Movie Information
Overall Rank: 7799
Average Rating: 2.4/4
# of Ratings: 424
Theatrical Release Date: 05/19/1999
Language: English
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: George Lucas
Actors: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Frank Oz, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid
Plot: Follows young Anakin Skywalker through his adventures and how he meets Obi Wan and Padm?. It is the start of the clone wars.
Quick Movie Reviews
Rating of
1.5/4
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 05/04/2024
With obscure plot points and a good handful of utterly obnoxious characters, "The Phantom Menace" is considered the worst entry in the Star Wars franchise for good reason.
Rating of
3/4
Indyfreak - wrote on 07/23/2014
Jar Jar Binks. And yet fifteen years later (no wait is it sixteen?) I still enjoy watching this movie. Some call Revenge of the Sith the best of the prequels and while I liked that one too, this is it for me. Why? Nostalgia and forgiveness I guess. Sorry if I'm not making a lick of sense. I've been brooding again. I'll edit this when I'm sane again.
Rating of
1/4
Matthew Brady - wrote on 01/29/2014
Can 3-D movies get any worse I think it can. star was episode 1. Follows young Anakin Skywalker through his adventures and how he meets Obi Wan and Padm?. It is the start of the clone wars. okay I was not a fan of the stars wars movie but it's a lot of fun but this movie is a mess. the acting is awful the story did not make any sense at all.
Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
1.5/4
"The Phantom Menace" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 02/10/2012
If you think that the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise is popular, or that The Dark Knight was hotly anticipated you'd be right, but they are NOTHING compared to the impact of the original Star Wars films at the time they were made. Star Wars was not so much a film franchise, but a virtual way of life to a whole generation. The Phantom Menace was THE most anticipated film ever made, and by that measure, George Lucas had one HELL of a lot of expectation to live up to. And, well, we all know what happened...But now all the hype has died down and this film can be looked at rather more objectively, and there's actually a lot to be admired about it. Lucas obviously surrounded himself with some of the best cinematic talent around. The effects are fantastic, the fight choreography excellent …
Rating of
1.5/4
Star Wars I: Phantom Menace review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 09/29/2011
I felt that if this was officially the first Star Wars film released, then it would be a sure classic and hit. Well, it did become a hit because it was released for the new generation Star Wars fanatics. A lot of "if only's" for this flick. If only Darth Maul had more roles and wasn't killed off...if only Jar Jar had a minute role...if only the mood and dialogues were more mature...if only Anakin had more reason for his future transformation....if only the storytelling was not snail paced...if only there were more action. The effects and score was awesome since this is a SW movie. Lastly, if only Star Wars I: Phantom Menace went ahead of all the films of the franchise, so many possibilities. as a self-confessed fanatic, it wasn't that bad, nor great either.
Rating of
3/4
Not as good as the original 3.
mdtinney - wrote on 08/11/2009
In light of the completion of the Star Wars saga with Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is probably due for a re-evaluation. While by no means anywhere near as good as the original trilogy, neither is it really that bad a film. After all, it's still Star Wars! The one overwhelming criticism of Episode I is the presence of one Jar Jar Binks. A computer generated amphibian with possibly the most irritating and child-like character and almost unintelligible voice in the history of cinema, with the possible exception of Chris Tucker's Ruby Rhod in 'The Fifth Element'. Jar Jar is merely a walking talking marketing device aimed squarely at children. It is he who is the main cause of irritation for the die-hard fans. But also the lack of action, and the slightly …
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Recent Movie Talk Posts
LeeAnn M. - wrote on 2012-02-15 17:54
Exactly, Taz! I loved the original trilogy and passed that excitement for the films to my son, who has been hooked on Star Wars episodes I V, V,and VI since he was three. (At five, he's still too young to watch I, II, and III.) &nbsp ;I tried to with my daughter, but she just didn't "get it."  I don't think 3D will add anything to the whole series, but I would love to show my son the originals on the big screen, as he has so far seen them only in the livingroom …
Chris Kavan - wrote on 2012-02-15 16:18
Glad to see a new generation being introduced - I would say there was a nice crowd of younger people at the theater where I was, so it's good to know Star Wars will live on - but A New Hope is the place to start.
Taz - wrote on 2012-02-15 12:48
I am hoping they have it in 2D here in Lincoln. I don't usually pay to see 3-D since I can't see 3-D and all. I would like to watch all 6 movie in&nbsp ;theatres again though so if push comes to shove I will go to the 3D probably. I am excited for the original 3. My Nephew will be 7 when the put out A New Hope so I can take him to all 3 of the originals in theatres.
Unknown - wrote on 2012-02-15 11:06
Sorry you had to witness Clash of the Titans in 3D.  It looked terrible.  People's heads were trailing behind them and I couldn't make sense of any of the action scenes.  I haven't watched a 3D conversion since.
Chris Kavan - wrote on 2012-02-15 00:06
This was the first 3D film I watched since Clash of the Titans. In fact the only 3D film that has truly impressed me is limited to Avatar (which is to blame for the current state).Your opinion is probably the more popular one. I don't think the prequels are anywhere near as good as the original films, but in the end, I just couldn't pass up watching Star Wars on the big screen one more time, even if I have to deal with the lesser films first.
