Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace - Review

This movie and I have a love-hate relationship. On the one hand, it's Star Wars. Ever since I was a kid, I have always been obsessed with everything Star Wars. The movies, the books, the video games, the toys, all of it. When I got interested in Star Wars, the prequel trilogy had just come out and I was intrigued by the worlds, the ships, the weapons, the lightsaber duels, the action scenes, the special effects, all of it. So watching it today gives me a great sense of nostalgia to that sense of wonderment I had as a kid. However, after growing up, going through film school, watching many more films and now having a different set of criteria that I want out of the films that I watch, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is a disappointment for sure.

Right from the opening title crawl, I could sense that something was off. From the text discussing trade blockade and what seemed to be just a bunch of government jargon, to the unexciting opening sequence of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) entering a ship to discuss a trade dispute to the rushed pace of a forced action sequence right afterwards, to a video call between the Trade Federation and Queen Amidala, I realized that I was not going to be able to enjoy this movie to the extent I did when I was a kid.

But let's start with the positives, shall we? First of all, although we can look back now and say that there is an abundance of CGI in the movie, the worlds are still breathtaking, even to this day. The luscious, romantic planet of Naboo, the large city planet of Coruscant, and of course the run down villages of Tatooine all make for great set pieces for each section of the story. Since that this is a time in the galaxy of democracy as the Republic is at large, it makes sense to have the worlds of Star Wars look somewhat cleaner and more inhabited. Which makes sense in why Tatooine is so rundown. Not only due to the harsh weather conditions, but because of the lack of Republic influence.

The production design is also wonderful as well. The designs of the Trade Federation and the battle droids look menacing, even though a large amount of tension is lost when we find that the battle droids can be defeated rather easily, and Darth Maul is one awesome looking villain. The Naboo starships look sleek and elegant and the Pod-Race on Tatooine is still thrilling to watch. Plus, I have to give a shoutout to that lightsaber battle because you bet that I was one of those kids making their own lightsaber battle movies on their home cameras after watching Darth Maul face off against Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

However, this is all surface level stuff. What the movie truly lacks are interesting characters that we like and care about, a story that gives us a sense of adventure and any real emotional investment.

As for our characters, they are duds. Qui-Gon Jinn does a level of wisdom to him that is captivating due to Liam Neeson's performance, but he isn't necessarily a character that we can relate to and go along this journey with. Obi-Wan Kenobi is barely in the movie and when he is on screen is rather boring. He seems to be there only to complain to Qui-Gon. Which leaves us with an empty feeling when Obi-Wan tells Anakin that he is going to train him. We didn't get any chance to see a bond form between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Instead, we get a wise Jedi knight telling Anakin some philosophical things about Mediclorians (which quite frankly ruins the magic of Star Wars) just for us to *SPOILER ALERT* watch Qui-Gon die and leave us with a younger Jedi who we only care about because we are aware of the existence of the original trilogy and a little kid who can't act.

Okay, I guess I shouldn't be too hard on Jake Llyod. He's not terrible, I just don't think Star Wars fans wanted a movie with a 10-year-old boy as our hero. It is hard however to get invested in him only because almost every single thing that happens in this movie, with the exception of the pod race, is completely out of his understanding and control. And we have Natalie Portman as Padme/Queen Amidala who is one of the most boring characters ever plus Jar Jar Binks who is just cringe-worthy on screen. This is a group of characters with no chemistry or charisma.

So with no likable or relatable characters, the only saving grace can come in the form of a compelling and interesting story. Sorry folks, we don't get one of those here. Star Wars has gone from the hero's journey with likable colorful characters going on various adventures in a classic good versus evil story to an ambiguous villain creating a political conspiracy in order to gain power with the focus on bland characters talking with little to no emotion about government laws and a crisis that we never see. Oh and don't forget the fact that we only hear a handful of lines out of Darth Maul and know absolutely nothing about him. With bland characters and a stale story, The Phantom Menace may look like a new Star Wars movie, but it certainly doesn't feel like one.

If this movie had a simpler story with characters that acted like real people and had even the slightest bit of depth, mixed in with the worlds that this story takes place, I'm sure you would have had an entertaining movie for everyone. However, the only people I can see enjoying this movie today are people who either grew up with it or people who are absolutely obsessed with Star Wars. If you do not fit into those two categories, I'd say maybe start the Star Wars franchise at Episode IV.