The phantom menace - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Reviews

This movie is definitely a step down from A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, but it has its own pluses. To start off, the story was kind of so-so. George Lucas could have done so much more with this being the very first one and two other movies to fill a gap, but he didn't. It just wasn't really that great - things just kind of happened here or there. Next, the acting in certain scenes was so horrendous I nearly wanted to turn the movie off. People who did a good job: Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid. And then there was Liam Neeson, a well-known good actor, who was so monotone and lifeless that it seemed it was all he could do just to move. Then Jake Lloyd, and I know he is just a 10-year-old, did the worst of all. I know he's a kid, but come on, people! If he was chosen, there must have only been about two kids who showed up to audition! Last, the visuals - the only way this movie improved on episodes 4,5, and 6. The cities and creatures and ships were all spectacular. They were fantastic. This movie is good enough to watch - overall, it is a B.