 "Would've Been Five Stars If It Weren't For That Meddling Kid" | 2009-10-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A239PPUVV8O0U0 |
| Yes, my main gripe, like many fans of the franchise, is Jake Lloyd. But to surprise a few people, I have no problems with Jar Jar Binks. He doesn't bother me in any way when I watch it. Do I think he was a little over the top? Yes. Do I think he, along with the Neimoidians, are racial stereotypes of Jamaicans and Asians respectively? No. The story is good but it can plod along at a very sluggish pace. For instance, once the story gets to Tatooine, they could've trimmed a few scenes, the Podrace imparticular. And some scenes on Coruscant feel slow as well, like the pointless scenes of watching Palpatine take the Queen to her apartment suite. Its brief but un-necessary. Liam Neeson does an admirable job as Qui-Gon, portraying him as a caring yet very formidable warrior. Ewan McGregor portrays Obi-Wan as a young, headstrong Jedi. The character at least goes through development over the course of the prequel trilogy and he'll eventually become the character from the "first" (fourth) film. Natalie Portman is alright as Queen Amidala but she's no Princess Leia. Though her hairdos can outdo Leia's and both are good with a blaster, the way the character's acted out comes across as wooden and stiff. And when Portman actually is the Queen, where does that deep, accented way of speaking come from? Is that Keira Knightley dubbing her voice when she's in the Queen's clothes? I don't know. And then there's Jake Lloyd, who's able to take the concept of what Anakin is to become in the future and make the character less intimidating. To know that in Vader's youth, he was prone to shout "Yipee!" and be called "Ani". That's not very threatening! Though I will give him credit for at least trying, its just that they did not capture the best (if there is any) performances of the actor and I'm pretty sure Lucas and the producers could've done A LOT better. There are some familiar faces from the original movies; Kenny Baker as R2-D2 (not much has changed over the course of six films) and his first meeting with a pre-gold plated C-3PO (still played by Anthony Daniels) and Ian McDiarmid as Senator (later Supreme Chancellor) Palpatine and his sinister alter ego, Darth Sidious. Darth Maul is a formidable villain for the film, though there always seems to be a co-villain in the newer films instead of just one singular villain, but I guess for all six you can count the Emperor as an over-arching villain, but I digress. And there are cameos by a young Jabba the Hutt, some Wookies in the Senate scene and General Zod himself, Terence Stamp as Supreme Chancellor Vallorum. The fight scenes are some the best, the four different fights at the climax being the standout. And its time for to once again praise John Williams. The man can do no wrong it seems as the music is just fantastic. My favorite set pieces being Duel of the Fates and the space fight. And The Imperial March is incorporated into Anakin's theme, forshadowing the fate the character will meet. |
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| "Well done" | 2009-07-26 |
| - Reviewed By kcurley8 |
I am a first generation Star Wars fan. I was 9 years old when A New Hope came out, and like everyone else I was blown away. It was a thrill ride that kept on going through six years and three wonderful films.
So like most I was excited to hear that, finally, Lucas was going back and bringing us more Star Wars. It was too good to be true! Here I am at 30 years old and Episode 1 is coming out!
I think that with most fans here in lies the problem...
Now we are older. None of the original fans are kids anymore. And I firmly believe this is why all the negative crap about Episode 1.
No, it's not the same. It CAN'T be. We're not children...we have had twenty years of sophisticated sci-fi movies under our belts. What dazzeled us as kids simply won't work anymore.
Don't believe me? Ask any kid who saw Episode 1 when they were 8 to maybe 13 years old. The majority LOVED it. Why? The same reasons we loved the original back in 1977. The didn't have the baggage of 'Lucas changed our favorite film series'. All we had as kids were things like the Star Trek and Lost In Space TV series and films like 2001 and Planet Of The Apes. Star Wars WAS new and different...and very special. As adults, it just isn't anymore, considering how much SPFX have progressed (and, of course we do have the original trilogy to thank for most of those leaps and bounds).
Next time you see Episode 1...try to watch it with a kid. Maybe you might just see it reflected back at you the way our parents saw it in our eyes back in 1977. |
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 "Good Company" | 2009-05-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2MODJWRZ9O3UU |
| This movie was sold as 'used-very good condition' I recieved a movie in 'like new-excellent' condition. At a great price. Shipping was fast, it did suprise me that it was shipped FedEx but arrived by US Postal. I would and will do business with this company again. BTW, my 6 year old is a star wars nut and he has watched this movie over and over, with no issues with the dvd. |
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| "Best Movie Ever! Muy Muy I love you!" | 2009-04-29 |
| - Reviewed By User: AHX5HNQPRPO9L |
Okay, Ja Ja Binks here, and Ima gonna be reviewing dis here movie, Star Wars Episode 1, da Phantom Menace!
Now first of all, mesa kinda biased with dis one, mmm hhmm! Know why? Cause itsa be starin me! Ja Ja Binks! Dis defintiley be bein da best outta all da Star Wars films. First, da Jedi be fightin the Trade Federation who looka like Chinamen, Den, dy fly to Naboo where dey meet me, Ja Ja Binks! And when dey me in trouble, mesa come along to rescude dem! Deysa about to be sentenced to prison by our maxibig leader, but mesa defend dem and we are all allowed to leave and go on adventures. Uh huh!
Da Jedi be goin to da desert land of Tattooine, and here dey meet da young ANakin Skywalker. I thinkin it bein a good idea to brign himin alongin, sos I talk da Jedi into takin him along. While dis is going on, I help da young Anakin win a pod race so we can free all the slaves on da planet.
Now meesa go back to Naboo and be leadin our army to war against the TRade Fedaeratiobn. And deysa havin all robats, but we having our Gungan bombad genreals, and our sheieldsenm, and our giant lizard things! Deysa can't win against all datin!
Sos once I save da day dere, mesa become decorated war hero and beocme a maxibig senator for the da people of Naboo. Uh huh!
dis is bein da best of all da star wars films, and if you a beein seein just one, you be makin sure you be seein dis one.
Oh yeah, after I retire from bein senator I retire and become inportant journalist and Gungan movie reviewer on Amazon!
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 "JAR JAR BINKS - IT STINKS!" | 2009-04-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: ADP4HV7E0BB64 |
Showing my age here: when STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE finally appeared in 1979, I was among the first in line; I stood in the snow waiting breathlessly for the second show. When the audience for the premiere emptied out, everyone had blank, bewildered faces. Not good. After watching it I understood why. STTMP put the best characters on the sidelines and rehashed "Where No Man Has Gone Before."
Fans develop attachments to characters and themes.
Even the late great Joseph Campbell revered the original STAR WARS trilogy. The original will always remain a classic, and Empire, the immediate sequel, nearly topped it. But by the time we got to Jedi we had cutesy Ewoks running around and a rehash of blow-up-death-star.
Drunk on profits, Lucas was already dumbing down the franchise.
Little did we know just how dumb it would get until PHANTOM MENACE.
We've all seen and suffered through it anyway, so I'm preaching to choirs. But it's still staggering to witness just how childish, simplistic and foolish PHANTOM is - this from a man who could literally film anything he wanted - and he did.
Nobody wanted to say NO to George Lucas.
Jar-Jar Binks: easily the most reviled "character" in film history; that took a lot of work to accomplish.
Darth Vader - a cultural icon - is reduced to a silly child. "Annie! Annie!"
ANNIE??? That's a girl's name, and a rather famous one.
There are so many jaw-droppingly stupid scenes, from the underwater "fish" people prancing around to the idiotic "finale" with Annie running amok as a wannabe pilot.
After suffering through this I have more respect for Mel Brooks' SPACEBALLS. It's about the same - except Lucas was serious.
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 "Not Much To See Here....Move Along" | 2009-04-09 |
| - Reviewed By onin_1012 |
| The sad truth dawned on all of us watching Phantom Menace that this movie made Return of the Jedi look like Taxi Driver. With nothing but emotionless dialogue, bad acting from star Jake Lloyd and LONG gaps without any action Phantom pushes your patience. Add to that the tornado of annoyance that is Jar Jar Binks, and you have the weakest Star Wars movie in the saga. The menacing presence of Darth Maul is the only saving grace here, and the lightsaber duel is pretty impressive in it's own right. But the rest of the films flaws are just to much to suffer through. Kids will love it and it's great for introducing real young ones to the franchise, but otherwise just stick with the SW movies with Darth Vader on the cover. |
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