Heres James defence of Episode One…
The late 1990s were a joyous time forStar Warsfans.
The big day finally came and the reaction was lukewarm at best.
The reviews from critics were something of a mixed bag.
American critic Roger Ebert gave it four out of five stars.
Empire magazine was less favourable, giving it only three stars.
Ive trawled through some of the more negative reviews to address some of the most often cited complaints.
So, without further ado, here is my defence of the film.
Jar Jar was, quite frankly, an embarrassment.
Hes a bit like a Wicket W. Warrick for the 1990s.
But he will have had little kids giggling with delight.
So, I think that thats something we can forgive George Lucas for.
Because like him or not, Jar Jar is a crucial part of theStar Warssaga.
Oh, and while Im on the subject of Jar Jar, a quick word about racism.
There is no racism in this film.
One frequent criticism is thatThe Phantom Menaceis dull.
I wont criticise anyone for finding the senate scenes dull.
Personally, I find the senate scenes to be brilliantly done and a fantastic showcase for Ian McDiarmids acting.
Democracy is the cradle of civilisation and theStar Warsuniverse is no exception to that.
Its a well observed satire on how politicians can manipulate things so easily.
The senate scenes, no matter how dull you may find them, are pivotal to the prequel trilogy.
For much of the film, the CGI blends seamlessly with the rest of the films elements.
Ill at least take a stab at defend the dialogue.
Its a bit clunky at times but thats something of a minor irritation.
Its only when Lucas tries to sound grand and inspiring that the dialogue falls a bit flat.
Senator Palpatines dialogue is brilliant, but Darth Sidious (despite them being the same character.
Oh, come on.
Oh, and lets not forget the absolutely appalling vernacular of the Gungans.
The film also takes a lot of flak for its characterisation.
I can negate this argument with two words: hes ten.
Hitler probably wasnt insane and murderous at the age of ten.
Padme is basically a Princess Leia clone, but its a tried and tested character.
The best character of this film, and possibly of the entire saga, is Palpatine.
Hes cold, calculating and delightfully Machiavellian.
Now, the question of the acting.
Theres no denying that its decidedly dodgy at times.
Jake Lloyds performance is very poor and really drags the film down.
Surely there were better child actors out there.
Was this nepotism at work?
I suppose well never know.
Ewan McGregors accent keeps slipping, which can be something of an irritant.
Other than those minor niggles,The Phantom Menacehas a great ensemble cast with Ian McDiarmid stealing the show.
However, Samuel L. Jackson and Brian Blessed are wasted.
Duel of the Fates is etched on my brain and will hopefully remain there for a long time.
But Duel of the Fates blows all of that out of the water.
Its beautifully choreographed and Ray Parks performance is flawless.
The dogfight over Naboo is classicStar Warsand invokes memories ofReturn Of The Jedi.
It even retains the element of the good guys blowing up their target from the inside.
Finally, there is the Podrace.
We have car racing where theres an occasional crash.
The whole sequence looks fantastic and there are great moments of dark humour.
To conclude,The Phantom Menacehas it bad points.
Most, if not all, films do.
But I think youll find it a lot more enjoyable if you stop comparing it to the original trilogy.
People say that its not like the originals, but thats a good thing.
I wouldnt want a carbon copy ofA New Hope.
Its the shot of the poison gas coming out of the air vents on the Trade Federation ship.
Sets were only built as tall as the actors heads.
The rest of the sets were created using CGI.
The character of a Jedi named Mace dates back to one of the very first drafts ofA New Hope.
Spooksactor Richard Armitage had an uncredited role as a Naboo fighter pilot.
Jar Jar Binks is the first main character in theStar Warssaga to be created digitally.
Natalie Portmans voice was digitally altered to distinguish between the characters of Padme and Queen Amidala.
In early drafts of the script, Naboo was named Utapau.
The CG Yoda is seen briefly in the scene where Obi-Wan is knighted.
