Customer Reviews

Star Wars: Episode 1 the Phantom Menace

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Only "Trials and Tribbleations" has put me into the story in a better style. Second best in a bunch of books that tend to be overblown and often lose me in yards of useless exposition.

Terry Brooks does a wonderful job describing the characters and their situations. He creeps into the heads of the characters and helps bring them to life further in the way only an author can. Qui-Gon Jinn is especially vibrant.

There are some inconsistancies. The end battles and swordfighting in the book is somewhat different, I think, from the movie's version; it includes many lines of dialogue cut from the movie (not that I'm complaining); Jar Jar seems more competent; and Brooks seems to be very vague on Queen Amidala's clothing. None of these significantly detract from enjoyment of this novel. Read it if you've seen the movie! You will not be disappointed.

Star Wars fans the world over have been waiting sixteen years for the newest installation of the greatest saga of all time. In May, Americans got their first look at the newest movie and, for the most part, have been extremely happy. Some, however, were disappointed with the appearance of the novelization before the movie, in many cases letting loose secrects they did not want to know. Many were surprised, however, when, upon seeing the film, many of the story elements present in the novel were not in the movie. This is where the strength of "The Phantom Menace" novelization lies. Here, we are presented with an extended vision of the plot, one which captures the vison and excitement of the film, yet manages to add more than would be possible on the screen. We get an extended history of the Sith, given to us by Darth Sidious himself, as well as some more background about Anakin. In addition to the background, Brooks forshadows the next episode with Anakin's dreams about the future. He does it in his usual artful and elegant prose, reminding one of his "Shannara" books. All in all, this book is a very entertaining and exciting addition to an already great movie.

How you rate this book depends on what you consider its purpose. If you are looking for new revelations and new story lines, as compared to the movie, you will be somewhat disappointed. But as a simple re-write of the movie, together with some additional insight into the characters' thoughts and motives, this is a pretty good book.

I have to confess I was looking for more from the book. Brooks does a good job of explaining each scene, and even adds in a couple scenes that did not appear in the movie. So while his writing is unspectacular, he does do a very good job of concisely--if unexcitingly--describing each scene, piece by piece.

I also came away from the book with a greater sense of cohesion to the story. The movie, which I enjoyed immensely, left me slightly confused as to why the various characters did such and such, and what they hoped to accomplish in each scene.

Brooks also did a good job of making some sense of the movie's opening: why Naboo was central to the Trade Federation's attention, and why a small out-lying planet would matter much in the grand scheme of the Empire.

Overall a good book. I found the last 50 pages or so quite compelling, not wanting to put it down. Considering its purpose, this is a good book.

With the theatrical release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith only months away, it seems like a good time to begin preparing myself for the new film. While I did not judge Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace as harshly as many Star Wars fans did, there can be no doubt that the film paled in comparison to the force of the original trilogy. Even as a six-year old child, everything about the first Star Wars film in 1977 seemed seared into my memory, and it somewhat saddens me to know that the children of this generation, after seeing The Phantom Menace for the first time, will never know the power and obsessive joy that the original Star Wars trilogy invoked in the children of my generation. Frankly, after two viewings of Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace a few years ago, only bits and pieces resonate in my memory, and I really do need to review the people and events of this film (as well as Episode Two: Attack of the Clones) before I feel ready to see Episode Three.

The powers that be certainly found an illustrious author to transform George Lucas' screenplay and story into novelized form. I've been a fan of Terry Brooks ever since reading The Sword of Shannara as a child, and Brooks has done a thoroughly professional job with this novel. Everything that happened in the film is described with great discernment, the furious action of intense scenes such as the battle between Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul is vividly rendered, the moments of light humor are translated expertly to the page, and the emotional aspects of the plot, especially those concerning Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, are drawn in tender yet meaningful strokes. This is truly a commendable and faithful novelization of the film.

Unfortunately, the problems of Lucas' story are also faithfully captured in this novelized retelling. These characters just do not fire the imagination in the way Luke, Han, Leia, and Darth Vader did. I consider only two of these characters to be truly strong ones: Anakin and Padme, and unfortunately, events of the future serve to diminish them in different ways. I love Padme, though, and she is every bit the future mother of Luke and Leia, a queen and a fighter who will risk anything for her people. That being said, I must say that Anakin (and I swear I will never get used to the future Darth Vader being referred to as "Annie") isn't everything I thought he should be. He's an extraordinary child, of course, thanks to all those midi-chlorians coursing through his blood, but I do not think his background as we learn it here provides for an acceptable future embrace of the dark side. So much is made here by the Jedi Council - and Yoda in particular - of the dangers represented by the child's anger, but I don't see such anger in a slave boy who loves his mother dearly and seems to get by pretty well indeed on his own. It may be wrong of me to criticize a story based on incongruities I see arising in a later installment, but I just don't think George Lucas (and thus, by implication, Terry Brooks) satisfactorily showed me how this dear, brave boy will soon become the exasperating young man we see in Episode Two.

The only other thing I would say about this perfectly satisfactory novelization is the fact that it really adds nothing to the film itself. Oftentimes, a novelization will add depth or better understanding to the film it is based upon, but that really isn't the case here. Questions I had about the movie (the true essence of Senator Palpatine, for example) were not threshed out in the book. In terms of refreshing my own memory of the story in preparation for the upcoming theatrical release of Revenge of the Sith, I could have saved myself some time and merely watched the film again.

The new Star Wars movie had the potential to rival the original trilogy, but just about everything felt forced. The drama felt forced, and so did the comedy. It was more an exercise in world-building than storytelling, and if Lucas can get his act together by Episode II, this will be easier to forgive.

None of this is Terry Brooks's fault, of course, but I would have expected him to recapture the movie's visual magic in the book's prose, which he does not. I think Lucas could have chosen an author more skilled at visual description, like Ray Bradbury or Alan Dean Foster. To add on to that, the movie's funniest moments come off pretty flat on the printed page. That may not be Brooks's fault either, but humor has never been one of his strong points as an author.

What makes this novelization worth reading is the detail it adds to the movie's narrative. Well, most of the detail. The first couple of chapters, detailing Anakin's history as a pod racer, are boring as can be. I'd almost suggest just skipping that first section. But most of the additions only lend clarity and depth to the story. Just a couple of examples: We get to see Anakin's evil foreshadowed when he beats up a kid who accuses him of cheating. We also get to see his ability to predict the future when he tells Padme he's going to marry her. Both of these scenes should have been in the movie, in my opinion. From what I understand, however, Lucas was the one who conceived of these scenes, so I'm not so sure that Brooks deserves credit for the way they improve the story.

The much briefer "Queen Amidala's Journal" does a much better job of bringing the characters to life. Brooks does give us more details about the characters than we were given in the movie, but he has a similar weakness to Lucas in that he often states motivations, emotions, and temperaments without showing them through a character's actions. If Obi Wan is a "headstrong young apprentice," we just have to take Lucas' and Brooks's word for it.

This is unfortunate, because people who have never read Brooks before might incorrectly assume that he's a mediocre writer. Under Lucas' constraints, Brooks has no chance to show his talents as a storyteller. I encourage anyone who was less than impressed by this novelization to go back and read "The Sword of Shannara," the novel which made Brooks famous. You should be pleasantly surprised, like I was.

The new Star Wars movie had the potential to rival the original trilogy, but just about everything felt forced. The drama felt forced, and so did the comedy. It was more an exercise in world-building than storytelling, and if Lucas can get his act together by Episode II, this will be easier to forgive.

None of this is Terry Brooks's fault, of course, but I would have expected him to recapture the movie's visual magic in the book's prose, which he does not. I think Lucas could have chosen an author more skilled at visual description, like Ray Bradbury or Alan Dean Foster. To add on to that, the movie's funniest moments come off pretty flat on the printed page. That may not be Brooks's fault either, but humor has never been one of his strong points as an author.

What makes this novelization worth reading is the detail it adds to the movie's narrative. Well, most of the detail. The first couple of chapters, detailing Anakin's history as a pod racer, are boring as can be. I'd almost suggest just skipping that first section. But most of the additions only lend clarity and depth to the story. Just a couple of examples: We get to see Anakin's evil foreshadowed when he beats up a kid who accuses him of cheating. We also get to see his ability to predict the future when he tells Padme he's going to marry her. Both of these scenes should have been in the movie, in my opinion. From what I understand, however, Lucas was the one who conceived of these scenes, so I'm not so sure that Brooks deserves credit for the way they improve the story.

The much briefer "Queen Amidala's Journal" does a much better job of bringing the characters to life. Brooks does give us more details about the characters than we were given in the movie, but he has a similar weakness to Lucas in that he often states motivations, emotions, and temperaments without showing them through a character's actions. If Obi Wan is a "headstrong young apprentice," we just have to take Lucas' and Brooks's word for it.

This is unfortunate, because people who have never read Brooks before might incorrectly assume that he's a mediocre writer. Under Lucas' constraints, Brooks has no chance to show his talents as a storyteller. I encourage anyone who was less than impressed by this novelization to go back and read "The Sword of Shannara," the novel which made Brooks famous. You should be pleasantly surprised, like I was.

I am a BIG Star Wars fan. Of all the books available based on the actual movies, this was the only one I was lacking. After reading it, I felt compelled to watch Episode 1 again on DVD. The book is well-written, and very descriptive. The development of all the characters was exactly what the movie version was lacking, unfortunately. Nevertheless, after you read this book, you will truly understand MORE than you thought you understood of the story for Episode 1.

I always have to read the book of the movie. I found this oneperfect. Brooks, while still following the screenplay, takes thestory into his own hands. He includes several scenes of his own that aren't in the movie. These scenes create more motives for the characters. The book is also useful, as it helps to figure out the names of everyone. Admit it, it can be hard to do that must by watching the movie. I now understand the movie better, and I enjoyed learning by the way of Terry Brooks' beautiful prose. Non-Jedis probably won't enjoy it, but for this is a great book to add to the collection of any Star Wars fan.

I read this book before I went to see the movie. Terry Brooks allows the reader to use his or her imagination. The movie may have had special effects, but Terry Brook's descriptions allow you to picture everything in your head, as though you were really there. He gives us characters which are full of life, unlike the movie. I felt as though the movie rushed the story, and left out important details about the character. The book, on the other hand, allows you to get inside the characters head. The movie makes young Skywalker look like a minor character, while this book allows you to really see why he should be the choosen one.

If you've seen THE PHANTOM MENACE(and who hasn't!) and you read this book before you see the movie than you may be dissapointed when you see it. Not that it's a bad movie just that the book adds soooo much more that you may wonder where it is when you see the film. Even though this is a great book I would definately recommend seeing the movie first just so you could visualize while you read. In conclusion, if you want to know a larger story on THE PHANTOM MENACE read this book but if you don't care about anything STAR WARS unless it's in the movies than don't bother with this or any other of the great STAR WARS novels , but you will regret it.