STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE -- George Lucas, dir

©1999
studio: 20th Century Fox
production company: LucasFilm
dir: George Lucas
cast: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Pernilla August, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Oliver Ford Davies, Ray Park, Hugh Quarshie, Ahmed Best, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Terence Stamp
screenplay: George Lucas

Two Jedi Knights begin by hoping to negotiate peace on behalf of a league of planets, and wind of fending off super-powerful dark Jedi's, called Sith Lords, saving a queen and her planet, and discover a young boy with the genetic make-up to become the most powerful Jedi ever (and bring "balance" to the "force").

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Is it possible to write or even think about this movie in any way other than as a prequel? Probably not for anyone over the age of eighteen. And of course that is it's first problem. Until another generation or two, it will continue to be compared to the first series of movies made, but which come later, chronologically.

My family and I have decided to spend a little family time watching movies together and our first goal has been to watch the six Star Wars movies, in chronological order.

As a movie, on its own, it's really not too bad. Interesting characters, interesting plot, excitement, etc. Of course we know that there is more to come, so we are not surprised by the ending, which is left rather open.

Two things stand out in the movie -- the podrace scene seems more geared to selling video games than to advancing story or plot; and Samuel L. Jackson as Jedi master, Mace Windu, couldn't have been more dull or boring if he'd tried. It's a good thing this wasn't the first thing he'd ever done, or he'd probably never have gotten an acting job again.