Review of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) by John B — 09 Sep 2017

I was so excited seeing this in the cinema. I would have been around 13 at the time and couldn't wait to see it. I sat in the seat eager to witness a new chapter in the Star Wars saga. As the film went on I grew less and less enthusiastic the whole feel of the film isn't Star Wars.

The ships don't have the same look and appeal as the X Wings Tie Fighters and Super Star Destroyers. The introduction of Jar Jar Binks is quite possibly the biggest mistake in movie history. He's supposed to be funny, he's not in the slightest. He is in fact incredibly annoying and every moment he's on screen you're hoping Qui Gon is just going to get annoyed and behead him with his light sabre!

The film seriously lacks the presence of a Han Solo type character. The majority of people in the film are either Jedi, politicians or soldiers. There aren't many smart one liners in this as a result. I do however like the light sabre sequences they are very well put together. I don't know why Lucas decided to kill off Darth Maul as early as he did. I believe he would have made a much more interesting adversary than Count Dukoo.

It's a shame because with a rewrite and a return to more practical effects the prequels could've been as good as the original trilogy. The story Anakins demise should've been a compelling one. Unfortunately with the exception of the last half of revenge of the sixth it really isn't worth watching.