The late 1990s were a joyous time for Star Wars fans. The release date of The Phantom Menace was drawing ever closer, and anticipation for it was at an all time high. Fans were buying cinema tickets, watching the trailer for film in coming attractions, and then leaving before the film they’d paid to see began.

The big day finally came and the reaction was lukewarm at best. The reviews from critics were something of a mixed bag. American critic Roger Ebert gave it four out of five stars. Empire magazine was less favourable, giving it only three stars. The public, however, were far less forgiving. The Phantom Menace has been branded (among other things) ‘a disgrace to Star Wars’, ‘unforgivably bad’, and ‘a piece of utter crap’.

The Phantom Menace is in no way perfect, but I don’t believe it deserves the rather savage mauling it received upon its release. I’ve trawled through some of the more negative reviews to address some of the most often cited complaints. So, without further ado, here is my defence of the film.

Let’s begin with what people view as the crowning turd in the water pipe: Jar Jar Binks and the Gungans. Jar Jar was, quite frankly, an embarrassment. He’s a bit like a Wicket W. Warrick for the 1990s. But he will have had little kids giggling with delight. So, I think that that’s something we can forgive George Lucas for.