Liam Neeson and Ahmed Best in Star Wars - Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 490-002. Photo: Lucasfilm. Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn and Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars - Episode I - The Phantom Menace (George Lucas, 1999).

George Lucas's epic space opera Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) is the fourth film in the Star Wars film series and set 32 years before the original trilogy, during the era of the Galactic Republic. It is the first film of the prequel trilogy and the first chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga". The film stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and the young Jake Lloyd.

The evil Trade Federation, led by Nute Gunray, creates turmoil in the Galactic Republic by blockading the planet Naboo in protest of recent legislation taxing major galactic trade routes. Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) are sent to confront the leaders. Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid), a Sith Lord and the Trade Federation's secret benefactor, orders the Viceroy to kill the Jedi and begin an invasion with an army of battle droids, but the Jedi escape and flee to Naboo. Along with their new Gungan friend, Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best), they head to Naboo to warn Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo (Natalie Portman), but droids have already started to capture Naboo and the Queen is not safe there. Eventually, they land on Tatooine, where they become friends with a young boy known as Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd). Qui-Gon is curious about the boy and sees a bright future for him. The group must now find a way of getting to Coruscant and finally solve this trade dispute, but there is someone else hiding in the shadows. Are the Sith really extinct? Is the Queen really who she says she is? And what's so special about this young boy? May he bring balance to the Force?

Following the release of Return of the Jedi (1980), talks of a follow-up were proposed, but George Lucas was unmotivated to return to the franchise. During the hiatus, the backstories he created for the characters, particularly Anakin's own backstory, sparked interest in him to develop a prequel trilogy during the 1990s. After he determined that computer-generated imagery (CGI) had advanced to the level he wanted for the prequel trilogy's visual effects, Lucas began writing The Phantom Menace in 1993, and production began in 1994. Filming started in 1997—at locations including Leavesden Film Studios and the Tunisian desert. The film marked Lucas' first directorial effort after a 22-year hiatus following the original Star Wars (1977). The film's premiere in 1999 was extensively covered by media and was widely anticipated because of the large cultural following the Star Wars saga had cultivated. Upon its release, the film received mixed reviews. Star Wars: Episode 1- The Phantom Menace (1999) is worth a watch, but it is one of the weaker episodes of the Star Wars saga. On a visual and technical level, it looks terrific, with splendid special effects, stunning cinematography and fine scenery and costumes. The script is fairly decent, perhaps lacking the sophistication of Star Wars - A New Hope (1977) or Return of the Jedi (1980), but does have some memorable lines. The action is constantly exhilarating, and Darth Maul, well-played by Ray Park is a very good villain. Most of the performances are very good, especially Natalie Portman as Queen Padma who looked stunning and Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker who shone with his confident charm. And the music score by John Williams was outstanding, definitely one of his best works.

Bethany Cox at IMDb: "However, there were things about this film that did disappoint. One is despite the awesome visuals, strong music score and good characters, the story never quite distinguished itself. It did take a while to get going, and when it did try to get going and you could tell it wanted to, it was further disadvantaged by the uneven pacing." Roger Ebert: "If it were the first "Star Wars" movie, "The Phantom Menace" would be hailed as a visionary breakthrough. But this is the fourth movie of the famous series, and we think we know the territory; many of the early reviews have been blase, paying lip service to the visuals and wondering why the characters aren't better developed. How quickly do we grow accustomed to wonders. (...) the stories of the "Star Wars" movies have always been space operas, and that the importance of the movies comes from their energy, their sense of fun, their colorful inventions and their state-of-the-art special effects. I do not attend with the hope of gaining insights into human behavior. Unlike many movies, these are made to be looked at more than listened to, and George Lucas and his collaborators have filled "The Phantom Menace" with wonderful visuals." Despite the mixed reception, The Phantom Menace was a box-office success and broke numerous box-office records during its debut. It grossed more than $924.3 million worldwide during its initial theatrical run, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1999, the second-highest-grossing film worldwide and in North America (behind Titanic), and the highest-grossing Star Wars film at the time (inflation notwithstanding). A 3D reissue, which earned an additional $102.7 million and brought the film's overall worldwide takings to over $1 billion, was released in 2012.

Sources: Bethany Cox (IMDb), Roger Ebert (Roger Ebert.com), Wikipedia and IMDb.

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Taken on: December 7, 2022

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