Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Terry Brooks)

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Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
by Terry Brooks

**
If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be ‘lifeless.' A great deal of that lifelessness can be attributed to its dependence on the movie and the lack of anything which could be termed a soul of its own.

For those of you who are Star Wars fans, rest assured: I am one too. I loved the movie; it was the best cinematic experience I've had all year. It's just that the book didn't do it for me. Nothing in it seemed inspired, it was paced laboriously, and it was missing the magic that pervaded all the Star Wars films (including Episode One.)

The story involves a trade dispute gone awry between the planet Naboo and a fleet of ships belonging to the greedy Trade Federation. Two Jedi knights (Qui Gon and Obi-Wan) are sent to resolve the problem through diplomacy, but find themselves battling an invasion army occupying the planet. They flee with Naboo leader Queen Amidala to Coruscant, but on the way are forced to stop at Tatooine for engine repairs. There they meet Anakin, a slave boy unusually strong in the Force, and resolve to free him so that he can realize his dreams of becoming a Jedi. The group is hunted relentlessly by two mysterious Sith lords, Darth Sidious and Darth Maul. The group is also accompanied by Jar Jar, who's more annoying in the book than in the movie.

There are some scenes involving Anakin, particularly near the beginning, that aren't in the movie. For the most part, though, there's not much new material in the novel. This is the main problem. A film has the benefit of visuals, and in the case of The Phantom Menace, visuals play one of the most important roles. By definition, a book following has> to have more substance than a movie following the same subject in order to be as entertaining. Terry Brooks' descriptions aren't bad, but they aren't integrated into the story very well, instead sticking out as odd pauses in the narrative; and inevitably, they bring to mind the scene in the movie rather than the scene as told in the novel.

I was particularly disappointed with characterization. This was also a problem in the film, but it's doubly manifest in the novel because there is less for the senses to rely on. All the participants in the story are lazily drawn and unenthusiastically developed (except for Jar Jar, which somehow isn't surprising.) This is partly George Lucas's fault for making them that way; it is also Brooks' fault for not recognizing that they needed some added electricity. I was especially hoping Amidala would have a larger role, but alas, Brooks doesn't delve into her thoughts even once, instead relying on physical description and behaviour to characterize her. There is little chemistry between the other characters, and their thought processes feel limited by the screenplay.

What this novel should be is an adventure, even for those who have seen the movie. Unfortunately, it feels hindered, like a work of art prevented from blossoming. It also feels like a marketing ploy. Because it is Star Wars, though, by nature it has to contain some enjoyable moments. For the most part, I would say that the action sequences are well written and exciting, especially the pod race and the lightsaber duel. However, Terry Brooks is a skilled author, and I'm sure he could have turned out a much better adaptation than this if he had tried hard enough.