Stars Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace
A Review
By Jeremiah Rickert
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd Written and Directed by George Lucas
Hype hype and more hype! After a while soon the large amount of hype itself became a news story, in essence they hyped the hype. Would it... could it live up to the hype?
George Lucas has been teasing, hinting, and out and out whetting our appetites for this film for the last twenty years. It's been believed that he has written a nine part story and that someday we'd see the other six parts. Recently his tune has changed and it's now a six part story, and we're two-thirds of the way there. I waited until this film had been open a while before I reviewed it, mostly because I wanted to insulate myself from the hype, which I think was a good idea.
First of all, I wanted to watch this film with perspective. This is the first part of what Lucas calls his six-film epic. Just like the prologue to a book, I knew right off that the groundwork for a variety of plot threads was going to be laid down, most of which would not come to fruition until 2005 when the final film in the prequel trilogy is released. Most people expected the same sort of whizz-bang here it comes feeling of the original Star Wars. You have to remember that the first film was written without the expectation of sequels, so George had to pack as much as he could into it. The Phantom Menace on the other hand was written with the thought that pretty much barring his death, the other two films are going to be made. As a writer, that leaves him a lot more time to develop plots slowly and carefully; good for film fans, bad for the casual movie-goer perhaps. The other thing that I noticed about the film is that most people, especially fans, were dissing the film after only seeing the trailer. People wondered why Natalie Portman's accent changed, for example, and were saying that George was sloppy. Of course, that is all explained in the film. Finally, people complained that the ships and such looked like they were "higher-tech" than the later films, and that again George was sloppy. It's obvious that the Republic was about at its apex during the film, the height of its power and scientific advancement, and that after the wars of the 2nd and 3rd films, things are in a bit of a dark age. These are things that most film goers didn't get.
The plot is very Machiavellian. A greedy Trade Federation is illegally blockading the small planet of Naboo, taking advantage of the endless bickering and bureaucracy in the Galactic Senate. We soon learn that someone referred to as Lord Sideous, who looks and talks like a certain Emperor from the later films has put them up to it. The Senate Chancellor (Terrance Stamp) sends Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) to force a settlement, but they are soon attacked. As the Federation starts their invasion it's up to the Jedis to protect the Naboo Queen (Natalie Portman) from attack. After fleeing the planet with the Queen, they end up on Tantooine with a damaged ship and are forced to enlist the help of a slave boy named Anikan Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) who also happens to be very strong with the force. Can this motely crue stand up to the droid armies of the Trade Federation? What of Lord Sideous and the mysterious Sith who seem to be behind the attack? Stay tuned...
Lucas has again taken "the next big step" in film. He's created a virtually photo-realistic computer-generated universe, which basically means he is now only limited by his imagination as to what he can create. Are there times when you can easily tell it's a computer effect? Well, yes, but not very often. I was slightly disappointed with the sound. I was told before the film's release that Lucas was going to use the new Dolby Surround EX sound system, and demand that theaters showing The Phantom Menace upgrade if they want to show it, however that doesn't seem to have happened.
The acting in the film was not as bad as many had reported it to be. McGregor's Obi Wan was a great precursor to Sir Alec Guinness' more experienced character that we meet later. Pernella August as Anakin's mother Shmi Skywalker was paticularly good, conveying an incredible array of emotions in her face and eyes. Reviewers who said this film was cold and sterile must not have paid attention to her performance. This was George's first trip behind the camera since 1977's Star Wars. For the most part he was all right, but at times traded a little directorial artistry for technological artistry. I thought this was most apparent during some of the various fire-fight scenes, when it looked like he was pretty much reusing shots and camera movements from the original Star Wars. I'm almost sure it was intentional that he aped the first film, but it did come off as a bit obvious.
Jar Jar Binks is a character who has inspired some rather heated words from fans. Speaking as someone who bought the toys, read the comics, and played the video games, I didn't think he was that bad. I do agree that at times he was difficult to understand, particularly when he is explaining why he was expelled from Gungan City. I do, however, agree that instead of making new races, more familiar ones should have been used for the main villains and creatures we see in the film. This would have not disturbed the story any, and would have made the film have a slightly more familiar look to it. I realize that George probably has a back story written where a certain race would be seen on a certain planet, but it is information that we just don't have.
This was an infinitely detailed film, with small little touches that I didn't even notice without repeated viewings. The score by John Williams is again very effective particularly during the big Jedi Lightsaber Duel. His song "Duel of the Fates" compliments the action so well it almost seems as if they were created in some sort of symbiotic fashion.
Once people are able to put their expectations and their prejudices behind them, they will be able to appreciate The Phantom Menace more. Also, when viewed in the context of the other two films in the trilogy, I'm sure that for most people, their questions will be answered to their satisfaction.
Of the 4.75 I paid for this film, it was worth $8.00
(c) 1999 Jeremiah Rickert --
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