Star Wars: Phantom Menace


Starring Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Jake Lloyd, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz. Written and Directed by George Lucas.

In a galaxy far, far away, the small planet of Naboo is being blockaded by the renegade Trade Federation. Controlled by a sinister seth lord (that means very evil), they attack the planet, starve the inhabitants and try to force their Queen Amidala (Portman) into signing the treaty. With the help of two Jedi knights, Qui-Jon Ginn (Neeson) and young Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor), plus a whiny amphibian named Binks, the Queen escapes to try to plead for help from the Senate council. But their ship, runs out of fuel, and they land at an outpost on the edge of the galaxy. There they meet young 10 year-old Anakin Luke-I-am-your-father Skywalker (Lloyd), who helps them by racing his pod to victory in a local race to gain enough money to buy the parts and fuel the travellers desperately need.

Ginn senses the force is strong in the boy, and helps free the young slave from his master, taking him with to him to the senate. While there, he introduces the lad to the Jedi council, and requests permission to begin Jedi training on the lad. But Yoda (Oz) and other members including Mace Windu (Jackson) are wary, sensing the force in him, but also some disturbing elements as well. The Queen, Ginn and the rest return to Naboo to attempt to rescue the planet from the clutches of the forces of evil. But awaiting their return is the evil lord's apprentice Darth Maul, looking like a cross between a tiger and the devil, and with malice on his mind.

The good news is that the special effects are amazing, adding considerable excitement to the movie. Especially cool and exciting is the Ben-Hur like pod race, where nifty land cruisers zip around at lightning speed through canyons and deserts. The mechanical droids which the federation uses as its army are interesting, and blow up real good when whacked by a light sabre. The battle between them and some of the Naboo inhabitants is spectacular. The city and countryside animation is especially beautiful. And the costumes, especially those of the Queen, are rich and colourful - having Natalie wear them doesn't hurt either. The characters are well related to Episodes 4 through 6, and we can see the beginnings of how the galaxy will develop. The bad news is that the story is overly corny, and everyone is so, so serious. It even includes the suggestion by his mom of an immaculate conception of Anakin. While the story moves along at a nice pace, the humour is juvenile, supplied by the mostly annoying Binks. Where Hans Solo contributed energy and romantic tension in the original films, the humans here barely crack a smile. Both a strength and a weakness, the story follows a strict good vs. evil path. Characters are either upstanding and selfless, or malicious and without conscience. This is somewhat true of the original trilogy as well, but it is far too pronounced here.

With the cast assembled, you'd think there'd be lots of charm and energy. Neeson is strong and noble, and gives weight to his Jedi knight, but he seems to take life way too seriously. McGregor, funny and a bit crazy in films like Shallow Grave and the excellent Trainspotting, is excessively deadpan and muted. Jackson appears briefly, and is a shadow of his usual intense self. Who'd have thought McGregor and Jackson could ever be made boring. The highlight of the film is actually Portman, much better than her last appearance in Mars Attacks. She delivers surprising strength and depth to Abidala, and a sense of fun to her handmaiden character. She is especially good in her scenes with Lloyd, bringing a rare sense of fun and showing some chemistry with him. As with the original Star Wars, these problems can be partly explained by the need to spend time introducing new characters. Perhaps, like the vastly superior Empire Strikes Back, the next movie will be the fun and energetic film one might have hoped for here. If you are expecting top notch plot and performances, you will be disappointed. If you are a fan of the original trilogy, you can expect to enjoy Phantom Menace, because of the phenominal special effects, the heavy doses of mythology, and the references and connections to Star Wars movies past.




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