Certificate:

Director: George Lucas

Release Date: 16 July 1999

Tagline: Every generation has a legend. Every journey has a first step. Every saga has a beginning.

Main Cast:

Liam Neeson … Qui-Gon Jinn

Ewan McGregor … Obi-Wan Kenobi

Natalie Portman … Queen Padme Amidala

Jake Lloyd … Anakin Skywalker

Frank Oz … Yoda (voice)

Ian McDiarmid … Senator Palpatine

WARNING – THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE SAGA

First of all, I should mention that I am a Star Wars fan. Actually, that’s an understatement. I am a First Generation fan, and I’m obsessed by it!

I can’t let this review pass without mentioning a few things and finally being able to get it off my chest, so to speak.

There are many fans out there who did nothing but moan about TPM from the very beginning. First they hated the title, then they hated the film because “there is not enough action”, and it was “made for children”.

The title is perfect. Anakin is the phantom menace. In this chapter, they are unaware of the terrible fate of that awaits both him and the galaxy. Only Yoda has a foreboding about it.

How much action did they expect at the beginning of the saga? Palpatine’s rise to power was a cleverly crafted one that took years to come to fruition. At this point in the timeline, the Jedi are still the peacekeepers of the galaxy, and though everything appears to be right, they recognise that the Republic is beginning to show signs of disorder. TPM is a perfect scene setter for what is to come. It also brings the characters together very credibly. Nothing seems forced (no pun intended!) at all.

Yes, it is a family film with a U certificate. What those fans appeared to miss was the fact that all three films in the original trilogy were also U certificates. The original fans were children themselves when watching the films for the first time. This point seemed to pass them by completely.

And then there’s Jar Jar. In the original trilogy, the humour was provided by the great double act that was C-3PO and R2-D2. In this chapter they have not yet teamed up. Granted, Jar Jar was annoying at times, and perhaps George Lucas could have toned him down a little. But the not very bright Jar Jar will provide a very important moment in the next episode (Attack of the Clones).

As a stand alone film, TPM is not going to make much sense, and if this is your first ever Star Wars film, you will probably wonder what all the fuss is about. But they are not meant to be stand alone films. They are part of a saga and, as such, they must be seen as a whole. That was Lucas’s plan from the very beginning, and that is why they are episodes. In fact, to get the most out of them, you really should see them in the original order i.e. IV, V and VI and then I, II and III. If seen in chronological order, your opinion of Anakin is already formed, and you will view Darth Vader in a very different light.

Ok. That’s much better. Now on to the review!

The acting, in general, was very good. I thought that Ewan McGregor was well cast as Obi-Wan, but he seemed to be so concerned with being like Alec Guinness that he forgot to be Obi-Wan. That’s only a small thing though, because he does nail the speech pattern, and we can recognise the old Obi-Wan in the young.

Anakin is protrayed perfectly. He is a precocious child who has an unnatural and powerful ability. He has a kind of untamed energy about him, and we, the viewer, know that ultimately the Jedi will fail with him, and he’ll become the most ruthless and feared man in the galaxy. The Jedi think that Anakin is the one spoken of in the prophecy; the one who will restore peace and balance to the galaxy. And though it seems that they are badly mistaken, in the end the prophecy is right, as it is Darth Vader/Anakin who destroys the Emperor.

The pod racing scene is stunning and the rivalry between Anakin and Sebulba shows how competitive Anakin is, and the final fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul is absolutely fantastic.

Darth Maul’s double ended lightsabre is a real ‘wow’ moment, and overall he’s a very good villain. He’s a very striking character, and is one of the enduring images of the film.

We can see how Palpatine is very slyly manipulative, and it’s great to watch him ingratiate himself, knowing what we know.

The scene where Anakin’s mother encourages him to leave with Qui-Gon is very touching. She knows that Anakin has a special gift, and even though it breaks her heart to lose him, she wants him to realise the potential he so obviously has.

George Lucas with his ILM crew have been at the forefront of ground breaking technical advancements in film making, and we have much to thank them for. My only (slight) disappointment with the film was the fact that the special effects looked like special effects. However, this was because the technology was brand new, and they had yet to get it down to a fine art. I enjoyed the battle of Naboo (it had elements of the Ewok battle on Endor), and provided a nice touch that we obsessed fans appreciated (I hope). In the original trilogy, the Empire mistrusts droids, and there are very few in service. Palpatine discards the use of them because they are fundamentally flawed – as demonstrated in this battle. The entire army of STAP droids were rendered useless when the command ship was taken out.

But I digress (slightly).

Finally, I loved the slight smirk on Palpatine’s face when the Jedi realise that with a Sith apprentice, there is always a master. And he is out there, unknown…

I loved TPM because it sets the scene perfectly. To me, that was the single most important thing.

It may not have been a perfect film, but it was perfect to me.

Rating: