On Tuesday, May 11th, I was lucky enough to attend the press screening of
"The Phantom Menace". The theater management had our names and made us show
photo I.D. We then were given an envelope with the tickets inside them. We
then had to go up to the theater entrance and give our tickets to the representives
at the doors. However, I did manage to get hooked up and got to keep a ticket as
a momento! Below is a scan of my actual ticket along with my spoiler free review
of the film.
As the opening sequence, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away" flashed again upon the big screen, the chills literally ran through my body. This was it! Alas, a new Star Wars was beginning to unfold before my very eyes. 16 years of anticipation that was about to be all generated into a two hour spectacle.
The look, feel, and excitement of "The Phantom Menace" lives up in every way to the original trilogy. On the one hand, we are dealing with an entire new cast of characters. Lucas has created spectacular new environments for us to be drawn completely into. Once again, the story is the main focus and the special effects support that story ten fold. It is very complex in nature at some points, but definitely has that element for the younger viewer. However, this is the type of movie that needs to be viewed at least a second time, if not more. That is the magic of "The Phantom Menace" in that Lucas wants to draw the viewer back. I found myself analyzing what certain scenes meant in the whole scope of things. Lucas does not blatantly reveal all the answers and are left up to the audience to interpret in their own minds.
The Jedi battle sequences were incredibly dramatic and intense. John Williams' score fits the scenes perfectly and blends smoothly with the dialog. A fear I had going into the movie was the character Jar Jar Binks. He plays the slap stick comedic role in this film which I thought may have been a bit overdone. However, I was pleasantly surprised that overall, he did actually blend in fairly well with the other characters. I thought both Liam Neeson (Qui Gon Jin) and Ewan McGregor (Obi Wan Kenobi) portrayed their characters very well and was obvious they took their roles seriously. Darth Maul (played by Ray Park) is pure evil and extremely mysterious. The CGI is incredible and completely believable. I was again drawn into the Star Wars universe like never before.
Overall, I absolutely can't wait to see "The Phantom Menace" again. I highly recommend that if you see one movie this summer, this is the one. Even if you are not a Star Wars fan, I believe it will impress you. It's now 1:30 in the morning and I am finally calming down. I need some sleep so I can get up early and head down to the theater to stand in line for opening day. May the Force be with you.
The Phantom Menace is set to premier on May 19th, 1999 and is going to be the biggest cinematic event of all time. With "THE DAY" quickly approaching, the media is all over with tons of info. With so much going on with Episode 1, there is no way I can keep this page up to date. Therefore, I strongly recommend you check out the following websites for up-to-date Prequel info.
Episode 1: The Phantom Menace will be release on video on April 4th, 2000. You can reserve your at Toys R Us, Suncoast, or any place where Star Wars stuff is sold. Just over two years and counting until Episode 2.
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