Wednesday, June 9, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
The line for the first showing of *Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace* opening day tickets to the movie which has now grossed more than $250 million stretches around to the back of South Wind 12 Theaters. Fans stood in line for dollar bills. Photo by Roger Nomer/KANSAN
Phantom Menace a 'Forced' movie
Elissa Harris
Kansan movie critic
Star Wars. Two words alone that, for millions of people, symbolize a battle between good and evil, a coming-of-age tale and an overused mantra: "May The Force be with you."
Since the release of George Lucas' most recent addition to the Skywalker saga, many Star Wars fans have sighed in disappointment. Expectations were unbelievably high. Phantom Menace became the magnum opus of the summer movie world before it even opened, thanks to thousands of twentysomethings who ditched work to sit in line for tickets. It was as if they believed the movie would change their reality.
It doesn't do that. But it does enrich the story of Star Wars and entertain audiences for a little more than two hours.
Maybe the difficulty in enjoying The Phantom Menace is that we already know the ending. We already know that the cherub-like child, Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), will one day be a Master of Evil, Darth Vader, Liam Nesoon, who plays a jedi master named Quigon Ginn, is convincingly strong with the Force. His peaceful command of Jinn is disturbed only by his obvious inability to act with "imaginary" computer animated characters.
Ewan McGregor, playing a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, does justice to the role once played by Alec Guinness.
Natalie Portman, as the exotically-dressed Queen Amidala, seemed underplayed. It may have been because her outrageously beautiful
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costumes overpowered her acting. Any defender of the Planet Naboo, and mother of Luke and Leia, should have been far more forceful — and memorable.
Samuel Jackson, Jedi councilman Mace Windu, is forceful, and his character served the function of foreshadowing the appearance of the Dark Side in Anakin's soul. Yoda is once again voiced by Frank Oz. As in previous episodes, he is the voice of wisdom, telling us that fear is the door to the Dark Side.
Martial artist Ray Park (Darth Maul) is amazingly liquid in movement and incredibly convincing as a Sith Dark Lord, determined to destroy all that is good in the galaxy.
So the computer graphics don't blow you out of your seat with the firepower of the Death Star, but the Podrace graphics are worthy seatclenching appreciation. The sets and scenery, largely the work of computers, are intricate and truly the stuff of a gifted imagination.
So Jar Jar Binks, that darn floppy-eared character and soon-to-be favorite child's toy, is annoying, but isn't Darth Maul devilishly evil and cool? So the plot seems thin, but, hey, don't forget that this movie isn't meant to stand on its own, it's actually just the beginning of an epic.
Something that irks true fans is that Lucas has always been a businessman about his Star Wars storytelling. His plots, a crafty weave of mythology, religious references and comic book action, add up to big bucks when transformed into plastic light sabers, fast food figurines and Halloween costumes.
Cassady Auchard and Shea Reinke, Lawrence freshman,
pass the time in line by engaging in a light saber battle
front of the theater. Photo by Roger Nomer/KANSAN
The original Star Wars was a fantastic movie, and I loved my silver Princess Leia lunch box. Likewise, The Phantom Menace is a welcome addition to my world, as would be that new double-sided light saber only $30 at the toy store.
Have patience, my friends. Enjoy it while you can. After the last release in 2005, there may never again be another Star Wars. The Phantom Menace is the beginning of an end that we already know and love.
Edited by Mike Miller
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Austin Powers sequel jumps back in time
Bv Lisa John
Kansan managing editor
As a ringing rebuttal to the notion that you can't go home again, Mike Myers has not only gone to the well for a second time in his Austin Powers series, but, in the film *The Spy Who Shagged Me*, he has Austin Powers go back to the '60s from whence he came. Which is to say Myers had ample excuse to reprise the many characters, jokes and incidents of the first Powers installment.
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Dr. Evil (one of three characters played by Myers) is back, once again intent on taking over the world (this time aided by a miniaturized evil twin dubbed Mini-Me); actors Michael York and Robert Wagner return as Powers' boss and Evil's right-hand man, Number Two, respectively; and pop songster Burt Bacharach (this time with another aging rocker, Elvis Costello) rehashes his '60s songs.
Myers is again up to his old tricks, satirizing many popular '60s movies. Look closely and you can spot scenes, dialogue and music scores from The
Thomas Crown Affair, A Long Day's Night and several James Bond and In Like Flint movies.
As an update to all this, there are plenty of references to today's entertainment scene, such as dialogue from Jerry Maguire and, most notably, a fight from a Jerry Springer Show. (Springer's fans will be surprised to find him lying at the bottom of one of his typical free-for-alls.)
Plot? Well, how about having Dr. Evil travel back in time to 1969 to steal from the cryogenically-frozen Powers his vital Mojo. Three guesses what Mojo is, but, whatever it is, it seems to be mighty important to his girlfriends.
Assisting Powers in thwarting Dr. Evil's scheme is a new girlfriend, Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham). She could easily be mistaken for another
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one of those villainous fem-bots that continually terrorize Powers, but be assured Shagwell's intentions here are entirely human.
By the time Powers has his final confrontation with Evil and Evil's mini-accomplice, The Spy Who Shagged Me fairly trips over itself in its eagerness to bring to its legions of young viewers all the scatological jokes, corny puns and '60s caricatures they expect.
If for some viewers this whole thing grows tedious and sophomoric long before it hopscotches to its conclusion, I can only say, what did you expect? This is not a film for analyzing or for devoting an inordinate amount of newspaper space.
It's summer entertainment, as predictable as a box of popcorn. It's fine while you're munching, but when it's over you can just toss it away.
Austin Powers is rated PG-13.
Running time: 100 minutes.
- Edited by Chad Bettes
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