Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

Media:	DVD
Directed by:	George Lucas
Starring:	Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman
Release date:	22 March, 2005
List price:	~~$19.98~~
Our price:	$14.99 that is 25% off!

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

Average rating: Stars

"Every Saga Has A Beginning." George Lucas Has Done It Again...One Last Time.

I've been a fan of "STAR WARS" since I was 12 or 13 years old and have seen the original films more than once (see my review of the original trilogy on DVD), so I expected the 1st episode of the saga to be good. When I first saw this movie in 9th grade (my first summer in high school before 9th grade, actually), however, I hated this film, as I expected it to get into the romance between Padme and Anakin, although I did like two scenes (more on that below). Since "STAR WARS Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith" (see my review on this film and the previous installment, "STAR WARS Episode II: Attack Of The Clones") will be on DVD and video stores November 1 (can't wait), I thought, "Might as well check it out again." Read on.

Well, screw me for having lost faith in Mr. Lucas. I completely changed my opinion of this film when I saw it again for the first time in four years...and with new eyes. I LOVED IT!! For the life of me however, I can't figure out why in bloody hell a lot of die-hard fans bashed this movie (it earned $400 million at the box-office; domestically, anyway) and Jar-Jar Binks. I thought that he was completely comical. Liam Neeson ("Schindler's List" [see my review on it] and the voice of Aslan in the upcoming "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe," coming to theaters December 9, 2005), the always-lovely and excellent Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd and Ewan McGregor (whose performance got even better in the next two films) did great jobs in the first of three films which tell the story of how Anakin Skywalker (a terrific Hayden Christensen in "Episode II" and "Episode III" [see my review on them, as well as the original trilogy], exuding all of Anakin's emotional pain as he struggles between good and evil); the original films deal with-I won't spoil it; those of you who've seen them, shut up and let the newcomers discover the story for themseleves. I particularly liked two scenes (including one which was cut from the film and appears in the deleted scenes section on Disc 2), which I thought were too damn brief. Lucas should've expanded them, but as he says in the "Deleted Scenes Documentary, "What interests me might not interest the audience"
...and he was right, unfortunately; but what the hell. Rated PG for sci-fi violence.

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) - Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor and more

The Saga Begins...

In modern cinema there is one series of films above all others that has had the biggest impact in one form or another. Whether the impact is from the groundbreaking CGI effects, revival of a dying genre, epic story telling, or even down to the type of camera used from film to digital, one man and his dream have helped to lead the way in ushering in the next modern age of cinema. That man is director George Lucas, and his dream is the incredible space saga that began over 20 years ago, `Star Wars'. In 1977, George Lucas wowed audiences with his epic space saga that took all of us to a galaxy far, far away. With that initial movie now known as, "Star Wars - Episode 4: A New Hope" (back when it was initially released it was known simply as "Star Wars"), we fell in love with the widest assortment of characters ranging from humans (Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi) to the lovable aliens (Chewbacca, Yoda, and yes even the Ewoks), to the most hated, yet we can't seem to get enough of villains (Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and the Emperor). Lucas held sway over our collective consciousness with his initial trilogy of films that spanned from 1977 to 1983, and at the end leaving audiences wanting more, and more specifically the first three chapters in his 6-part story. Finally, over 20 years later George Lucas delivered with "Star Wars - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace".

"Star Wars - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" sets all of the balls into motion that would lead to the events that audiences had already witnessed with the original trilogy. The basic plotline of the story without going into too much detail, just in case there is still someone that hasn't seen any of this series, is as follows. There is a growing darkness in the galaxy, as the Trade Federation is threatening to take over the planet Naboo, home to Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) who happens to have a seat on the Galactic Republic Senate, and is one of its most valued members. To save the Queen, the Jedi Council headed by Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), send out 2 of their best Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and a much younger Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). Through their quest to save the Queen and bring her safely to the Republic's capital city on Coruscant, the Jedi encounter Jar-Jar Binks (by far the most annoying character in the entire `Star Wars' universe) and a young slave boy named Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd). The discovery of young Anakin, prompts Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to see to it that Anakin is trained in the ways of the Force. As Qui-Gon and the council are beginning to believe that Anakin is more than just another Jedi, he may be the `Chosen One', one of the most powerful Jedi, and who would bring balance back to the Force, allowing the Jedi to overcome the impending evil that is arising in the form of the Sith, led by Darth Sidious and his apprentice Darth Maul.

With all the hype surrounding the return of the `Star Wars' saga, it really comes as no surprise that "Star Wars - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" somewhat failed to meet expectations. With that much hype, I really don't believe any movie could have overcome the public's belief of what the film should be. Critics hated the film, citing that it was too much of a kid's movie, with an over-reliance on CGI characters and effects, and incredibly wooden acting and dialogue. Many of the core fans of the series deserted after the release of this movie, but were brought back into the fold 3 years later with the release of `Episode 2'. My thoughts are that though this movie was a little more `kiddie' than the previous installments, it kind of had to be due to the fact that we were starting Anakin Skywalker's journey as a young boy, and through this prequel trilogy he would age and progress on his journey towards the Dark Side of the Force, until his ultimate betrayal of all that was good inside him when he transforms into Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Also, any nay-sayers should really hold their comments until after they have seen the entire prequel trilogy so they could get a feel for the overall story, though I thought the overall story was presented with a very good and very strong beginning with "Star Wars - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace", and the overall story only got stronger with the next 2 installments.

If you're a fan of the original `Star Wars' trilogy, or just generally love really good sci-fi movies or want to watch a movie series that feels epic and grand, then the `Star Wars' saga is definitely for you, and now the entire series has been released and is available to watch.

"Star Wars - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" is rated PG for violence.

Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor and more - Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

Episode I, good!

Although many critics and die hard SW fan complained about the first episode, I enjoyed it a lot. The pod-racer scene is one of my all-time favourites and obviously the special effects are brilliant! Yes, Jar-Jar is an annoying ass,but the movie is very enjoyable.