Queen Amidala/Padmé: Natalie Portman
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Ewan McGregor
Anakin Skywalker: Jake Lloyd
Senator Palpatine: Ian McDiarmid
Jar Jar Binks: Ahmed Best
Shmi Skywalker: Pernilla August
Darth Maul: Ray Park
20th Century Fox
presents a film written and directed by George Lucas. Running time: 136 min.
Rated PG (for sci-fi action/violence).
A little less than 13 years
ago, I wrote my first movie review. I’d been a cineaste for years and had long
yearned to get my opinions of movies out for others to share. The movie that
was probably most responsible for sending me down the road to cinecstacy to the
degree I have gone was probably 1977’s “Star Wars”, which I still vividly
remember seeing in theaters for the first time when I was six. I took George
Lucas’s return to the series as my queue to begin my film criticism hobby.
“Star Wars: Episode I – The
Phantom Menace” was the first movie review I ever wrote. Unfortunately, that
review no longer exists (although all my reviews from 2000 on do, and I’m in
the process of transferring them to a format that will allow me to archive them
in the future). I do remember that my review was fueled more by my excitement
that the “Star Wars” saga had finally continued than by my actual reaction to
the film. I gave it an enthusiastic three and a half stars, but I didn’t so
much critique it as proclaim its existence. Upon its re-release in 3D, I feel
I’ve gotten a second chance to truly consider George Lucas’s expansion of his
beloved creation.
The first of the prequel
trilogy, “The Phantom Menace”, has been the most maligned of the franchise by
fans and critics alike. I think this is because Lucas attempts to do two things
with this movie. One is to tell a very different story than what was presented
in any of the previous films. The other is to recapture everything he felt the
fans expected in a “Star Wars” movie based on what people liked the most about
the original trilogy. These ends are in opposition to each other. What results
is a film that is not secure in its outward structure, but has a strong core
beneath its surface.
Twelve years ago, the movie
was correctly criticized for failing to develop its characters fully and for
going off on story tangents that were more concerned with showing off Lucas’s special
effects advancements. The central action piece of the film is a pod race that,
while exciting and visually stunning, has little to do with the politically
fueled main plotline involving the strategic control of intergalactic trade
routes and a very mysterious plot to take over the Republic Senate.
Lucas is confident enough in
his story to take his time with the political misdeeds taking place in the Senate
and amongst the evil Trade Federation. He barely explains what has really
happened with the trade embargo against the seemingly insignificant planet of
Naboo by the end of the film. This is appropriate since the whole incident is a
ruse to distract the Republic and their peacekeeping organization, the Jedi
Knights, from a plot to take over the Senate. That plot isn’t fully revealed in
this film, just set into motion.
Instead of spending his time
explaining his true purposes of exemplifying just how easy it is to rest the
power from the people in a democracy filled with corruption, Lucas attempts to
bedazzle his audience by expanding the highly imaginative universe he’s
created. For the most part, he’s successful at developing a rich landscape that
works as a backdrop for the series’ growing mythologies.
The Jedi Knights are fleshed
out into a functioning organization of warriors who work with a philosophy
based on mental discipline and understanding. Not all Jedi’s agree with the
entire program, such as this film’s primary hero Qui-Gon Jinn, played with the
measure and meter that has made Liam Neeson (“The Grey”) an unlikely action
star. Despite his differences with the Jedi Council, Jinn is respectful of his
place in the grand scheme of things. He trains his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi
(Ewan McGregor, “Beginners”), who retains Jinn’s slight hot-headedness, but
sees more of the council’s wisdom than his master.
One performance that might
have been overlooked for its artistry at the time of the film’s initial release
is Natalie Portman’s as the Queen of Naboo, Amidala. She plays a duel role,
disguising herself as one of her own attendants, Padmé. Her commitment to the
regal behavior of spectacle and manners of the Queen are original and
consistent. She may appear wooden in this role dictated by tradition and
ceremony, but she does a good job giving the audience slight glimpses of her
underlying emotions. As Padmé, her illusion of becoming another person is sold
very well by her natural concern and an unrecognizable Keira Knightly (“Pirates
of the Carribean”) as her Queen double.
One major point of criticism
upon the film’s original release is the performance by Jake Lloyd as young
Anakin Skywalker. Lloyd’s performance isn’t great, although I’m not sure that’s
the poor kid’s fault. Too much emphasis is placed on his character as the boy
who will grow up to become Darth Vader. His role is too serious. He isn’t
allowed to be a kid. Certainly there are child actors that could’ve pulled off
what is asked of Lloyd in this role, but to ask a child to become an early
version of a cinematic icon is a tall order, and he’s not given much help by
the screenplay.
There are other missteps.
Jar Jar Binks is a little too cutsey for the political weight of the story, but
he doesn’t bother me as much as he does most people. Keeping the levity in the
realm of C-3PO’s and R2-D2’s roles would’ve sufficed and allowed the filmmakers
to develop their early relationship better. I can understand counting these
points against the movie’s ambitious intentions.
Despite it’s drawbacks, the
film is a visual masterpiece. The still state of the art special effects allow
Lucas to fully realize an intricate alien universe without the confines of the
physical creation sets that he felt held him back with the original trilogy. It
looks good even twelve years after the fact. It looks great in 3D, although the
effect is far from necessary.
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