STAR WARS EPISODE 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)

Cast

Plot

Phantom Menace follows the story of a young Tatooine slave, Anakin Skywalker (Lloyd) and his chance meeting with Jedi knights Qui-Gon Jinn (Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor). The two knights, at the time of the meeting, are busy assisting Queen Amidala (Portman), who's desperately trying to restore peace to her home planet of Naboo. So enough of the basic plot the question is, after sixteen years of waiting, is it any good? Well to be honest, it's rubbish, although some will undoubtedly love it. There's loads of action, loads of special effects, loads of comedy, loads of mawkish sentimentality and loads of heroics on display. And that's the film's main problem, it's so heavy handed that it becomes tiresome, and at times seems at odds with itself. On one hand you get complicated ideas such as trade embargoes and taxation matters, and on the other you get (a big sigh) Jar Jar Binks. You get an incredible, but far too short, finale between the sabre wielding Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and on the other you get an overlong pod race with an uninteresting kid and two annoying cartoon commentators. It's a mess, but for some, it will be an enjoyable mess!