Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace

"Every saga has a beginning."

- Tagline

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 science fantasy film written and directed by George Lucas. It was the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, and the first in terms of internal chronology. Among fans, the title is commonly abbreviated as "TPM."

The film begins as two Jedi, assigned as ambassadors to resolve a trade dispute, arrive in orbit of the threatened planet Naboo. When the situation turns violent, the Jedi, along with Padmé Amidala, the planet's queen, flee Naboo in an attempt to reach the capital world of the Republic, Coruscant. There they hope to find a peaceful end to the dispute. Along the way, the ship must stop for repairs on the planet Tatooine. It is there that the Jedi encounter Anakin Skywalker, a young slave boy who is unusually strong with the Force. When the group returns to Naboo, they realize that the situation is much worse than they had at first thought: the evil Sith, ancient enemies of the Jedi, have returned.

The release of the film on May 19, 1999 came almost 16 years after the release of the last film in the series, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The release was accompanied by extensive media coverage and great anticipation. Despite mixed reviews by critics and fans, it grossed $924.3 million worldwide.

Synopsis
It is the year 32 BBY, and a 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 Finis 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, Saak'ak, in order to meet with Viceroy Nute Gunray and resolve the dispute. Unbeknownst 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 and kill the two Jedi upon their arrival. Their ship, Radiant VII, is destroyed and the two Jedi escape the assassination attempt by stowing themselves aboard two separate Federation landing craft leaving for the surface of Naboo.

On the planet's surface, Qui-Gon Jinn saves local native outcast Jar Jar Binks from being trampled by a MTT. Later, STAPs attack but are destroyed by the two Jedi. 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 Rugor Nass, and ask him to help the people of Naboo, but Nass refuses and sends them off in a bongo submarine. The are attacked by an opee sea killer but the fish is 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 is gifted with piloting and mechanics, 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.

On Coruscant, Qui-Gon Jinn informs the Jedi Council of the mysterious attacker he encountered on Tatooine. 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 sense 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 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 send the two Jedi to accompany the Queen back to Naboo, hoping to shed light on any Sith involvement.

Queen Amidala, back on Naboo, forms an alliance with the Gungan people, uniting in battle against the Trade Federation. Nute Gunray is ordered by Darth Sidious to wipe out the Gungans and the Naboo as the Trade Federation prepares for battle. Captain Roos 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.

At the same time, Darth Maul has been engaging in combat with the two Jedi. And since Maul was fighting two Jedi he used a double-bladed lightsaber. He hits Qui-Gon Jinn on the chin with his lightsaber handle, stunning him, then rams his lightsaber straight into Qui-Gon's chest, mortally wounding him. Enraged, Obi-Wan redoubles his assault upon Darth Maul and chops Maul's lightsaber in half, but the Sith almost kills Kenobi when he Force-pushes him to 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. Darth Maul kicks the Jedi's lightsaber into the pit and prepares to finish him off. The Padawan calms himself, using the Force to jump out of the pit and summon his fallen Master's lightsaber to his hand. Within an instant he lands behind the surprised Maul and cuts him in half, the Sith's body falling into the pit.

Just before passing away, Qui-Gon instructs Obi-Wan to train Anakin to become a Jedi. 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.

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 in his hair 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.

Cast

 * Qui-Gon Jinn .... Liam Neeson
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi .... Ewan McGregor
 * Queen Amidala/Padmé .... Natalie Portman
 * Anakin Skywalker .... Jake Lloyd
 * Palpatine/Darth Sidious .... Ian McDiarmid
 * Shmi Skywalker .... Pernilla August
 * Sio Bibble .... Oliver Ford Davies
 * Captain Panaka - Hugh Quarshie
 * Jar Jar Binks .... Ahmed Best
 * C-3PO .... Anthony Daniels
 * R2-D2 .... Kenny Baker
 * Yoda .... Frank Oz
 * Finis Valorum .... Terence Stamp
 * Boss Nass .... Brian Blessed
 * Watto .... Andy Secombe
 * Darth Maul .... Ray Park (Voiced by Peter Serafinowicz)
 * Sebulba .... Lewis MacLeod
 * Wald .... Warwick Davis (uncredited)
 * Captain Tarpals .... Steven Speirs
 * Nute Gunray .... Silas Carson
 * Rune Haako .... Jerome Blake (uncredited)
 * Daultay Dofine .... Alan Ruscoe (uncredited)
 * Ric Olié .... Ralph Brown
 * Fighter Pilot Bravo 5 .... Celia Imrie
 * Fighter Pilot Bravo 2 .... Benedict Taylor
 * Fighter Pilot Bravo 3 .... Clarence Smith
 * Mace Windu .... Samuel L. Jackson
 * Palace Guard .... Dominic West
 * Rabé .... Cristina da Silva
 * Eirtaé .... Friday (Liz) Wilson
 * Yané .... Candice Orwell
 * Saché .... Sofia Coppola
 * Sabé .... Keira Knightley
 * Maoi Madakor .... Bronagh Gallagher
 * Antidar Williams .... Silas Carson
 * TC-14 .... John Fensom
 * Fode .... Greg Proops
 * Beed .... Scott Capurro
 * Jabba the Hutt .... Himself (Voiced by uncredited actor)
 * Jira .... Margaret Towner
 * Kitster Banai .... Dhruv Chanchani
 * Seek .... Oliver Walpole
 * Amee .... Jenna Green
 * Melee .... Megan Udall
 * Eeth Koth .... Hassani Shapi
 * Adi Gallia .... Gin
 * Saesee Tiin .... Khan Bonfils
 * Plo Koon .... Alan Ruscoe (uncredited)
 * Yarael Poof .... Michelle Taylor
 * Ki-Adi-Mundi .... Silas Carson
 * Even Piell .... Michaela Cottrell
 * Oppo Rancisis .... Jerome Blake (uncredited)
 * Depa Billaba .... Dipika O'Neill Joti
 * Yaddle .... Phil Eason
 * Mas Amedda .... Jerome Blake (uncredited)
 * Aks Moe .... Mark Coulier
 * Lott Dod .... Silas Carson
 * Weazel .... Warwick Davis (uncredited)
 * Orn Free Taa .... Jerome Blake (uncredited)
 * Bib Fortuna .... Alan Ruscoe (uncredited)
 * Yoda Puppeteers .... Kathy Smee, Don Austen, David Greenaway
 * Voice of TC-14 .... Lindsay Duncan
 * Voice of Darth Maul .... Peter Serafinowicz
 * Voice of Rune Haako .... James Taylor
 * Voice of Daultay Dofine .... Chris Sanders
 * Voice of Lott Dod .... Toby Longworth
 * Voice of Aks Moe .... Marc Silk
 * Voice of Tey How .... Tyger
 * Ann Gella .... Nifa Hindes
 * Tann Gella .... Nishan Hindes
 * Rya Kirsch .... John Knoll
 * Sei Taria .... Karnay Lau
 * Mawhonic .... Danny Wagner
 * Voice of Ody Mandrell and Bib Fortuna .... Matthew Wood

Crew
Much of the primary crew of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV series and Radioland Murders feature film carried over to the prequels.

Individuals

 * 3B3-10
 * 3B3-1138
 * 3B3-1204
 * 3B3-21
 * 3B3-2761
 * 3B3-888
 * Yeb Yeb Adem'thorn
 * Yeb Yeb Ademthorn's aide
 * Agrippa Aldrete(cut)
 * Aleena Senator and aides
 * Mas Amedda
 * Amee
 * Padmé Amidala
 * Bail Antilles
 * Bok Askol
 * ASP-77
 * Kitster Banai
 * Ebenn Q3 Baobab
 * Edcel Bar Gane
 * Edcel Bar Gane's aide
 * Neesada Bari
 * Aldar Beedo
 * Been
 * Tendau Bendon
 * Tendau Bendon's aides
 * Sio Bibble
 * Depa Billaba
 * B'olba
 * Dud Bolt
 * Pax Bonkik
 * Trax Bonkik
 * Hela Brandes
 * C-3PO
 * Chamberlyn
 * Chokk
 * Murr Danod
 * Dams Denna
 * DFS-1015
 * DFS-1104
 * DFS-1138
 * DFS-1308
 * DFS-327
 * Freon Drevan
 * Lana Dobreed
 * Lott Dod
 * Lott Dod's financial officer
 * Daultay Dofine
 * Porro Dolphe
 * Tox Don
 * Pa Dua
 * DUM-4
 * DUM-9
 * Hugo Eckener
 * EG-9
 * Eirtaé
 * Ellberger
 * Ellie
 * Erdan
 * Ebe E. Endocott
 * Fanta
 * Onaconda Farr
 * Fodesinbeed
 * Diva Funquita
 * Adi Gallia
 * Phylo Gandish
 * Gardulla
 * Gasgano
 * Ann Gella
 * Tann Gella
 * Gragra
 * Graxol Kelvyyn
 * Grebleips
 * Grebleips's aides
 * Greedo the Elder
 * Nute Gunray
 * Rune Haako
 * Clegg Holdfast
 * Horox Ryyder
 * Tey How
 * Jerus Jannick
 * Jar Jar Binks
 * Qui-Gon Jinn
 * Jira
 * Augara Jowil
 * Keder the Black
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Ki-Adi-Mundi
 * Rya Kirsch
 * Plo Koon
 * Televan Koreyy
 * Eeth Koth
 * Shmi Skywalker
 * Maori Madakor
 * Mars Guo
 * Darth Maul
 * Mawhonic
 * Meddun
 * Melee
 * Liana Merian
 * Rehtul Minnau
 * Aks Moe
 * Mot Not Rab
 * Yade M'rak
 * Stretch
 * Kam Nale
 * Odin Nesloor
 * Neva Kee
 * Nobot
 * Po Nudo
 * Ody Mandrell
 * Ric Olié
 * OOM-9
 * Orr Agg R'orr
 * Orr'UrRuuR'R
 * OWO-1
 * P-59
 * P-60
 * Palpatine
 * Pampy
 * Panaka
 * Passel Argente
 * Perosei
 * Even Piell
 * PK-4
 * Yarael Poof
 * Ben Quadinaros
 * R2-A6
 * R2-B1
 * R2-D1
 * R2-D2
 * R2-D3
 * R2-R9
 * R5-A7
 * R5-X2
 * Rabé
 * Oppo Rancisis
 * Rayno Vaca
 * Mik Regrap
 * Teyora Rekab
 * Boles Roor
 * Ark Roose
 * Aehrrley Rue
 * Rugor Nass
 * Rum Sleg
 * Rushing
 * RuuR'Ur
 * Sabé
 * Saché
 * Sebulba
 * Seek
 * Jedwar Seelah
 * Shakka
 * Diva Shaliqua
 * Lufta Shif
 * Aurra Sing
 * Slarm
 * SSA-1015
 * SSA-306
 * SSA-719
 * Orn Free Taa
 * Orn Free Taa's aides
 * Orn Free Taa's protocol droid
 * Sei Taria
 * Tarpals
 * TC-14
 * TC-3(cut)
 * TC-4(cut)
 * Teemto Pagalies
 * Ainlee Teem
 * Teers
 * Rango Tel
 * Reike Th'san
 * Saesee Tiin
 * Tikkes
 * Tobler Ceel
 * Toonbuck Toora
 * Tracton
 * Bogg Tyerell
 * Deland Tyerell
 * Djulla Tyerell
 * Doby Tyerell
 * Ratts Tyerell
 * Sil Unch
 * UrrOr'RuuR
 * Finis Valorum
 * Horace Vancil
 * Corix Venne
 * Vomak
 * Quinlan Vos
 * Wald
 * Wan Sandage
 * Watto
 * Watto's astromech
 * Weazel
 * Arven Wendik
 * Grotto Werribee
 * Antidar Williams
 * Mace Windu
 * Xexto senator
 * Xizor
 * Yaddle
 * Yané
 * Yarua
 * Yarua's aides
 * Baskol Yeesrim
 * Yoda
 * Graf Zapalo

Locations

 * Boonta
 * Coruscant
 * Galactic City
 * Senate District
 * Ambassadorial Sector
 * 500 Republica
 * Legislative Borough
 * Avenue of the Core Founders
 * Senate Plaza
 * Senate Building
 * Temple Precinct
 * Jedi Temple
 * Iego
 * Malastare
 * Pixelito
 * Naboo
 * Great Grass Plains
 * Gungan sacred place
 * Lagulla ice cave
 * Lake Paonga
 * Otoh Gunga
 * Lianorm Swamp
 * Theed
 * Funeral Temple
 * Palace Plaza
 * Solleu River
 * Theed Hangar
 * Theed Royal Palace
 * Triumphal Arch
 * Nubia
 * Ohma-D'un
 * Rori
 * Tatooine
 * Mos Espa
 * Slave Quarters Row
 * Watto's Shop
 * Mos Espa Grand Arena
 * Arch Canyon
 * Beggar's Canyon
 * Bindy Bend
 * Canyon Dune Turn
 * Coil
 * Corkscrew
 * Devil's Doorknob
 * Ebe Crater Valley
 * Hutt Flats
 * Jag Crag Gorge
 * Jett's Chute
 * Laguna Caves
 * Metta Drop
 * Mushroom Mesa
 * Starlite Flats
 * Waldo Flats
 * Whip
 * Toydaria
 * Tund

Events

 * Invasion of Naboo
 * Sieges on Naboo
 * First Battle of Theed
 * Duel on Tatooine
 * Naboo Swamp Battle
 * Battle of Grassy Plains
 * Naboo Space Battle
 * Second Battle of Theed

Organizations and titles

 * Boss
 * Bravo Squadron
 * Dark Lord of the Sith
 * Galactic Republic
 * Galactic Senate
 * Gungan Grand Army
 * Jedi
 * Jedi Knight
 * Jedi Master
 * Jedi Order
 * Order of the Sith Lords
 * Padawan
 * Podracing
 * Queen
 * Royal House of Naboo
 * Royal Naboo Security Forces
 * Senate Guard
 * Supreme Chancellor
 * Trade Federation
 * Trade Federation Droid Army
 * Trade Federation Viceroy

Sentient species

 * Aleena
 * Anx
 * Bith
 * Cerean
 * Chagrian
 * Child of the Green Planet
 * Devlikk
 * Diathim
 * Dug
 * Enso
 * Elder
 * Er'Kit
 * Falleen
 * Fluggrian
 * Glymphid
 * Gran
 * Gungan
 * Human
 * Hutt
 * Iktotchi
 * Ishi Tib
 * Jawa
 * Kel Dor
 * Kiffar
 * Koorivar
 * Korun
 * Lannik
 * Neimoidian
 * Nazzar
 * Nikto
 * Nosaurian
 * Nuknog
 * Pacithhip
 * Phuii
 * Poldt
 * Quarren
 * Quermian
 * Rodian
 * Roonan
 * Sneevel
 * Swokes Swokes
 * Sy Myrthian
 * Tarnab
 * Thisspiasian
 * Toong
 * Toydarian
 * Triffian
 * Troig
 * Tusken Raider
 * Twi'lek
 * Ualaq
 * Unknown tridactyl species
 * Veknoid
 * Vulptereen
 * Weequay
 * Wookiee
 * Xamster
 * Xexto
 * Zabrak

Creatures

 * Cambylictus tree
 * Chuba
 * Colo claw fish
 * Dewback
 * Doo
 * Duck
 * Dwarf nuna
 * Eopie
 * Faa
 * Falumpaset
 * Fambaa
 * Gooba fish
 * Guarlara
 * Ikopi
 * Kaadu
 * Laa
 * Long-tailed frog
 * Mee
 * Mott
 * Nyork
 * Opee sea killer
 * Peko peko
 * Pikobi
 * Pylat bird
 * Ray
 * Ronto
 * Sando aqua monster
 * See
 * Shaak
 * Tee

Droid models

 * 2-1B surgical droid
 * 3PO-series protocol droid
 * B1 battle droid
 * DRK-1 Dark Eye probe droid
 * DUM-series pit droid
 * DUM-4-series pit droid
 * GNK power droid
 * Hologlide J57 cam droid
 * Mark II reactor drone
 * Mechno-chair
 * OOM command battle droid
 * Otoga-222 repair droid
 * P-100 salvage droid
 * PK worker droid
 * PK-4 worker droid
 * P-series droideka
 * Pilot battle droid
 * R-PK surveillance droid
 * R1-series astromech droid
 * R2-series astromech droid
 * R5-series astromech droid
 * Salvage droid hover arm
 * Scrubber droid
 * Security battle droid
 * Senate hovercam
 * Stretch
 * Talking magnetite cleaner
 * TC-series protocol droid
 * Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Battle Droid, Mark I
 * Welding droid

Vehicles and vessels

 * Armored Assault Tank
 * C-9979 landing craft
 * Consular-class space cruiser
 * Corellian Star Shuttle
 * Coruscant air bus
 * Dusty Duck
 * EasyRide passenger airspeeder
 * Eddicus-class planetary shuttle
 * EVA Pod
 * FC-20 speeder bike
 * Flare-S swoop
 * Gozanti Cruiser
 * Gungan battle wagon
 * Gungan energy catapult
 * Heyblibber
 * Huulian starfighter
 * J-Type 327 Nubian royal starship
 * Lucrehulk-class battleship
 * Lucrehulk-class Droid Control Ship
 * Multi-Troop Transport
 * N-1 starfighter
 * Podracers
 * Salon pod
 * Sandcrawler
 * Scimitar
 * Senatorial platform
 * Seraph-class urban landspeeder
 * Sheathipede-class shuttle
 * Lapiz Cutter
 * Single Trooper Aerial Platform
 * Spinner
 * Tatooine hand cart
 * Tibanna gas balloon
 * Trade Federation troop carrier
 * Tribubble bongo
 * V-19 landspeeder
 * X-34 landspeeder
 * XR12 spacecraft
 * Satellite Liberator

Weapons and technology

 * Aeromagnifier
 * Blaster
 * Blaster pistol
 * CR-2 blaster pistol
 * Dorenian Beshniquel
 * Double-bladed lightsaber
 * E-5 blaster rifle
 * ELG-3A blaster pistol
 * Hologram
 * Holoprojector
 * Hush-98 comlink
 * Imagecaster
 * Kloo horn
 * Lightsaber
 * Q2 hold-out blaster
 * S-5 blaster rifle
 * Wrist link

Sources and inspirations
While Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress has often been seen as a source of inspiration for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, The Phantom Menace's middle section on Tatooine, with its series of nonviolent bargaining and twists of chance, demonstrates the strongest correspondence to Japanese film in the Saga. Queen Amidala's escape from an invading enemy and posing as a handmaiden while visiting the lower classes on Tatooine also echoes Kurosawa's film, especially in its emphasis on social consciousness.

The podrace sequence on Tatooine appears heavily influenced, if not lifted wholesale, from the chariot race in Ben-Hur. Other films likely to have influenced the pod race are Nicholas Ray's Rebel Without a Cause, which featured actor James Dean, a partial inspiration for Anakin Skywalker's character, and John Frankenheimer's Grand Prix, which not only features the Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune but also features camerawork done by Lucas himself.

Starting with this episode, the Star Wars Saga, especially the first three episodes and even more especially the third chapter, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, deal heavily with the character type of the mastermind typical to the multiple genres Lucas's work belongs to. The dual character of Palpatine/Darth Sidious is probably the most noteworthy Star Wars character from this aspect: controlling and manipulating the events of the films, such as the invasion of Naboo and Valorum's impeachment, from afar. This character has precedent in countless comic books, movies, and novels, but is especially in debt to the arch-villains of serial fiction and films of the early 20th century. The two most relevant characters are Fantomas ("The Phantom") and Norbert Jacque's Dr. Mabuse, immortalized on screen by German director Fritz Lang. Lucas implicitly labels Palpatine, who like Mabuse uses mind control and secret identities to shape events on large political and economic scales, as the film's Phantom Menace, tying him to the French villain.

Politically, this film may be the most concretely complicated of all the Star Wars films in its references. Throughout the films there are various characters whose names and actions associate them with modern political figures and movements. The name of the Trade Federation's greedy leader Nute Gunray can be seen as an amalgam of two controversial Republican politicians of the latter half of the 20th century&mdash;Newt Gingrich and Ronald Reagan, both in their actual names and in reference to Ronald Reagan's most famous film, Knute Rockne, All American, in which he plays "The Gipper."

The key political decisions in this film revolve around the impeachment of a chief executive&mdash;Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum&mdash;in order to elect a new leader of stronger moral principles&mdash;eventual Emperor Palpatine&mdash;echoing the attempts of the Republicans to oust President Bill Clinton from office in the late 1990s (although the movie began filming in 1997, a year before the talk of impeachment commenced). The motivations of the Trade Federation in the film, moreover, revolve around their refusal to cooperate with the Republic's taxes, tying their economic politics both to the Reaganomics of the 1980s and the World Trade Organization, famously protested in Seattle, Washington in the year of the film's release. Also, it is likely that Lucas included the satirical pun on Reagan's name as payback for the former President's use of key phrases from Star Wars to rally support for his controversial Missile Defense System, which even gained the nickname of Lucas's epic project.

Production


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 Castel 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.

In contrast to the more self-explanatory titles of the other films, the title, "The Phantom Menace" is ambiguous. It is usually suggested that the title refers to either of the two Sith, or the Sith Order itself. The title could also refer to the origin of Darth Sidious's name, which is the adjective insidious. The Oxford Dictionary gives the following definition:

''Full of wiles or plots; lying in wait or seeking to entrap or ensnare; proceeding or operating secretly or subtly so as not to excite suspicion; sly, treacherous, deceitful, underhand, artful, cunning, crafty, wily. (Of persons and things.)''

So the word phantom in the title of Episode I could be referring to the Dark Lord of the Sith and menace& to the meaning of the name "Sidious." Another possible meaning of the title is a subtle indication at the ultimate outcome of the Saga&mdash;the birth of Darth Vader.

A further theory is based upon the understanding that the central menace of the movie, the Neimoidian dominated Trade Federation's blockade and invasion of Naboo, is itself nothing more than a phantom, a piece of political misdirection wrought by Darth Sidious as part of the machinations designed to bring about the ultimate victory of the Sith. In this sense, the key outcome of this movie is the elevation of Palpatine to the office of Chancellor&mdash;an outcome that would have resulted had the Trade Federation's gambit succeeded or failed. The keystone of the plot is the plight of the Naboo arousing a sympathy vote in the Senate. While the heroes are focused on combating the threat to Naboo, they are unwitting pawns in a connivance of far greater scope.

However, while all these theories are possible, they are also likely too literal for such base interpretation. The "Phantom Menace" is most likely a simple allusion to future dark events that are unclear. Until the time of Episode I the Galaxy has been largely at peace. The events of Episode I trigger a cascade of events that will put the Galaxy under Sith rule for decades.

Therefore, the best interpretation is that "The Phantom Menace" does not refer to a single entity or event, but rather to the notion of impending evil that nobody can truly foresee. In fact, Obi-Wan even makes an allusion to it right at the beginning of the movie:

"I have a bad feeling about this." "I don't sense anything." "It's not the mission, Master. It's something&hellip;elsewhere&hellip;elusive."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi to Qui-Gon Jinn

Release
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. 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. Many fans began waiting outside cinema theaters as early as a month in advance of ticket sales.

More theater lines appeared when it was announced that the film 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. 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. 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. 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. Servers at the film's official website became gridlocked soon after the release of the first teaser trailer, 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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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.



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 version of the film had certain scenes and other elements edited and inserted by George Lucas, making it slightly different from its theatrical release while retaining an identical plot. Some scenes were modified, and some that were unfinished by the date of release were added to the film.

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.

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.

Reaction
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 Star Wars film. It was the first time a Star Wars film lost in that Oscar competition category. Many critics heavily criticized the direction and the acting of Portman and especially Jake Lloyd as the young Anakin Skywalker. The pair were nominated for Worst Screen Couple at the 2000 Razzie Awards, while Lloyd was nominated for Worst Supporting Actor, and the film received nominations for Worst Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Supporting Actress (Sofia Coppola). Some aspects of the scripting were also criticized. Extra venom was directed at the character of Jar Jar Binks, who was regarded by much of the older fan community as purely a merchandising opportunity rather than a serious character in the film. Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar on set, "won" a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor. Fan reaction was mixed, with some fans opposing the critics' views while others agreed with the negative opinions.

Another source of dissatisfaction comes from the decision to explain the Force in terms of hard science: namely, the introduction of midi-chlorians.

A number of people anonymously re-edited the film and released their edited versions over the Internet. The most popularly known of these is The Phantom Edit.

However, despite 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. David Cornelius of efilmcritic.com remarked that the better moments of the film "don't merely balance out the weaker ones- they topple them". 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." Mark Dinning labels The Phantom Menace "A great work from a great director, and a blockbuster of quite the most swashbuckling kind". Currently, the film holds a 63% Fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. 

Deleted scenes

 * The Waterfall Sequence&mdash;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&mdash;Anakin gets up early to prepare the pod for the race and has a brief chat with Padmé.
 * Complete Podrace Grid Sequence&mdash;This scene shows more of the participating racers and creatures in the crowd.
 * Extended Podrace Lap Two&mdash;This lap shows some more of Sebulba's "creative interpretation of the rules" and further proof of just how special Anakin is.
 * Anakin's Scuffle With Greedo the Elder&mdash;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 kid who turns bad later.
 * Farewell to Jira&mdash;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&mdash;The taxi ride shows us about ten more seconds of Coruscant.

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:


 * Star Wars Main Title
 * Droid Invasion Theme
 * Anakin's Theme
 * Duel of the Fates

Novelization
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 can be presumed to 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.

References to the original trilogy

 * Both The Phantom Menace and A New Hope are the first installments of their respective trilogies, and both the episodes are the highest grossed films of each of their own trilogy.
 * In the beginning of the movie, the Republic cruiser carrying Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan approaches the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship. This reflects to the beginning of Return of the Jedi, as Darth Vader's flagship approaches the second Death Star.
 * In the beginning of the movie, young Obi-Wan tells Qui-Gon, "I have a bad feeling about this."
 * Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's first appearance, pulling his hood back to reveal his face, is the same as Obi-Wan's first appearance in A New Hope.
 * When Droid Starfighters fly to the blockade, they have a TIE fighter sound. Just as TIE has when it approaches Death Star I in Episode IV.
 * Qui-Gon uses his lightsaber to deflect the lasers from a speeder flown by a battle droid and destroys it in the forest scene near the start. In Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker does the same thing to a speeder flown by an Imperial stormtrooper in the forest scene.
 * In The Phantom Menace, Nute Gunray says, "Close the blast doors!" In A New Hope (post-1997 releases), an Imperial stormtrooper uses a similar line, "Open the blast doors!"
 * In the scene where Qui-Gon's group is walking through the street of Tatooine, Luke's landspeeder is seen in the background painted green.
 * A Jedi Master uses the Jedi mind trick to help himself and his Padawan. In The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn uses the Jedi mind trick to persuade Boss Nass to help him and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi to speed through Naboo's planet core. In A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi uses the Jedi mind trick to convince the Imperial stormtroopers that "These aren't the droids you're looking for" and to get past them with informal Padawan Luke Skywalker. (A New Hope)
 * Qui-Gon Jinn identifies Queen Amidala's ship as a "J-type 327 Nubian." This is the same number as the bay the Millennium Falcon lands in on the first Death Star in A New Hope, and the number of the platform the Falcon lands on at Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back.
 * Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator resembles an Imperial TIE/ln starfighter. Also the probe droids on Tatooine resemble the interrogation droid on the first Death Star in A New Hope.
 * The final lap of the podrace between Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba mirrors Darth Vader's pursuit of Luke Skywalker in the Death Star's trench during the Battle of Yavin in A New Hope. Sebulba's podracer is X-shaped, resembling Luke's X-wing starfighter. Also, part of the podrace takes place in Beggar's Canyon, which is mentioned in A New Hope.
 * In the final lap of the podrace, Anakin's podracer goes up the ramp and comes down again. This reflects the forest speeder scene in Return of the Jedi, when Princess Leia takes her speeder up and comes down again.
 * A Jedi uses the Jedi mind trick, but the target resists the trick. In The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn attempts to influence Watto to accept Republic credits as a means of purchasing a new hyperdrive, but as a Toydarian, Watto resists the trick. In Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker attempts to persuade Jabba the Hutt to free Han Solo and Chewbacca from captivity, but as a Hutt, Jabba resists the trick. It is Jabba who calls this technique as "an old Jedi mind trick." Both characters happen to live on Tatooine, and both scenes take place on the same planet.
 * When Anakin assumes that Qui-Gon is a Jedi Knight, he asks "What makes you think that?" Uncle Owen asks Luke the same question in A New Hope when he assumes that R2-D2 might have been stolen some thirty-two years later.
 * The escape from Naboo mirrors the escape from Bespin:
 * 1) The ship is first under attack (Queen Amidala's ship in The Phantom Menace and the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back)
 * 2) The ship's hyperdrive is not fixed, and R2-D2 quickly repairs it and the ship escapes.


 * Queen Amidala tells the Senate, "I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee." This is an homage to The Empire Strikes Back, where Han Solo says "No time to discuss this in committee!" and Princess Leia shouts "I am not a committee!"
 * During his Jedi testing by the Jedi Council, Anakin tells Master Yoda that he feels cold. On Dagobah, his son Luke tells Master Yoda the same thing during his Jedi training. (The Empire Strikes Back)
 * A Jedi Master is killed by a Sith Lord in front of his apprentice. Consequently, the apprentice screams "NOOO!". Qui-Gon is killed by Darth Maul in front of Obi-Wan (The Phantom Menace), and Obi-Wan is killed by Darth Vader in front of Luke (though Luke was not technically his apprentice). (A New Hope)
 * A Skywalker saves the day by destroying a much much larger, heavily-armed space station, against all odds. Anakin destroys the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship (The Phantom Menace), and Luke destroys the first Death Star. (A New Hope)
 * The film ends in a ceremony with the female lead giving the award. Also the celebration of the Battle of Naboo mirrors the Battle of Yavin, in both celebrations, the award receivers come to the award giver. (A New Hope)
 * A Skywalker is deemed too old to begin his Jedi training. Anakin is deemed too old by the Jedi Council (The Phantom Menace), and Luke is deemed too old by Master Yoda. (The Empire Strikes Back) The only difference is that Anakin is not an adult at the time of the film.
 * In The Phantom Menace, Yoda says, "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." In the The Empire Strikes Back, Obi-Wan's Force ghost says, "Don't give in to hate. That leads to the dark side." while Vader himself says to Luke "You have controlled your fear. Now release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me." Both are indications of a character in an earlier made, later set film "remembering" a conversation had in a film which has not yet been made. (The Empire Strikes Back)
 * The Battle of Naboo reflects the Battle of Endor:
 * 1) A primitive race, which fights the good faction, is involved in an elaborate battle with a technologically advanced army, which fights the evil faction. (Gungans and battle droids in The Phantom Menace, and Ewoks and Imperial stormtroopers in Return of the Jedi).
 * 2) Both The Phantom Menace and Return of the Jedi feature three battles taking place simultaneously: a lightsaber duel, a ground battle, and a space battle.
 * 3) Both the battles comes to a point where the odds are in favor of the army of evil, but the tides turn resulting in the victory for the army of good.
 * 4) Both battles end with a Jedi funeral and a celebration sequence.
 * 5) The escape of Anakin from the Droid Control Ship reflects the escape of Lando from the second Death Star. In both the case the ship or station is about to be blown.


 * Near the end of each film, a Sith Lord is hurled down to a deep chasm to his death. Darth Maul is cut in half and hurled down to a deep chasm on Naboo by Obi-Wan Kenobi, killing him (The Phantom Menace), and Emperor Palpatine is hurled down to a deep chasm on the second Death Star by Darth Vader, also killing him. (Return of the Jedi.)
 * During Qui-Gon's funeral/cremation, Mace Windu says to Yoda, regarding the death of Darth Maul, "But which was killed, the master or the apprentice?" The camera then slowly pans around the funeral, until finally settling on Palpatine. The Senator's face is in clear focus, while everyone else is blurred. The camera remains there for a few seconds, before cutting to the celebration in Theed. This alludes to Palpatine's role as the Dark Lord of the Sith in all six films.
 * At the very end of the movie's closing credits, you can briefly hear the recognizable breathing of Darth Vader.
 * After Obi-Wan tells the Jedi Council that he is ready for the Jedi Trials, Master Yoda says "our own council we will keep on who is ready." On Dagobah, when Luke tells Master Yoda that he is ready to be trained, Master Yoda says "my own council will I keep on who is to be trained." (The Empire Strikes Back)
 * A Sith Lord serves alongside a political leader as his superior. Darth Maul serves alongside Viceroy Nute Gunray (The Phantom Menace), and Darth Vader serves alongside Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin (A New Hope).
 * Incidents occurs between Anakin and Padmé which are quite same as for their children:
 * 1) Anakin meets Padmé on Tatooine whereas in A New Hope, disguised as Stormtroopers, Luke and Han meets Leia aboard the first Death Star, (in both the case, the girl is unknown to the boys and they get along well.)
 * 2) At the end of The Phantom Menace, Padmé and Anakin smile at each other whereas at the end of A New Hope, Leia and Luke smile at each other.
 * 3) Darth Maul searches for Padmé, whereas in The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader searches for Luke and Leia.
 * 4) Padmé is captured and then rescued with the help of two Jedi Knights. In A New Hope, Leia is captured and then rescued by two Jedi Knights and Han Solo. Obi-Wan is involved in both of these rescue missions.
 * 5) Anakin and Padmé participate in the Battle of Naboo, whereas Luke and Leia participate in the Battle of Endor (Return of the Jedi). Both of these battles are quite the same.


 * After Queen Amidala's double tricks Nute Gunray into sending his guards after the double, an order is given to seal the doors. Even though modern visual effects would make the door slam down in a realistic way, it did not. This is perhaps a reflection of the scene in A New Hope when Luke Skywalker, as an Imperial stormtrooper, seals the door of the control room to confer with Han Solo aboard the Death Star. This is evident in that both scenes show the door slamming shut in a very similar, albeit archaic, manner.

Trivia

 * There are no words emphasized by all-caps in the opening crawl of this movie or any odd-numbered movie.
 * One of the more popular rumors was that Natalie Portman sprained her ankle while filming and her limp was corrected digitally in post-production. It is said in the audio commentary that she rolled out of bed and did in fact sprain her ankle.
 * In the scene where Queen Amidala calls for a vote of no confidence, a group of aliens that can be seen in the Galactic Senate resemble E.T.'s race from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Also visible are a group of Wookiees. For the first time in over twenty years, the species was played by someone other than Peter Mayhew.
 * During the podrace, Watto is accompanied by a character named Weazel. This character was portrayed by Warwick Davis, who also starred as Willow Ulfgood in the George Lucas film Willow.
 * A nuna being flicked off a balcony by Jabba has the same scream as an astromech droid.
 * Famous characters from the original trilogy that make their first chronological appearance in this movie include C-3PO, Bib Fortuna, Jabba the Hutt, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Palpatine, R2-D2, Anakin Skywalker, and Yoda. A scene with a character eventually known as Greedo the Elder was shot but deleted from the theatrical version of the film. The scene is included among the deleted scenes on the DVD release. However, Greedo the Elder still appears the film&mdash;albeit as a background character.
 * Jar Jar Binks's catchphrase of "How rude!", is a direct lift from a C-3PO line in The Empire Strikes Back.
 * Aside from A New Hope, this is the only Star Wars film in which the final scene contains any form of dialogue or monologue. However, it is only a single word, uttered by Boss Nass: "Peace!" The A New Hope final scene only contains R2-D2's beeping and a howl from Chewbacca.
 * Liam Neeson was so eager to be in the film, he didn't bother reading the script. Neeson, however, reportedly disliked working on the film once principal photography began. Neeson later made disparaging remarks regarding working with special effects that were linked to this film, though they were actually directed at The Haunting, which was released the same year. In addition, Neeson also reported that he was quite pleased with the final cut of the film, and wouldn't mind working with Lucas again.
 * The sound of Watto's wings flapping is a looped recording of sound designer Ben Burtt opening and closing an umbrella.
 * Darth Maul only blinks once, just after he is sliced in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
 * The word lightsaber is never used. When Anakin talks to Qui-Gon, he calls it a "laser sword."
 * The film's working title was The Beginning. "Phantom Menace" was also the name of a villain in the Flash Gordon serials.
 * Jar Jar Binks has been heavily criticized by members of the Afro-Caribbean community for portraying island culture as a caricature of incompetence and clumsiness. Around the turn of the millennium, a popular insult among Haitians was to call the victim a "jar-jar."
 * Natalie Portman had to miss the film's premiere to study for her high school final exams.
 * The lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul took nearly a month to film. It is also the first lightsaber duel which is between two Jedi and one Sith Lord. Technically, the duel in Episode II was alike, with the only exception that the Jedi did not attack their adversary together. It was not until Episode III that two Jedi&mdash;Obi-Wan and Anakin again&mdash;would fight together against a Sith Lord, and even then Obi-Wan would be knocked unconscious early on.
 * When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rescue Queen Amidala and company from the battle droids, Qui-Gon Force-pushes one of the droids, and the droid lets out a yell that sounds like Homer Simpson's "D'oh!"
 * Before being cast as Queen Amidala, Natalie Portman had never seen the original trilogy.
 * With the exception of Yoda, none of the Jedi Council members' names are identified in the film's dialogue. The first two times Yoda is mentioned&mdash;once by Obi-Wan and then again by Anakin, both in reference to midi-chlorians&mdash;it is not clear which council member he is. However, near the end of the film, Obi-Wan Kenobi holds a discussion regarding Anakin's training with the member who he identifies as Yoda.
 * When Padmé and her guards infiltrate the palace, just before they are arrested by the droidekas, check on the top of the corridor. It's hardly visible, but there is an arch with a portrait of George Lucas on it.
 * This is the only Star Wars film in which Obi-Wan is clean-shaven.
 * Taylor Wells was second-in-line in the auditions process for Anakin Skywalker; he does make an uncredited appearance in the film around the first podracing scene.
 * Keira Knightley (daughter of Will Knightley) and Sofia Coppola (daughter of Francis Ford Coppola) both have small roles in the film; this movie was the former's film debut.
 * Lucy Richardson, the girl who originally inspired the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", worked in the art department for Episode I.
 * Ahmed Best was cast as Jar Jar Binks after casting director Robin Gurland saw how loose and lanky he was during a performance of musical group STOMP.
 * British actor Benedict Taylor, who plays Fighter Pilot Bravo 2 in The Phantom Menace, is the brother of actress Femi Taylor, who plays Oola the Twi'lek dancer in Return of the Jedi.
 * The first scene filmed during principal photography was Darths Sidious and Maul on Coruscant. This is also the only scene in the film in which Sidious appears in the flesh and not as a hologram.
 * The sounds of the spectators at the Boonta Eve Podrace are sounds of football fans recorded by Ben Burtt at a San Francisco 49ers game.
 * All of the Gungans are based on the Jar Jar Binks's CGI model.
 * During pre-production, the film's codename was Star Wars: Genesis.
 * Nathan Hamill, the son of Mark Hamill, makes an uncredited cameo appearance as a podrace spectator and as a Naboo palace guard.
 * In the first shot of the planet Coruscant, immediately before Sidious and Maul are shown talking on the balcony, there are several ships flying over the planet in various directions on the screen. One of the ships is the Discovery from 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is flying from left to right and leaves the screen before the shot ends.
 * When Qui-Gon and Watto are discussing the hyperdrive engine, you can see a space pod from 2001: A Space Odyssey sitting in the junk pile in the background.
 * Jabba the Hutt is credited in the film's end credits as playing himself.
 * Prince Xizor can be seen in the stands at the podrace, as the modeling crew used some toys to populate the stands.
 * In the scene on Coruscant where the Queen and company return to her ship to depart for Naboo, a spinner from Blade Runner can be briefly seen among the other various aircraft in the background of the landing platform.
 * Justin Berfield, who played Reese on Malcolm in the Middle, auditioned for the role of Anakin Skywalker.
 * The film contains the only on-screen evidence of Force Speed, used by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to escape the droidekas.
 * This is the only movie where Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader does not wield a lightsaber.
 * One of the myths surrounding the film was that ILM digitally inserted the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek in Couruscant's sky traffic. Another myth was that Kyle Katarn's first ship, the Moldy Crow, was inserted.
 * The evil robot used in a number of sci-fi films and made an appearance on Lost in Space, battling the good robot with the Robinson family, is also seen in Watto's store.
 * Part of the film's promotion involved the creation of a pog contest that involved several prominent restaurant chains.
 * In the scene where Qui Gon is walking in the streets of Tatooine Quinlan Vos can be seen in the background character. This was actually not known as Vos at the time. Dark Horse Comics used the character as a template for Vos. Eventually fans established that Vos was on an undercover mission.