The Phantom Menace, or Star Wars I

Thus, when casting and filming the first episode of the saga finally began, it is not hyperbole to say that interest was enormous. Every detail, rumor and hint was glommed onto, posted to the internet, passed around in email, and debated, refuted, disputed and argued over.

Lucas has claimed various reasons for the delay, but the most likely was that he was waiting for computer graphic technology to advance enough to allow him to develop the effects he envisioned. It is known that he was dissatisfied with how some of the original Star Wars' effects looked and even went back into the original film and 'rebuilt' scenes with improved effects.

The Phantom Menace: the Hype

Fan anticipation wasn't the only thing that grew all out of proportion to the event - the media hype and the PR was ubiquitious. Merchandising for The Phantom Menace (called TPM by fans, or SW:TPM to the purists) was collosal. Every consumer item that could have a TPM figure on it got one.

It is perhaps inevitable that nothing could have lived up to the expectations that fans, the media and the general movie-goers developed. Indeed, expectations were so high that they generated a backlash, which lasted through the film's opening and early run.

The Film

Reviews for The Phantom Menace were deservedly mixed. While there was much to admire in TPM, there was also, alas, much to deride.

The plot is murky, involving a trade dispute, blockades, Jedi undercover, and an underlying story - just begun in this film - of a sinister force gathering power in hiding.

The derision goes to Lucas' preference for effect over storytelling and character development. He introduces several characters, notably Jar Jar Binks, that are entirely computer generated. Characters are underdeveloped stereotypes, or to be kind, broad-brush archetypes.

The Good, the Bad

The admirable points are visual - TPM is one of the most visually stunning of the Star Wars movies, from the beautiful Naboo, to the underwater city, to the Queen of Naboo's lavish kimono-style wardrobe.

Also laudable is the casting of Ewan McGregor as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the creation of archetype Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, played as a noble rebel by Liam Neeson. Less successful were Natalie Portman as Queen Amidalia of Naboo, and Jake Lloyd as a very young Anakin Skywalker (although to be fair, it takes a great director to get a good performance out of a child, and for all his auteur statue, no one has ever called George Lucas a great director).

The Plot

The plot, such as it is, involves Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi injecting themselves into the trade dispute between the planet Naboo and the powerful Trade Federation. When the merchants launch an attack on the planet, the Jedi spirit the youthful queen away. It is her intention to travel to the capital at Coruscant to ask the Republic's government to arbitrate the dispute.

Along the way, they are forced to stop at the desert world Tatooine, where they meet the young Anakin Skywalker, whom we already know is going to grow up to be Darth Vader and father of Luke Skywalker. Here, Anakin is a ten-year-old boy already powerful in the force. Qui-Gon suspects he is the Chosen One, whose coming was revealed in a prophesy to 'bring balance to the Force'.

Battles, and More Battles

There are battles with the senate, battles in space, battles to retake the planet, and of course, a climatic battle in which Lucas expects the viewer to be able to divide their attention between four on-going conflicts simultaneously. Suffice it to say that these highly visual treats are better seen than described.

The Lucas Canon

Of course the universe of Star Wars belongs to Lucas, and one would think he would have the last say on the 'canon' of Star Wars. That said, plenty of fans were dismayed by the introduction of 'midichlorians' into the Star Wars mythos. These inter-cellular organisms are, it turns out, what makes a person 'strong in the Force'. This introduction of a mystical, hereditary aspect to Force wielding places Star Wars firmly in the fantasy genre, since a tenet of science fiction is the optimistic, or secular humanistic, world view that people are what they make themselves, not what their 'lineage' makes them.

A Huge Payout

In spite of all the drawbacks, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was an enormous hit, with fans - in spite of their complaints - going back multiple times. To date, TPM is the highest grossing Star Wars movie, probably because of the pent-up demand occasioned by the lengthy wait.