The Phantom Menace (AxelGripp)

The Phantom Menace (also known at Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace) is a 1999 American epic space-opera film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Lawrence Kasdan and David Koepp wrote the screenplay, with George Lucas writing the film's story and serving as executive producer, it produced by Frank Marshall for Lucasfilm and stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Jimmy Smitts, Joel Edgerton, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Ray Park, with Samuel L. Jackson and Liam Neeson. It is the first installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and begins the "Skywalker saga", though it was the fourth film to be produced chronologically.
== Plot ==
In a galaxy far, far away, The democratic Galactic Republic is on the brink of war with the secessionist Separatist movement and their ruthless droid army. More and more systems are joining the separatist cause and now they have set up a blockade of the peaceful but politically planet of Alderaan. A group of delegates are sent to the planet by the Supreme Chancellor to prevent bloodshed. Accompanying the delegates are two mysterious robed figures, Qui-Gon Jinn and his reckless apprentice, Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, who have a secret mission of their own to uncover the truth behind the blockade. However, on the separatist ship, all the delegates are assassinated and Qui-Gon and Ben are forced to fight off an army of ruthless battle droids using their lightsabers and a mysterious power known as "The Force", and discover that a full scale invasion on the east region of the planet, led by the pacifist Queen Padme Amidala has begun, led by a mysterious figure, Darth Maul. They manage to escape to the west region planets surface, where they meet Bail Organa, a figure in the west region who agrees to help Ben and Qui-Gon reach the east region. There, as Darth Maul leads the invasion, the two of them rescue the Queen, who recognizes Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon as a members of the legendary Jedi Order. During the escape attempt Bail ends up captured by the Separatists. The two Jedi encounter Darth Maul and Qui-Gon duels him to allow the others to escape, ultimately being struck down, much to Ben's horror. Ben and Amidala escape on her royal starship, along with her droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, as Darth Maul claims Qui-Gon's lightsaber. However, in their escape, Darth Maul pursues them in his fightercraft, but they manage to jump into hyperspace just in time. They are forced to make a stop on the remote planet of Tatooine to make repairs and lie low. Unfortunately, The Queen is kidnapped by slave traders led by the vile Jabba the Hutt, and Ben ventures out with R2-D2 to find get her back. Upon seeing how heavily fortified the palace is, he meets a young street urchin Anakin Skywalker and his friend Owen. Ben learns that Anakin is not only a skilled Pod Racer, and an expert mechanic, but he has an unusually strong connection to the force. Ben tells him that the Jedi are in fact real and explains to him about the Force. Ben discovers that Jabba is holding a pod race and that the queen will be awarded to the winner, so Ben enters Anakin into the race. Back on Alderaan, after interrogating Organa, Maul manages to track the Queen's ship to Tatooine. He finds her ship but finds no lifeforms on board (since 3PO isn't a lifeform), and tracks them to the circut. On the day of the race, Anakin races against several opponents, narrowly avoiding several head-on collisions, using his mechanical know-how, and using Ben's advice about the force to his advantage. At the same time, Padme manages to escape from her cell and is pursued by Jabba's goons, which Ben senses and goes to her rescue. Ben fights off Jabba's men and the two of them escape Jabba's lair, only to be confronted by Maul once again. In the nick of time, Ben, Padme, and R2 get onto Anakins Podracer and the four of them race back to the starship, with Maul in hot pursuit on a speeder bike, which Ben manages to incapacitate with a carefully aimed blaster shot. Ben asks Anakin to come with him to the secret Jedi temple, and despite Owen's reservations, he accepts, and the group escape the planet. With the separatists and Maul well behind them, Ben and Anakin are dropped off at the planet where the Jedi Temple is secretly located, while she goes to the Republic Capital City of Coruscant to plead her case to the Senate. Ben tells the council of the figure who has been tracking them who seems to be strong with the dark side of the force. He also tells them of the strong connection Anakin has to the force, although they are reluctant to accept him into the order, as he is too old. The council gets word that the Chancellor has ordered a military retalliotion aganst the Alderaan occupation, and sends Ben and Anakin to protect the Queen and to discover the truth behind Darth Maul and his involvement with the Separatists. Back on Naboo, as a platoon of Republic stormtroopers descend upon the planet to combat the droid army, Padme has her own mission, to rescue Organa. She, with Ben by her side, infiltrate the droid occupied palace. Meanwhile, Anakin, along with R2, manage to sneak aboard one of the Republic fighter crafts, and battle the Separatist space fleet. Back on the planet, Ben and Padme once again run into Maul, whose lightsaber now sports two blades. Ben stays behind to confront him one final time while Padme goes to find Bail. Padme finds and rescues Organa, and the two of them send a communication across the planet, uniting the divided planet to come to each others aid. Unfortunatly, the two of them are captured by the Separatist Viceroy, who orders a droid firing squad to execute them both, as the battle reaches it's climax. However, back above, Skywalker manages to blow up the Seperatist control ship, causing all the droids on the planet below to shut down, saving Amidala and Organa's lives, leaving the Viceroy defenseless, and ushering a decisive victory for the Republic. As Ben faces down Darth Maul, he learns that he is a Sith Lord, a member of an order of force users pledged to the Darkside of the Force, long thought to be extinct. Darth Maul manages to get the upper hand on Ben and kicks him into a reactor shaft. As Ben hangs on for his life, Maul kicks his lightsaber down the shaft, and stands above him to try and finish him off, telling him that he "has the high ground". Ben then hears his late master's voice, reminding him of something he told him shortly before he died, about how confidence and ego can be one's undoing, which Maul is exhibiting right now. Letting go of his fear, doubt, and anger, Ben channels the force onto Qui-Gon's saber, which Maul has been carying with hi,, then leaps out of the shaft, catching Maul off-guard, grabs his master's saber, and cuts him in half across the torso, sending him falling down the shaft seemingly to his death. The Battle of Naboo is over, but unfortunately, the war that the Republic had been dreading had come. With the revelation that the Sith have returned, the Jedi will secretly be very involved in the war. The planet of Alderaan is reunified after years of division, and Ben & Anakin say goodbye to her and make their leave, unaware that Maul has survived. Back at the Jedi temple, Ben is knighted by the council as a full Jedi knight Ben having grown fond of Anakin, and wanting to do his Master proud, takes Anakin as his apprentice, giving him his Qui-Gons lightsaber.
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