Episode I: The Phantom Menace

I now have all the Star Wars on DVD my search for them singularly proved futile however I found a Darth Vader and Yoda 3pk, Vader's being £7 from ASDA and Yodas being £15 from Tesco. I have decided to watch them in order because well it would be stupid not to and last night saw Episode I: The Phantom Menace for the first time in years, maybe even since I caught in 99 at my then local cinema.

 This is considered one of the weaker films in the, uhh, what's the trilogy word for a 6 film collection? if not the outright weakest now that may be a fair assessment but I don't think the movie itself is as bad as the general consensus seems, it still may be the weakest of the VI but just because II-VI may be better it doesn't make this one bad just not as good, though personally I've always placed II bottom of the pack.

 This entry is the least focused on the Jedi/Sith rivalry for sure and does have an political debate feel with some of the content, throughout there's a thing about Trade Routes being blocked throughout the galaxy and Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) soon protect Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) as she is going to be strong armed into a treaty that here rivals want signed.

 Anakin (Jake Lloyd) is shown to be a competent PodRacer and later in the film is in space with a Naboo Fighter Plane, I think, which is a precursor to his flying as Vader in IV, in fact there was a few things that seemed to point to Anakin having a bad future, Yoda picked up on his fear saying it will become anger and it's fair to say Vader wasn't the most passive of people, I did like the foreshadowing of what Anakin becomes, weird watching Anakin in a room with Mace Windu knowing that Anakin causes his death in III.

 The one big black mark against these prequels, I say black mark it's more like the size of a black hole, is Jar Jar Binks whose comic relief doesn't fit in with the Star Wars theme, I don't hate the character like many do but I wouldn't miss him if he was gone from the film or at least his comic antics, like when kids are telling Anakin he won't win which is a downer for the kid then seconds later Jar Jar's hand is stuck in the podracer. In 99 I did get a Qui-Gon Jinn money bank or something but I don't remember favouring Qui-Gon in the Star Wars world in fact I only really remember his death but upon my viewing last night I must say that I did like the guy which was a surprise as I thought i'd be nonplussed.

 The main bad guy is really Darth Sidious who along with his good persona if you will of Palpatine is featured in this film but the bad guy who does the fighting isn't in the film much at all, must've been around seven minutes screen time, though due to his look Darth Maul is memorable, though not acknowledged here or in II-VI Darth does survive the chop, ha-ha.

 The climatic fight was okay and Palpatine getting power in the senate is important to the story also Anakin's mum remains a slave and that plays a part in his turn to the Dark Side albeit not here. The film was better than I remembered, does it reach TESB level? No but it isn't bad in its own right, also I've always assumed Phantom Menace was Darth Maul but it's just hit me it may be The Sith as a whole who are long thought extinct..