Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Released 16th July 1999, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn as he observes a trade blockade which has gone awry. What is interesting about this film, and the rest of the prequel trilogy, is that it is not afraid to interpret political systems and apply them to the fantastical world of Star Wars. This particular instalment highlights how bureaucracy often hinders responses to disasters and how every aspect of society is tainted by red tape (or the lack of it). One thing to note early on is that, whilst not his best, John Williams delivers a magical soundtrack which delivers on the grandeur the franchise is renowned for.

Another thing this franchise is renowned for is its diverse cast of characters with this specific film arguably harbouring the largest in the series. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor are great as Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, respectively. The two have fabulous chemistry with Neeson providing a mentoring / parental performance towards Obi-Wan’s perky yet trusting demeanour. Natalie Portman and Jake Lloyd also do good jobs as Padme and Anakin Skywalker; as good as the writing enables anyway. Whilst certainly doing good, the writing is extremely wooden for these two (possibly George Lucas being unable to write for children) which subsequently sucks some of the drama out of their exchanges through the film.

This wooden writing style also resulted in one of the most infamous characters in the entire franchise; Jar Jar Binks. Ahmed Best’s performance is taken directly out of a Saturday morning kid’s show with Jar Jar’s overbearing ‘comedic’ beats. Even with this character however, the visual effects, for 1999, are truly phenomenal; as is the rest of the film. Lucas truly dived into the deep end with pioneering modern VFX using CGI through the film; generally succeeding greatly. That is the best way to describe the film; whilst faulting in many points, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace pushes itself into uncharted territories at many turns which garners a level of respect at the very least.