Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

***Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace*** is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the first installment in the *Star Wars* prequel trilogy and stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Pernilla August, and Frank Oz.

The film is set 32 years before the original film, and follows Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi as they protect Queen Amidala, in hopes of securing a peaceful end to a large-scale interplanetary trade dispute. Joined by Anakin Skywalker—a young slave with unusually strong natural powers of the Force—they simultaneously contend with the mysterious return of the Sith.

Lucas began production of this film after he determined that film special effects had advanced to the level he wanted for the fourth film in the saga. Filming started on June 26, 1997, at locations including Leavesden Film Studios and the Tunisian desert. Its visual effects included extensive use of computer-generated imagery (CGI); many of its characters and settings were completely computerized. The film was Lucas's first directorial effort after a 22-year hiatus following *Star Wars* in 1977.

*The Phantom Menace* was released to theaters on May 19, 1999, almost 16 years after the premiere of the previous *Star Wars* film, *Return of the Jedi*. The film's premiere was extensively covered by media and was greatly anticipated because of the large cultural following the *Star Wars* saga had cultivated. It received mixed reviews; critics praised the visuals, action sequences, score and many of the performances, but criticized the writing, characterization, and Ahmed Best's (as Jar Jar Binks) and Jake Lloyd's (as Anakin Skywalker) performances. It grossed more than $924.3 million worldwide during its initial theatrical run, making it the second-highest-grossing film worldwide at the time, behind *Titanic*. It became the highest-grossing film of 1999 and the highest-grossing *Star Wars* film (until the release of *Star Wars: The Force Awakens* in 2015), and is currently the seventeenth-highest-grossing film in North America unadjusted for inflation. A 3D reissue, which has earned an additional $102.7 million at the box office and brought the film's overall worldwide takings to over $1 billion, was released in February 2012. The film was followed by two sequels, *Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones* in 2002 and *Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith* in 2005.

## Opening Crawl

```
Turmoil has engulfed the
Galactic Republic. The taxation
of trade routes to outlying star
systems is in dispute.

Hoping to resolve the matter
with a blockade of deadly
battleships, the greedy Trade
Federation has stopped all
shipping to the small planet
of Naboo.

While the Congress of the
Republic endlessly debates
this alarming chain of events,
the Supreme Chancellor has
secretly dispatched two Jedi
Knights, the guardians of
peace and justice in the
galaxy, to settle the conflict....

```

## Plot

Supreme Chancellor Valorum, leader of the Galactic Republic, dispatches Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to negotiate with the Trade Federation leadership to end a blockade of battleships around the planet Naboo. Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord and the Trade Federation's secret adviser, orders Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray to kill the Jedi and invade Naboo with an army of battle droids. The Jedi escape and flee to Naboo, where Qui-Gon saves a Gungan outcast, Jar Jar Binks, from being run over and killed by a droid tank during the invasion. Indebted to the Jedi, Jar Jar leads them to an underwater Gungan city. The Jedi unsuccessfully try to persuade the Gungan leader, Boss Nass, into helping the people of Naboo, though they are able to obtain transportation to Theed, the capital city on the surface. They rescue Queen Amidala, the ruler of the Naboo people, and escape the planet on her royal starship, which is damaged as they pass the Federation blockade.

Amidala's ship is unable to sustain its hyperdrive and lands for repairs on the desert planet Tatooine. Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, astromech droid R2-D2, and Amidala (in disguise as one of her handmaidens) visit the settlement of Mos Espa to buy new parts at a junk shop. They meet the shop's owner Watto and his nine-year-old slave, Anakin Skywalker, who is a gifted pilot and engineer and has created a protocol droid called C-3PO. Qui-Gon senses a strong presence of the Force within Anakin and is convinced that he is the "chosen one" of Jedi prophecy who will bring balance to the Force. Qui-Gon wagers Anakin's freedom with Watto in a Podrace, which Anakin wins. Anakin joins the group to be trained as a Jedi, leaving his mother, Shmi, behind. En route to their starship, Qui-Gon briefly duels with Darth Maul, Darth Sidious's apprentice, who was sent to capture Amidala. Qui-Gon quits the duel and escapes by leaping onto the open boarding ramp of the departing starship.

The Jedi escort Amidala to the Republic capital planet, Coruscant, so she can plead her people's case to Chancellor Valorum and the Galactic Senate. Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council for permission to train Anakin as a Jedi, but the Council refuses, concerned that Anakin is vulnerable to the dark side. Undaunted, Qui-Gon vows to train Anakin anyway. Meanwhile, Naboo's Senator Palpatine persuades Amidala to make a vote of no confidence in Valorum to elect a more capable chancellor to resolve the crisis on Naboo. Though she is successful in pushing for the vote, Amidala grows frustrated with the corruption in the Senate and decides to return to Naboo. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are ordered by the Jedi Council to accompany the Queen to Naboo and to also try and discover if the Sith from the Dark Side of the Force have returned.

On Naboo, Padmé reveals herself to the Gungans as Queen Amidala and persuades them into an alliance against the Trade Federation. Jar Jar leads his people in a battle against the droid army while Padmé leads the hunt for Gunray in Theed. During a battle in a starship hangar to free Naboo pilots, Anakin takes shelter in a vacant starfighter and inadvertently triggers its autopilot, joining the battle against the Federation droid control ship in space. Anakin blunders into the hanger of the droid control ship and destroys the ship from within before escaping, deactivating the droid army. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan battle Darth Maul, who mortally wounds Qui-Gon before being bisected by Obi-Wan. As he dies, Qui-Gon asks Obi-Wan to train Anakin. Subsequently, Palpatine is elected as the new Supreme Chancellor and Gunray is arrested. The Jedi Council promotes Obi-Wan to the rank of Jedi Knight and reluctantly accepts Anakin as Obi-Wan's apprentice. At a festive ceremony, Padmé presents a gift of appreciation and friendship to the Gungans.

## Cast

* Liam Neeson - Qui-Gon Jinn
* Ewan McGregor - Obi-Wan Kenobi
* Natalie Portman - Padme Amidala
* Jake Lloyd - Anakin Skywalker
* Ian McDiarmid - Sheev Palpatine
* Pernilla August - Shmi Skywalker
* Frank Oz - Yoda (Voice)
* Warwick Davis - Yoda
* Oliver Ford Davies - Sio Bibble
* Hugh Quarshie - Captain Panaka
* Ahmed Best - Jar Jar Binks
* Anthony Daniels - C-3PO
* Kenny Baker - R2-D2
* Terence Stamp - Finis Valorum
* Samuel L. Jackson - Mace Windu
* Ray Park - Darth Maul
* Silas Carson - Nute Gunray / Ki-Adi-Mundi
* Brian Blessed - Boss Nass (Voice)
* Andy Secombe - Boss Nass (Voice)
* Lewis MacLeod - Boss Nass (Voice) / Sebulba
* (Unknown Actor) - Jabba Desilijic Tiure
* Matthew Wodd - Ody Mandrell / Bib Fortuna

## Appearances

### Planets

* Coruscant
* Naboo
* Tattoine

### Vehicles

* Naboo Starfighter
* AAT
* Gungan Sub
* Anakin's Podracer
* Sebulba's Podracer
* Naboo Royal Fighter
* Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator

### Droid Types

* Protocol Droid
* Astomech Droid
* Battle Droid

### Organizations

* Trade Federation
* Galactic Republic
* Galactic Senate

### Armies

* Royal Naboo Security Forces
* Gungan Grand Army
* Battle Droid Army