Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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EVENTS Music: Equal Interest, Tonight, Gallery 701. Tickets $7/$6 students and members. Festival: Piccolo Spoleto, now through June*13, Charleston Photo Exhibit: "Lord, I wish I had a Prayin' Church Tonight," McKissick Museum Wednesday, June 9,1999 Agoo< O Lights, i Camera, ; Reaction rf 111 Out of four stars ** * Possibly the most anticipated movie in cinematic history, "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" is no mere film; it's an event. Written, produced and directed by George Lucas, the film is a prequel to "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope," the first in the trilogy of blockbusters that spawned a sci-fi, sub-culture and helped define the 80s childhood for millions. "Episode I,"set 30years before Luke Sky walker holds his first light saber, has been in theaters for three weeks. Yet some Americans still don't know what everyone is talking about. Haven't made up your mind? Check out our staff's opinions. "Episode I" stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Jake Lloyd, with Samuel L. Jackson. oy laie Husun Gamecock Critic irififif "The Phantom Menace" is an example of what George Lucas does best. It's a science fiction interpretation of our mythology; elements of the past |w| f I ? a movi are thriving components of this work. It's quite the visual spectacle that every viewer anticipates and expects from a Lucasfilms, Ltd. release. The movie is an illustration of the complexity of the "Star Wars" universe. Plot threads begin in this film that we see the end of in the three previously released movies in the series. The most significant difference between "The Phantom Menace" and the other three "Star Wars" movies is that "Episode I" is a more familyoriented movie than the others. Several scenes in this movie obviously are intended for a younger audience. Overall, the him has an engaging storyline, wonderful effects and an excellent climax. I recommend seeing the other movies before seeing this one, though. By Rob Lindsey Gamecock Critic The news has been telling me for months that "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" would be the greatest film in history. Even though it is one of the best films of recent memory, the media-driven hype machine set the bar unreachably high for this movie, the prequel to a series of films, the first of which had no expectations at all. ueorge Lucas was merely trying to tell a story with "Star Wars," and that was good enough. In fact, it was better than good enough because it spawned all of this we see today. With "The Phantom Menace," Lucas' vision hasn't changed, though critics would like to pin the problems of the j P Special to The Gamecock T7 EjTC. The Gamecock ie this i film on his wooden dialogue or the kidcentric comic relief. But if you really think about it, wasn't the dialogue in the original trilogy just a bit stiff, and don't the Ewoks (and even the droids at times) get on your nerves sometimes? Lucas hasn't changed the way he tells a story, but the American public has changed its expectations of what a story should be. As a suggestion to those of you who haven't seen "Episode F yet, unload a fair amount of that cynicism that has been collecting in your head over the past dozen years or so, and try to recapture a bit of the childlike awe that grabbed you with the first trilogy That said, "The Phantom Menace" is more prologue than prequel. The .star, WARS EPISC THE PHAMTO main plot that occupies most of the foreground of the film is merely a contrivance for getting these characters (Anakin, Obi Wan, Queen Amidala, Sen. Palpatine) together. The real plot advancement comes in the background machinations of Sen. Palpatine as he manipulates the queen of Naboo, the planet he represents in the Republic's senate, to cast a vote of no confidence in the chancellor of the senate. Palpatine sets himself up off screen to become the new chancellor and, eventually, the emperor (yes, that emperor) once the Republic crumbles. Events that unfold in the next two prequels should be much more important in advancing the story to the point of episodes IV-VI, for, despite all the action and the cute or ugly aliens, the "Star Wars" mythos is at heart a political saga. The old reDublic vields to an evil enmire that falls in the face of rebel attacks to form a new republic. "The Phantom Menace" is a formidable piece of filmmaking. The last 30 minutes of the movie are so well * - s t orchestrated, following four different ac- | tion sequences flaw- I lessly (with help from I a superb John I Williams score), that I it is quite possibly the I finest half hour of I film ever shot. The I light saber duels in I the film are the I crowned jewels of the I movie. Lucas has def- H&JH initely not lost his visual flair. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor are excellent as a Jedi master and apprentice, respectively. Natalie Portman plays the young Queen Amidala IDE I M MENACE with a stoic grace not often seen in young actors. It goes without saying that the special effects are one of the prime reasons this movie works so well. Lu cas has done a wonderful job with a difficult task and should be applauded for his efforts. I can't wait to see the next two. By Brad Walters Gamecock Critic irifir "The Phantom Menace" is one of those movies where you're glad to be wearing an Indiglo watch. Don't get me wrong: The movie wasn't bad, and I'm sure "Star Wars" fans found much to like about it. But, at almost two and a half hours long, the movie dragged j. 1 JU25L a Ult UJU lUIlg. Fd pever seen a "Star Wars" flick until this one, so I had trouble following the plot, especially at first. The most entertainment I got from this movie was hearing the names of characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and R2D2 and remembering back to my early childhood when those characters were last hip. ITE OF THE DAY Crank up your computer speakers for whatever tune someone else is playing. http://www.mp 3 spy. com/ Page 7 I thought Jake Lloyd put up the most memorable performance of the movie as Anakm bkywalker. I round myself rooting for the good-hearted young Skywalker throughout the movie, even when he stole away in a star fighter and ended up watching the festivities on Naboo from afar. Is this kid really gonna be Darth Vader? I don't think this movie will garner the seven Academy Awards the first "Star Wars" was able to gather, but it was pretty good overall and didn't disappoint in the special effects department. Until Episode II is released, I guess I'll succumb to peer pressure and sit down to watch the first three movies in the series. By Kevin Langston Gamecock Critic I've been familiar with the story of Luke Skywalker for as long l ean remember. When I learned George Lucas was planning on filming the prequels to the famous "Star Wars" trilogy, I was ecstatic. I couldn't wait to see how it would all unfold. When I heard the all-familiar crash of John Williams' orchestra signaling the start of the movie, I was covered with goose bumps. I kept thinking, "This is it. This is Episode I! This is how it all started." As the roars of the audience died, we all sat back to witness the latest gem from George Lucas. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. The movie was pure brilliance. It was "Star Wars" sci-fi at its best. Lucas had many more toys to play with this time around, so he was sure to flaunt the technology. Maybe, now the technology has caught up to his standards, and now he was able to capture everything he wanted to capture in this film. STAR WARS continued on page 8