Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

This is the first review in a series for the SciFi Drive's Star Wars Blogathon.


Do I really need to explain how large the Star Wars phenomenon has become? Generating around a billion dollars worldwide in videos, games, toys, clothes, role-playing games, costumes, underwear, Pez dispensers and just about everything else, it’s easy to see why there was a feeling that the story should continue.

Or, at least, to find out where the whole storyline evolved from.

It was George Lucas’ intention to create a nine-story arc about the characters and universes in the Star Wars galaxy. Of course, he said this back when he was young and foolish, too. In the autumn of his years, Lucas probably looked back and thought “maybe I bit off a bit more than I can chew”. Suffice it to say, creating a universe isn’t all that easy a thing to do, much less put it all on film.

So since he started in the “middle” of the story (the 1977 Star Wars soon becoming subtitled “Episode IV”), Lucas went back before the beginning, so to speak, to find out where the conflict had arose from - where the Emperor gained his supremacy - how powerful the Jedi used to be - and the origins of Darth Vader.

But was this illumination of the past really necessary?

I ask because, if you really think about it, Star Wars is something that became a monster out of its masters’ control. Taking on a life of its own and rampaging on its way. After a while legends came about from fans of the films, detailing the pasts as well as the future of these worlds and their denizens, that made this far, far away galaxy quite compelling and mystical enough that any literal visual embodiment would have been a futile experience.

Lucas is the creator of the original, however, and his word is law. So we can trust the word (and lens) of the man who first brought this galaxy to our attention.

...Can’t we?

The literal backstory first: a trade embargo on the planet Naboo sends Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his teacher Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) in to end the dispute. They soon find themselves thrust into the middle of a war between the planet and the Trade Federation, and must protect Naboo’s Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) from their forces. All the while, the Federation’s moves are orchestrated by the mysterious Darth Sidious, who sends his apprentice Darth Maul (Ray Park) after the group to end their resistance once and for all. Along the way, the Jedi encounter the likes of clumsy Gungan native Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best), and a young boy from Tatooine named Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd). Even R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) are first introduced to each other.

So far, great. The elements are there for a story as good as those that came before. This is, after all, the beginning of the story arc we somehow came in on at the middle. However, this is not going to be as good as the original, it turns out, and there are three reasons for this.

Somehow, a trade embargo and political debates do not make for an engrossing story. What gave the original Star Wars its power was that it was clear-cut good against evil and there was excitement from one frame to the next. Excitement, adventure, the allure of the unknown. We’re familiar with this universe by now; it’s not like we’re coming in cold. It had been 22 years since the first movie was released; perhaps Lucas was looking for a more regal approach to a similar story? Perhaps, but I for one miss the shaggy, unkempt approach of the original. Everything back then seemed to be breathless, passionate, anxious to tell an exciting story. Not here - Menace introduces a reserve that the story just doesn’t need.

Now this sounds so funny coming from me, but I think there were just too many special effects here. I know; this is a science fiction story with strange worlds, aliens, spaceships and so forth - what should I expect? And Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren from the first three films returned to helm the effects here also. They’ve done wonders helping create the majesty of Naboo; the underwater world of the Gungans; the sandy expanses of Tatooine and its multitude of life forms and also the bustling overcrowded riot of action that was the planet of Courasant.

I think the problem (again, the problem for me) was that this time Lucas employed many instances of computer-generated images (CGI). And while the effect is stunning in most cases (armies of droid soldiers, the Pod race, the final Gungan/Federation battle, etc), there are just so many instances of this effect and so many scenes where Lucas wanted CGI to represent the action, that it kind of distances the viewer so they can take in the whole effect, instead of immersing them in the action headlong. I guess I just missed that one-on-one feeling.

Neeson gave his Qui-Gon all the weight and determination that a Jedi Master should have, along with just the right amount of confidence and swagger to give you the impression of an intergalactic John Wayne. And McGregor did an admirable Obi-Wan, with an undercurrent of the energy and passion he conveyed in Trainspotting; he even managed a hint of Alec Guinness in his voice at times. I also liked Ian McDiarmid’s Chancellor Palpatine - smiling and compassionate, only hinting at the vile monster he was to become.

But there are choices herein that could have been rethought. Portman is a good actress (Beautiful Girls, Mars Attacks!) but as Amidala, her haughty voice and proper airs make her performance as pale as her royal makeup, and only half as memorable as her elaborate costumes. Sure, she fires a gun and makes demands, but she’s not as strong-willed as her daughter would become (Princess Leia/Carrie Fisher). Maybe it skips a generation?

Best created another CGI character as the maladroit Jar Jar, and some kids enjoyed his Buster Keaton-ish antics in the final battle. But think: wasn’t he squared solely at the kids, so they would pay attention to the film from time to time? And the whole Gungan language he employed was supremely annoying (I couldn‘t believe it when he was trying to get the Jedi’s attention and shouted out, “Ex-SQUEEZE me!” Good lord.). I won’t even go into the racial issue of Jar Jar’s body language, slow-wittedness and vocal inflections; so much has been made of it from others, I’m surprised they just didn’t go back to the drawing board on this one. There’s even copies of Menace circulating around with many of Jar Jar’s scenes edited out, if that tells you anything about his final tolerability level.

And now we get to Jake Lloyd. I really struggled to like him as Anakin; this was, after all, supposed to be back in the days before he became the supreme villain feared the universe over. Admittedly, Lloyd handled well a couple of scenes with his mother Shmi (Pernilla August, very good), demonstrating the strong bond between them that would figure later on. For the remainder of the time, unfortunately, Lloyd’s blank little face and nasal monotone does little to emote youthful amazement with Jedis (“Nothing can kill a Jedi.”), beautiful girls (“Are you an angel?”) or competition against Pod Race rival Sebulba - they resort to Lloyd speaking in that creature’s language - which I’m afraid he brings as much inflection to as regular English. It’s a shame, too; the good parts he had were very good.

Like I said before, though, there are good actors here. Samuel L. Jackson essays Jedi Master Mace Windu very subtlety; Terence Stamp plays Chancellor Valorum well if only briefly (he could have had more screen time in deference to some others); and Yoda returns also, with broad assist from Frank Oz; wise as ever, if a bit more youthful in looks (bushier hair, clearer eyes, etc). Even Brian Blessed’s CGI turn as Gungan Boss Nass is as bold as Blessed as Lord Vultan in 1980’s Flash Gordon - which is a good thing.

On the subject of characters, however, I cannot go without mentioning in length the contributions of Ray Park as Darth Maul. A fearsome sight in red and black facial markings and hateful yellow eyes that forever glare, Maul had little dialogue but this was a character that didn’t need them. The two battles he has represented all that he did not say. Park was already a second degree black belt in Wushu which gave him an agility unimagined in fights; leaping from point to point effortlessly, swinging an impressive two-edged light saber and blocking shot after shot with ease - Darth Maul was indeed one of the most impressive creatures in this whole film. Yet, he left the same impression as Crispin Glover’s hitman character in McG’s version of Charlie‘s Angels, albeit with more action figures.

In the end, this was yet again a very big money maker for the Star Wars franchise. But would it have done any better if less attention had been paid to some areas (less CGI, fewer technical “ooh”s and “ahh”s) and more to others (some different casting choices in crucial points, some characters eliminated entirely)? Maybe it would have been better, maybe worse. After I finished watching Menace, I couldn’t help but feel (in spite of all the wonder and majesty I had just seen) underwhelmed. And that’s not how it should have been; this is Star Wars we’re talking about - you shouldn’t feel short-changed, expecting more after seeing so much. Shouldn’t you also feel enlightened mentally, as well as visually?

Don’t get me wrong; I own the Menace DVD and watch it often; marveling at the sights, intrigued by the behind-the-scenes extras and so forth. But the movie itself? Sometimes, one’s present is far more intriguing than one’s history.

So it goes in a galaxy far, far away, too.