Review of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) by Crstfr — 09 Feb 2011

This was (regrettably) the first Star Wars film I saw. I was seven at the time and naturally I was enthralled by the undeniably good special effects. Several years on and I have fallen in love with the original trilogy as one should!! What separates the old trilogy from the new one is the distinction between good story telling, and good visual effects; George Lucas relied too much on effects in the prequels and forgot all about character development.

Episode I does have some good aspects (Qui-Gon / Darth Maul) but the acting is so bland and the story so dull, not to mention the abomination known as Jar Jar - Lucas' defence is that it's a kid's film too but I think Jar Jar is even an insult to a three year old).

The saddest thing about this film is the amount of hype that was created and the subsequent let down which has forever tarnished the Star Wars series. Yes it can be an enjoyable film, but it completely ruins the magic and heart of Star Wars.