Republic, what have we lost I would like to start right away with the fact that the second (now the "second", before that there was a "new", but after the "third" trilogy it became the "second") trilogy is my favorite. The story of Anakin Skywalker is very close to me, the development of events here is much more thoughtful, and the political subtext adds much more depth to this initially fabulous story about Star Wars. The new films perfectly show how politics breaks destinies. But about everything in order. I managed to watch "The Phantom Menace" in 2005, when I actually discovered the existence of such an interesting universe almost before the release of Revenge of the Sith in cinemas. After watching old movies, I expected the same from the "The Phantom Menace". But I was waiting for a completely different level of narration. You immediately notice a different scale. If in the old movies the rebels fought with imperial henchmen, even on all fields of the galaxy, it looked somehow local. Here we are shown the Old Republic, many worlds that live in a fully formed state with its own laws and way of life. The authorities, legislators, bureaucracy — they talk about everything. And this connection with our world, where there is a similar way with its problems, somehow brings you closer to this society. There are no good and bad ones anymore. It feels like there are diseases and boils inside this huge organism, which, thanks to the elaborate dialogues between the characters, are revealed, telling the audience more and more about the world of the Old Republic. "The Phantom Menace" shows us the world where a boy named Anakin lives. A forgotten planet somewhere far from the capital planet, where the Jedi heroes accidentally fall. And here the authors skillfully immerse us in the local rules of life, the world of wild racing on flying cars, which allows us to distract from the seemingly central theme of the confrontation of the Trade Federation with the world of Nabu. A kind of plot in the plot, which allows you to change the tone of the narrative. Once again, the work of the film crew and directing is on top. Great dialogues, character disclosure, higher stakes in my opinion. Technical capabilities allow you to show much more and much more beautiful. But all this goes by the wayside. On the first, as always, acting. There is no point in singling out one person. Everything in the frame looks organic and pleasing to the eye. Even if it's some vile at first glance aliens. The world of the Old Republic is shown perfectly. We see the true problems of this millennial dispensation. And these problems are quite similar to ours, to the earthly ones. Some worlds are bathed in luxury, others are deserts where beggars and even slaves arrive. A lot of allusions. For example, I have always associated the Jedi Council with the knights of the round table, and Qui-Gon Jin is a true knight of this order. A prophecy about a being that will bring the force into balance. Than not a reference to the gods. The mythical Power that is revealed here in a new way is the presence of Medichlorians, microscopic creatures with whom the Jedi have a symbiosis. I do not recall that in old films these medichlorians were mentioned at all. My point is that the new film neatly fits events into the already existing world, organically complementing it, revealing many unknown and very interesting facts. Of course, there are also mistakes, including padawan training. It is said that in order to become a Jedi, you need to study for a decade from an early age, which fundamentally destroys the knowledge of how quickly Luke Skywalker became a Jedi in the future. Of course, this can be explained by the obvious distinctive powers of the hero, who was the son of a great master, but still such plot moments catch the eye. In general, in the course of the whole new trilogy, the viewer looks back (in the course of the plot forward) in time, already having some knowledge base, I understand what and where in the end. The viewer seems to see new worlds, new heroes, but they are somehow connected with those whom he has already seen before. This is a masterful narration of the past, which is only becoming a reality for us, competently leads to the future, which we have already seen before, in past films. And all the films of this "second" trilogy with respect to the original series will show us how the Old Republic died and the Empire of Darth Sidious appeared, and the Sith came to power. The world of the Old Republic and its heroes that appear in the "The Phantom Menace" are very interesting. We are presented with very cool lightsaber fights, which in old movies looked more like a dance. Space battles, droid armies, battles for friends, debates of politicians — all this makes watching the film with unprecedented interest. And already here, in the first part, we are shown that a seemingly prosperous Republic is actually agonizing before the looming hidden threat. All this charm and the omnipotence of the law is actually a screen, and the world itself is facing the threat of falling into the abyss of lawlessness, which will somehow happen, which will lead to the birth of an Empire. But Lucas and the company skillfully postpone the main events for future films that will reveal all the answers to us. 9 out of 10