I'm going to attempt a reasonable review of this amazing release unlike a lot of scaremongerers out there. I'm only glad that the people here at Filmtracks took a reasonable approach as well.

Firstly, before I address the music itself, I would like to point out to those critics who are wetting themselves over the snippets of unreleased music, that this is the soundtrack from The Phantom Menace, NOT The Phantom Menace computer game, and NOT the Phantom Menace that 'could have been'. Therefore, we have got all the music we could have expected from such a release.

Secondly, regarding the editing of this music (most of it being beneficial). If some people think this is not like the other Star Wars scores, then they obviously cannot have listened to them very carefully. This new release smacks of a Star Wars score, and you cannot deny that you still get that Star Wars score buzz from listening to it all through. I was listening to some of the music from A New Hope recently and lo and behold I heard looping/editing in the music. Yet we love this score. All I want to say is that the editing of this Ultimate Edition (with the odd exception) makes following the story of the film with the listening of the score much easier. Look what happened with the full release of the Empire Strikes Back score...the extra music released was great, but it confused the storyline while listening to it because it was music for sequences that were not actually used in the film. If all the Phantom Menace music was to be released (all 5-10 odd minutes of it) then we would completely lose our way with the original storyline.

Anyway, enough of that. Onto the music - the most important part (in case all the nit-pickers out there had forgotten).

The Ultimate Edition contains some absolutely amazing cues, including unsung heroes like the music used while the characters were on Coruscant. During the Senate track, we are treated to a similar style of music to what Williams used on the planet Krypton in Superman.

The opening music (after the main theme, that is) is perfect. This film represents the first time we enter the Star Wars galaxy, and the opening motifs reflect this without any themes at all, merely a gorgeously mysterious chiming as the Jedi disembark (after all, how does the newcomer know whether these mysterious figures are good or bad). The use of Palpatine's theme when Darth Sidious first appears is extremely clever also. The whole Star Wars saga is based on Jedi vs Sith, and having this made musically clear at the start is a great bonus.

As the jedi are gased, we are treated to spine-chilling 'danger' music before we are catapulted into the Star Wars we all know and love with a fantastic rendition of the main theme + force theme. This gives us a positive clue as to who is good and who is bad.

The music from here on is remarkable. Note track 14 (Fighting the Guards) for pure musical genius. This and other cues are the sort of musical joy that we have come to expect from Williams. We only get small amounts on some of his soundtracks, but to get a whole score that is so inspired is just amazing.

The music of Tatooine is extremely well put together. Some of the cues with Anakin are heart-rendering (especially his farewell - another fab cue which reminds of Stepmom in a way). The only negative is the re-use of the escape from Naboo track during the podrace, but that is made up for by the use of the Imperial theme at the end of Anakin's winning the podrace track; this ends the 1st CD brilliantly.

I won't go into Anakin's farewell as many have, but it begins the 2nd CD brilliantly, especially starting with Qui-Gon's theme at the start. The fight scene immediately after this reminds me of the 1st action cue from the 2nd CD of A New Hope where the Falcon takes off from Mos Eisley. I have already mentioned the Coruscant music, which is again amazing.

The war plans where Anakin runs across the plains of Naboo are scored beautifully (you really have to buy this to believe it!). The final battle scene, although seemingly heavily cut at first, DOES get better with more listenings. The music itself is unquestionable. Basically, the scene-shifting nature of the scene requires this sort of scoring, so we can expect nothing else. The Tide Turns track is again a stroke of genius (if a little short-lived).

The complete end + credits complete this beautiful score which I can say with complete confidence will be the most listened to of all my Star Wars scores. I will not forget the others of course - especially Empire! The bonus Duel of the Fates track at the very end is a perfect reminder to get you in the mood to watch the film - and it has increased volume of some normally quiet instrumental bits as well.

For those who are unsatisfied - don't expect the unreleased music anytime soon. It will either only come if George Lucas decides to make a Phantom Menace Special Edition film, or in many, many years time when the nature of the unreleased music will not cause the extremists to harp on about what the film should have had in it. Think about it - and as Filmtracks say..Take it or leave it.

Ultimate Edition - definately 5 stars - the most deserving so far.