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 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (DVD)
Description: Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy - Science Fiction / Theatrical Release: 1999 / Director: George Lucas / Actors: Liam ... more  Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (DVD) ... Neeson, Ewan McGregor ... / DVD released 22 March, 2005 at 20th Century Fox / Features of the DVD: Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled / "I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event ... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: sure, this is Star Wars, but it is my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breathing Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film-the adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park. Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young and slim) and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet, a frog and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over sceptics. Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We will watch your career with great interest." Indeed! --Tod NelsonNewest Review: ... Jedi if controlled, and together, the two Jedi take Anakin on as a Jedi apprentice. The tale heads towards a battle between ... more ... the Federation and the Republic, and as the main battle commences, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan have Darth Sidious' apprentice to deal with, the mysterious and dangerous tattooed Darth Maul.
The Cast and Performances
Liam Neeson takes the role of Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jin. He does well in the role, but I did not feel that he was as effective as he possibly should have been.This may be a reflection on the script more than his performance. Ewan McGregor takes on the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. In Episodes IV, V and VI, this role was...more |
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Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (DVD): Fantastic film, fabulous DVD -- it's Star Wars time agai ... (2582 words)
by Sputnik_257 - written on 19.10.01 (Very useful, 180 readings)
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Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace. Well it's taken a long time in coming, and was almost a dream come true for millions of fans and fanatics around the world when it arrived in US cinemas in May 1999. A lot has been said about the film, some people liking it, others disappointed by it. I'm going to do two things that are rare for me now. First I'm going to review a complete DVD package, rather than just then film itself -- something I avoid, as I'm anything but an expert on all those fancy words used to describe the picture and sound on DVD. Second, I'm going to talk about Star Wars. I'm not, I confess, a fan, and have only seen ...
George Lucas should be spaced for this abomination (1452 words)
by jdkane - written on 15.11.00 (Very useful, 15 readings)
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Star Wars 1; The Phantom Menace [Spoilers for The Phantom Menace] I do not normally do movie reviews. I tend to watch movies on television more than I bother going to the cinema, but I could hardly afford to have missed this one. No real science- fiction buff could. Therein, unfortunately, lies the problem; a lot of us are adults. I am a role-player of the best part of a decade's standing, and I have done a lot of both playing and running in the Star Wars game universe put out under license by West End Games; I have seen the previously released three movies more times than I care to count, played the computer games to death, read some of ...
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (DVD): Eagerly anticipated: Jar Jar Who? (956 words)
by pmcds - written on 04.07.08 (Very useful, 52 readings)
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So, this is where it all begins! In 1999, twenty years after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was first released at the cinema amidst a wave of fanatical behaviour, followed by episodes V and VI, George Lucas' considerable enterprise starts off the prequel trilogy with Episode I: A Phantom Menace. The film was eagerly anticipated for so long, with die hard Star Wars fans queuing, sometimes for days, to be one of the first to get a glimpse of the new film. This was to set the scene for the following two films, and the episodes, all 6 of them, would tell a chronological tale. Phantom Menace was met with much excitement, and raving reviews. It also met with criticism, and ...
