Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace

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Does Geoff like The Phantom Menace?

There are some advantages to waiting for a film to come out on video than going to the cinema.

Probably one of the best ones is that you're not swung by the hype - pro and con from the critics or viewers alike.

This isn't to say that I haven't read some of the reviews but I'm bloody-minded enough to make up my own mind as to whether I like a film or not.

The plot, for those who might have been off-planet the last couple years, centres on a nefarious plan to cause a change in the power base in the Republic to allow Senator Palpatine to take control.

To this end, a trade embargo is initiated between the trading guild and the planet Naboo and two Jedi Knights are sent to investigate.

It is from here, we follow their adventures as Palpatine wants them killed. In turn, they rescue the planet's queen and one of its local inhabitants, have a forced landing on Tatoonine, bet on a young Anakin Skywalker winning a race to get parts for repairing their starship before returning to the Republic homeworld adding the kid to their passenger list.

Political maneuvering by Palpatine makes him become the Republic Chancellor. Naboo's young queen finds the Republic sluggish with her demand for action and wishes to go home to fight.

The two Jedi Knights again act as her escort, taking along Anakin, who is now been apprenticed at the reluctance of the Jedi Council.

A three-tier plan of war between the planet's inhabitants and an army of robots ends with glory for our heroes and a few casualties. If you haven't seen the film, then I've not spoilt it for you.

If you like seeing the state of the art special effects then you're certainly going to like it as this is all top dollar stuff from Industrial Light And Magic. Considering the film's producer/director George Lucas owns the company, this should not be regarded as a surprise.

It's no wonder other directors, like Jim Cameron, have their own special effects shops these days. It keeps a team together for their own projects and they can develop their skills on other people's films.

The reaction to the film on its cinematic release can't really be ignored although I do disagree with a lot of the pet hates. Take Jar Jar Binks, the CGI character and comic relief. Everyone went PC over him but when was the last time we had a funky hip alien.

Haven't we had enough of aliens with mid-Atlantic voices? If anything, the mistake was making him totally inept. Even the most clumsy people have their good days or do the right things.

Although the structure of the plot is relatively sound, the content would have done better by being raised a few notches.

Even director Lucas agrees that he's not really a people person when it comes to directing or scripting. It isn't as though the actors are sleepwalking through the story just that they haven't been given very much to do other than be there for particular beats.

Liam Neeson as the senior Jedi - I think I heard his full name mentioned twice in the film - was far too laid back in his delivery to make his presence felt. Other than the battle scenes, Ewan McGregor's Ben Kenobi was wasted.

He was left back at the downed starship on Tatoonine when he might well have invigorated Neeson's role when meeting Anakin Skywalker.

Lucas saying this was supposed to be a kid's film isn't far off the mark as Jake Lloyd as Anakin (Annie? Who came up with abbreviating his name to that of a girl's?) gives a spirited personality performance with the better spoken lines.

The adult actors in comparison weren't given the lines that they should truly have been allowed to shine some personality through. The problem with doing large assemble casts is always trying to find them all something to do.

When most of them are human, you just can't turn them off like happened twice with CP3O in 'Star Wars 4: A New Hope'. The key members all need something to do. When the first film was released in 1977, no one expected to see the scale to which it was taken with fans and merchandising.

I saw one of the Darth Vader costumes in a theatrical costumers window off Leicester Square at the time and it barely created a stir from passerbys. Wouldn't happen today.

Likewise, any film with such a high expediency hype isn't going to live up to expectations either. Merchandisers hit on anything they saw as visually exotic and marketed the images. Darth Mall might have looked the most interesting but like other characters was simply not given enough to do.

That in itself is a shame, cos stunt-actor Ray Park made the most of what he was given. 'The Phantom Menace' lives in the shadow of the original film and didn't really do enough to pull out of the shade. It's not quite the failure that it could have been.

People will still want to see it simply because it's part of the 'Star Wars' reality and it has obviously made its money back. I think merchandisers are likely to be a little more cautious with the next pair of films.

To some extent, this is their own fault at placing a lot of the toys out of the reach of the pockets of children. Mind you, considering how much of it has dropped to bargain prices, at least that isn't a restriction any more.

Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace 20th Century Fox video: 14246S. Price: varies from £11.99 - £13.99. Shop around for the best deal! 173 minute film - available in traditional or widescreen.

GF Willmetts

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