 2012

The lack of story and horrible characters make this into the worst of the saga (although its sequel was not far behind). Jar Jar, medichlorians, and a general lack of any true plot makes for a terrible movie, and the fact that it is Star WarsThe lack of story and horrible characters make this into the worst of the saga (although its sequel was not far behind). Jar Jar, medichlorians, and a general lack of any true plot makes for a terrible movie, and the fact that it is Star Wars and has Liam Neeson as the closest thing to a lead role makes it into an average, albeit mediocre adventure.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

7

beingryanjudeAug 28, 2014

The original trilogy of Star Wars will always be classic. Nevertheless, The Phantom Menace does kick-off a compelling prequel trilogy. The visuals are better than ever--and because of our love of the original films we are easily invested inThe original trilogy of Star Wars will always be classic. Nevertheless, The Phantom Menace does kick-off a compelling prequel trilogy. The visuals are better than ever--and because of our love of the original films we are easily invested in the exploration that will lead into the age of Luke and Leia.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

5

ObbiePR18Apr 2, 2012

Soy muy joven, pero puedo decir cuando una pelicula es decepcionante. Despues de ver The Phantom Menace vi la trilogia anterior y tengo que decir que comparada con las viejas es desastrosa. Alguna de las cosas que no debieron serSoy muy joven, pero puedo decir cuando una pelicula es decepcionante. Despues de ver The Phantom Menace vi la trilogia anterior y tengo que decir que comparada con las viejas es desastrosa. Alguna de las cosas que no debieron ser añadidas fueron a un Jar Jar, un master Yoda computadorizado y a un joven Anakin con personalidad de niño aventurero. Hubiese sido mejor un niño con serios problemas de conducta o "raro", pero al final tenemos a un jovencito nada parecido al super-villano que seria...Vader.… Expand

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

All this user's reviews

7

SatiricalewokNov 9, 2014

As a child this was always my favourite star wars film. And while now I can see that it is riddled with faults, it still has some fantastic scenes, and contains the best lightsaber duel of the entire series. I know Jar Jar Binks was aAs a child this was always my favourite star wars film. And while now I can see that it is riddled with faults, it still has some fantastic scenes, and contains the best lightsaber duel of the entire series. I know Jar Jar Binks was a mistake, but if you put that to one side this is quite a good film.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

9

gzayas91Dec 21, 2014

I love The Phantom Menace. It is one my favorite films. This is life changing film of dream, destiny, will, love, and truth. I don't care what die hard fans says, I really admire this motion picture. It may not be perfect, but I think theI love The Phantom Menace. It is one my favorite films. This is life changing film of dream, destiny, will, love, and truth. I don't care what die hard fans says, I really admire this motion picture. It may not be perfect, but I think the story is great, the acting is fine, th cg fine, and writing is fine. And what did you expect about the pod racing?… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

6

SEROJDec 14, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first part of the prequel is really not that great. The characters are unique and amazing, the story (for this part) is decent and the action is good but nothing special. The best scene in the movie remains the rally.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

8

pondeliciousApr 22, 2014

I feel like people are far too harsh on The Phantom Menace. Sure the movie had its flaws (especially Jar Jar Binks and the Gungans) but I feel like the film had many great moments as well and did a great job of setting up the prequels. QuiI feel like people are far too harsh on The Phantom Menace. Sure the movie had its flaws (especially Jar Jar Binks and the Gungans) but I feel like the film had many great moments as well and did a great job of setting up the prequels. Qui Gon Jinh and Darth Maul were both great characters who rank among my favourite of all current films. The Medichlorian thing was strange but it doesn't bother me that much. I also believe that Episode 1 thankfully lacked the painful dialogue (except for Gunguns) that plagued the second and third films. Ultimately a great film… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

All this user's reviews

6

MovieGuysApr 22, 2014

Episode I is a decent effort in the series. It's not the best, but it's not the worst. This is more of a "connecting movie" then an independent story.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

6

owlman1996Jan 26, 2014

I really like this movie, and I seem to be the only one in a 500 mile radius who does. I love the lore and I love the story. The dialogue is what brings it down to a 6. It is nigh impossible to have a story without dialogue, and this movieI really like this movie, and I seem to be the only one in a 500 mile radius who does. I love the lore and I love the story. The dialogue is what brings it down to a 6. It is nigh impossible to have a story without dialogue, and this movie may as well have not had any. I really like the story and I really like the lore, though.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

All this user's reviews

5

marcmyworksDec 27, 2015

When I first saw this I was impressed with the action and CGI but having Jake "Yippee" Lloyd cast as Anakin Skywalker was piss-poor. I also just don't think this film aged well. Overall not bad, but need a lot of tweeking.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

8

warrenworldMay 4, 2014

Though it lacks the epicness and lovable qualities of the original trilogy, The Phantom Menace still has a story to tell, as it gets through the journey against those setbacks and offers hope for improvement with the episodes that will follow it.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

All this user's reviews

5

Larry223Aug 24, 2014

La historia es... Muy simple, de echo no explican casi nada, según parece hay un ejercito separatista que quiere... No tengo idea, ¿un nuevo gobierno? por alguna razón quieren acabar con la republica un gobierno que ya estaba desde hace...La historia es... Muy simple, de echo no explican casi nada, según parece hay un ejercito separatista que quiere... No tengo idea, ¿un nuevo gobierno? por alguna razón quieren acabar con la republica un gobierno que ya estaba desde hace... Quien sabe cuanto, hay muy poca información. En fin, al inicio unos embajadores de la republica que son Jedi llegan para negociaciones y las cosas salen mal. Desde hay vemos como intentan salvar un planeta de la colonización separatista mientras encuentran a un nuevo Jedi y un personaje muy tonto que en ves de dar buen humor llega a molestar un poco, hay diálogos tontos y cosas sin sentido. Por ejemplo: según parece se puede medir el poder de la fuerza que alguien tiene por la sangre. Yo pensaba que la fuerza era una manifestación espiritual y sobrenatural que se podía manifestar en formas físicas de ves en cuando, pero no al punto de que tienes que tener células. Entonces ¿todas las especies del universo tienen las células necesarias para usar la fuerza? Y de ser así entonces ¿los humanos de la tierra en ese universo también podrían usar la fuerza? y si no es así entonces ¿solo una galaxia tiene ese poder? y si es así entonces ¿como se obtuvo eso? ¿fue algo especial o?.... Mejor lo dejo así, y algunos actores (tal ves la mayoría) tienen actuaciones malas y mediocres aparte de cosas tontas que decir. Lo que mejor tiene la película son los efectos, las escenas de acción y... Y creo que ya, no es una gran precuela pero tampoco puedo decir que sea del todo mala. Sin embargo esta muy cerca de eso, le doy un 05/10 un poco mejor que lo mediocre.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

4

Kai82Feb 2, 2020

Honestly nothing in Episode 1 is really important to the trilogy. You can skip this movie and it would actually improve your experience. I am pointing at Jar-Jar and midichlorians (mainly). For details you can read the very good articleHonestly nothing in Episode 1 is really important to the trilogy. You can skip this movie and it would actually improve your experience. I am pointing at Jar-Jar and midichlorians (mainly). For details you can read the very good article “Absolutely no Machete Juggling” by Rod Hilton. He suggests that to get most out of the movies and to avoid spoilers you should watch the movies in the order 4, 5, 2, 3 and 6. His arguments are rock solid and he asked the question: Name something that happen in Episode 1 that enhance the other movies and can not be told in a single dialogue instead? For the movie itself it is underwhelming. The original trilogy was a team effort. George Lucas was not influential and rich enough to do everything as he wanted. He asked for help, listen for advice and made a lot of changes that improved the original movies (There are lots of articles you can read on this topic). For the prequels he had free reign for everything. No person is good at everything. I wont criticizes him for staying true to his vision. I will admit he has not enough talent at writing dialogues. There are many scenes in the prequels that are impressive / working without the dialogue or better said get drag down with it. This all might sound too negative. I really like many things in the movie. The score by John Williams is as always totally awesome. He is a legend. Then I like the new characters Darth Maul (Ray Parks), Qui Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Ian Mc Diarmid is a fantastical Palpatine. You can see the glimpse of what will come. Also the choreography of the battles is much better. I was stunned how bad the battles of the original trilogy look in comparison. Not kidding. Just rewatch them (It must be a case of nostalgia that improves the memory). Overall while not a failure it was underwhelming and can be forgotten.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

RobobobFeb 1, 2016

Yes, Jar Jar is an annoying character, but he was a failed attempt at comedy relief. He was also made for the kids and if you watch carefully all of the adults in this movie are annoyed by his presence, so for that, Jar Jar still gets a passYes, Jar Jar is an annoying character, but he was a failed attempt at comedy relief. He was also made for the kids and if you watch carefully all of the adults in this movie are annoyed by his presence, so for that, Jar Jar still gets a pass for me. Casting Anakin Skywalker so young and with such a poor child actor was another major mistake. Aside from these 2 negatives, there is really a lot to enjoy about this movie that people forget about.
* Laim Neeson is great as the maverick Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn.
* As always, Ewan McGregor is perfect as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi.
* With this movie we got one of the best villains in Darth Maul and one of the best lightsaber fights.
* Many great one-liners Star Wars is known for like, "There's always a bigger fish." "He's a local." "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent." "We'll take the long way."
* The pod race was a fun scene unlike anything we've seen in a Star Wars movie.
Unfortunately, with this movie, you see George Lucas start to lose his grasp on his movie-making abilities and his understanding of what his fans want as the next couple films get progressively worse.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

6

anichelsJan 1, 2016

Jar Jar is not necessary to the story,I didn't mind the politics in the film, and it revamped how we look at Jedi. Quigon and Obi-Wan were pretty cool.
Pod racing gave us an idea of what Anakin's youth was like. - Being an exceptionalJar Jar is not necessary to the story,I didn't mind the politics in the film, and it revamped how we look at Jedi. Quigon and Obi-Wan were pretty cool.
Pod racing gave us an idea of what Anakin's youth was like. - Being an exceptional force-sensitive child, it gives us a glimpse of what his hard skills are, as far-fetched as it is seeing a child pilot a fighter jet and successfully destroying a space station, at least there is some understandable precedent. (acting skills are not great, but it didn't kill the movie like JarJar did.)

Darth Maul is a fantastic and mysterious villain… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

7

SythusRATINGSOct 18, 2014

Set decades before the original "Star Wars" series, in the era of the Republic, The Phantom Menace is a prequel which introduces many of the major characters.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

6

koothrappaliFeb 1, 2016

Episódio I é de longe o pior e mais desnecessário filme de toda a franquia Star Wars. E quando eu falo desnecessário, eu quero dizer que: se você pular esse filme, não vai fazer a mínima diferença no entendimento da história. A única coisaEpisódio I é de longe o pior e mais desnecessário filme de toda a franquia Star Wars. E quando eu falo desnecessário, eu quero dizer que: se você pular esse filme, não vai fazer a mínima diferença no entendimento da história. A única coisa realmente importante que acontece nesse filme é a introdução do Anakin/Darth Vader e da melhor dupla de robôs que existe na história do cinema, porque de resto, o filme é uma verdadeira desgraça. E não podemos esquecer de mencionar o personagem mais chato que eu já vi em toda a minha vida: Jar Jar Binks. C-3PO e R2-D2, esse 6 são dedicados a vocês.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

BernolsvenJan 26, 2015

[Portuguese] O filme é um pouco chato, só o final é interessante, porém este filme introduziu o começo de toda história de Star Wars, então é um filme importante.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

morganstephens5Aug 10, 2015

I would say this was the best of the prequels. It caught the heart of the original films the most. And Qui Gon was one of the best characters to have come out of the prequel trilogy. A very underrated film that deserves more praise than itI would say this was the best of the prequels. It caught the heart of the original films the most. And Qui Gon was one of the best characters to have come out of the prequel trilogy. A very underrated film that deserves more praise than it has gotten.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

All this user's reviews

7

IllusivemaN7Apr 20, 2015

There are two major issues with this film. Jar Jar and some excessive CGI that doesn't always look the best but other than that the plot is essential ground work to the rise of Palpatine. It may not be the best Star Wars film but it isThere are two major issues with this film. Jar Jar and some excessive CGI that doesn't always look the best but other than that the plot is essential ground work to the rise of Palpatine. It may not be the best Star Wars film but it is undeserving of all the criticism. A couple of the actors are less than stellar but it's a passable movie.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

4

MattBrady99May 4, 2020

"There's always a bigger fish."

May the 4th be with you folks.

Remember, even through this movie is extremely boring and disappointing, at least it's not your son.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

JosephASowellMay 13, 2015

It was good, however, it could have been so much more. George Lucas just needed some more help with this movie, and it would have been better. If you haven't seen the original trilogy this movie is just better.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

8

Epik_NinnjaMay 22, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So the movie isn't as golden as the original trilogy. So Jar-Jar binks is annoying. This movie is still very enjoyable to watch and it's still a great entry to the saga, in my opinion. I don't care if Anakin is annoying, he's a little kid who will grow up to be evil! Is he supposed to be completely loveable? I think that the backstory on the original films is great and the lightsaber duel at the end (Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon vs. Darth Maul) was one of the best fihgt scenes in the saga. Ultimately, I find this movie to be rather entertaining not only as a piece of backstory to the original films but also as its own movie. The ending is massive-scale, the CGI was great at the time,a dn it's just a pretty fun movie all-around.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

6

FawksJul 21, 2015

As for the first episode of prequels it had potential. Don't get me wrong the movie is bad, but you can see that Lucas wanted to make it good. Despite all the flaws it had the Star Wars feel in it. The problem was that Lucas is not a goodAs for the first episode of prequels it had potential. Don't get me wrong the movie is bad, but you can see that Lucas wanted to make it good. Despite all the flaws it had the Star Wars feel in it. The problem was that Lucas is not a good director or writer. If he would just write the story and remained a producer it could be much better.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

10

shadow_13Jul 20, 2015

The story are good this movie is great I don't know why the others don't like it but this movie is good . good job.....................................

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

kyle20ellisSep 9, 2020

Star Wars: Episode 1- The Phantom Menace is definitely worth a watch, but I do think it is one of the weaker movies of the Star Wars saga. I will admit I wasn't expecting much after reading some very negative reviews on IMDb, but I do thinkStar Wars: Episode 1- The Phantom Menace is definitely worth a watch, but I do think it is one of the weaker movies of the Star Wars saga. I will admit I wasn't expecting much after reading some very negative reviews on IMDb, but I do think this particular instalment did in some ways exceed my expectations and disappointed as well. On a visual and technical level, it looks absolutely fantastic, with splendid special effects, stunning cinematography and fine scenery and costumes. The script is fairly decent, perhaps lacking the sophistication of Empire Strikes Back or New Hope, but does have some memorable lines. The action is constantly exhilarating, and Darth Maul, well played by Ray Park is a very good villain. Of course though, Darth Vader is better. Most of the performances are very good, especially Natalie Portman as Queen Padma who looked stunning and Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker who shone with his confident charm. And Jar Jar Binks is okay on the most part, and you have to love Yoda. And the music score by John Williams was outstanding, definitely one of his best works. The quality of sound and direction are also impressive. However, there were things about this film that did disappoint. One is despite the awesome visuals, strong music score and good characters, the story never quite distinguished itself. It did take a while to get going, and when it did try to get going and you could tell it wanted to, it was further disadvantaged by the uneven pacing. Liam Neeson is a fine actor, his performances in Kinsey and Schindler's List are proof of that, and I do like Ewan McGregor. But as Qui-Gon Jin and Obi Wan Kenobi, both stars give unusually wooden performances, and at times looked even embarrassed. And as I said, the pacing is very uneven, there are some slow moments, and one or two scenes felt rushed. All in all, maybe disappointing for fans of the saga, but it cannot be denied that visually it is an accomplishment. 7/10 Bethany Cox… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

MagesticLeanAug 17, 2015

wasn't as bad as people say it deserves a six or seven not 0 i liked it i think i have seen this movie 1000000000000000 times and each time im like cool and i say f off anakin he was the worst part of star wars but your supposed to hate him

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

ColeSoderstromDec 12, 2015

As a huge Star Wars fan I was dissapointed in this film but it does shine in certainly places like the pod race and darth maul lighsaber duel and John Williams did an amazing job with the music. There are a few terrible things though like JarAs a huge Star Wars fan I was dissapointed in this film but it does shine in certainly places like the pod race and darth maul lighsaber duel and John Williams did an amazing job with the music. There are a few terrible things though like Jar Jar Binks and Anakin yelling yippe! Overall it was a ok-good film.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

yoshi8869May 23, 2017

I suppose I'll ostracize original trilogy fans far and wide by saying this, but I felt this film was a solid standalone flick. It was fun, adventurous, and had a great final duel, but it lacked in direction and writing. The story is promisingI suppose I'll ostracize original trilogy fans far and wide by saying this, but I felt this film was a solid standalone flick. It was fun, adventurous, and had a great final duel, but it lacked in direction and writing. The story is promising enough. The addition of the "Jesus-esque" theme is questionable but somewhat acceptable once you get into the surrounding lore. The plot is shaky and a little haphazard, but not altogether bad.

The story and plot suffer from a failure in the cinematography department. The film is gaudy and over-saturated in color and effects, little of which is practical. As a result, it loses novelty value.

The direction was abysmal. That's the root of everything wrong with the prequels and is most prevalent in the Phantom Menace. Lucas should not be allowed to direct alone and surround himself with yes-men. His arrogance and outlandish, unrelatable imagination can lead to his own downfall and does in this film.

The acting could've used some work, but the concepts and themes are sound. It really all came down to the fact that the good story was saturated with colors, flashy tech, obnoxious comedic relief, and cheesy dialogue. Also, midichlorians. Yeah, nope. 6.75/10 -JR… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

All this user's reviews

10

JolexlarisDec 30, 2015

I've seen this movie three times this year and, guess what? I like it even more each time. The scale of the universe Lucas showed in the Original Trilogy is expanded in this movie to incomparable scales. And the politics, since I was aI've seen this movie three times this year and, guess what? I like it even more each time. The scale of the universe Lucas showed in the Original Trilogy is expanded in this movie to incomparable scales. And the politics, since I was a teenager I came to love Star Wars because it is more than just a plain good vs bad action story. And this would not had happen without episode I. Easily, at leas for me, the most important movie of all 7.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

All this user's reviews

6

BorgorosJan 11, 2020

So much could have been done better, but the story holds together. Awesome scenes and characters helps also. Minus Jar Jar and too much dreary politics. Darth Maul vs Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon, pod-race, space-battles and the over all story is a great combo.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

PachekoviskMar 17, 2016

MEDIOCRE
In my opinion it's not the worst in the series.
It has a terrible acting, excessive use of CGI and a dumb story.
But is better than a lot of other movies. Including the second one...

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

10

benbuttbusterJan 22, 2016

This is objectively the only good film ever made. Jar Jar Binks is a terrific character, and I'm excited to see how they will elaborate on this character in The Force Awakens. I'm gonna give this one a 10/10.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

All this user's reviews

4

superbatMay 15, 2020

The Phantom Menace stands out as one of the most disappointing films of all time. The use of CGI is excessive. The story lacks the soul and conviction which made the original films great, due to wordy dialogue and bland characters. TheThe Phantom Menace stands out as one of the most disappointing films of all time. The use of CGI is excessive. The story lacks the soul and conviction which made the original films great, due to wordy dialogue and bland characters. The lengthy space race contributes little to the story. Jar Jar Binks, a comic relief character, drags the movie down and makes it nearly unwatchable. There was a lot of missed potential with this movie.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

5

eva3si0nJan 30, 2020

The problem with The Phantom Menace is that many start to get to know Star Wars with it, which can deter the film series. The film itself is quite mediocre, there are few strong characters here and the film 's performance is not so activelyThe problem with The Phantom Menace is that many start to get to know Star Wars with it, which can deter the film series. The film itself is quite mediocre, there are few strong characters here and the film 's performance is not so actively developing to in the main trilogy. Strictly for fans.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

MonkiReviewsJul 12, 2017

It started out very boring, and confusing. The second half improved a lot though. It had some awesome action parts. It doesn't deserve the bad reviews, but it wasn't great either. A must watch for fans though.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

5

TiagoGM18Mar 27, 2017

I don't really think that Jar Jar Binks is the worst part of this movie, I really don't, if we were able to connect to some of the characters, Jar Jar would be easily overlooked, however, since Obi-Wan is the only charismatic character, theI don't really think that Jar Jar Binks is the worst part of this movie, I really don't, if we were able to connect to some of the characters, Jar Jar would be easily overlooked, however, since Obi-Wan is the only charismatic character, the movie gets really boring really fast but if you manage to sit through 2/3 of the movie, the last act will certainly pay off. P.S. betting on an 9 year old with little acting experience is always a risk, i'm sure Jake Lloyd performed as well as he could and I can't help but agreeing with Mark Hamill's take on the kid's critics… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

All this user's reviews

6

GunganFeb 12, 2018

I am re-watching all of the Star Wars movies to cleanse my palette from the most recent one.

As much as this one in particular is panned, it had a well put together script, and the story was worth telling. The production values are easily onI am re-watching all of the Star Wars movies to cleanse my palette from the most recent one.

As much as this one in particular is panned, it had a well put together script, and the story was worth telling. The production values are easily on par with any modern movie, though the cinematography and storytelling is less bombastic that modern audiences are used to. The visuals and sound are fantastic as well, and really give you a good variety of settings to look at when the Republic was at it's height.

The only real problems with this movie stem from two factors. The first is the use of a child actor for the part of Anakin. If he was aged up a bit into his early teens, I think the performance would have been more natural, less creepy when played against Natalie Portman, and more believable as a whole with other minor tweaks. The other problem was Jar Jar, because of the slapstick physical comedy. If they had toned him down instead of amping him to 11 for the kids, I don't think people would have been particularly bothered.

It's still a very coherent story that sits firmly grounded in the universe enjoyed by many fans.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

7

manningn15Jan 20, 2019

This is my least favorite Star Wars movies so far. The Phantom Menace definitely is disappointing considering the originals but it is still one of my favorite movies ever. Even though it is disappointing there are still thing that I find thatThis is my least favorite Star Wars movies so far. The Phantom Menace definitely is disappointing considering the originals but it is still one of my favorite movies ever. Even though it is disappointing there are still thing that I find that I loved about this movie like the racing scene, Natalie Portman's portrayal of Padme Amidala, and the how we get to see what Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader was like when he was a child. The visual effects and animatronics are gorgeous and dazzling especially R2-D2. The makeup and costumes were done extremely well. The acting from Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Daniels was great. The voice over performance from Frank Oz was also great. The musical score was fantastic.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

spacebear1Dec 9, 2017

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace has had massive amounts of mixed reviews over the years since its release. I have a lot of nostalgia for this film but I'm going to put all that aside for the review. Even after putting aside myStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace has had massive amounts of mixed reviews over the years since its release. I have a lot of nostalgia for this film but I'm going to put all that aside for the review. Even after putting aside my nostalgic feelings, I still like this movie. Yes, Jar-Jar is useless and completely retarded and the senate scenes are a bit boring and tedious, and I know that the fact that almost every scene is filled with . But I like this film. I loved the the final fight with Darth Maul, awesome character by the way. Basically, I really can't say why I love this film, I just do. My rating would be 6.1/10… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

dougwiggins5Dec 15, 2017

Attempting to live up to the largest expectations imaginable and predecessors that had mythological reputations in cinema, The Phantom Menace fails miserably. However outside of the narrative of how Star Wars movies are made this movie isAttempting to live up to the largest expectations imaginable and predecessors that had mythological reputations in cinema, The Phantom Menace fails miserably. However outside of the narrative of how Star Wars movies are made this movie is more mediocre than terrible. The plot is easy to follow, the story has a sense of adventure, and the heavy use of practical effects compared to it's trilogy brethren make it feel the most like the revered OT. See this movie if you like your Star Wars happy and don't mind a bit of overly lighthearted elements.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

5

Jaredc324Jun 28, 2019

Phantom Menace is a solid combo with way too many side orders. Everything involving Anakin and Qui-Gon Jin's characters enliven the truth and splendor of this prequel kickstarter, but is surrounded by an influx of overly-compressed andPhantom Menace is a solid combo with way too many side orders. Everything involving Anakin and Qui-Gon Jin's characters enliven the truth and splendor of this prequel kickstarter, but is surrounded by an influx of overly-compressed and exaggerated imagination, that benefits nothing but its own financial marketing scheme. But aside from all the child-actor whine-cries and Jar Jar binks, holds a decent enough story to revisit from time to time.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

5

LoletinAlexisApr 8, 2020

The Phantom Menace, that great project wasted by the direction of a misguided George Lucas.
Less ego and more help, Georgy.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

GrantD243Apr 25, 2018

The Phantom Menace is another movie that had a crazy amount of hype behind it when it came out, or so I've been told... I actually didn't see it until around 2002 as I was still a very young chap when it came out in '99. And boy, I'm glad IThe Phantom Menace is another movie that had a crazy amount of hype behind it when it came out, or so I've been told... I actually didn't see it until around 2002 as I was still a very young chap when it came out in '99. And boy, I'm glad I didn't see this movie in the theaters. I can't imagine how disappointed I would have been, and how quiet the car ride back home would have been. The characters are...okay, I guess? Darth Maul seems cool but we don't get a whole lot out of him (although his character was flushed out pretty well in the animated shows), young Anakin is...yeah, and Jar Jar is downright terrible. But hey, at least Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were pretty awesome. The plot is nothing special. It's essentially the story of how Anakin came to be trained by the Jedi (and how he met Padme), but it's not a very interesting story and honestly you could fast forward through most of this movie and you wouldn't miss much. Really, the only thing that redeems this movie for me is the duel between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan towards the end of the movie. Without that sequence, this would easily be the worst Star Wars movie.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

4

AntonEgoJun 1, 2018

Kind of boring and full of unnecessary humour. Bad acting, but I'm ok with the plot and CGI. I love the new planets and everything we got to know about the star wars universe (the history of the jedi order before the original trilogy)Kind of boring and full of unnecessary humour. Bad acting, but I'm ok with the plot and CGI. I love the new planets and everything we got to know about the star wars universe (the history of the jedi order before the original trilogy) throughout the movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

KonlinerJul 16, 2018

The Prequel movie is nowhere as brilliant as the Original Trilogy. It is poorly written with unrealistic/annoying/unnecessary dialogue, weak plot, and robotic acting performance. It is also confusing whether this movie is intended for allThe Prequel movie is nowhere as brilliant as the Original Trilogy. It is poorly written with unrealistic/annoying/unnecessary dialogue, weak plot, and robotic acting performance. It is also confusing whether this movie is intended for all ages or adults only. It contains a lot of childish humor/scenes, but it also has some complex political dialogue. Often times you will hear political words like embargo, federation, senate, etc. The political scenes, though make a great instrument for Episode 3, ruins the story. This movie also makes the Star Wars universe seem a lot smaller, such as Obi Wan's early encounter with R2D2 or the fact that Anakin created C3PO which would later, somehow, in this huge galaxy, will unite with Anakin's son. It also ruins the romanticism of the force by trying to make it more scientific and less magical. On the other hand, Darth Maul is an intimidating antagonist (too bad he was killed instead of saved for the next sequel) and the lightsaber duel, though unrealistic, is stunning to look at. Its set and prop design is also worth to be praised, alongside with Episode 2 and 3. This movie serves well as an experimental movie.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

9

JHarrisFeb 26, 2019

Really underrated film. A good old fashioned 90's adventure film with great action scenes.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

4

TirecexDec 29, 2019

I did a rewatch of this movie some days ago and it is still as bad as it was 10 years ago the last time I saw it. At times at feels more like a comedy then like the Space opera as it is supposed to be. It is a Star Wars movie made for 7 yearI did a rewatch of this movie some days ago and it is still as bad as it was 10 years ago the last time I saw it. At times at feels more like a comedy then like the Space opera as it is supposed to be. It is a Star Wars movie made for 7 year old children.

Jar Jar Binks is easily one of the most unnecessary characters in movie history. Everything he does is talk funny and slip on things. The same goes for Anakin Skywalker. "Hey whats this funny button -> Destroys space station and saves everyone"

At least the fight between Darth Maul, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan in the end is good. And it is still better then The Last Jedi and The Fall of Skywalker.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

SaythatDec 8, 2018

The movie is spectacular though sometimes in a childish way. Spiritually however, it is not connected to the Star Wars classic trilogy. The clumsy lizardman is a masterpiece. Since I was a fan of classic SW, I do not like this one very much.The movie is spectacular though sometimes in a childish way. Spiritually however, it is not connected to the Star Wars classic trilogy. The clumsy lizardman is a masterpiece. Since I was a fan of classic SW, I do not like this one very much. But it is okay as a separate, non-SW brand.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

10

RoyledesmaDec 22, 2018

Completamente incomprendida, la amenaza fantasma es una de las mejores películas de star wars, marcando el paso de como se realizarían todos los próximos súper blockbusters. GL con su tecnología de punta y sus maravillosas ideas nos abre lasCompletamente incomprendida, la amenaza fantasma es una de las mejores películas de star wars, marcando el paso de como se realizarían todos los próximos súper blockbusters. GL con su tecnología de punta y sus maravillosas ideas nos abre las puertas de su vasto universo plagado de ricas culturas, especies,etc. La banda sonora es una de las mejores de toda la saga y la batalla del final contra maul es maravillosa.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

6

DerekReideMar 10, 2019

Now, I'm not saying this is the worst Star Wars movie, but it is better than The Last Jedi. Sorry Rian, but it's true and the fans know it. I'd rather listen to Jar Jar talk than listen to the "jokes" we had to put up with in TLJ. Anyway, theNow, I'm not saying this is the worst Star Wars movie, but it is better than The Last Jedi. Sorry Rian, but it's true and the fans know it. I'd rather listen to Jar Jar talk than listen to the "jokes" we had to put up with in TLJ. Anyway, the movie was good, but not good enough to reboot the Star Wars franchise.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

WapitikevMar 11, 2019

A mixture of iconic characters interspersed with annoying ones...numerous epic panoramas and one of the best choreographed fight scenes in Star Wars history. Features the only Jedi in the series that listens to the "will of the force". GreatA mixture of iconic characters interspersed with annoying ones...numerous epic panoramas and one of the best choreographed fight scenes in Star Wars history. Features the only Jedi in the series that listens to the "will of the force". Great music, as usual. Not as good as the OT, but the average writing looks like high art when compared to The Last Jedi.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

7

The_Critic_88Jul 22, 2019

Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace is one of those movies you love because of the amazing visual effects and intriguing stories. Fortunately, due to George Lucas finally having enough time and effort went forward with these movies andStar Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace is one of those movies you love because of the amazing visual effects and intriguing stories. Fortunately, due to George Lucas finally having enough time and effort went forward with these movies and created some of the best sci fi action sequences and battles.

This movie will always be a underrated movie and the reason for its hate will always anger me because its only bad reason for sucking is Jar Jar Binks. Pros - Great action sequences and impressive visuals Cons - Bad Dialogue… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

10

SMVJan 12, 2020

This movie holds a special place in my heart. I saw it on opening night in 1999 with two friends who are now gone. I love the CGI and the plot of the movie, the acting is great, the only thing that ruins the movie is the inclusion of Jar JarThis movie holds a special place in my heart. I saw it on opening night in 1999 with two friends who are now gone. I love the CGI and the plot of the movie, the acting is great, the only thing that ruins the movie is the inclusion of Jar Jar Binks; he was as annoying back then as he is now.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews