.:: Contents Of The Text ::..
=====
-Prehistory
-The Story
-My Impression
-Cast/Direction/Music
-My Result
-Important

..:: Prehistory ::..
=====
Today I was bored and so I watched 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' another time and I thought why don't wright about it at CIAO?
And now you're reading the result of my 'thinking'. ;-)

..:: The Story::..
=====
The action takes place approx. 30 years before the old Star Wars
movies.

The old republic is weakened. The commercial federation besieges the weak planet Naboo. Unfortunately the senate cannot undertake anything against it. As last way out it transmits the Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn and its
young apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to the commercial federation, in order to
hold peace conversations.

But one tries to kill them, but they can flee and land on Naboo. There the commercial federation already begins with an invasion and
unloads droids.

On the escape Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan become acquainted with the
Gungan Jar Jar Bings. An alien with strange ears, which sees itself from now on in Qui-Gons debt, because he protected Jar Jar to be rolled over by one of the invader vehicles.

The three make themselves on the way to queen Amidala, the ruler
of the Naboo. But how to get there? Jar Jar brings the two to his home, to Gungan City. A mysterious place underwater, where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan speak with the 'Boss' of the Gungans. He carries the suitable name Boss Nass.

He gives them 'Bongo', a vehicle with wich they can dive trough the wet inside of the planet over on the other side to Seed, the
capital of Naboo.

Together with queen Amidala they want to travel to Coruscant, in
order to describe the problem of Naboo to the senate there.

But on the way the ship gets attacked and damaged and it is forced
to land on the desert-planet Tatooine. Here they find a small behind-cunning dealer who possess spare parts for the ship , but unfortunately Qui-Gon does not have enough cash.

Here they become acquainted with the 9 year old slave boy Anikan
Skywalker and his mother, who are operating for Wattoo the dealer. Anikan drives so-called Podraces and Qui-Gon receives a bet with
Wattoo over the output of next race: If Anikan wins Qui-Gon gets the spare parts and Anikan his liberty.

Anikan wants to help the Jedis and Qui-Gon for his part also has a reason to fight for Anikans liberty, because he feels that there is something strange with the boy. The force is very strong in him!

Long speech, short sense: Anikan wins a race and accompanies the
queen, the Jedis and the maid of the queen, Padme, which he likes very
much.

On arriving in Coruscant Amidala and Naboos senator Palpatine are going to the senate and the Jedis are going to the Jedi advice with Anikan, whose chairman is Yoda. However, the advice rejects it to traind Anikan as a Jedi, because Yoda feels a deep fear in Anikan.
And as he says: "Fear leads to hate, and hate leads to the dark
site!" But Qui-Gon still thinks that Anikan is the chosen one, who brings the equilibrium to the force.

Meanwhile in the senate the chairman chancellor Valorum rejects to help Naboo and Amidala places a vote of no confidence against him. In a reason of that senator Palpatine is voted for the new chancellor, which is truely an advantage for Naboo, however nobody knows that he only uses the whole political situation around to increase power and to protect his secret plans.

So far to the story, I do not want to reveal to much!;-)

..:: My Impression::..
=====
Now, many people, particularly Star Wars Fan, think that Episode 1 is really bad!
I follow this opinion only reduced. Episode 1 isn't that bad! No, the film is even really good! But as a Star Wars film it is rather bad only.
Which is probably because of the fact that the three original movies put
the measuring pole condemned highly!

The problem of this film is, that one notices too often that the film tries to come forceful on the level of the old films.
It's also a problem, that it's an other type from film, because during in the old films there were many starship battles and cool lightsaber fights, this film is TO politic!

No fear! Also in Episode 1 there are starship battles and lightsaber fights, but less cool ones than in the old films.

Another problem is Jar Jar Bings. I think this stupid stuff talking guy is only there so that also the kids have got something to laugh about!Because for the action he's not really important and he's destroying the typical Star Wars feeling! Atleast I have to say, that a few of his jokes are quit funny but they don't fit into the Star Wars patern! It harms only that he will also emerge again in Episode 2!

..:: Cast/Direction/Music ::..
=====
The performance of the actors is very good despite of the rest of the film! Particularly Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn!

here are the most important persons:
Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn)
Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi)
Natalie Portman (Queen Amidala/Padme)
Jake Lloyd (Anikan Skywalker)
Ian McDiarmid (Senator Palpatine)

George Lucas was the director again, the 'father' of Star Wars, who only led the direction of the first Star Wars film.
He also wrote the script.

The music comes equal to the old films from John Williams. He also made the soundtracks to other great blockbuster films like Indiana Jones, Jurrasic Park, E.T. or Schindlers List.

The special effects are again from 'Industrial Light & Magic' who were also responsible for films like Star Wars, Jurassic Park and and A.I.

..:: My Result ::..
=====
Thus even if this film is genuinly bad as a SW film, it belongs in every video-collection of a SW-fan and for all others it's worth a look, because as a normal film Star Wars: The Phatom Menace is still good!

PEACE, the mad german!

..:: Important ::..
=====
If you found many mistakes in the op, it's because I'm German and English isn't my native language! I also only know the German version of this film, but I think it's equal to the Eenglish one! You can read this op also in German at CIAO.de under my same nickname.