Customer Reviews

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (4 Different Cover Set)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The storyline is ok, clearly lifted from the film and pressed into service by Brooks' adequate talent. Some insights into character development (completely unaddressed by the film), but I do have to give a single star to the totally unnecessary 4-different cover gimmick. Perhaps soon we'll have chapters and extra covers altered/added/subtracted for the re-release of the Novelization: Special Edition.

It felt as if Terry Brooks had to get this one out the door in a hurry. Read it only if you're truly a 'hard-core' Star Wars fanatic, otherwise just go see the movie again. Even four different book covers couldn't save this one!

This book is far weaker than the original three books, mainly because the story and dialogue is more shallow, mundane and cliche. I couldn't decide whether this book was meant as a parody of the original three, a comedy, a Disney story, or a Power Rangers episode. None of the subtlety, depth, sustained focus on universal human themes, and slow revelation that made the original three books so special is present in this story. The only thing good I can say about the book is that it Brooks had no choice but to strip away the orgy of cartoonish special effects that created such an incoherent, ugly galaxy in the movie.

Terry Brooks is a much better writer than THE PHANTOM MENACE would lead you to believe. He faithfully transcribed Lucas' story, but he didn't bring any of the characters to life. Written on about a 5th grade reading level, the book offended me with its inaccurate phraseology, boring style consisting of one declarative sentence after another, and easy compilation of one cliche after another. As for the story, it showed all of Lucas's rather limited tricks as a storyteller, namely: (1) a race or chase going very fast near the ground, (2) a space battle featuring small ships against a gigantic foe, (3) cute but stupid aliens, (4) a dark menacing figure who kills one of the good guys in a light-saber duel, (5) jedi mind tricks, (6) Yoda handing out mysterious warnings, (7)a princess in disguise as the love interest (even though the kid who falls in love with her is only 9 years old!?) (8) a master apprentice relationship with the master being killed and the apprentice taking over (only in this case the apprentice is Obi-Wan (9) R2D2 saves the day (a couple of times actually) (10)C3PO thrown into the mix for comic relief. Didn't we see every single one of these tricks in the original Star Wars movie? (Actually Yoda didn't appear until the second movie, but close enough.) Learn some new tricks, George! Anyone who gave this book more than one star is either a moron or a Star Wars fanatic, and is there a difference?

Brooks' novelization of George Lucas's screenplay for "The Phantom Menace" is greatly disappointing: I found the writing to be uninspired, painfully banal, and unsophisticated. The book clearly is intended for readers at the junior-high-school level. While I didn't expect literature, I had hoped that the novelization would appeal to adult readers who happen also to be fans of Star Wars. I'm sorry to say that this book does not.

Read it after the film for best effect as it fills in all the bits that that could have done with a bit more coverage (like Anakin's departure from Tatooine). I didn't have a problem with the Padme/Anakin thing but if you only want the technical specifications of a Nubian or the exact size and mass of the Trade Federation battleships then I can see how you might find it irritating. Covers the human side of the story better than the film.

I thought that the book was good. If people want to be mentally stimulated, they should go read something else. Don't be so picky. I read books constantly, and, mind you some are considerably more cerebral than this one, I would say that this was a nice entertaining and fairly action-packed book. I have a few friends who are not big readers, and they found it quite captivating. Seriously, though, you should just enjoy it for the fun of it, and not pick it apart. I liked the additonal scenes added to the book, and the extra explantions regarding some of the things not well clarified in the movie. I think that the story written by George Lucas was well done, and it fits in very well with the rest of the series. I would, however, recommend that you read the book after seeing the movie.

I love Star Wars it is the best book I have ever read. Every time I want to see the movie I just go and read the book. ( It is my favorite movie.)

Usually if I buy a book based on a movie, the reason is becuse I want to get more out of the book than movies can possibly show. There weren't nearly enough descriptions of backgrounds, motivations, or thoughts. I was dissapointed in an author that I really respect.

The Jedi were not portrayed as being as intuned with the Force as much as they should be.

Furthermore, almost all the scenes seen in the book and not in the movie were really better left on the cutting room floor. Some were simply un-necessary. (especially one scene involving a certain droid on Coruscant... WHY!?)

The love between Padmé and Anakin is much deeper, but such romance really should be saved for Episode II.

I personally think the movie version of this story was better overall, but I strongly recommend this book for any Star Wars fan.