You can't please everybody, and George Lucas probably found that out shortly after the release of Episode I. Ripped apart by critics and disowned by over-hyped fans, it seems the only people who actually enjoyed the film were those looking for a good time. It's not on par with the originals, but to say it doesn't fit or it doesn't have a place in this series is ridiculous.
Everyone has an idea of what the film should have been or how they would have started the story. Nitpicking on it simply because it doesn't fit into your own grand scheme simply isn't proper. Episode I is still firmly a part of the Star Wars universe, developing locales unlike anything seen in the original trilogy. That's the whole point of these films anyway, taking us to an alien world, populated with wild creatures and sporting exquisite technology unlike anything we'll ever see in our lifetime. That's something Phantom Menace does better than almost anything else.
Those who complain that the film is nothing more than a special effects piece obviously miss the point. So were the first films. It's a very basic story; some people just take it to the extreme and begin to add some sort of deep meaning to it all. All that is needed is a basic good and evil battle to set it up for those unforgettable final moments.
That inevitably leads to Jar Jar Binks, the much-maligned Gungan whose antics seemed to draw most of the criticism. Looking back, he really doesn't seem any worse than some of the traded banter of C-3PO and R2-D2. He's there to entertain the children in the crowd, much like the oddball robot pair did to the now grown children back in 1977.
The story simply flows along, interrupted by breathtaking action sequences, including one the most brilliant sequences of choreographed sword fighting ever put on film. Combine that with John William's epic-sounding Duel of the Fates, and you're instantly engrossed. Those looking for a deeper plot need to stop and think that not only does Phantom Menace need to set up the characters, but the entire universe they're in as well. That's a lot to fit into two hours.
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