The horror of Jar Jar Binks aside, there's plenty in Episode I to keep us entertained.
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03/04/08
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
63
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Reviews Counted:153
Fresh:97
Rotten:56
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Lucas needs to improve on the plot and character development, but there's plenty of eye candy to behold.
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
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
Reviews for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Top CriticCharmless, sexless, passionless and robot-humoured, it's preposterously uninvolving.
06/24/06
Top CriticA murky, talky prequel that emphasises all the series' weakest elements rather than its strongest ones.
03/03/02
It's not perfect ... but it's still fantastic.
12/10/01
An often deliriously exciting adventure, hitting the target audience of 10-year olds and satisfying long-time fans.
07/31/01
Top CriticIt's wholesome and enjoyable entertainment for kids, rather than the slap in the face a truly bad movie would have been, but the fans deserve more.
01/01/00
A great work from a greater director, and a blockbuster of quite the most swashbuckling kind.
01/01/00
Top CriticClick to read the article
08/19/09
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04/29/09
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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
It's still a galaxy far, far away, and it still looks like nothing we've ever seen before.
07/14/07
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
Latest 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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