On May 19, 1999, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace opened in theaters. I was 6 years old at the time. I was scheduled to go that night to see it with my mom and my brother Kevin. However, that afternoon, I got in trouble for biting my brother at my grandma's house, and as punishment, I had to stay home with my father while they went. I never saw it....until Monday night.
The big question: Was it worth waiting 13 years? Yes. Because I was able to judge it with the perspective of an adult rather than a 6 year old.
The film revolves around jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi as they travel to Naboo in order to protect Queen Amidala from the Galatic Trade Federation who plans to force her to sign a treaty.
The story is no where near the level of the original trilogy, yet that does not make this a bad movie. It is cluttered with multiple plot points at times, and the characters may not be as appealing as Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, but it is a fun ride nonetheless.
This film belongs to Liam Neeson. His portrayal of Qui-Gonn steals the show the same way that Harrison Ford stole it as Han Solo in the original. His wisdom and calm attitude under pressure makes him the clear star of the movie. Having seen so many Neeson films before this, made this that much more interesting.
Now we come to the part I have been dreading. Jar Jar Binks. To be totally clear, I hated him. He is nothing more than a vain attempt to pander the younger generation that will accompany the fans of the original trilogy. But he is not the result of bad acting, he is the result of bad writing. Ahmed Best, the actor, did everything he could with such horrible character writing. I don't blame him in the least. I would not say get rid of him completely, I would reduce his screentime in favor of Darth Maul who has so much more potential. The fact that Ray Park (who is my choice for "Andrew's Standout") did not have more time to flesh out such a clear fan-favorite is nothing short of criminal.
The same would go for Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, but fortunately we have not seen the last of him.
I would save your money, the 3-D does not add too much extra. (Though some sequences are incredible). But see this movie sometime in your life. It's not a bad movie, just not a very good Star Wars movie.
B-
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