Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 epic space opera directed by George Lucas, starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, and Ian McDiarmid.  In the Star Wars series it serves as the fourth installment but chronologically the first, the film follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Neeson) and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi  (McGregor)who are assigned to protect Queen Amidala (Portman), in hopes of securing a peaceful end to a large-scale interplanetary trade dispute while contending with the mysterious return of the Sith.

Positives:

• Great performances
• Good characters
• Intense action
• Fantastic score
• Good story

Negatives:

• Poor CGI
• Choppy script
• Poor characters
• Poor performances

Plot:  The film does feature a very interesting and compelling story and it does become more complex due to the political aspects. The story is pretty exciting during the initial sequences but during the second act it does get really slow. The film does wrap up to a very satisfying conclusion though it does hint at a twist. (3 out of 5)

Characters:  The cast of characters is not only very diverse but actually pretty good. Qui-Gon Jinn (Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) are two of the main protagonists and they are really likable characters. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses and they do complement each other and there is definitely a good connection. Padme Amidala (Portman) is a strong female lead though at times it can become intrusive on her femininity. Anakin (Lloyd) is likable but at the same time feels more in the way than actually a part of this grand story. However he is a sympathetic character having been born a slave and having to leave his mother. Jar Jar Binks (Best) is without a doubt one of the most terrible characters ever created in Star Wars. His role is understandable, he’s just an annoying character even to the characters in the movie. Darth Maul (Park) is without a doubt the single most badass character in this movie. Even though he has little to no lines his menacing appearance and bad attitude make him not only highly memorable but a fantastic antagonist. (3 out of 5)

Cast:  The film features a fantastic cast who give great performances. Standout performances go to Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman.  Ray Park was completely badass.  Jake Lloyd’s performance could’ve been better.  Good supporting cast. (3 out of 5)

Visuals: Visually the film is a bit of a mixed bag. The alien designs, costume designs, practical effects, and make-up effects are really good however there is a complete overuse of CGI. The film also has good cinematography which also emphasizes the landscape designs as well as cityscape. The lightsabers actually look really good compared to the original installments. Now there are some sequences where the CGI looks like s***. A big example of this is during the climax where the Gungan versus the Droids and the droids look like crap. Visuals look like a game that came out on the PS1 in the early 90s. Also the choreography looks incredible. (3 out of 5)

Score: Admittedly, the soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal. Not only does it maintain a great Star Wars feel but it is also very vibrant. The ending climax song was freaking phenomenal and definitely gave so much depth to that scene.  John Williams does a great job.  (5 out of 5)

Writing:  Most of the film’s issues are comprised around the script and the directing. Lucas does do a good job but some aspects of the film like some of the dialogue is poorly written.  Anakin being pulled into the space battle relies too much on convenience and showcasing his ability to pilot which was previously showcased in the pod racing. Logically, it doesn’t make sense. Anakin single-handedly destroys the shield protecting the Trade Federation space ship when other more veteran pilots could not. It felt highly unnecessary. Now that is not to say that the action is bad. It’s actually very entertaining and well shot. The pod racing is very fast paced and the scenes with the Jedi using their lightsabers are actually pretty cool. (2 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a decent film.  It does have poor performances, some bad writing, and some terrible CGI.  However, the film does have great characters, great cast, great action, and a terrific score.  Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace gets 3 out of 5.