Tonight... In Toronto, Dallas, Boston, Los Angeles and New York (that I know of so far) we have geeks and members of the press seeing that... Which we have been waiting an entire generation to hear about. Since the dawn of your film memory you've wanted to see this movie. Have your hopes been ill placed? Or.... Has the $400 dollars you've spent in the last 48 hours been the best $400 you've ever spent? Well, here in does not lie the answers. These are merely the feelings of THESE fans. These people. Ready? Set? Here we go...
These will be NON-SPOILER Reviews. If I have Spoiler Reviews, I'll post them on a different page. The newest reviews will be posted at the top of the screen....
Here's Sam I Am's look at the film...
Dearest Harry,
100% SPOILER FREE!!
After years and years of fevered anticipation, I had the honor of being
one of the first audiences in the world to see "The Phantom Menace"!!
The movie was all that I expected, but not what I hoped for.
Everything technical was astounding: the sets, costumes, music, sound
design-it all immersed you in the world of Star Wars. Many of the
digital characters worked well, particularly Watto and Sebulba. The
lightsaber duels with Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Darth Maul were fantastic.
And the podracing scene was a true highlight: the kind of hair-raising
action sequences that only Lucas and Co. can do.
The performances, by and large, were excellent too. Liam Neeson was
regal. Ewan McGregor was the perfect young Obi-Wan. Natalie Portman had
more than enough Leia-ness; I was impressed how she pulled off the role
of Queen. Darth Maul was a seriously enigmatic crowd-pleaser. He is
definitely the Boba Fett of Episode 1.
My one gripe about the movie was that it seemed overly kid-friendly.
There was a very ROTJ-vibe about this film, which I guess is okay, but
not the movie I personally wanted to see. Most of Jar Jar's scenes made
me cringe (he is all the Ewoks rolled into one!). And I was somewhat
disappointed that the interpersonal conflicts between the characters
were not fully developed. I anticipate that young Jake Lloyd may bear
the brunt of criticism for this movie, though I think my issues with the
character of Anakin had less to do with Mr. Lloyd's performance, and
more with how it was written.
Supposedly, this trilogy gets darker and richer in Episodes 2 & 3, in
which case this film may seem better in retrospect. My suggestion to
George for the next two episodes: channel the ghost of Leigh Brackett,
and call in Lawrence Kasden for some screenplay advice.
--Sam.
From long time AICN spy, Booster Gold comes this review that includes only 'slight' spoilers...
Straight from the exhibitor screening at the Mann National in Westwood, here
are my thoughts...
TPM is not as good a film as NEW HOPE, EMPIRE, or JEDI. Let's get that
straight.
It's not a bad film, it's not a disaster, and it won't be a flop, but it also
has no chance of overtaking Titanic's ticket sales or critical adulation.
That much is certain, since I think many adults will be turned-off by the
very young-themed story and events.
This will probably go down as the greatest movie every 10-year-old on Earth
has ever seen, but will only marginally please SW diehards. It will win no
new converts over the age of 13.
The plot caroms from the incredibly simple (Qui-Gonn's need to save Anikin
from slavery and bring him to Coruscant to become a Jedi) to the complex (the
political wrangling in the Senate brought on by the Trade Federation
sanctions). Overall, as an adult, I was hungry for more Jedi pathos and
political intrigue, but alas the story of the boy must also be told.
The FX: when they're good, they're the best you'll ever see. When they're
not good, they are really not good. Jar Jar Binks and the Gungan race
(filling the Ewok slot here as the simple society forced to confront evil
technology) are rarely as believable on screen as Lucas no doubt intended.
The use of CGI to create these creatures totally in the computer might have
been worthwhile if they had some physical or dramatic action that would have
been impossible with humans in costume...but that is not so. They could very
easily (and more believably) been extras in latex. As far as Jar Jar himself
is concerned...well, a little Jar Jar goes a long way. In TPM, we get a lot
of Jar Jar. Easily 5 times the screen time as Darth Maul, surprisingly.
Among the human actors, the big surprise is...Jake Lloyd ain't so bad. He's
given corny dialogue, sure, but he delivers it with gee-whiz aplomb that is
welcome. The weak link, surprisingly, is Natalie Portman. She's as flat as
a pancake in almost every scene she's in.
There is an immense amount of screen time spent watching wacky CGI aliens
doing Tex Avery physical comedy, and I felt the crowd I was with shifting in
their seats. It remains to be seen if SW fans will respond more positively
to these passages on the 19th.
The Namoudians (aliens that control the Trade Federation and are the pawns of
the vile Darth Sidious) are largely uninteresting to look at and don't do
much to thrust the plot. When watching them, I was reminded of how, in the
classic trilogy, most of the major speaking roles (and most of the plot
thrust) was in the hands of human actors. Here, Lucas uses aliens in a
variety of large and supposedly pivotal roles, and it has the odd effect of
distancing the audience from the drama. It's just hard to take some things
seriously when paragraphs of dialogue are delivered by whimsical, cartoonish
characters (many of whom, especially Boss Nass and Jar Jar, are given alien
"voices" that are mostly unintelligible).
On the human drama side, let's face it- except for some high points in
EMPIRE, high drama is not was SW is all about. Still, when watching
Anakin's farewell to Shmi, I couldn't help but think that I should be sad.
Maybe I should be shedding a tear(?). I suspect Spielberg would have pulled
that tear from my eye quite easily. Lucas, as it happens, does not.
The finale of the movie, based on the tri-level editing of JEDI, is not as
effective for a variety of reasons.
1) We have the duel between Qui, Ben and Maul: it is cool, and god damn Ewan
is FAST with that saber, but Maul is so under-developed a character that it
is hard to root against him. Alas, we do not have three films invested in
Luke's mission to protect his goodness and save his father's soul. The duel
here plays somewhat obligatory, as if a SW movie cannot end without a duel of
some kind.
2) The battle in space: in JEDI, we had a clearly-defined objective in the
destruction of the second Death Star, and also clearly defined obstacles
blocking our heroes from accomplishing their mission. The sequence was a
ticking clock of suspense and thrills. Here, the space battle begins, a few
things happen, a few things blow up, and then it ends.
3) The battle between the Gungans and the Battle Droids on Naboo: Battle
Droids rock visually, Gungans run around yelping like Roger Rabbit. Nuff
said.
All in all, as I said at the top, a terrific movie for young people. Jar Jar
is there for the 6-year-olds, Anakin is there for the 10-year-olds, Amidala
is there for the girls. The action in the movie is overstated in the use of
dialogue, as each event is discussed immediately afterwards by the characters
as if trying to make sure that kids in the audience understand what they just
saw.
On the plus side (and there are more plusses here than in a barrel full of
other summer movies): R2-D2's introduction ROCKS! C-3PO ROCKS! Ben Kenobi
ROCKS! And we are definitely left at the end of the movie HUNGRY for the
tragic events we KNOW must come next.
For 10 and under kids: A+
For 10 and over SW fans: B
For 10 and over non-SW fans: D
I am Booster Gold.
Here's what Patrick in NY had to say....
I promise I will not provide any spoilers.) I just saw the NY screening of
TPM and let me say that it is superb as a story and as a film. Though, you
have to pretend that you didn't grow up on the old trilogy and haven't read
every new magazine on TPM, because what mortal can meet the
expectations set up in your mind for this. Unlike the crowd of cell phone
toting, industry people who were there for the screening in Times Square and
who are now putting their negative/mixed reviews online, I ticket scalped my
way into the showing. (I was in the right place at the right time.) Though, not
a fanatic nerd, I follow SW very closely. I loved it and can't stop thinking
about the TPM. It opens a big can of worms! TPM story is very complex,
though it has a simple plot structure. This movie can fool you the first time
around, if you don't pay close attention to dialogue and events. It looks like a
simplier film than it really is to the untrained eye. This film is opening up story
arches left and right, defining the Jedi/Sith myth, foreshadowing prophecies,
showing us worlds in the SW galaxies, showing us how the SW universe
operates, teaching us SW logic. Evil is present. There are a couple of points
when I could feel the pure evil that "The Phantom Menace" wanted me to
feel. This movie will make you understand where Darth Vader was coming
from. Some of the other reviewers commented about the Dark Lords of Stith
not being well developed, but aren't they are supposed to be mysterious. The
lightsabers really, really make the movie-wait til you see them use 'em. Jake
Loyd is excellent-I really loved the way he portrayed Anakin. I got a really
warm feeling from his character. It wasn't over done. Take my word for it,
this is a well done movie. TPM is generally an upbeat movie with the same
feel as New Hope, but you get the feeling in the back of your mind that in the
next one shit is going hit the fan. As a side note, your next SW movie is just a
couple weeks away, but mine is 2 years. -Patrick NY, NY
Here's a look from the DARKMAN...
Getting a ticket for tonight's exhibitor screening was like a cinematic
dream come true. As a child of the early `80s, preparing to see"Return of
the Jedi" was pure adrenaline. And, though "Jedi" doesn't hold up as well
as the other two, I loved seeing that movie as a kid in 1983.
Now, here I am 16 years on, and in the enviable position of seeing a movie
that far more hardcore fans than I have been lining up for over a month to
see. So, naturally, I felt guilty sitting in the cinema waiting for the
film to begin. The Fox rep didn't tell not to record the film (that would
be patronizing), but to warn the ushers IF the person beside us was taping
it. There was laughter after that remark, the most I would hear for the
rest of the evening.
Exhibitors are somewhat mad at Lucas for the raw deal they feel they are
getting from Fox, but I don't think that's why their response was so
lukewarm. They applauded exactly twice: when the lights dimmed and when
the end credits rolled.
As for the movie itself? It was good. As a science fiction film it was
excellent. But as a "Star Wars" film? No.
The special effects were great, of course. The CGI effects were
wonderful, but part of the magic of the first trilogy was the inventive use
of models and camera tricks. I'm sure that the making of "Menace" was
difficult, but there was a certain art involved in the making of the others
that is lost in this one. The problem is, the film is mostly really cool
computer effects, and it never lets you forget that.
That's because the story is so weak. It relies on the audience's
expectation of two more prequels, but that is a cop-out. The movie should
work on its own terms, but this story is too convoluted for that. The
brilliance of the first trilogy was its simplicity. And settling a trade
dispute `ain't exactly the same as destroying the Death Star.
Some beefs:
The lack of singular bad guy a la Darth Vader (yes, I know) didn't really
give us anybody to root against. Darth Maul is about as developed a
character as Boba Fett, but speaks less. I think the audience's reluctance
to cheer indicates this lack of a strong antagonist. Yoda and Samuel L.
Jackson are underused (but I suspect they'll be back), Jar Jar Binks is more
annoying than funny. He sounds like an unitelligable cross between
Sebastian the crab and Roger Rabbit. And the absence of a Han Solo-type
character the audience can identify with is unfortunate.
On the other hand, John Williams's score is top rate, I haven't heard a
movie that sounded that good in years. As well, Ewen McGregor does a great
Alec Guinness impression. And the pod race, excerpted on "60 Minutes" is
exciting, but the fast-paced finale left me cold. Still, it's a lot of fun.
Not worth waiting in line for a longer than three hours for, but worth
seeing.
The movie itself: Good, but not great. In other words, a disappointment.
Nonetheless, I can't wait to see it again. I mean, it's "Star Wars"!
Here's a word from the SithMeister....
The SithMeister Reporting...
I, too, was fortunate enough to attend one of the Exhibitor Screenings
of "TPM" tonight and was all ready to give you and your loyal readers my
spoiler-free comments! Then I read The Juice's comments and,
well....the guy read my mind! Just about *every* one of his comments
echoed mine! The first thing I said to my friends after seeing this
movie was, "I'm not seven years old anymore." This indeed is a "family
movie." A lot of it is tailored to the kids (but then again, where would
merchandising be today without the influence of the "Star Wars" saga?).
Unlike Juice, though, I felt Jar Jar was quite annoying. I still can't
figure out what the character is supposed to emulate. Some kind of bad
rapper dude with a dash of Roger Rabbit?
Indeed, this film is on par with "Jedi," only better because the visuals
were easily more impressive. Although I must admit some of the matte
paintings still look like matte paintings. I was hoping that *all* of
the effects would be perfect, but never-the-less, we aren't completely
"there" yet folks.
John Williams score went well with the film, but at this point there
still seems to be a lack of new "themes" that one can whistle, hum in
the shower, etc. Only "Duel of the Fates" stands out in my mind. But
that could be just because it's all new now. New characters, new
themes. Makes sense.
But most importantly, Darth Maul! MORE MORE MORE!!! Is this like Judi
Dench's last screen role? He's one bad ass MF, and he would have been
my favourite character in the film if we had seen and heard more from
him! I'd like to say more here, but spoiler-free reviewers unite!
Anyway, overall I am pleased with the film, but I was really hoping to
like it more. But damn, this film has SUCH high expectations to live up
to....could Mr. Lucas *really* have lived up to what people are
expecting??? I'd like to tell those who have been waiting in line
outside movie theatres for so long to have a good time, enjoy the hype,
but don't get *too* excited.
But of course, this is all just my humble opinion.
The SithMeister
P.S. How did Leonard Maltin get in to this?!?!?!? Did he get a job on
the side with General Cinema or somethin'?
Here's a review from Alfred E Newman:
I have never been one to stand in long lines for movies, I'm more prone to
wait a few days/weeks for the lines to die down and get in to an odd time
showing. I've certainly never been to an advanced screening, so it was
quite a stroke of luck when my friend invited me down to New York for an
advance screening of Star Wars.
This was a screening for industry people, distributors, etc. I'm lucky
enough to be a friend of an industry person who had more than one ticket
(how many I won't say). No rowdy lines. Most of the movie goers were in
suits and filtered in over the nearly two hours between the doors opening
and the film starting.
This was a huge theater, at least I thought so. I'm told it sat 1400 and a
full sized screen. Security was tight, and everyone was asked to not record
anything and to turn in any wouldbe pirates, but no mention was made to not
talk about the film.
A Fox rep introduced the film, telling us it was an incomplete print. It
still needed to be color adjusted and the sound wasn't done. It was
noticable in a few places as blurry or the CGI sticking out from the
background, but otherwise I thought it was ready, but hey, I liked Godzilla
so who am I to judge.
I won't go into the plot at all, the book is out for those who HAVE to know.
It was GREAT and well worth the two and a half hour train ride. Was it
perfect, well no. In some places the film slowed down to a crawl, but this
was important exposition. Without it, we'd be wondering what was going on.
In some places, I felt that the dialog and voices were mismatched with the
characters, especially the aliens. But where the film was moving, it
rocked!!
I don't have much to say about the soundtrack. It was unobtrusinve. I
didn't notice it, so I think that's good. I wasn't overbaring the rest of
the film. The only place I really caught it was when the piece from the
video came up, and that's mostly because I'd heard it before.
For the uninitiated who haven't been following every snippet of news, the
film will be full of surprises. Even for those who have kept close tabs, it
take several unexpected twists.
I eagerly await the official release. I expect to see this film two or
three more times, and I rarely see a film more than once in the theater. My
friend who provided the tickets is already trying to find a way into a
showing for Wednesday.
Without trailers, the film ran just over two hours. It started a little
late, 7:10 maybe, and the credits rolled at about 9:20.
Here's a review from Richard Epstein Click here to read it!. This review is basically saying that the movie is good, Kids will love it, Critics will love it, but fans may (and will) be disappointed. He feels it is on par with Jedi, though a bit better. Interesting non-spoiler review...
Here's a review that was posted in TALKBACK below.... By Juan99
A fair review, but what was not said is that the VISUALS ARE 10
TIMES BETTER THAN ANY THAT HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE.
That's right, nothing comes close to the way this movie looks. Every shot is
filled with so much activity that it would take several viewings to really
appreciate the picture. Sure, some parts are tailored to kids' tastes -- its a
family movie. Many of us were kids when we saw the first three. The whole
franchise is about good defeating evil. A phenomenal if simple message.
Overall, the movie was FANTASTIC.
If you go HERE you'll find a mostly spoiler free (though not completely review) that's major complaint is that the film isn't LONGER. He wanted MORE... And he'll get it in Episodes 2 & 3.
This one comes from Mr Coathanger...
I saw the first screening of The PhantoM Menace tonight in Toronto. The effects and sound effects were absolutely breathtaking.
Mr Coathanger
This is the first review that I was sent. Congrats to The Juice! Here's what the JUICE thought....
I arrive in the theater 30 minutes early...get a great seat...admire
the awesome looking screening ticket that will most likely become a
collectable...listen to the fox representative say some stuff about not
filming the movie and posting it on the internet...cry tears of joy when
rebel fanfare blares around me....
Well my wait is over, yup. Seems like its been a whole lifetime, and
yes i did enjoy it. Everyone will enjoy it, it is a very good movie. All of
you will go see it, and it will break records (well maybe not The record).
But its not a perfect movie. Not the best in the trilogy (tied for third with
Jedi on my list). I wont give you any spoilers for the film, although many of
you reading have already read the script and if you have you already know
this is not a traditional Star Wars movie. This is something different, and
you really cant compare it to any of the others. This movie is more like Land
Wars than Star Wars. Most action takes place on planets underwater, on the
ground stuff like that. There are a few things that were very disapointing,
For example I think Darth Maul maybe said three lines in the entire movie
(suprised me for such a popular character), this bothered me because i
believed Maul could have taken over the role of ultimate villain (from Vader)
if he was given the right dialogue.
Now Im about to make an honest statement, and some of you wont like
it. Star Wars is for the kids, and this movie shows it more than ever. Now i
know all of us saw the originals as kids and it has stuck with us but havent
you wondered how a new age of adventures made for the young kids now adays
will gel with us? TPM has some outlandishly kiddy stuff in it, for example
there is a two-headed CGI anouncer during the Pod-Races who is incredibly
goofy/ridiculous and flat out dumb (sorry for being harsh but he just doesnt
seem to fit in). And im not just talking about Jar Jar, I love saying this to
all you nay sayers JAR JAR IS NOT THAT BAD! Ha ha in your face get over it.
He has several well crafted scenes, hes not as annoying as everyone has made
him out to be, and he even caused me to laugh out loud several scenes. Watto
is well crafted as well.
Performances, Ewan Mcgregor's performance was excellent, he is
perfect for the role, the voice the look the actions i loved him, but this is
not Ewan's movie, this is Liam's. Qui-Gonn Jinn is without a doubt the main
character and Neeson is very assuring as a Jedi Master, I bought in to him
very well and i liked both Jedi Characters. Maybe it was just me but i didnt
think all of the characters were well developed, it was almost like we are
already supposed to know. Oh yes we now come to the droids, R2D2 and C3P0,
they seemed very forced into the script and almost out of place like a few
other characters that i wont spoil for you, they were no doubt put there to
give us older star wars fans something to relate too. I loved Natalie
Portman, her voice was not at all a distraction, and she is also a very cute
and enjoyable actress. Jake Lloyd was questionable at times, he put in a
couple of good scenes but sometimes he was monotone.
The first time in the movie i finally got the feeling that this was
the old Star Wars i know in love was probably in the last half hour. You will
see what im talking about, it brings us back to the swashbuckling fun and
excitement were used to. But up until that point something just feels
awkward, that may have been jitters though, who knows....
In all fairness I will have to see the film again to review it better
i was in some shock and my EXPECTATIONS WERE HUGE, much like all of yours are
now. I ask you to lower your expectations just a tad, this is a very good
movie but it is not the greatest movie of all time like i and you are
expecting. I came out feeling a bit dissapointed but now that i think about
it was really a good movie and it deserves a second viewing...then most
likely a third...hey why not a forth......This is an awesome movie believe
me, you just cant go in expecting the greatest story ever told, cause its
not...
Later all, may the force be with
you...
THEJuice
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