Every story has a beginning, and this is the beginning of one of the greatest tales every told through cinema. Before there was Vader, before there were Rebels, before Princess Leia married Chewbacca...ah wait scratch that last part, There once...
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Every story has a beginning, and this is the beginning of one of the greatest tales every told through cinema. Before there was Vader, before there were Rebels, before Princess Leia married Chewbacca...ah wait scratch that last part, There once was a little boy named Ani.

The chosen one the boy maybe, but many shadows surround his future.

He's just a boy, but yet the powerful energy that follows him is undeniable. Born to a virgin and living as a slave the Boy is miraculously discovered by a wise Jedi and taken under his wing., thus the events of fate begin to unfold.

Star Wars the Phantom menace, is a reference to the Jedi's nemesis the evil and tyrannical Sith lords of the force, whose presence always remain hidden and shrouded in mystery. The Jedi who have long since fought off the Sith to there mere extinction, are now beginning to discover their revenge has been set in motion. But Star Wars is much more than just a story about Jedi and Sith, it is also very much about the vast and diverse world they live in and the humans and creatures they protect or seek to destroy. The vast emptiness of space yields itself to the dramatic events that are about to take place. From the moment you watch the marquee scroll by you anticipate the excitement of what is about to transpire. As the title suggests Star Wars is a movie about intergalactic warfare and interstellar battles beyond the imagination. With a story so rich with origin and a predetermined future, it's hard to live up to everyone's expectations while filling in the gaps left open from this movies predecessors.

After all SW the Phantom menace is a prequel to the original Trilogy which broke box office records and cemented its place in the hearts of many adoring fans, However this film manages to recapture a few of those fond memories as well as attract a new age of audience to its following. The first chapter of a story general has a tough role to play, it has to establish characters and provide enough insight to interest the audience, and at the same time get the ball rolling in terms of plot development., this film is essentially the first chapter of the SW saga and delivers well on all aspects, including foreshadow. If you ever asked yourself what would SW be like without the villainous Darth Vader, or the heroic Luke Skywalker, this is exactly your ticket. Filling in the role of the villain you so love to hate is the mysterious and intimidating Darth Maul, whose tribal tattoos face paint and ornamental horns represent an evil of epic proportions. Maul's silent nature is complimented by his dynamic actions and overwhelming presence. His very essence seems to be designed to strike fear into the hearts of his adversaries.

As for the hero of our story, a young Obi Wan Kenobi takes up the role quite well as he inspires us to promote justice and pursue honor. He is mentored by his Master Qui Gon Jin, a considerate and compassionate Jedi if there ever was one. The acting talents of Liam Neison portray Qui Gon with a strong sense of grace and intelligence, as he acts as a father figure to both the boy and Kenobi. Ewen McGregor's performance is likewise very sincere and emotionally profound. I greatly enjoyed watching the two of them share dialogue and play their part respectively. While on the other hand I found that Anakin's

Character seemed to be a little misguided. The musical flute theme that represents his innocence is very stereotypical, along with his boyish sense of adventure and curiosity.

For a boy who was born and raised without a father and into slavery no less, it doesn't quite add up logically that he would act this way. It also doesn't help when he makes expressions like Yipppee and Yeeaa. The overall feeling from his character is that he's just too much of a perfect child to fit into the story as a main character; his personality merely isn't complex enough.

However he's not the worst by any means, the absolute most notorious personality to ever appear in a Star wars film makes his debut. He's a walking talking disaster the size of big bird, by the name of Jar Jar Binks. Words cannot describe the abysmal qualities of this character. If they were looking to replace Chewbacca with another creative and colorful mascot character, they could have done a better job using a mop and a paint bucket with a smiley face drawn. Jar Jar Binks will go down in history as probably the most hated and ill conceived creation ever to come out of George Lucas's brain. Moving on, Lucas relies heavily on the usage of CGI instead of props and puppetry to fill in the more imaginative gaps. Some prefer this method while other more traditional fans detest it. The CGI although entertaining and well animated, goes too far beyond reality and often creates a noticeable dividing line between itself and live action. The movie is chock loaded with spills and thrills, action sequences that will shock and amaze. The pod racing scene for example is one of the most enjoyable parts of the movie, and serves as a wonderful prelude to the grand finale. Exciting to say the least, the final battle is of such wide scale that it takes place from 4 different perspectives. Not only is there a battle taking place on land as well as in the sky, but our heroes, the Jedi are engaged in a light saber duel to the death, and as if that weren't enough, the queen and her loyal bodyguards are busy infiltrating the enemies complex, in order to seize their commander. In dramatic fashion, just as it appears the good guys have lost and all hope is forsaken, an unlikely candidate saves the day, simply by pure luck.

Let the fireworks begin, after all it wouldn't be Star wars without a few massive explosions, a la the Death Star. How better to end the movie then bring all your characters together to celebrate their victory, and commemorate those who were lost? This is a wonderful representation of how togetherness can overwhelm adversity and triumph is more enjoyable when you share it.

Smiles, laughter, and praise, and as far as we know they all lived happily ever after, except Jar Jar Binks who was immediately executed. Now that would have been a truly happy ending.

Despite a few flaws with characters, overall SW ep 1 the Phantom Menace was a very enjoyable film, exciting, heartwarming, silly and adventurous. Highly memorable in more ways than one. I give it a 8 outta 10