Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace released in 1999 is a film that I have seen countless times. I watched this film again last Friday and it hasn't aged a bit. I discovered it for the first time in VOSTEN because I have always seen it in VF and I really appreciated this version, the voices of the actors are those of the original even if the film has flaws in terms of articulations (Watoo, the Neimoidians), the dialogues are understandable. To continue, the film has the prowess in 1999 of taking risks (Jar Jar for example) by giving a comic touch to a sci-fi film. the actors are good, some are just starting out (Natalie Portman, Ewan McGegor...), others are better known (Samuel L.Jackson, Liam Neeson...) and others will not continue (Jake Lloyd) . In short, a film which begins the prelogy in a nice way, which brings things to the story and which amazes us with its magnificent fights and special effects despite some faults.

Yeah this one is not it for me. Getting to know about the Jedi order and Anakin before he became Darth Vader sounded cool on paper but I don’t think it lands all that well. The pod racing scene along with the final battle are some of the most entertaining and thrilling parts of the story but when everything else seemed underwhelming it was kind of hard to forget that during this review. The dialogue was a bit clunky for almost the whole movie, I forgive it a little bit because of who the Jedi are supposed to be but it kinda seemed to be the case with everyone. Qui-Gon serves as a great lead for this movie, taking Anakin under his wing and getting the chance to get some pretty wholesome moments, I just wished I would’ve had more of him and Obi-Wan so his death in the end would’ve hit me harder. The fights are absolutely amazing, they go so incredibly hard that when people say the fights are the best in the prequels I wholeheartedly agree, they might be a bit over choreographed but I don’t care it looks too cool.

Kicking off my second Star Wars movie marathon after a seven-year gap, the movie is a decent start to the prequel trilogy and Anakin’s story within the Star Wars lore. The film delivers some standout moments, including the well executed pod racing sequence and the iconic lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul, all elevated by the nostalgic and evocative score. However, it stumbles in certain areas, with humor—primarily through Jar Jar Binks—often feeling forced, and a rushed conclusion that leaves little room for emotional resonance, making Qui-Gon Jinn’s arc feel underdeveloped. While far from perfect, it remains a watchable film with its fair share of memorable highlights.

I know this one is a few days late, but I’ve been fighting off an illness the last few days, so let me off! This is a difficult one for me to review. Objectively, I know that The Phantom Menace is pretty flawed. But it seems to have this magical power over me where no matter what happens, I am completely and utterly blinded by nostalgia, and no amount of negativity or Mr. Plinkett reviews could make me dislike it! I consider Star Wars: Episode 1 to be MY Star Wars film, I was five years old when it came out and it’s my earliest memory of all hype and euphoria that surrounded the franchise. It was the hot topic at school, there was merchandise coming from every corner and it was every child’s dream to go and see that huge display at Toys R Us. These are all incredibly happy memories and watching The Phantom Menace on the big screen brought back feelings that felt just as joyous as they did 25 years ago. (Man, I’m old!) Sure, it’s very messy. Yes, the dialogue is awful. But I also do firmly believe it has held up and looks better than Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and it feels a lot closer to the Original Trilogy than those films. It also gave us Darth Maul, Duel of the Fates, Podracing… There’s a lot to love about this film even if it may be through some biased tinted glasses on this occasion. So my score is trying to reflect some sort of mix between a fair review from a critical standpoint and my own personal enjoyment of this film. Many may disagree, but I don’t care! I love The Phantom Menace, I always have, and I always will!

Qui-Gon & Stilgar would be the essential squad for any chosen one