Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Directed by: George Lucas
Rated PG
133 Minutes

Review by Giraldo Barraza




After sixteen years, we venture back to a galaxy far, far away. Set two decades before the events of the original Star Wars, George Lucas begins another trilogy focusing on a young Anakin Skywalker, the once and future Darth Vader. His appearance here is a secondary plot, a diamond in the rough uncovered by two ambassadors who are trying to avert a war. While the conflict details may be a bit boring (something about a trade dispute), what’s important is the politics swirling around this incident. A senator from the invaded planet is manipulating the situation (and may have instigated it) to supplant the galaxy’s leader and solidify his own grasp on power. It is the first fallen domino in a series of events that will continue well into the trilogy. George Lucas has created a surprisingly mature plot while creating the guise of a sunny children’s film. The darker tone is hidden in plain sight amongst the abundance of action, infantile humor, and computer-generated effects.

The Phantom Menace has a very different visual texture than the original trilogy. The combination of the movie’s vibrant palette with its plethora of visual effects gives a stronger impression of an animated film rather than a sci-fi action adventure. The heavily sprinkled childish humor adds to the cartoony atmosphere. These elements add too much eye candy and presumably aid the film to reach a younger demographic, creating a Saturday morning cartoon version of a Star Wars movie. The entire film seems oversaturated with light. Perhaps cinematographer David Tattersall was forced to make this choice because of the abundance of digital effects that have altered virtually every shot.

Previously, Lucas allowed the special effects only to augment the story and take a backseat to the human drama taking place. The effects helped to underline a sense of wonder, making the first three films transcend its sheer entertainment value. In Episode I, the effects are the major star, and it appears that much of the dialogue only serves to advance the plot from one effects sequence to another. While on can concede that they are the most dazzling computer effects committed to the cinema yet, but they still lack a certain vitality and life that prevent the film from becoming as realistic or tangible as the previous three films. While the images may drown in a sea of CG effects, there are two note-worthy sequences that are so well executed that they comparatively walk on water. Half way into the film, an exhilarating pod race takes the audience on a thrill ride that makes one wish they didn’t have to blink and miss one nanosecond of action. But the real showstopper is the climatic battle between Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and their foe Darth Maul (Ray Park), a Sith warrior who is a demonic embodiment of evil. This lightsaber duel is an achievement in fight choreography head and shoulders above any we’ve seen in the three prior films, and is alone worth the price of admission.

Lucas also balances these new advances in special effects with the old and familiar. We witness the introduction of R2-D2 to C-3PO, as well as he first appearances of Yoda and Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. Another environment that is familiar is the desert world of Tatooine, home of Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars. It is a sandy and desolate world teeming with corruption, gambling, and slavery. But instead of Gomorrah, it functions as the galaxy’s Jerusalem. It is here where our heroes stumble upon Anakin, a young slave with exceptional abilities and a surprising lineage. The reaction of Qui-Gon Jinn add a sense of mysticism and give the events surrounding Anakin’s discovery a sense of reverence, while also foreshadowing tragedy.

Aesthetically the difference in design between Episode I and its concluding chapters is a stark contrast that requires acclimation. Episodes II and III will likely bridge this gap in production design, but the architecture for this era of Star Wars history seems very alien compared to the angular designs we’re grown accustomed to. One will not find X-Wing Fighters or TIE fighters here, but instead a more refined and elegant design. Head conceptual artist Doug Chiang has given the galaxy a retro design with an art deco touch, hinting at a world like our own that was extravagant before the horror of World War II destroyed this fragile style.

Despite the best efforts from Lucas and his team, the film suffers from one character that may have been interesting in pre-production phase, but failed when translated to the screen. The computer-generated creature, Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) is the first straight comedic character in the Star Wars cast, and also a monumental failure. Despite the intentions, the fact remains that Binks is the single most annoying thing in this universe. Whether sticking out his tongue or stepping in dung, his antics seem forced, and I can’t imagine anyone older than a two-year old child liking him. At least Ewoks were cuddly in comparison to this digital clown.

The most impressive achievement in Episode I remains the brilliant work of composer John Williams. The score is completely different (more choral in nature), but the familiar themes have been deconstructed to give the film a sense of foreshadowing. Anakin’s Theme is a gentle piece, yet a few bars remain of the Imperial March (Darth Vader’s theme from The Empire Strikes Back). And in a stroke of genius, Williams uses a jubilant celebration piece at the film’s finale to maintain the film’s motif of misdirection. This jovial music is an up-tempo variation of The Emperor’s Theme (from Return of the Jedi), indicating that beneath the merriment lies a victory for the forces of evil. Williams’s music is in harmony with both the relaxed pace of the story’s editing and the direction of Lucas.

Since the audience knows how things will turn out by Episode IV, the path to the Empire and the destruction of the Jedi will need a strong narrative to hold our attention beyond the special effects. Episode I provides a slightly overdone but very interesting framework for the rest of this prequel trilogy, where good and evil do not appear willing to follow the archetypes presented in the original trilogy. No longer a black and white issue, evil will now fall into various shades of gray. Villainy stumbles, but mysteries persist. The true enemy is a phantom menace that evades detection like vapor or fog.