Rating: 

The Info

Directed by: George Lucas
Written by: George Lucas
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson
Produced by: Rick McCallum

The Nutshell

Two Jedi have to protect the queen of a peaceful planet, and while escorting her to the Senate to plead her case, they meet a young boy destined for greatness.

The Review

    To say that Star Wars: The Phantom Menace has been eagerly awaited by fans of the series is one of the world's biggest understatements of all time. Everyone in the Western world has heard about the new film, the prequel, and record numbers will likely see it. No one's bloated expectations will likely be met by the film, but fans will leave satiated

    The wonderful thing about the original Star Wars trilogy is that, while the acting was horrible and the stories were poorly written, George Lucas' imaginative team of special effects wizards created a masterpiece. While other filmmakers had astonished audiences earlier with film such as Kubrick's 2001, no film had ever had so much fantasy. Lucas created multiple worlds, new races, a planet-sized enemy space station, and a cosmic Force. Throw all of that into the blender along with eager actors who could make the best of the cheesy script and you got Star Wars, the trilogy. To make The Phantom Menace an equal to the previous three films, Lucas had to once again combine all of these qualities, and he almost does it.

    The film opens with Jedis Qui-Gon Jinn (Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) acting as representatives of the planet Naboo to help end a trade blockade of the planet by the no-good Republic. The Republic is planning an invasion of Naboo, and tries to murder the Jedi. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan escape to the surface of Naboo to warn the Queen, Amidala (Portman). Before they can get to her, they encounter an amphibian fellow named Jar-Jar Binks, who takes them to his King before guiding them on their way through an underwater passageway to Naboo proper.

    Queen Amidala is taken prisoner by the Republic, and is saved by the Jedi. They leave the planet to head straight for The Senate (an inter-planetary group similar to the World Trade Organization). On the way to the Senate, on a planet called Coruscant, they veer offcourse to Tatooine. Looking for parts for their ship, Qui-Gon encounters Anakin Skywalker, a young slave boy who competes in Pod races. Qui-Gon senses something of the Force in the boy.

    One of the most anticipated new characters is Darth Maul, a Sith, sort of an evil Jedi. We see an apparition of the man who will eventually become the Emperor speaking to the Republic's chief bad guys several times, and he introduces Darth Maul as his apprentice. Maul is a wicked character, with multiple little horns around his forehead and a face that is painted black and red. The kicker is that Maul's lightsaber is a double light saber (picture a Q-tip where the two ends are lightsabers). Maul fights Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan twice, managing to instill an insane energy to both sequences.

    Visually, this is one the most impressive films of the decade. There is a planet that is one giant city from pole to pole, another that is resplendant with giant statues and tapestries. The Pod race that Anakin competes in, while largely irrelevant to the story, is awe-inspiring. It's one of two pinnacles of the film, the other being the pulse-racing ending. The ending combines three different battles; one between the Republic's robotic army and the Amphibian Gungan army, another between the Queen and her crew vs. the leaders of the Republic in the palace, and third and most intense, a three-way lightsaber duel, with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both facing off simultaneously against Darth Maul. The constant shifting of views between the three battles keep you alert and attentive, and the apocalyptic music during the saber duels is chilling.

    The cast Lucas has assembled here is interesting. Liam Neeson brings a certain grandeur and nobility to Qui-Gon, while Ewan McGregor has spunk and energy as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi. Natalie Portman is regal as Queen Amidala, while Jake Lloyd is weak as Anakin. Lloyd doesn't put any depth into Anakin, who in the scope of the saga is the most important character of the film. Jar-Jar Binks provides comic relief and a demeanour that children love.

    Lucas tinkers wildly with his universe of Jedis and the Force in The Phantom Menace. Jedis, we learn, are Jedis because they have a large number of Midichlorines in their blood. Somehow these Midichlorines, symbiotic parasites, connect them to the Force. One character undergo a blood test to test his potential to be a Jedi. This brings a lot of modern day medicine into what is supposed to be a fantasy. Another big revelation is the fact that Anakin Skywalker  is the product of a virgin birth. This does not bode well for the next film, as how many religious groups will be happy to learn that George Lucas has used the tale of the birth of Jesus Christ as the basis for the birth of his chief bad guy, Darth Vader?

    Apart from those two bizarre surprises, The Phantom Menace establishes the beginnings of the saga nicely. Obi-Wan emerges as Anakin's tutor, Anakin and Queen Amidala meet (they apparently become involved in the next film) and C-3PO's construction is begun. There is even an appearance by Jabba the Hut. All of these pieces to the saga's story make this film a success for its' fans, and a good time for all.

Copyright - Tim Chandler

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