I often find my mind is at its absolute focus during and after a tennis match. And so it was that after playing for a few hours today I came home and came across my Phantom Menace DVD. I had recently purchased an HDTV for my bedroom so I decided to pop it in and see how it looked.

As a watched a few random scenes, I came to a realization that the Phantom Menace is not mediocre, or good, or great.....it's a masterpiece.

Go back to 1999. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I don't remember any fans complaining about the film sucking or about Jar Jar. We were wowed by the CGI effects and fully digital speaking characters. We were thrilled to see a new Star Wars film on the big screen, and for those of the "middle generation" like myslef who grew up on VHS copies of SW in the late 80s, this was the first time seeing a SW film on the big screen for the first viewing.

It wasn't until later, and the following year's VHS release, that many fans including myself slowly took the film apart and tore it to pieces.

But with the release of TPM on DVD in the fall of 2001, many fans like myself gave TPM another chance, perhaps clouded by our excitement of the first of SW on DVD and the new deleted scenes and bonus materials. In fact, despite all the gripes with the film, it was the reason I upgraded to DVD just weeks before it came out. Many fans did the same, because love or hate TPM, it was a sign of the future of SW in the home viewing format.

With that film, my very first DVD, I grew to love the film, or better yet the love I held upon seeing it in theatres was restored and even increased. From that moment, I became an adamant defender of the film.

But even with the releases of AOTC and ROTS and the completion of the saga, I still didn't put TPM into full perspective. Only now, do I see how great it truly is.

The theme of the innocent and good youth starting his destiny is timeless. Witnessing the exciting duel of the fates was breathtaking. And Liam Neeson's performance as Qui-Gon is one of the finest of all Star Wars characters. For the first time, we saw the mysterious Old Republic and Jedi Order. We saw a young Obi-Wan and Palpatine, we saw Yoda not as a humble swamp-dweller but a leader of all the Jedi.

So many mysteries were revealed, and the understanding and depth of the saga increased. And who can forget the memorable Darth Maul?

There are so many great sequences in the film, and the relationships of the characters play out well.

And what of Jar Jar? Is the humor he provides any more childish than that of C-3PO, R2-D2 or Chewbacca? I think not. And the role he provides is key to the plot at large.

Technically, TPM was a groundbreaker in VFX and sound design. The art direction and settings were phenomenal. But most of all, John Williams wrote a score that I believe is one of his finest, and the Ultimate Edition soundtrack shows this to be true.

Will everyone agree with me? Absoultely not. Will people question my sanity and the legitimacy of my fandom? Probably. It makes no difference.

The Phantom Menace is a masterpiece, and it should be shelved proudly next to the rest of the saga. But most of all, you should not be afraid to defend it or express liking it. You be surprised how many TPM "haters" act that way so they won't be made fun of. If everyone was really honest about TPM, you would find a majority on the side of liking the film.

The Phantom Menace is a masterpiece.