The Star Wars Standard

On the rarest of occasions, a single movie can change the entire way films are made. The Great Train Robbery, Citizen Kane, Jurassic Park, and yes, Star Wars are all examples of this phenomenon. Clearly, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace will rightfully take it’s place on this list.

It is impossible to discuss Phantom Menace without stressing its unbelievable special effects. The film features everything from underwater cities to high speed races through the desert to Buck Rogers-like cities which must have been modeled after the fantastic visions of the thirties, forties, and fifties. Even more amazing are the computer-animated characters, some of whom are given significant speaking lines and are required to display a wide assortment of facial expressions. All and all, the impact of the effects is outstanding. It is almost as if we are truly seeing EXACTLY George Lucas’s images, just as he dreamed them up. I feel confident that absolutely nothing is lost in the translation.

As critics have been quick to point out, the film is far from perfect. Yes, the dialogue is weak at parts. Yes, the characters are somewhat one-dimensional. Yes, the humor of Jar Jar Binks is very forced at times. Nevertheless, I found the story to be surprisingly rich. From the friendship between Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), to the exciting political maneuvers of the various blocks in the Senate, there is a lot to take out of The Phantom Menace. More importantly, it whets the viewers appetites for the darker twists which will surely develop in Episodes II and III.

I have to mention the brilliant cast which Lucas has assembled. Certainly, these actors were not allowed to show-off their full skills in the rather limited, action-adventure style roles. In particular, I would have liked to have seen McGregor given more of a chance to shine. Nevertheless, Neeson, McGregor, Natalie Portman (Queen Animalda) and Pernilla August (Shmi Skywalker), as well as the majority of the rest of the cast, are all outstanding.

Believe it or not, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace achieved the impossible: it actually exceeded my expectations. It truly deserves to takes it place in the Star Wars pantheon next to A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. What greater compliment could this film possibly receive?

Submitted 5/19/99 by Notre Dame law student Brad Sobolewski.