Phantom Menace Visual Dictionary

By David West Reynolds

Published by DK Books

Review by Jonathan Hicks

If there's one thing that the hard-core Star Wars fan can't get enough of, it's information. There's not enough on-screen at the movies for them. It's all simply laid out as details, but people really want to get into the Star Wars galaxy, to know what one strange object is from another or why Whatsisface is so different from So-and-so.

That's not a problem. Who wants two-dimensional pictures to tell the whole story? All those extra details will add flavour to the experience and can only be a good thing. That's right, isn't it?

Well, no, it isn't, actually. You see, somewhere under all those layers of creation, additions, details and tiny little stick-on bits there's a story and characters that drive the Star Wars experience and unfortunately the Visual Dictionary is one of those many things that are just a 'little bit too much'. With all the design and details that have gone into Star Wars Episode One you'd think there'd be more room for extrapolation and exploration of situations and characters, but no, publishers seem to have gone for the simple 'looks cool, lets market' approach. Too much of this kind of thing and you lose sight of the movie and all you see is a few neat things that grab your attention for several moments and then slip away un-remembered.

That said, the Star Wars Episode One Visual Dictionary is a nicely presented hardcover book, quite large and thin with some very nice detailed pictures of all those people and items that came and went throughout the film. With a simple, none-too difficult to understand write up with each picture that adds a little depth to the entry, even if it is a little somewhat contrived and bears little impact on the story. I suppose it's nice to know certain things about certain people but at the end of the day it won't change how you feel about the movie, or heighten your awareness of certain decisions that were made or courses that were decided as the movie unfolded.

Each picture is surrounded by indicators that tell you what certain parts of the picture are. This is fine in its own way, but quite pointless when you get descriptions such as Obi-Wan Kenobi's 'Centred awareness' or Nute Gunray's 'Wheedling expression'.

Star Wars books that offer detailed information can bee a little dangerous, in my opinion. With all those entries and descriptions that offer the tiniest amount of detail for the smallest things in the movie, the essential part of the film - good characters and plot - is put to one side.

There is such a thing as overkill. Whilst knowing every little facet and item that exists in the Star Wars movies may sound attractive it can be a little overbearing when things are pointed which seem to have very little impact on the genre. There are many books, not just this one, which are guilty of that but get away with it.

So, Visual Dictionary put your hands into the air and step into that searchlight.