ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nomination – Q – Qui-Gon Jinn – Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace – Movie Review
Director: George Lucas
Writer: George Lucas (Screenplay)
Cast
- Ewan McGregor (Birds of Prey)
- Liam Neeson (Non-Stop)
- Natalie Portman (Thor Love and Thunder)
- Jake Lloyd
- Ray Park (G.I Joe Rise of Cobra)
Plot: Two Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their original glory.
Runtime: 2 Hour 16 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace starts as two Jedi ambassadors Qui-Gon Jinn (Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) try to bring peace to the rising Federation. They escape and save Queen Amidala (Portman) looking to regroup.
This leads them to discover a young boy Anakin Skywalker (Lloyd) on a remote planet. Qui-Gon is convinced Anakin would become one of the strongest Jedis in the universe. He takes him under his wing as the battle to stop the rising Federation begins.
Verdict on Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace is the first of the Star Wars prequel saga. It sends us back to the origin of both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. We are also given the first evil empire trying to rise up within the universe, The Federation.
Considering this franchise could only bring the younger versions of the popular figures. It needed to do a lot of work to give us a new set of characters to watch in a space saga. For the most part, this works very well, because Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul became fan favourites. On the other side, we had Jar Jar Binks who became one of the most hated. There is the pod racing which was a lot of fun to watch.
When it comes to starting the next major chapter in a franchise, it is going to need a slow beginning. The early start to an evil growing in the universe is needed and we get to see who the people are willing to fight back to save the universe. It is fun and enjoyable
Final Thoughts – Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace is an entertaining return to the legendary franchise.
