I know hat a lot has been said about Phantom Menace already but I see the release of the DVD as my chance to get my two cents in. Please bear with me as I think this could get quite long. I will highlight were the review moves onto the DVD itself so please feel free to cut straight to there if this is the area you are more interested in. Thank you.

THE MOVIE

I remember putting off going to see this at the cinema (very unlike me) but this is one of the few films ever to be released that I had so much (as did many people) hope for but also so much doubt. The original trilogy are such a big part of people’s youth that they didn’t want it to be spoilt I think by the possibly bad telling of how it all began.

Unfortunately the film is bad (at least on a Star Wars level) but thankfully it only seemed to strengthen my admiration and love of the original three….

I suppose that’s something good to come out of it!

The film begins with the Trade Federation setting up a blockade against the planet of Naboo. Don’t ask me why this is, either it isn’t explained very well or I just didn’t care to pay much attention.

Two Jedi – Qui Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) – are sent in to negotiate with the federation and stop this block of the trade route. They fail.

The Jedi end up on Naboo where they bump into Jar Jar Binks, a reptile type creature from the race of Gungans who co inhabit the planet of Naboo with the more human like residents.

We find out that Jar Jar has been banished from his people because he is….clumsy. Yes I know.

The Jedi’s (and Jar Jar) end up at the royal palace in order to protect Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) who is the ruling monarch over the world of Naboo. They rescue her from the imminent invasion of the Federation (Why are they invading? Who knows!) and leave.

They are travelling to Curascant (home of the Jedi council) but have to stop on route to get new parts. They wind up on Tatooine (finally, something we recognise) and meet a young boy by the name of Annakin Skywalker…

Then we get a blatant marketing campaign (The Pod Race) and young Annakin leaves with the Jedi for Curascant. Oh yeah and Darth Maul turns up, a member of the sith who is (it seems) proper hard (played by Ray Park [Toad in the later X-Men film – NB The voice is not Ray Park’s, he doesn’t sound nearly menacing enough]).

We get to Coruscant and go to see the Jedi Council (Yoda!). They say the boy is bad but no one listens (think how much could have been prevented!) and then we get a big fight on Naboo and Annakin the Boy Wonder blows up a shield generator in a spaceship.

And that’s about it….

OK so what’s right with it?

R2-D2 is here, C3-PO is here (although it turns out that Annakin created him…Ugh!). The Pod Race is quite good (although once again a blatant attempt at guaranteeing a video game to come out of it. Is that too cynical of me…no I don’t think it is), we see the Jawas (Oo-teeny), some sand people turn up and the light sabre fights are superb. Basically the good stuff is the true Star Wars stuff.

What’s wrong with it?

Everything else!!!!! Annakin Skywalker, as we all know, is destined to become Darth Vader. He is portrayed as the most sweet and innocent child in the world. Ok fine but surly Darth Vader, even at this age should have some sort of dark cloud over him? It’s too sickly for words as he runs around shouting ‘Yippeeee’ and everyone calls him ‘Annie’….Ugh! once again.
The Queen/Padme fiasco…what is going on? Was Natalie Portman actually in the film then?!?!? This was too confusing for me, good knows what the kiddies thought when they watched it.
The acting is really sub standard. Neeson, McGregor and Portman are all fine actors, I guess this was there first proper SFX film and had to deal with a hell of a lot of blue screen…it can’t do anything for an actor.
Another major annoyance is the explanation of the force. We all thought that it was this cool supernatural type thing that certain people could tap into. Apparently not. All the people in the star wars universe have little creatures in their blood called Medichlorians. The more of these you have the higher the force is within you. What utter crap!
And finally Jar Jar Binks. The most hated creation ever? I think so. Star Wars is not a slapstick comedy. This degree of levity is really not needed, let alone coming from the mouth of Jar Jar. Annoying voice (that you can’t understand half the time) and all he does is get in the way and fall down a lot. Argghhhhhh!!!!!! Kill it now!

Sorry.

I’ve been told by more than one person that you can’t hate this film as it’s how it all began. I turn round and say…yes I can.

I understand that this is George Lucas’s vision and therefore I accept it as the beginning of the Star Wars mythology but that is all. The film is not good.

To be fair that isn’t true. If the original trilogy didn’t exist and I was say 12 or below then I would love this film. But it isn’t like that. We all wanted something to live up to the original films. We didn’t even come close.

George Lucas has said in defence of such backlash that this film (as were the originals) children’s films. Come on George you expect us to believe that? Was A New Hope a kids flick? No. Were the much darker sequels? No, (Apart form the Ewok’s). Again being the cynic but it seems to me that George decided to make it for the kids so he could sell the merchandise. Us 20-30 year olds that remember these films as a kid aren’t gonna buy toys anymore and Lucas knows this. Make it for children and reap the (substantial) rewards.

The problem with the It’s for Kids statement is that who makes a film for children about Trade Routes and negotiations? That seems foolish to me.

I’m sorry to rant but it is almost as if George Lucas tried to annoy a large proportion of the worlds population by making this awful piece of ‘Star Wars’ mythos. Well done sir, you succeeded.

I hadn’t seen the film since the theatrical release until last week when I got this DVD. I always think repeat viewing makes a film better. This didn’t. in fact I hate it more than I did (I had forgotten some of what Jar Jar did!) but it has made me more….excited isn’t the right word….more aware that Episode Two (Attack of the Clones?!?!?! What is it, a 50’s B Movie?!?!?!) is to be released shortly and on the belief that it cannot be worse than this I look forward to watching it. If anything the mythos is fact (as it’s George’s) and I am keen to know what happens.

Film 2 out of 5

THE DISC

The DVD release gives us a two disc set with a wealth of extra’s.

Disc one has the film, Chapter selection, Set up and an Audi Commentary by Lucas, The producer and some of the special effects guys at ILM. To be honest I have yet to listen to this. I am again putting it off as I want George Lucas to apologise on it….I know this isn’t gonna happen and he is gonna go on about how great he thinks it is….this will further destroy my faith in him and will depress me….oh well!

Disc two is where all the good stuff is.

7 deleted scenes, which have been created completely for this DVD (ie hey were only in a rough format , no special effects before) and are presented either by themselves or within a documentary about there restoration and removal from the theatrical release.

We get the original trailer, teaser trailer and TV spots. Loads of pictures of behind the scenes, posters etc.

Then we get the two documentaries.

The making of doc is an hour long and tells us about many aspects of the film. This is a good documentary but it was apparently made from over 600 hours of footage that was filmed of behind the scenes. 600 hours and we get only 1? Surely the DVD could have coped with a good couple of more hours? And surely there was more than 1 hour of the 600 that was worth seeing. Quite disappointing.

The other doc is a twelve part doc that runs from when Lucas started to write Episode 1 up to the release. This was originally released on the internet during the same time frame so it might not be new for some people. Still it is very informative.

There is also a brief doc about the making of the Playstation 2 game based on the film.

Overall some good quality extra’s with some nice menu screens etc.

Disc 4 out of 5

Overall….

Although this is a case of good disc shame about the film it isn’t helped by the fact that we know the original trilogy isn’t gonna be out on this format until at least 2006. Surely Lucas could have released these say next year instead of spending time on this, after all the originals is what people really want…

May the Force be with you all…even though it seems that Lucas has lost it…