Movie Review: Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace

Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace

Rating: PG 

Recommended for: Ages 10 and up

The evil Trade Federation, led by Nute Gunray, is planning to take over the peaceful world of Naboo. Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to confront the leaders. But not everything goes to plan. The two Jedi escape, and along with their new Gungan friend, Jar Jar Binks head to Naboo to warn Queen Amidala, but droids have already started to capture Naboo and the Queen is not safe there. Eventually, they land on Tatooine, where they become friends with a young boy known as Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon is curious about the boy, and sees a bright future for him. The group must now find a way of getting to Coruscant and to finally solve this trade dispute, but there is someone else hiding in the shadows. Are the Sith really extinct? Is the Queen really who she says she is? And what's so special about this young boy?

This movie is my least favorite of all the Star Wars movies but since we were showing it to a friend, we had to watch it before watching Episode 2. There a things that could have been done better in this movie.

Technical: 3/5

The special effects in this movie are great and if you didn't already know that something wasn't real, such as the spaceships, you would have a hard time noticing that it wasn't real. I have a hard time noticing bad acting but I do think that the acting could have probably be done better. I have seen much worse acting. There are many things about this movie that are confusing. A lot of it has to do with worldbuilding that is not really explained or it can be hard to catch the explanation.

Setting: 4/5

This is a sci-fi movie and there are spaceships with gravity that can travel at the speed of light, if they're working. The culture of each planet is unique and very different from the others. There are weird aliens and some people, especially the queen of Naboo, dress strangely. There are planets that are just an entire city and some that are a desert. All of the places are done well.

Plot: 4/5

There are a couple plots in this movie, the political one being the most confusing. There is a trade federation that is trying to take over a planet. The other plot has to do with a Jedi Qui-Gon, finding a boy who he wants to train as a Jedi. This is where the cosmic humanism comes in. In these movies they do talk about it and Qui-Gon is the main one to give a lesson on it in this movie, though Yoda also is usually the one to talk about it. This movie also starts setting up for the original trilogy and it hints at things.

Characters: 4/5

There is a rather large cast of characters so I will just focus on the main ones. There are a couple villains, two Sith and an alien with the trade federation. The Emperor, Darth Sidious, is in this movie and he sends his apprentice, Darth Maul who is pretty creepy, to find the people who escaped. There is Qui-Gon who will disobey and do what he wants even if he is told no and he also takes risks. His apprentice Obi-wan does tell him that he should obey more. Padme is someone who cares about her people but does take some bad advice that causes problems later. Anakin is a reckless young boy who Qui-Gon thinks will fulfill some prophecy which is never explained where it came from. He is smart with some things. Jar Jar Binks is also in this movie, he is clumsy and dumb and many people hate him a lot.

There are good things and bad things in these movies and if you have seen the original trilogy and you like back stories then you will probably like it. If you do not like back stories then you will probably not like it.