Darth Vader's baby pictures
"Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace"
Overall Rating: ****
This review may contain spoilers--please be advised.
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Not such a long time ago in a galaxy not so far away, people eagerly anticipated a prequel that everybody knew would open with a few yellow paragraphs flying across a starfield--a film that would teach the general populace what a prequel was. I am, of course, referring to "Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace"--the most hyped movie I can ever recall.
And what hype: some films make the TV news; but with this one, the promotional toys hitting the stores made the news. As for those toys, there are more than ever--I know they didn't have "Star Wars" Lego sets when I was a kid--I would have hounded my parents to get them if they existed. Then, there was the "Austen Powers II" preview that tortured people desperately hoping to see the "Star Wars: Episode I" preview. Add to that the lines for the actual film: a friend of mine who desperately wanted to see the very first show told me that 800 people lined up at the Orange Park Mall on the day tickets became available--a week before the premiere (and, I publicly thank this friend for purchasing my ticket for me: I know he said he wanted to see that media-circus, but I did not). The crowd here in Orange Park should be considered light when you bear in mind that people in Los Angeles camped out for a month, waiting for tickets. Add in mid-week midnight shows to allow people to see it that much earlier, and people showing up in costume. The build-up was too much for any film to live up to. The amazing thing is that "Star Wars: Episode 1" almost does live up to it's billing.
"Star Wars: Episode 1" opens with the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his almost fully-trained apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) boarding a Trade Federation ship to begin negotiations; the issue being that the Trade Federation--a government-backed franchise set up to collect taxes--has blockaded the planet Naboo. The negotiations, however, are predestined to fail, for Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid)--the real power behind the blockade--is intent on invading and conquering Naboo. While Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi manage to escape the ambush, and rescue Queen Amidala of Naboo (Natalie Portman), the damage to their ship caused by running the blockade forces them to land on Tatooine. There, the meet a young slave named Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) whose powers with the Force defy belief.
As every preview suggests, the special effects on "Star Wars: Episode 1" raise the bar. Nearly every second of the film has some type of visual effect; perhaps as subtle as a light saber, or as expansive as an army of droids fighting an army of aliens. In many films that rely heavily on such effects, the usual pattern is that something will look like it came out of a computer; "Star Wars: Episode 1" breaks that pattern. The look is sharp and impressive throughout--everything that anyone could expect and worthy of the "Star Wars" franchise.
These highly impressive visual effects help keep the story moving faster than the Millennium Falcon. The roller-coaster ride still holds your attention; with enough distance between the setting of this film and the original "Star Wars," there is some suspense. Some things are obvious: we know that Anakin will survive and become a Jedi, for he will later father Luke and Leia and turn to the dark side when he becomes Darth Vader. Some things are not: Darth Maul (Ray Park/Peter Serafinowicz), Qui-Gon Jinn, and Naboo weren't even mentioned in the original trilogy, so their fates remain a mystery. (I made guesses regarding the fates of both the Jedis and the planet: only one guess was right.) "Star Wars: Episode 1" not only had to tell its own story, but it had to set up the familiar trilogy. I expected it to do only one, but it does both.
What it doesn't do is go terribly deep with much of anything. While the political issues behind "Star Wars" are explained slightly--corrupt politicians are using taxation, state backed cartels, and an invasion to try to gain more power--this is nothing we'd put past the sinister Empire of the original trilogy anyway. Further, despite these explanations, the plot is still pretty much a "white hat verses black hat" scenario--the heros are fighting off a blatantly unjustified invasion, period. We don't get to know any of the characters at all. Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Amidala, and Anakin are good, Palpatine and Darth Maul are bad. That's all we learn about them. It's great cotton-candy for the action/sci-fi crowd in general, and "Star Wars" crowd in particular; but this is definitely cinematic candy--it tries to do too much to manage to be anything more substantial.
I must admit, "Star Wars: Episode 1" had the deck stacked in its favor. I expected to like it, I liked it. For what its worth, if you're bent raising another generation of film critics partial to the "Star Wars" universe, the only things to watch out for with kids are significant violence--none of it gory and most of it either directed against droids or spaceship-to-spaceship--and two minor scenes where heros take a casual attitude towards other peoples' property (though one revolves around a Jedi making a bet with something he doesn't own; the Jedi may know he'll win--at the expense of a slaveholder). The film has its endearing features--C-3PO and R2-D2 meet, Jake Lloyd makes Anakin look cute (contrary to the rumors that he's terrible, I thought he was adequate, but not much more). It's also fun. The best "Star Wars" yet? No, I still stand by the original. The best film this year? Again, no. An enjoyable sci-fi/action flick? Absolutely yes; but "flick" is the right word.
Title: "Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace"
Release date: May 19, 1999
Overall Rating: ****
This review may contain spoilers--please be advised.
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1
Not such a long time ago in a galaxy not so far away, people eagerly anticipated a prequel that everybody knew would open with a few yellow paragraphs flying across a starfield--a film that would teach the general populace what a prequel was. I am, of course, referring to "Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace"--the most hyped movie I can ever recall.
And what hype: some films make the TV news; but with this one, the promotional toys hitting the stores made the news. As for those toys, there are more than ever--I know they didn't have "Star Wars" Lego sets when I was a kid--I would have hounded my parents to get them if they existed. Then, there was the "Austen Powers II" preview that tortured people desperately hoping to see the "Star Wars: Episode I" preview. Add to that the lines for the actual film: a friend of mine who desperately wanted to see the very first show told me that 800 people lined up at the Orange Park Mall on the day tickets became available--a week before the premiere (and, I publicly thank this friend for purchasing my ticket for me: I know he said he wanted to see that media-circus, but I did not). The crowd here in Orange Park should be considered light when you bear in mind that people in Los Angeles camped out for a month, waiting for tickets. Add in mid-week midnight shows to allow people to see it that much earlier, and people showing up in costume. The build-up was too much for any film to live up to. The amazing thing is that "Star Wars: Episode 1" almost does live up to it's billing.
"Star Wars: Episode 1" opens with the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his almost fully-trained apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) boarding a Trade Federation ship to begin negotiations; the issue being that the Trade Federation--a government-backed franchise set up to collect taxes--has blockaded the planet Naboo. The negotiations, however, are predestined to fail, for Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid)--the real power behind the blockade--is intent on invading and conquering Naboo. While Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi manage to escape the ambush, and rescue Queen Amidala of Naboo (Natalie Portman), the damage to their ship caused by running the blockade forces them to land on Tatooine. There, the meet a young slave named Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) whose powers with the Force defy belief.
As every preview suggests, the special effects on "Star Wars: Episode 1" raise the bar. Nearly every second of the film has some type of visual effect; perhaps as subtle as a light saber, or as expansive as an army of droids fighting an army of aliens. In many films that rely heavily on such effects, the usual pattern is that something will look like it came out of a computer; "Star Wars: Episode 1" breaks that pattern. The look is sharp and impressive throughout--everything that anyone could expect and worthy of the "Star Wars" franchise.
These highly impressive visual effects help keep the story moving faster than the Millennium Falcon. The roller-coaster ride still holds your attention; with enough distance between the setting of this film and the original "Star Wars," there is some suspense. Some things are obvious: we know that Anakin will survive and become a Jedi, for he will later father Luke and Leia and turn to the dark side when he becomes Darth Vader. Some things are not: Darth Maul (Ray Park/Peter Serafinowicz), Qui-Gon Jinn, and Naboo weren't even mentioned in the original trilogy, so their fates remain a mystery. (I made guesses regarding the fates of both the Jedis and the planet: only one guess was right.) "Star Wars: Episode 1" not only had to tell its own story, but it had to set up the familiar trilogy. I expected it to do only one, but it does both.
What it doesn't do is go terribly deep with much of anything. While the political issues behind "Star Wars" are explained slightly--corrupt politicians are using taxation, state backed cartels, and an invasion to try to gain more power--this is nothing we'd put past the sinister Empire of the original trilogy anyway. Further, despite these explanations, the plot is still pretty much a "white hat verses black hat" scenario--the heros are fighting off a blatantly unjustified invasion, period. We don't get to know any of the characters at all. Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Amidala, and Anakin are good, Palpatine and Darth Maul are bad. That's all we learn about them. It's great cotton-candy for the action/sci-fi crowd in general, and "Star Wars" crowd in particular; but this is definitely cinematic candy--it tries to do too much to manage to be anything more substantial.
I must admit, "Star Wars: Episode 1" had the deck stacked in its favor. I expected to like it, I liked it. For what its worth, if you're bent raising another generation of film critics partial to the "Star Wars" universe, the only things to watch out for with kids are significant violence--none of it gory and most of it either directed against droids or spaceship-to-spaceship--and two minor scenes where heros take a casual attitude towards other peoples' property (though one revolves around a Jedi making a bet with something he doesn't own; the Jedi may know he'll win--at the expense of a slaveholder). The film has its endearing features--C-3PO and R2-D2 meet, Jake Lloyd makes Anakin look cute (contrary to the rumors that he's terrible, I thought he was adequate, but not much more). It's also fun. The best "Star Wars" yet? No, I still stand by the original. The best film this year? Again, no. An enjoyable sci-fi/action flick? Absolutely yes; but "flick" is the right word.
Title: "Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace"
Release date: May 19, 1999
MPAA rating: PG
Overall rating: ****
Overall rating: ****
Aprox. run time:133 min.
Director: George Lucas
Writer: George Lucas
Stars: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Jake Lloyd, Natalie Portman
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/SW_Ep1.htm
Added to blog site: 8/4/09
Director: George Lucas
Writer: George Lucas
Stars: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Jake Lloyd, Natalie Portman
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/SW_Ep1.htm
Added to blog site: 8/4/09
Labels: Movie review, ReviewsbyJohn
posted by John at 5/19/1999 04:11:00 AM
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