| I had a feeling I was not going to like this movie. The trailers looked disappointing and I just felt a ‘modern’ Stars Wars flick would put all of them out of place. I was wrong. This is a good movie, and even though it was disappointing and a little too modern for me like I thought it would be, I was entertained most of the time. The film has some very good action scenes, great acting from Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman (whose character twist, quite simply, confused the hell out of me) and the visuals are breathtaking. However, good visuals, brilliant sound and fabulous editing do not a great movie make. The things I disliked about the movie were the fact that the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi hardly has any involvement into the plot, but the twist at the end is sure to have him more included in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. I also hated the character of Jar Jar Binks. What an annoying little freak! Technically, he was pretty amazing, but he was just a brat with an overacted voice by Ahmed Best and some of the cheesiest lines in any recent sci-fi film. The worst thing about the movie, however, is the fact that the villain is never really developed. I would’ve liked to know more about Darth Maul’s background and attitude, but all I knew about him was he has a red and black head, is the apprentice of the evil Mayor and has a double light-saber. Despite that, I was entertained by the movie and I didn’t hate it. The pod race was exciting, the boy wasn’t annoying like that AWFUL Jar Jar Binks and I loved seeing Yoda again, a little younger. Hopefully, for the next instalment, the plot will be a little better, Chewbacca and Han Solo will return, the villain will be better developed and we won’t see anymore of Jar Jar Binks! Let’s just say the force wasn’t exactly with George Lucas for this movie, but it was a good stab at a saga beginning. STAR WARS: EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MEANCE - 6/10 |