Logan Sork Film Reviews
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
When the original Star Wars Trilogy ended in 1983 fans of the franchise did what any fans do these days: demand more. Talks of continuing the franchise began almost after the release of the final installment, with even series creator George Lucas expressing his interest in continuing the story. After many years if speculation, Lucas announced a new trilogy set before the events of the previous films would indeed be made. Excitement for the first installment of this new trilogy was at a level not seen before in cinematic history. Everyone in the world was excited for this film and when it was finally released…people weren’t exactly satisfied. While it was a hit commercially and even somewhat critically, the fans of the franchise found every opportunity to lambast the film. So, is this film worth all of the trouble, or are there good things to be found here?
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is written and directed by George Lucas and is the first installment of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. The film stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian Mcdiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, and Frank Oz. Set 32 years before the events of the original Star Wars, the story focuses on a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) and his Master (Neeson), who have been sent by eh Galactic Republic to the planet Naboo to settle a trade dispute. After attempts on their lives are made, they escape, rescuing the Queen of Naboo in the process. Their ship is damaged during the escape however, forcing them to land on the planet Tatooine, where they meet a young slave named Anakin Skywalker (Lloyd). Together, they must work to fix their ship to make it back to the Republic in order to free the planet of Naboo from dark forces that conspire to bring down the peace in the galaxy.
Much like the previous installments of the Star Wars franchise, the creativity, imagination and world building are second to none. Lucas once again proves himself as a creative visionary, populating this film with many fantastic worlds and interesting creatures and characters. But while some of these are brought to life by traditional practical effects, a good majority of the worlds and sets are realized through computer generated effects. Now, while the ideas and visuals are undeniably good to look at, the ways in which they have been realized haven’t aged that well. The film is full of greenscreen and CG characters that don’t exactly look like they lea. This fabrication of reality creates a strange rift between the audience and the characters that causes them to be disinterested in what’s happening. So, while I do commend Lucas for making one of the first films to employ this much CGI to create these fantastic worlds, I think the film may have aged better had more practical effects and sets been employed.
Another benefit of using more practical effects in your film is that you can get more natural performances from your actors, something this film really lacks. Now, that’s not to say there aren’t a couple of good performances to be found here. Ewan McGregor is simply perfect as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi and would go on to be not only one of the best things about the prequels, but the franchise in general. Any of the returning actors from previous installments, such as Ian Mcdiarmid as Senator Palpatine and Frank Oz as Yoda, are also excellent. When it comes to the new additions however, the results are mixed to say the least. The best of the bunch are Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman, who do their best to work elevate not so interesting characters.
Many of the other actors however are particularly awful, particularly Jake Lloyd, who, even as a child actor, turns in a horrible performance as a young Anakin Skywalker. And don’t get me started on Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks, who is arguably one of the worst characters ever put to film. Now as much as these performances aren’t great, I can’t say I blame the actors entirely as there was so much green screen used in this movie that even the best trained actors in the world might struggle to get a moving performance. Plus, I’m sure that George Lucas wasn’t the best help on set, as this was the first film he had directed since the original Star Wars, meaning he might have forgotten how to wrestle a decent performance from an actor.
In fact, there was a lot Lucas forgot about when it came to directing, especially when it comes to the pacing and screenplay. The plot in this film is all over the place, jumping from a political negotiation talk to a rushed rescue to a drawn out racing segment, stitched together by mounds of exposition. It seems that Lucas was so intent on pushing the boundaries when it came to technology and world building that he forgot to write a cohesive well-paced plot to draw audiences in. Now again, this isn’t the worst story ever put to film, as it has a few great action sequences, fun character moments, and interesting ideas along the way. It even comes together really well in the end, as the last third of the film is really fun and sets up some great things to come. However, along the way you are forced to sit through a plot that feels like it’s been cobbled together from different films each with its own idea.
So, in the end, is the film really that bad. Well, yes, but also in a strange way, not really. You see, this film has a lot of problems going for it, from its overreliance on CGI effects to its wooden performances to its convoluted plot. Yet, at the same time, these problems are charming in a strange way, as we don’t get a lot of films that try to do things differently and take risks creatively. It also feels like someone’s own vision rather than a product, something that many blockbusters lack these days. And there are some great things to be found as well, including some great imaginative locations, a few great performances and a pretty good last third. Now I may be blinded by my nostalgia for this franchise, but I think this overall is enjoyable, but only just and not for all the reasons Lucas may have wanted.
6/10