Is it ironic or just par for the course that the most technologically radical FX film ever made would also be the most egregiously regressive blockbuster imaginable?
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08/19/09
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Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
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Reviews Counted:158
Fresh:98
Rotten:60
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Lucas needs to improve on the plot and character development, but there's plenty of eye candy to behold.
Theatrical Release:May 19, 1999 Wide
Synopsis: The first of three prequels to George Lucas's celebrated STAR WARS films, EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE is set some 30 years before the original STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE in the era of the... [More]
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd
Director: George Lucas
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Reviews for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode 1 lacks a lot of the heart the original series embraced.
04/29/09
The special effects are some of the most dazzling and amazing ever seen on the big screen. In addition, the acting is excellent.
10/18/08
Clearly there is something wrong with a film, when the loudest applause occurs as the curtain goes up, in anticipation of, rather than response to, what is being seen.
08/19/08
The visuals are indeed eye-popping, but I was left with no vested emotional tie to either story or characters.
08/07/08
The horror of Jar Jar Binks aside, there's plenty in Episode I to keep us entertained.
03/04/08
It's still a galaxy far, far away, and it still looks like nothing we've ever seen before.
07/14/07
Charmless, sexless, passionless and robot-humoured, it's preposterously uninvolving.
06/24/06
It's good to have Star Wars -- any Star Wars -- back after such a long time; and it's worth seeing.
05/26/06
Despite a shaky start and the presence of questionable elements throughout, by the time it arrives at its finale The Phantom Menace has won its place alongside the original Star Wars trilogy.
03/02/06
Lucas has protected his multibillion-dollar franchise by making a film targeted at children. It gives them exactly what they want--eye candy that moves at light speed.
11/04/05
What’s important to remember is that the better moments don’t merely balance out the weaker ones - they topple them.
05/20/05
What is most striking about Lucas' movies -- all his movies, including THX 1138 and American Graffiti -- is a sort of startling obviousness.
05/19/05
I must take issue with the intense backlash from other critics against the film.
01/15/05
No film made could measure up to the avalanche of buzz and craziness surrounding this release. There is plenty of both good and bad news here.
05/20/03
I enjoyed the film and feel that it established the foundation for many story elements that were curiously unexplained in the previous trilogy.
02/08/03
As an artist, Lucas is lacking, but as a businessman he knows his stuff.
02/04/03
Film franchises come and go all the time in Hollywood, particularly in science-fiction circles, but the Force is still strong in this one.
01/10/03
There are no romance, no humor, ultimately nobody to care about in this oddly sterile movie.
11/15/02
Top CriticLatest News for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
July 20, 2009:
Much Anger? Jake Lloyd Talks Star Wars: Episode I 
Recently we marked the 10th anniversary of the cultural juggernaut that was Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace, a film that received mixed reactions from fans -- to put... More...
May 29, 2009:
10 Years of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Ten years ago this month, excitement reached fever pitch ahead of the release of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. After 16 years without a Star Wars film in cinemas,... More...
May 18, 2009:
The Phantom Menace Turns 10
Ten years ago tomorrow, "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" arrived in theaters -- and to commemorate the occasion, author Matt Springer has released a free e-book... More...
March 31, 2009:
The Legacy of The Matrix
1999 was one of the most important years for modern cinema. Ten years on, we're celebrating a remarkable twelve months of movies with new features around some of the year's best... More...
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