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DVD : Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

Rating: - In defense of Jar-Jar
I think Lucas was right. The more I see this movie, the better I like it. I think, somewhat like Empire did, it will grow with time as it is seen in the larger context.

1. I think there are a lot of fans whose sense of self-identity is wrapped up in this series, and when a character emerges that challenges who they perceive themselves to be (not a comical child), they get very defensive. When I was a child, I LOVED the Ewoks. I had their tree fort (which would later suspiciously emerge as Robin Hood's). I can see now, as an adult, why so many were frustrated by this choice. But it did its job for me as a little boy. I think people need to back off on Lucas about Jar Jar. The major misstep with Jar-Jar was not having him, but having too much of him. There were certain lines and scenes that detracted from the movie - but there were others that provided a nice comic release for a child watching it.

2. I enjoyed the storyline - discovering the boy and the slower parts certainly played out a larger mythological beginning. I give Lucas credit for not forcing constant action and allowing the characters and stories to play out. If you watch the original Star Wars, it is REALLY slow to get going.

Perhaps my biggest gripe with this and all the newer movies is mechanics. Amidst all the Joseph Campbell mythmaking, how many times was Han trying to fix the ship or they were bantering back and forth. These are all much more sterilized - perhaps necessarily so for where the Republic is at the time. Still, I miss the grit.

Rating: - Many Flaws, But TWO That I Just Couldn't Ignore.... & Still Can't
What I want to say is that I really, really tried to love this movie, OK? I made a real effort. LOL.

Now, I watched Episode 1 more than once, so I didn't hate it. Each time, as with viewing any film multiple times, certain things would stick out or grab me more than others. Some aspects of the story, certain special effects or visuals, the music, dialog, specific characters, etc.,whatever, would be more prevalent, more on my mind, more in focus.

Anyway. Alright, the two things that I could not accept, that just to me are virtually impossible to ignore are:

1. Jar Jar appearing in the movie __as MUCH as he does__.
2. Darth Maul appearing in the movie __as LITTLE as he does__.

Also --and maybe this is #3-- would definitely be the way Darth Maul dies. Nope, sorry do NOT, can not buy that. Look, he just stands there. Go back and watch it if you'd like -- Darth Maul stares at Obi Wan with a frown on his face, sees Obi Wan looking over to the side staring at a light saber, and then watches as the young Jedi flies up from the shaft -right in front of him- and then comes down on his(Maul's) other side. OK, watch it again if you feel this is nit picking at all. It's absurd, __especially since Darth Maul is portrayed, in the few scenes he is in, as a total bad a**!__ What was Maul doing? He literally just stands there and then after Obi Wan lands he slowly turns around and doesn't even make a move.


Back to #1 and #2: I know, I understand Jar Jar is for the children. Fine, I got it. But, man, we all could have done with a bit less of that character. Also, they coulda toned it down a couple of times -- as for example when they are at the dinner table. You know the scene.. I thought, OMG, "he's actually ruining the movie". But I would have been fine with Jar Jar if he had a smaller role. #2 What the *****? Remember those AWESOME PREVIEWS with Maul in them looking so freaking bad? He was barely in the movie and instead a retarded children's comic relief imbecile was the star.

Now, look, I am familiar with the tendency, ESPECIALLY for fans, or what would be better described as SUPER-FANS to rationalize away the flaws, ample flaws, of these films. I am also aware of the common tendency to be overly critical of the movies. So, I hope that I am not simply coming across as overly critical here. All I wanted to bring up is that in watching this movie a bunch of times I could let slide a lot of stuff, but not everything.

Hope you enjoyed my two cents and let's hope future Star Wars stories are better, and are told better as well. Lucas created something special, something that I think grew larger and is greater than his ability to handle. God I wish he'd let Spielberg direct.

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Rating: - I find it hilarious
That people thought the new trilogy was bad, full of bad acting and bad scripts, but you should really go take another look at the original trilogy. It was just as bad, and when it came out there were plenty of other SciFi movies that were decades beyond what Star Wars tried to do, it's just that Star Wars was so overwhelmingly popular that those other titles were overlooked. I personally loved the new trilogy. And I personally thought Empire Strikes Back was one of the worst movies ever made, so it's funny how some Star Wars fans try to say that is every star wars fans' favorite.

Sure, the new trilogy has its flaws, but so did the original trilogy.

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Rating: - A great story told in a captivating manner
This first episode of the Star Wars saga is a magnificant achievement. The pace is brisk, the detailed imagining of alien worlds and peoples is incredible. Special effects are the best that exist. And it includes homages/allusions to many other science fiction/fantasy classics. This is moviemaking at its best.

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Rating: - Besides Return my least favorite.
Besides Return Of The Jedi this is my least favorite episode and here's why. Jar Jar Binks. A character who has no purpose other than to annoy the heck out of everyone who was wanting more Jedi Sith time onscreen. Also the storyline was not the best. The whole Gungan thing to me was not needed. Darth Maul was not used well. And I wasn't crazy about the whole midiclorian thing. The movie just took too long to get going.

Now the good. The casting was great to me. Ewan Mcgregor was the perfect choice to show us a younger Obi Wan Kenobi. Natalie Portman was good as well. Liam Neeson, Ian MaDiarmid were good as well. My favorite casting was Ray Park as Darth Maul. In the movie when the jedi are trying to return the queen to her throne and the door opens up to show us Darth Maul standing there waiting to kick some butt everyone in the movie theater had that look on their face like oh hell yeah. The whole movie we are waiting the see the Jedi in their prime and battle some Sith and we get it good.Besides the fight between Obi and Ani in Ep 3 this is my favorite fight scene.

Do I like the movie? Yes. It could have been alot better though. Take away Jar Jar Binks from the first three movies and the Ewoks from the last one and the movies would have been perfect.

Long live Star Wars.

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