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Revision as of 02:44, 14 October 2014

For other uses, see Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (disambiguation).

Warning: This infobox has missing parameters: series, title and unrecognized parameters: movie name, era, canon, distributor

"Every saga has a beginning."
―Tagline[src]

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 Star Wars film written and directed by George Lucas. It was the fourth live-action film to be released in theaters, but is chronologically the first film of the saga. It was also the first and, to date, only Star Wars film to be re-released in 3D. The film was produced by Rick McCallum and stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, and Ian McDiarmid as the primary characters.

The film takes place thirty-two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the first film released in the saga, and begins as two Jedi attempt to resolve a trade dispute and eventual invasion of the planet Naboo by the Trade Federation. Unknown to the Jedi is that the situation is being manipulated by Palpatine, the Senator of Naboo and secretly a Dark Lord of the Sith called Darth Sidious. The Sith, the ancient enemies of the Jedi, reveal themselves to the Jedi after a thousand years in hiding; while the Jedi discover a young Tatooine slave named Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One destined to bring balance to the Force—and who will grow up to become Darth Vader. Meanwhile, Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo fights to save her people from the invasion.

The Phantom Menace was released in theaters on May 19, 1999, becoming the first Star Wars film since Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi sixteen years earlier. The release was accompanied by extensive media coverage and great fan anticipation. Despite mixed reviews from critics and fans, the film grossed $924.3 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Star Wars film when unadjusted for inflation. The film was re-released on Blu-ray in September 2011, and was re-released in theaters in 3D on February 10, 2012.

The film was the first major story in the prequel era and began fifteen years of canon Star Wars storytelling that would primarily take place around the time of the prequel storyline. The success of the film allowed for the next two chapters of the prequel trilogy, as well as the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and television series. Numerous Star Wars Legends stories were also told in or influenced by The Phantom Menace and the prequels.

Opening crawl

Episode I
THE PHANTOM MENACE 
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....

Synopsis

"I have a bad feeling about this."
"I don't sense anything."
"It's not about the mission, Master. It's something…elsewhere…elusive."
―Obi-Wan Kenobi to Qui-Gon Jinn[src]
File:Dioxis.jpg

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan prepare to fight their way out of the Trade Federation flagship.

There is trade dispute between the Trade Federation and the outlying systems of the Galactic Republic has led to a blockade of the small planet of Naboo. Supreme Chancellor Valorum, leader of the Galactic Senate, has secretly dispatched two Jedi, Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, as ambassadors to the Federation flagship, in order to meet with Viceroy Nute Gunray and resolve the dispute. Unknown to them, the Trade Federation is in league with the mysterious Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, who secretly orders Gunray to invade Naboo (as well as implying that he would ensure that their invasion was made legal when asked if it was illegal by Gunray) and kill the two Jedi upon their arrival. Their ship, Radiant VII, is destroyed, and the two Jedi escape the assassination attempt by using knight speed to get away from the destroyer droids and stow themselves aboard two separate Federation landing crafts leaving for the surface of Naboo. Amidala then contacts Gunray expressing her disapproval of their blockade of Naboo, with Gunray explaining that they wouldn't have done it without the approval of the senate. Gunray, after ending communications with her, also tells his aide that they should disable all communications on the planet in case she suspected their invasion. Meanwhile, Amidala was conversing with Senator Palpatine regarding the recent attempt at negotiations with the Trade Federation via hologram only for it to short out. Bibble suspected that the shorting out of communications was the first sign of an invasion from the Trade Federation.

TPM Cast

The Jedi liberate the Queen and her guards from the battle droid invasion.

On the planet's surface, Qui-Gon saves local native outcast Jar Jar Binks from being crushed by an MTT. Later, STAPs attack but are destroyed by Qui-Gon. Jar Jar Binks shows the two Jedi the way to an underwater Gungan settlement, Otoh Gunga, escaping the Trade Federation army. Meanwhile, the Trade Federation invades Naboo and captures their leader, Queen Padmé Amidala. The Jedi meet the Gungan leader, Boss Nass, and ask him to help the people of Naboo, but Nass refuses and sends them off in a bongo submarine. They are attacked by an opee sea killer and a colo claw fish but both fish are eaten by a sando aqua monster. The Jedi, with Binks in tow, reach Theed, the capital city of Naboo, and rescue Queen Amidala from the Trade Defense Force. They depart for Coruscant, the Galactic Republic's capital planet, to ask for help from the Senate. An astromech droid named R2-D2 manages to repair the Queen's starship and they narrowly escape an attack from Federation battleships.

Due to the damage the ship's hyperdrive sustained in the attack, the Queen's party is forced to land on the desert planet of Tatooine for repairs. While searching for a new hyperdrive generator, they befriend young Anakin Skywalker, a slave boy, whose master is Watto, a Toydarian junk dealer.

Anakin Pod

Anakin races ahead of Sebulba during the Boonta Eve Podrace.

Anakin is gifted with piloting and mechanical abilities, and has built an almost-complete droid named C-3PO. Qui-Gon Jinn senses a strong presence of the Force in Anakin, and feels that he may be the Chosen One who will fulfill a prophecy by bringing balance to the Force. By entering Anakin into a podrace, Qui-Gon orchestrates a gamble in which the boy (alone, since Qui-Gon was unable to include the youth's mother in the bargain) will be released from slavery and they will win the parts needed for their ship. Anakin wins the race and joins the team as they head for Coruscant, where Qui-Gon plans to seek permission from the Jedi High Council to train Anakin to be a Jedi. Meanwhile, Darth Sidious sends his apprentice, Darth Maul, to kill the two Jedi and capture the Queen. Maul appears just as the group is leaving the planet, and duels with Qui-Gon. The fight is cut short when Qui-Gon manages to escape his black-robed assailant by jumping onboard the Naboo Royal Starship as it takes off.

Amidalabeforesenate

Amidala and Palpatine plead before the Senate to intervene with Naboo's crisis.

On Coruscant, Qui-Gon informs the Jedi Council of the mysterious attacker he encountered on Tatooine/Canon. Because of that being's obvious mastery of the Jedi arts, the Council becomes concerned that this development may indicate the reappearance of the Sith, a religious order who were followers of the dark side of the force and thought to be long gone. Qui-Gon also informs the Council about Anakin, hoping that he can be trained as a Jedi. After testing the boy and deliberating with one another, the Council refuses, deeming him too old for training according to the Jedi Code. They are also concerned due to their sensing of a seemingly clouded future and a strong presence of fear in the boy. Meanwhile, Senator Palpatine (of Naboo), warning of the corruption in the Senate, advises Queen Amidala to call for a Vote of No Confidence in Supreme Chancellor Valorum. Seeing no alternative, the Queen takes this advice when she addresses the Senate. Palpatine is among the candidates to replace the Supreme Chancellor, and the Queen later announces to Palpatine that she herself will return to their home planet to repel the invasion of her people. She is frustrated by the Senate's deliberation and lack of action, and feels that even if Palpatine is elected Chancellor, it will be too late. The Jedi Council sends the two Jedi to accompany the Queen back to Naboo, hoping to shed light on any Sith involvement.

Nass on Sacred Place

Boss Nass at the Gungan Sacred Place.

Queen Amidala, back on Naboo, attempts to locate the Gungans at Otoh Gunga, but Jar-Jar, after searching Otoh Gunga, informs them that it was abandoned. He then led them to a sacred area which he was certain they were at. They then arrived at the Sacred Place, where the Gungans were waiting for them. After brief negotiations with Boss Nass, including Padme Naberrie revealing herself to be the true Queen Amidala, the Naboo formed an alliance with the Gungan people, uniting in battle against the Trade Federation. Captain Panaka and several other security forces were also dispatched to rescue anyone imprisoned in the Trade Federation's prison camps, although they were only able to successfully extract a handful. Queen Amidala then gave their battle strategy: With the Grand Gungan Army acting as a distraction to the bulk of the main Trade Federation forces, the Naboo resistance led by Amidala, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon would infiltrate Theed via a secret entrance located inside one of the waterfalls. Nute Gunray, taking the bait regarding the Gungan Army, informs Darth Sidious about the Grand Army, the latter then promptly ordering Gunray to wipe out the Gungans and the Naboo as the Trade Federation prepares for battle. Captain Tarpals orders the Gungan Grand Army to start up their shield, to protect them from ranged attack. OOM-9 has his tanks fire first, but seeing them fail to penetrate the powerful shield, orders them to cease fire. Daultay Dofine gives the command to activate the battle droids. These droids march through the shield, and its generator is destroyed. After much fighting against the Federation's droid army, defeat for the alliance seems imminent.

However, victory comes when young Anakin Skywalker accidentally takes control of a starfighter and goes on to destroy the Federation's Droid Control Ship, killing Daultay Dofine and rendering the droid army useless. Meanwhile, Queen Amidala and her force fight their way back into the royal palace and capture Nute Gunray.

DotF TPM

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fight against Darth Maul during the Battle of Naboo.

At the same time, in a Theed hangar bay, Darth Maul (an apprentice of the Sith Lord Palpatine) has been engaging in combat with the two Jedi, using a double-bladed lightsaber. The battle moves from the hangar, across a series of catwalks, to the Theed Generator Complex. During the fight, Obi-Wan is separated from his master when he is kicked off of a catwalk and falls. He grabs the edge of another catwalk below and jumps back up to where Qui-Gon and Maul continue to fight. By this time, Qui-Gon and Maul have become separated by a force field in the entrance to the Generator Room. Obi-Wan catches up to them, but is divided from his master by four force fields. When the force fields deactivates, Jinn and Maul continue their battle while Kenobi remains divided from the battle by one force field when they all reactivate. Maul suddenly hits Qui-Gon on the chin with his lightsaber handle, stunning him, then rams his lightsaber straight into Qui-Gon's chest, mortally wounding him. Heartbroken, Obi-Wan redoubles his assault upon Maul and chops Maul's lightsaber in half, but Maul almost kills Kenobi when he Force pushes him over the edge of a melting pit. Obi-Wan saves himself from falling when he manages to grab onto a pipe protruding from the wall of the pit. Maul then kicks the Jedi's lightsaber into the pit and prepares to finish him off. After Obi-Wan calms himself, he uses the Force to jump out of the pit and summons his fallen Master's lightsaber to his hand. Within an instant he lands behind the surprised Maul and cuts him in half; Maul's upper and lower body falls into the pit.

Just before passing away, Qui-Gon instructs Obi-Wan to train Anakin to become a Jedi, reiterating that Anakin is the Chosen One. Obi-Wan gives his word that he will. The newly-elected Chancellor Palpatine arrives to congratulate Queen Amidala on her victory, as Nute Gunray is sent to stand trial for his crimes.

Naboo celebration

The Gungans and the Naboo celebrate their victory.

After the battle, the Jedi Council names Obi-Wan a Jedi Knight. Kenobi conveys his Master's wish regarding Anakin Skywalker to Yoda, who reluctantly allows him to become Obi-Wan's apprentice. Qui-Gon's body is cremated, and Mace Windu and Yoda agree that the Sith are definitely to blame for the tragedy. Being that there are only ever two Sith at any given time (a Master and an apprentice), both Masters believe that one must still remain.

The Naboo and Gungans organize a great victory celebration on the streets of Theed, in front on the palace. Obi-Wan and Anakin are present, the younger now wearing formal Jedi attire, and in his hair is a special braid: the mark of a Jedi Padawan. Queen Amidala presents a gift of appreciation and friendship to Boss Nass and the Gungan people.

Development

Production

Along the lines of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, all three prequel films were originally intended to be written and shot as one large production, and released back-to-back.[2]

The budget of Menace was estimated US$115 million. Shooting took place from June 26 to September 30, 1997. As with Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode I's main exterior filming locations were in Tunisia. The podrace was filmed in a canyon near Sidi Bouhlel and Oung Jmel. A set was built near Oung Jmel to represent Mos Espa on Tatooine. The Slave Quarters Row were filmed in ksour's near Tataouine and Ksar Medenine. Small parts were filmed in Royal Caserta Palace in Italy, Whippendell Woods and Hever Castle in the United Kingdom, but Hever Castle was later cut. Studio work was mainly done at Leavesden Studios in the United Kingdom. More studio work is rumored to have taken place at CTV Services in Tunisia.

Unlike the latter two films in the series which were shot on digital video, most of this film was shot in 35 mm, with a few scenes shot in digital video.

This episode was also the first of the Saga to be referred to primarily by its number (Episode One) by media and fans, to contrast it with the classical saga the public already knew. This reference also gave finally some sense to the riddling numbers IV-VI of the previous movies.

Release

EpIVaderShadowPoster-SWE

One of the most popular marketing posters for the film

The Phantom Menace received enormous media-created hype, which made Lucasfilm's $20 million advertising campaign – with the distinctive artwork of Star Wars series artist Drew Struzan gracing the movie poster and other advertising – seem modest and almost unnecessary because of the unprecedented interest amongst both fans and the wider audience in the return of the franchise. Few film studios released films during the same week as the release of The Phantom Menace; among the more courageous were DreamWorks and Universal Studios, with the releases of The Love Letter and Notting Hill respectively. The Love Letter resulted in a box-office flop, whereas Notting Hill fared rather well and followed The Phantom Menace closely in second place.[3] Challenger, Gray & Christmas of Chicago, a work-issues consulting firm, estimated that 2.2 million full-time employees did not appear for work to attend the film, resulting in $293 million in lost productivity. The Wall Street Journal reported that such a large number of workers announced plans to view premiere screenings that many companies shut down on the premiere day.[4] Many fans began waiting outside cinema theaters as early as a month in advance of ticket sales.[5]

More theater lines appeared when it was announced that cinemas were not allowed to sell tickets in advance until two weeks into the release. This was done out of fear that family theater-goers would either be unable to receive tickets or would be forced to pay higher prices. Tickets were instead to be sold on a traditional first-come-first-serve basis.[6] However, after meetings with the National Association of Theatre Owners, Lucasfilm agreed to allow advance ticket sales on May 12, 1999, provided that there be a 12-ticket limit per customer.[7] As a result, however, some advance tickets were sold by "scalpers" as high as $100 apiece, which a distribution chief called "horrible", stating it was exactly what they wanted to avoid.[8] Daily Variety reported that theater owners received strict instructions from Lucasfilm that the film could only play in the cinema's largest auditorium for the first 8–12 weeks; no honor passes were allowed for the first eight weeks, and they were obligated to send their payments to distributor 20th Century Fox within seven days.[9] Servers at the film's official website became gridlocked soon after the release of the first teaser trailer,[10] and many fans of the series paid full admission to see Meet Joe Black only to leave after the trailer had run. The same tradition followed months later when the theatrical trailer was featured in front of Wing Commander.[11] The theatrical trailer caused even more notable media hype, because it not only premiered in theaters, but screened at the ShoWest Convention in Las Vegas, and was aired on television on Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood.[12] An unusual marketing scheme was pursued across the United Kingdom, where the teaser trailer was released on December 2, 1998 and then pulled from theaters six weeks later.[13]

Despite worries about whether the film would be finished in time, two weeks prior to its debut Lucasfilm pushed the release date up from May 21, 1999 to May 19, 1999. At the ShoWest Convention, Lucas stated that the change was to give the fans a "head start" by allowing them to view it over the week and allowing families the chance to view on the weekends. In a nod toward his future with digital technology, Lucas stated that the film would be released on four digital projectors on June 18, 1999.[14] Eleven charity premieres were staged across the United States on May 16, 1999; receivings from the Los Angeles event were given to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation with corporate packages available for $5,000-$25,000.[15] Other charity premieres included the Dallas premiere for Children's Medical Center, the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research at the Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York, the Big Brother/Sister Assn. of the Philadelphia premiere, and the Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C. A statement said that tickets were sold at $500 apiece and that certain sections were set aside for disadvantaged children.[16]

Reception

Since it was the first Star Wars movie in 16 years, many Star Wars fans were excited when Episode I came out. After an enormous marketing campaign, with the distinctive artwork of Star Wars series artist Drew Struzan gracing the movie poster and other advertising, there was almost unprecedented interest amongst both fans and the wider community in the return of one of the successful movie series. However, critical and fan reaction ranged from high praise to outright derision.

The much-hyped special effects, while generally viewed as groundbreaking in their sheer scope, were perhaps less impressive than anticipated simply because of high expectations. This attitude was confirmed with the rival film, The Matrix, winning the visual effects Academy Award for that year over The Phantom Menace. It was the first time a Star Wars film lost in that Oscar competition category. Many critics heavily criticized the acting of Natalie Portman and especially Jake Lloyd as the young Anakin Skywalker. Some aspects of the scripting and direction were also criticized. Extra venom was directed at the character of Jar Jar Binks, who was regarded by some fans as purely a merchandising opportunity rather than a serious character in the film. Another source of dissatisfaction comes from the decision to explain Force-sensitivity with the introduction of midi-chlorians. Fan reaction was mixed too, with some fans praising the film while others having a negative opinion of it.

However, despite some of the negative criticisms leveled at the film, many others gave praise to The Phantom Menace. William Arnold, of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer commented that the massive of hype of the film may have caused much of the negative reaction to the film, saying "it built expectations that can't possibly be matched and scuttled element of storytelling surprise". He also felt "it's well made and entertaining" and believed it was much better than similar box office fare released around that time period, such as The Mummy and The Matrix [1]. David Cornelius of efilmcritic.com remarked that the better moments of the film "don't merely balance out the weaker ones- they topple them" [2]. Roger Ebert gave the film 3 and half out of four stars, calling it "an astonishing achievement in imaginative filmmaking," and stating that "Lucas tells a good story". Ebert comments that it was perfectly fine for the characters being a bit less compelling, seeing that they were just being introduced, and stating to "give me transparent underwater cities and vast hollow senatorial spheres any day." [3] Mark Dinning labels The Phantom Menace "A great work from a great director, and a blockbuster of quite the most swashbuckling kind". Many fans and critics also agree that the lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Darth Maul—showcasing astounding choreography and Ray Park's martial arts skills—is a high point, and one of the best lightsaber duels in the entire Star Wars saga.[17]

Star Wars Episode I was nominated for the Academy Awards on the categories of Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects but it lost to The Matrix. It won Best Motion Picture at the People's Choice Awards. It was also nominated for the Saturn Awards on the categories of Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director (George Lucas), Best Actor (Liam Nesson), Best Supporting Actor (Ewan McGregor), Best Young Actor (Jake Lloyd), Best Young Actress (Natalie Portman), Best Supporting Actress (Pernilla August), Best Screenplay (George Lucas), Best Music (John Williams), Best Special Effects and Best Makeup, It won on the categories of Best Costume Design (Trisha Biggar) and Best Special Effects.[4]

DVD release

Ep1DVD

The Phantom Menace on DVD.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released on DVD in 2001; it was the first Star Wars film to be officially released on DVD.

The DVD features a commentary track by Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt, animation director Rob Coleman, and visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Muren, and Scott Squires. It includes seven deleted scenes completed specifically for the DVD, and The Beginning: Making Episode I, an hour-long documentary film drawn from more than 600 hours of footage, including an insider's look at Lucasfilm and ILM during the production. The viewer can access a multi-angle storyboard-to-animatic-to-film segment featuring the submarine and podrace lap 1 sequences. The DVD includes two documentary sources, five featurettes exploring the storyline, design, costumes, visual effects, and fight sequences in the film, and an award-winning twelve-part web documentary series chronicling the production. The Duel of the Fates music video featuring John Williams was included on the DVD as well. The final special features included are a never-before-seen production photo gallery with a special caption feature, theatrical posters and print campaigns from around the world, a theatrical teaser and launch trailers, seven TV spots, Star Wars: Starfighter - The Making of a Game featurette from LucasArts, and a DVD-ROM weblink to exclusive Star Wars content.

The DVD became the fastest selling DVD ever in the US, after 2.2 million copies were sold in its first week after release.[18] However, some reviewers criticized the DVD for the excessive use of edge enhancement that degraded the DVD's picture quality.[19]

At the DVD press conference for Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars prequel trilogy animation director, Rob Coleman confirmed that the animation department at Lucasfilm has replaced the Yoda puppet from the original version of the film with a digital Yoda. This was done to better match up the look of the Yoda from The Phantom Menace with that of the other two films of the prequel trilogy, as well as with the Yoda from the original trilogy. This change has been, for the most part, welcomed by fans, in contrast to the original puppet Yoda as seen in The Phantom Menace.

A preview of these changes can be viewed on the Revenge of the Sith DVD that was released on November 1st, 2005. The clip is included as part of "The Chosen One" featurette. When Coleman announced the change, he didn't, however, specify when the revised version of The Phantom Menace will be released. It is expected to be in an upcoming prequel trilogy box set, however.[20]

Blu-ray release

The Phantom Menace was re-released along with Episodes II-VI on Blu-ray in September 2011. [21] For this release, the film went through a restoration process which restored the picture to its full frame (offering around 8% more picture when compared to its DVD release), increased the picture quality to be more clean and crisper while at the same time allowing ILM to revisit and fix some visual effects and technical errors. The Blu-ray release was also marked by the replacement of the puppet for the CGI model of Yoda used in Revenge of the Sith.

3D release

Episode I 3D poster

Official poster for The Phantom Menace 3D release.

On September 28, 2010, StarWars.com and Lucasfilm announced that the entire Star Wars saga would be converted to stereoscopic 3D and re-released in theaters and IMAX 3D, beginning with Episode I. John Knoll and Industrial Light & Magic are supervising the conversion.[22] The stereo conversion process has been in the works for several years, however, with George Lucas showing tests of the Episode II speeder chase scene and a reel from Episode IV in 3D during 2005's ShoWest in Las Vegas, and the speeder chase scene was demoed again by Texas Instruments as an emerging technology at SIGGRAPH 2007 in San Diego.

Episode I's 3D release date, as announced by Lucasfilm on March 3, 2011, was February 10, 2012.[23]

On January 28, 2013, Lucasfilm announced that the 3D releases of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith were postponed so that the company could focus on Episode VII.[24]

Deleted scenes

  • The Waterfall Sequence—As Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Jar Jar arrive in the waterways of Theed, in the bongo, they surface just in front of a huge waterfall and have to vacate the vehicle in a hurry.
  • Dawn Before the Podrace—Anakin gets up early to prepare the pod for the race and has a brief chat with Padmé.
  • Complete Podrace Grid Sequence—This scene shows more of the participating racers and creatures in the crowd, later added on DVD.
  • Extended Podrace Lap Two—This lap shows some more of Sebulba's "creative interpretation of the rules" and further proof of just how special Anakin is, later added on DVD.
  • Anakin's Scuffle With Greedo—This was due to follow the podrace, to show Anakin's potential for aggression, but George Lucas cut it because he wanted Anakin to be shown as a genuinely good character who turns evil later in adulthood.
  • Farewell to Jira—This occurs as Qui-Gon and Anakin are leaving Mos Espa and Anakin stops briefly to say goodbye to Jira. One of Darth Maul's probe droids follows them for some time until Qui-Gon finally notices and destroys it before passing by the Dusty Duck.
  • The Air Taxi Sequence—The taxi ride shows us about ten more seconds of Coruscant, later added on DVD.

Soundtrack

Blue Glass Arrow Main article: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (soundtrack)

Two separate soundtracks were released for The Phantom Menace. One, a traditional soundtrack, contained seventeen tracks selected from the movie. The second, an Ultimate Collector's Edition Soundtrack, compiled sixty-eight tracks of music, including several pieces that did not make it in to the final cut of the film.

Major musical themes include:

Novelization

Blue Glass Arrow Main article: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (novel)

A novelization of the movie was written by Terry Brooks. It includes three entire chapters of material created by Brooks and unique to the novel. The first two chapters of the book concern Anakin's next-to-last podrace and its aftermath, while a later chapter describes an encounter between Anakin and a wounded Tusken Raider in the desert.

Brooks met with Lucas before writing the book and received his approval and guidance, including information about developments to come in Episodes II and III. This can be seen in such passages as the Tusken Raider scene, which ironically foreshadows the death of Anakin's mother in Episode II, and the passage leading up to Anakin's fight with the Rodian child Greedo, indicating that Anakin's anger derives from his anguish at Padmé's impending departure (foreshadowing the plot of Episode III).

The novelization is especially well-known for a passage describing the history of the Sith, including Darth Bane. According to Terry Brooks's memoir, Sometimes the Magic Works, Lucas spent an hour on the telephone with him discussing the history of the Jedi and the Sith. Therefore, the information on this subject provided in Brooks's novelization might derive from Lucas himself. The novelization is also the first mention of the Stark Hyperspace War.

Brooks devotes an entire chapter of Sometimes the Magic Works to the writing of the Episode I novelization, which he claims to have been an extremely happy and fulfilling experience.

Continuity

The Phantom Menace introduces the Senate Guards, who are garbed in blue armor similar to that of the Emperor's Royal Guard in Return of the Jedi. The Senate Guards are the predecessors to the Royal Guard.

During the credits at the end of the film, young Anakin's theme is heard playing, but during the last moments of the film, this theme morphs into the first few notes of the Darth Vader theme during the Imperial March, and, as the last logos of THX are scrolling by, three rasping breaths from Darth Vader's respirator can be heard, referencing Anakin's eventual change into Darth Vader.

Credits

By type
Cast Uncredited cast Crew Uncredited crew Special thanks

Cast



Appearances

By type
Characters Organisms Droid models Events Locations
Organizations and titles Sentient species Vehicles and vessels Weapons and technology Miscellanea

Characters

Canon characters

  • 1138 (First appearance)
  • Mas Amedda (First appearance)
  • Padmé Amidala (First appearance)
  • Bail Antilles (First mentioned)
  • Sio Bibble (First appearance)
  • Jar Jar Binks (First appearance)
  • C-3PO
  • Daultay Dofine
  • Lott Dod (First appearance)
  • Onaconda Farr
  • Fode and Beed
  • Bib Fortuna
  • Adi Gallia (First appearance)
  • Gasgano
  • Nute Gunray (First appearance)
  • Rune Haako (First appearance)
  • Jabba
  • Qui-Gon Jinn (First appearance)
  • Jira (First appearance)
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi
  • Ki-Adi-Mundi (First appearance)
  • Kitster (First appearance)
  • Plo Koon (First appearance)
  • Eeth Koth (First appearance)
  • Ody Mandrell (First appearance)
  • Darth Maul (First appearance)
  • Mawhonic (First appearance)
  • Nass (First appearance)
  • Ric Olié (First appearance)
  • Palpatine
  • Panaka (First appearance)
  • Even Piell (First appearance)
  • Ben Quadinaros (First appearance)
  • R2-D2
  • Oppo Rancisis (First appearance)
  • Boles Roor (First appearance)
  • Sabé (First appearance)
  • Sebulba (First appearance)
  • Aurra Sing (First appearance)
  • Anakin Skywalker
  • Shmi Skywalker (First appearance)
  • Orn Free Taa (First appearance)
  • Tarpals (First appearance)
  • Ratts Tyerell (First appearance)
  • Saesee Tiin (First appearance)
  • Ainlee Teem (First mentioned)
  • Valorum (First appearance)
  • Quinlan Vos (First appearance)
  • Watto (First appearance)
  • Mace Windu (First appearance)
  • Yoda

Legends characters

Organisms

Canon organisms

  • Colo claw fish (First appearance)
  • Eopie (First appearance)
  • Fambaa (First appearance)
  • Opee sea killer (First appearance)
  • Sando aqua monster (First appearance)

Legends organisms

Droid models

Canon droids

  • Astromech droid
  • Battle droid (First appearance)
  • Droideka (First appearance)
  • Pit droid (First appearance)
  • Protocol droid
  • Sith probe droid (First appearance)
  • Vulture droid (First appearance)

Legends droids

Events

Canon events

  • Invasion of Naboo (First appearance)
    • Battle of Naboo (First appearance)
  • Boonta Eve Classic (First appearance)

Legends events

Locations

Canon locations

  • Coruscant (First appearance)
    • Jedi Temple (First appearance)
    • Senate Building (First appearance)
  • Iego (First mentioned)
  • Malastare (First mentioned)
  • Naboo (First appearance)
    • Lake Paonga (First appearance)
    • Theed (First appearance)
  • Tatooine
    • Laguna Caves (First appearance)
    • Mos Espa (First appearance)
    • Mos Espa Grand Arena (First appearance)

Legends locations

Organizations and titles

Canon organizations and titles

  • Boss (First appearance)
  • Galactic Republic (First appearance)
    • Galactic Senate (First appearance)
      • Senator (First appearance)
      • Vice Chair (First appearance)
    • Supreme Chancellor (First appearance)
  • Gungan Grand Army (First appearance)
    • Bombad General (First appearance)
    • Captain (First appearance)
    • General (First appearance)
  • Gungan Rep Council (First appearance)
  • Handmaiden (First appearance)
  • Jedi Order
    • Grand Master (First appearance)
    • Jedi Knight
    • Jedi Master
    • Padawan (First appearance)
  • Naboo Royal Advisory Council (First appearance)
    • Governor (First appearance)
  • Pilot (First appearance)
  • Queen (First appearance)
  • Sith
    • Sith apprentice
    • Sith Lord

Legends organizations and titles

Sentient species

Canon species

  • Aleena (First appearance)
  • Angel (First mentioned)
  • Cerean (First appearance)
  • Chagrian (First appearance)
  • Dathomirian (First appearance)
  • Dug (First appearance)
  • Er'Kit (First appearance)
  • Gungan (First appearance)
  • Human
    • Kiffar (First appearance)
  • Hutt
  • Iktotchi (First appearance)
  • Ithorian
  • Jawa
  • Kel Dor (First appearance)
  • Lannik (First appearance)
  • Neimodian (First appearance)
  • Quarren (First appearance)
  • Rodian
  • Sullustan
  • Tholothian (First appearance)
  • Toong (First appearance)
  • Toydarian (First appearance)
  • Troig (First appearance)
  • Tusken Raider
  • Twi'lek
  • Weequay
  • Wookiee
  • Xexto (First appearance)
  • Yoda's species
  • Zabrak (First appearance)

Legends species

Vehicles and vessels

Canon vehicles

Legends vehicles

Weapons and technology

Canon technology

  • A99 aquata breather (First appearance)
  • Blaster
    • Blaster pistol
  • Booma (First appearance)}
  • Hologram
  • Lightsaber
    • Double-bladed lightsaber (First appearance)

Legends technology

Miscellanea

Canon miscellanea

Legends miscellanea

Notes and references

  1. ↑ TwitterLogo Leland Chee (@HolocronKeeper) on Twitter: "0 10 10-13 13 27 32 35 36" (backup link (HolocronKeeper/status/495972415458250752) not verified!)—The tweet in question refers to the number of in-universe years between the canon films and television shows. Using simple math, it can be deduced when The Phantom Menace takes place on the timeline.
  2. ↑ Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine, issue 17, 1992, p. 5-6
  3. ↑ Un-Menaced on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  4. ↑ May 19th: A "Cultural Holiday?" on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  5. ↑ When Will They Start Lining Up? on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  6. ↑ Forces Of Feet on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  7. ↑ The Wait Gets Shorter on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  8. ↑ Scalpers Cleaning Up On The Internet on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  9. ↑ Lucas Calls The Shots on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  10. ↑ Gridlock At Star Wars Site on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  11. ↑ Star Wars Hits Hollywood on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  12. ↑ Lucas: Fox Won't Use New Star Wars Trailer To Hype New Movie on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  13. ↑ Lucas Planning Unusual Star Wars Strategy In UK on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  14. ↑ Not So Far Away on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  15. ↑ L.A. Premiere For Episode 1 Set on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  16. ↑ Kids Causes To Host Star Wars Debut on IMDb (backup link not verified!)
  17. ↑ The Phantom Menace by Kevin RidolFi, published by Renaissance Online Magazine on www.renaissancemag.com (backup link not verified!)
  18. ↑ BBC News | FILM | Star Wars breaks DVD records
  19. ↑ Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Region 1 DVD Review
  20. ↑ HyperspaceIcon Episode III Set Diary - A Shifting in the Force on Hyperspace (content removed from StarWars.com and unavailable)
  21. ↑ StarWars Bring the Complete Collection Home: Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-Ray on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
  22. ↑ StarWars The Star Wars Saga in 3D! on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
  23. ↑ TheForce.Net - Latest News - The Phantom Menace 3D Gets A Release Date
  24. ↑ http://starwars.com/news/focusing-on-star-wars-episode-vii-lucasfilm-postpones-episodes-ii-and-iii-3d.html%7Ctext=Focusing on Episode VII, Lucasfilm Postpones Episodes II and III 3D
  25. ↑ SWInsider "Silas Carson: Hero with a Thousand Faces" — Star Wars Insider 55

External links

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