Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

The saga begins with this relentlessly erratic installment detailing the rise of the long-dormant Sith, with the narrative following Jedi knights Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) as they attempt to forestall a growing rift between the Republic and the Empire. (The pair also encounter and work with a young boy named Anakin Skywalker.) Though far from the disaster one might have expected, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is rarely able to wholeheartedly able to capture one’s full interest – as writer/director George Lucas has suffused the rather impenetrable narrative with a host of ill-conceived, underwhelming elements. Ranking near the top of that list is, of course, the character of Jar Jar Binks, with the clumsy, computer-generated figure setting the viewer’s teeth on edge virtually from the word go. Jar Jar’s relentlessly bumbling behavior is compounded by some seriously questionable special effects and Ahmed Best’s annoying vocal performance, and it’s clear that the character brings the proceedings to a dead stop with each and every appearance (of which there are many). And while both Neeson and McGregor are typically solid in their respective roles, Jake Lloyd’s less-than-competent turn as the perky Anakin ensures that one’s efforts to form any kind of rooting interesting in the infamous figure fall hopelessly flat. Lucas’ notorious reliance on computer-generated effects prevents many high-octane sequences, such as the exciting yet empty podrace, from making the visceral impact one might’ve anticipated, although, to be fair, there’s no denying the effectiveness of certain other action-packed moments sprinkled throughout the film – with the highlight unquestionably a three-way duel between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Ray Park’s scene-stealing Darth Maul. It’s ultimately impossible to label Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as anything more than a passable yet consistently erratic blockbuster, with the movie hardly standing as an ideal introduction into George Lucas’ justifiably legendary universe.

**1/2 out of ****