STAR WARS EP 1 - THE PHANTOM MENACE

SYNOPSIS:
When the evil Trade Federation plots to take over the peaceful planet of Naboo, Jedi warrior Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) embark on an amazing adventure to save the planet. With them on their journey is the young queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) , Gungan outcast JarJar Binks (Ahmed Best), and the powerful Captain Panaka (Hugh Quarshie), who will all travel to the faraway planets of Tatooine and Coruscant in a futile attempt to save their world from Darth Sidious, leader of the Trade Federation, and Darth Maul (Ray Park), the strongest Dark Lord of the Sith to ever wield a lightsaber. Also joining the odyssey is a young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd).

"For the hardcore Star Wars fan: it's got everything you've hoped for - in gigabytes. The combination of pre-existing knowledge about some of the leading characters and the epic scale of the production is awesome. Lots of cool stuff, from the robotic marvels to the entertaining alien life forms, and incredibly rich visuals, all add up to one long thrill ride, whose highlight for you will be the extended and exciting chariot race … er, pod race. For the swinging voter (like me): you've seen Star Wars and enjoyed it, but are reluctant to be swept away by the hype. But it's better than you expected; the Lucas imagination has been allowed to expand and fill all the corners in his galaxy of a long time ago and far away, and there is a sprinkling of the humour that keeps it from turgidity. Some of the major sequences are breathtaking, and the Williams score soars. The costume design, where it isn't creating intergalactic fashion trends, has countless references to earthly cultural diversity from Japanese traditional clothing to the simplistic peasant wear of the Middle ages. The architecture is equally eclectic, bringing together - as do our real environments - different strands and styles. You'll find some of the accents impenetrable, some a bit clunky and phony, but you'll be won over by Liam Neeson, whose character is the one with which you can and will identify. Ewan McGregor has little room to shine. Overall, it is a remarkable film for its bravura and its inventiveness. For the cynic: You will find it a bit distant and too earnest, lacking in the freewheeling sense of fun that, say, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) brought to the earlier escapades of our team. You will see it as a confirmation of your fears that Lucas has allowed his force to be turned to the dark, formulaic side. For the newbie: see it, you must, but do so after you've seen the first three in the series."
Andrew L. Urban