The film that kick-started a whole new generation of STAR WARS films is also one of the most misunderstood of all time. Heavily hyped on its’ original release (when the teaser first played in cinemas, people would pay for a ticket to watch the film it was playing with to simply watch the trailer), it got a lot of criticism for the attention to effects rather than story.
However, as somebody pointed out in the STAR WARS MAGAZINE about a decade on from the 1999 release, it has become one of the most influential films of all time, given that the technology used in this film has led to so many others following its’ brief and template. It’s an origin story, something we have seen with the likes of Bond, DC and the MCU. Its” motion capture character Jar Jar Binks paved the way for Gollum in the LORD OF THE RINGS films) and it opened up the potential for a broader STAR WARS universe.
Two Jedi Knights, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) are caught in a trap in a battle station above the planet Naboo, where they escape to and meet Queen Amidala and her handmaiden Padme (Natalie Portman). Escaping to Tatooine, forced to land there to seek parts to repair their ship, they meet Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who works for a slave trader called Watto and who races in pod races in his spare time. Qui-Gon sees an opportunity to win the parts by getting Anakin to race for him. However, he is up against slimy champion Sebulba, a calculating alien who wins by hook or crook.
Anakin wins the race and is free to pursue his desire to become a galactic pilot. He joins the Jedis, Amidala and Padme and the trail leads back to Naboo, where the battle to free the planet begins….
More in style to the FLASH GORDON 1930’s serials (FLASH GORDON was what originally creator George Lucas wanted to make, but legal obstacles prevented it), THE PHANTOM MENACE is still watchable, especially for the brilliantly orchestrated pod race sequence, which is where the film truly peaks.