The first episode of one of the most successful and compelling stories in the history of filmmaking, The Phantom Menace is not the best of the Star Wars saga by a long shot. However, I do love me a prequel, and I still argue that it is a great movie in its own right and its generally negative perception can be based on the following:
1) It was the first Star Wars movie to have been released since the end of the original trilogy some 16 years before. Because the original trilogy had such an avid following, all the anticipation that had built in that span of time was a recipe for disaster. No movie could live up to that hype.
2) Once you've seen Anakin Skywalker as an end product, seeing a whiney little kid just seems a little...odd.
3) Jar Jar Binks. Enough said.
Please, people, give this movie another chance. Watch it again. Try to take it for what it is - the introductory act to one of the greatest stories in the history of filmmaking (have I made my opinion clear on that?) - and you'll get far more enjoyment out of it. Besides, with George Lucas at the helm and Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, and Liam Neeson on screen, it's hard to argue that the force is not with this film... at least a little bit.
Rating: 8/10
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