Wednesday, May 19, 1999
Fans flock to 'Phantom Menace'
The Cincinnati Enquirer
At 12:01 this morning, fans around the nation finally got to see for themselves what the media have been buzzing about for months — Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
At Showcase Cinemas in Springdale, where the movie will be shown today around the clock, about 60 people were in line by mid-evening for the first two shows, which were sold out in advance.
Six shows between 4 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. today also were sold out, but tickets remained available for other times — especially the early-morning viewings.
For Andrew Hughes of Anderson Township — dressed up as bounty hunter Boba Fett — the wait was almost unbearable.
“I'm pretty excited. I think this is going to be a great film,” he said. “I expect lots of action and answers to a lot of questions from the first three movies.”
He and three other friends had purchased their tickets last week but were waiting in line to get good seating.
“The best part of the last week has been standing in line and meeting all kinds of interesting people,” said Da vid Goldschmidt of Colerain Township.
Enquirer movie critic Margaret A. McGurk gave the film three stars (out of four), praising its extraordinary special effects but decrying its lack of emotion.
Here's what other critics are saying:
• Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: “An astonishing achievement in imaginative filmmaking. ... If it were the first Star Wars movie, The Phantom Menace would be hailed as a visionary break through.”
• Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today: “Spectacular vroom-vroom with a view, a spiffy theme park that's part video game, part sprawling myth and almost all entertaining.”
And two dissenting views:
• David Ansen, Newsweek: “The movie is a disappointment. A big one.”
• Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: “The actors are wallpaper, the jokes are juvenile, there's no romance, and the dialogue lands with the thud of a computer-instruction manual.”
Review: 'Phantom Menace' needs a heart
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