Review
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
- Director
- George Lucas
- Year
- 1999
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho
- Review date
- Wednesday, April 10, 2002
On their way, they encounter Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) and guard her, eventually meeting a gifted young boy called Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) who’s unusually strong on the Force.
The first part of the prequel trilogy of the Star Wars saga is in fact a disappointment, compared to any of the previous trilogy’s movies (IV, V, VI) because it lacks emotion, intensity and a life of its own, as it completely depends on the other movies to make any sense (in fact, the happy ending is actually a sad ending—but only we know).
However, I found it to be a very entertaining movie. Forgiving the dull moments and the forced references to the previous trilogy (like the origins of R2D2 and C-3PO), as well as the unjustified quick pace at times, it is fun: the pod race being deadly entertaining and technically dazzling, as are many moments in this triumph of visual effects. Even the very annoying creature called Jar-Jar Binks is visually irresistible, considering it’s fully animated by computers. Not to mention the hidden city!
The cast mostly lacks a heart, all except Natalie Portman, who really transmits her sadness and determination to help her people.
In ways it’s chilling to see how it all started, in ways it’s sad because it was best left to the imagination. However, this will hopefully be regarded as the worst part of the saga when it’s all done, so why worry? If the idea was to give us a good time, the goal was reached. Let the best ones come…
“Are you an angel?”
Gon C Curiel en Twitter | CriticSociety en Twitter | CriticSociety en Facebook
Share on Facebook | Share on Twitter
Comments
Groucho wrote at 6/22/2002:
Well, it's not the best Portman I've seen, but I thought she was the best one around. Francisco Cobos wrote at 6/24/2002 6:56:58 PM:
The best by far is Yoda... Amidala is al ¿most? a droid, Padme is the real cutie ... Haven't seen episode II but tomorrow... may the force be with me.
New comments are temporarily disabled
Morris wrote at 6/22/2002:
Unfortunately I'm one of those people who thought this movie was a big disappointment. I pray Lucas has not done the same with "Episode II", but we'll talk about in a couple of months...For me "Episode I" is kind of pure lifeless mechanism. It has its moments, it has very impressive special effects, it does entertain (but more because of the fact that we knew this characters beforehand) and overall some sequences are amazing. Sadly it doesn't add up to much of anything. You mention Natalie Portman was the one who fared the best, but even if I love her I thought she wasn't that good. Her line delivery was simply monotonous.
Anyway, a so-so movie.