“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” Finally, for all the Star Wars geeks out there, George Lucas has deepened the meaning of life and also, the depth perception of his masterpieces, and given us what we have only dreamed of. (Dramatic pause) Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D. The storyline may still lack anything a film-maker would deem decent, yet Lucas has not left his young Padawans discontent.

By updating the visuals of this film to 3D, it was much easier to watch and enjoy. The scenes that were especially enhanced were the Jedis’ journey to and from the underwater Gungan city of Otoh Gunga (sea monsters included), Anakin’s podrace with an excess of spectacular explosions, and the final epic side-by-side battle scene against the droids and Darth Maul.

But unfortunately, for those who don’t understand the power of the Force and have not yet seen any of these movies, the plot-line of Episode I is rather weak. There are inadequate character developments throughout the movie and little redemption in the end. Basically, we’re left with this afraid little boy who’s believed to be the “Chosen One,” but the only person who believed in his amount of midi-chlorians was killed.

The plot also isn’t the only thing that turned to the dark side. Lucas also forgot that with high-definition 3D, every flaw is exposed, including that bobby pin sticking out of Anakin’s mother’s hairdo. Also, the members of the Trade Federation still look fake, especially when their lips didn’t exactly match up with what they were saying. And Lucas also didn’t make an important alteration to the script; he forgot to kill off Jar Jar Binks in some freak accident including lots of fire, light sabers, and landspeeders.

But, many of the flaws of this movie are already recognized by the Jedi masters of these films. All in all, the 3D greatly improves the impact of the film, and the criticism is not meant to disenchant you Force Fans out there. So, for those Star Wars veterans who haven’t headed to the theatres yet, make sure to see Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D. Trust me, the force is strong with this one.