Star Wars The Phantom Menace (Blu-ray + 4K UHD)

Woooow. Whew. Okay. Let’s do this 😂Growing up with the original Star Wars trilogy, the films were the defacto epic space opera of my world. It was always going to be a tough endeavor to return to a galaxy far, far away, and please both old guard and new fans. I saw Episode I on opening day, and absolutely loved it. It was a technical marvel, and none of the obvious flaws it had really stuck out to me back then. I was blown away by the fireworks. That said, no matter how many times I revisit this film over the years, it still amazes me how I forget just how out there and all over the place it really is. Although filled to the brim with cutting edge (for 1999) special effects and brave new digital worlds, it’s remarkable how much of this film simply drags. From the overlong exposition dumps, awful trade federation “villains,” the seemingly endless stretches of Tattooine desert, debates in the senate, Jedi counsel meetings, hooded Emperors pulling strings, lots of space ship chats... for a flashy sci-fi epic, there’s a surprising dearth if flashy sci-fi action. There’s also a lot to love about what is there. Jaw dropping worlds and creatures and cultures are around every corner, and the film is bursting with raw creative talent untethered by budget or creative limitations. As far as the characters, we have some of the best in the franchise. Ewan MacGregor was born to be Obi-Wan, and his fresh, youthful, but wise take on the character is the definitive one for me. Liam Neeson shines as the iconic Jedi master, and of course, we can’t speak of The Phantom Menace without one of its greatest creations, Darth Maul. If ever there was a villain to rival Vader, Maul came close. Jake Lloyd... well... he did what he could. Natalie Portman’s Amidala is fine, although the character would shine the most in Attack of the Clones. The pod racing scenes were awesome, if getting to the them was a slog at times. All in all, the film is a massive mixed bag, with a few iconic moments, lots of original trilogy groundwork, terrible lore additions (Midichlorians?!), and the greatest lightsaber duel of them all. If I had to put a number on it? 6/10. Essential, but flawed!