Watching this for the first time in 2024, I was puzzled by its low ratings. I found the film to be really good and would have rated it 10/10 if not for one major issue: the character of Jar Jar Binks.
Having enjoyed the original trilogy, I was excited to dive into this new one. "The Phantom Menace" delivers on many fronts: beautiful cinematography, amazing costume designs, a good story, well-crafted dialogue, and an interesting backstory for the original films. However, Jar Jar Binks truly annoyed me. Unlike the endearing clumsiness of characters like C-3PO and Chewbacca, Jar Jar comes off as annoying rather than lovable. I still can't figure out why this character was included.
Another aspect that felt off was the pod racing scene. It seemed to drag on forever, taking up more time than necessary. While it was enjoyable at first, it eventually felt overly long and unnecessary.
Towards the end, the film's pace became overwhelming with too many simultaneous events. The constant switching between different subplots took me out of the main story. It might have been better if the film had focused on fewer, more important events.
Despite these issues, the film's main political storyline is admirable and more mature than the previous trilogy. Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson are fantastic in their roles, commanding every scene they're in. Jake Lloyd also does well, considering his young age. The rest of the cast delivers strong performances too. The action scenes, especially the lightsaber fights, are excellently choreographed.
Overall, I recommend this film to anyone.
Having enjoyed the original trilogy, I was excited to dive into this new one. "The Phantom Menace" delivers on many fronts: beautiful cinematography, amazing costume designs, a good story, well-crafted dialogue, and an interesting backstory for the original films. However, Jar Jar Binks truly annoyed me. Unlike the endearing clumsiness of characters like C-3PO and Chewbacca, Jar Jar comes off as annoying rather than lovable. I still can't figure out why this character was included.
Another aspect that felt off was the pod racing scene. It seemed to drag on forever, taking up more time than necessary. While it was enjoyable at first, it eventually felt overly long and unnecessary.
Towards the end, the film's pace became overwhelming with too many simultaneous events. The constant switching between different subplots took me out of the main story. It might have been better if the film had focused on fewer, more important events.
Despite these issues, the film's main political storyline is admirable and more mature than the previous trilogy. Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson are fantastic in their roles, commanding every scene they're in. Jake Lloyd also does well, considering his young age. The rest of the cast delivers strong performances too. The action scenes, especially the lightsaber fights, are excellently choreographed.
Overall, I recommend this film to anyone.
