[90], More theater lines appeared when it was announced that cinemas were not allowed to sell tickets in advance until two weeks into the release. Non-linear editing systems played a large part in translating Lucas' vision; he constantly tweaked, revised, and reworked shots and scenes. Eventually, Anakin's younger age led Lucas to rewrite his participation in the movie's major scenes. Wrede. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, or simply known as The Phantom Menace, is a 1999 Space Opera film and the first film of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. He started composing the score in October 1998 and began recording the music with the London Voices and London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios on February 10, 1999. [103], The teaser poster, featuring Anakin with his shadow forming Darth Vader's silhouette, was released on November 10, 1998. The gifts that the Jedi masters enjoy have a perfectly plausible scientific basis, even if its ways are mysterious: their bodily cells have a heavier than usual concentration of 'midi-chlorians'. The Phantom Menace was released through the iTunes Store, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, and Disney Movies Anywhere on April 10, 2015. These elements derive primarily from Eastern and Iranian religions and myths. Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, astromech droid R2-D2, and Padmé—disguised as one of her handmaidens—visit the settlement of Mos Espa to purchase a new part for their hyperdrive. [189], "Star Wars I" redirects here. Title: These included the Neimodians, background characters in Mos Espa, the Jedi Council, and the Galactic Senate. This was done for dozens of scenes in the film but was first and primarily used in the pod race sequence. 26 wins & 66 nominations. [74], Lucas, who had previously confronted problems with the props used to depict R2-D2, allowed ILM and the production's British special effects department to create their own versions of the robot. It isn't as fresh as the original Star Wars, nor does it have the thematic richness and narrative complexity of The Empire Strikes Back, but it is a distinct improvement over Return of the Jedi. Now, it's with genuine regret that I realize the next segment of the series is three long years away. He introduced a wider story arc that could be told in sequels if it became successful. During the invasion, Qui-Gon saves the life of a Gungan outcast, Jar Jar Binks. [43], Lucas decided to make elaborate costumes, because the film's society was more sophisticated than the one depicted in the original trilogy. Biggar also consulted Gillard to ensure that the costumes would accommodate action scenes, and consulted the creature department to find which fabrics "wouldn't wear too heavily" on the alien skins. [163] Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold over 84.8 million tickets in the US in its initial theatrical run.[164]. [37], Within three to four months of Lucas beginning the writing process, Chiang and his design team started a two-year process of reviewing thousands of designs for the film. [94], Despite worries about the film being finished on time, two weeks before its theatrical release Lucasfilm moved the release date from May 21 to 19, 1999. This was the final step toward turning the franchise into a saga. [8] Stunt coordinator Nick Gillard filmed Park to demonstrate his conception of the lightsaber battles. [64] The Italian Caserta Palace was used as the interior of the Theed City Naboo Palace;[63] it was used as a location for four days after it had been closed to visitors. [80] A two-disc "Ultimate Edition" was released on November 14, 2000. King and Krzywinska say that "Qui-Gon's pony tail and Obi-Wan's position of apprentice further encourage a reading in terms of the Samurai tradition". This was the role for which Carson originally auditioned. Filming started on June 26, 1997, at locations including Leavesden Film Studios and the Tunisian desert. As a result, there was almost unprecedented interest amongst both fans and the wider public. Two Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn emerged from the ship and were greeted by TC-14. Stunt coordinator Nick Gillard was recruited to create a new Jedi fighting style for the prequel trilogy. Lucasfilm dictated that, contractually, Struzan's illustration was the only art the foreign distributors could use, and other than the text, it could not be modified in any way. Some scenes, mostly of elements filmed by the special effects team, were shot on high definition, digital video tapes to test the performance of digital recordings, which Lucas and McCallum considered the next logical step because of the amount of digitizing—an expensive process compared to recording directly on digital media—for the compositing of computer-generated effects. And what's so special about this young boy? [81], Like previous Star Wars films, The Phantom Menace makes several references to historical events and films that George Lucas watched in his youth. [181] The film did however receive seven Golden Raspberry Award (Razzie) nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor (Jake Lloyd as Anakin), Worst Supporting Actress (Sofia Coppola as Saché), Worst Screen Couple (Jake Lloyd and Natalie Portman), and Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best won the Worst Supporting Actor category.[182]. [87] The Love Letter was a commercial failure but Notting Hill fared better and followed The Phantom Menace closely in second place. [158] Drew Grant describes the character as "[s]ervile and cowardly ... a black minstrel-ish stereotype on par with Stepin Fetchit. [106], A novelization was written by Terry Brooks, who met with Lucas before writing the book and received his approval and guidance. Additionally, Brian Blessed, Andy Secombe, and Lewis MacLeod voiced Boss Nass, the leader of the Gungan tribe who allies with the Naboo surface dwellers, Watto, a junk dealer on Tatooine who owns Anakin and his mother as slaves, and Sebulba, an aggressive, scheming podracer who is Anakin's main rival at the Boonta Eve podrace, respectively. Following the battle, Gunray is arrested by the Republic and Palpatine is elected Chancellor. Two Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to … [53] Brian Blessed originally auditioned for the role of Sio Bibble, the Governor of Naboo,[54] for which he was considered "too loud". A small one. [46], Nute Gunray's Thai accent was chosen after Lucas and McCallum listened to various languages to decide how the Neimoidians would speak. [49] Life-sized replicas of the engines were built and sent to Tunisia to provide reference in the film. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are ordered by the Jedi Council to accompany the queen and investigate the return of the Sith, whom they had believed to be extinct for more than a millennium. In a special segment on The Late Late Show, host James Corden asked Liam … On Naboo, Padmé reveals herself as the queen before the Gungans to gain their trust, and persuades them to help against the Trade Federation. But the foresight and the unique sense of Qui-Gon's world allow him to see far further than to his eminent like-minded people and mentors, like Master Yoda and Master Windu. [19][20] He negotiated a contract that allowed him to make two sequels, and over time created an elaborate backstory to aid his writing process. It really feels like magic, with a child-like glee and resistance to self-seriousness but never once losing a sense of danger. The film's premiere was extensively covered by media and was greatly anticipated because of the large cultural following the Star Wars saga had cultivated. [73] Lucas also used CGI to correct the physical presence of actors in certain scenes. [35][36] Art development on the film began in January 1995. And even though this road is lost in the darkness of the gathering clouds, there will always be someone who sees a little farther than everyone else, and builds on this sagacity its most powerful faith. [70], The film saw breakthrough in computer generated effects. Some of his actions seem too risky and thoughtless, but somewhere in general they can be mistaken for a desperate bluff. The daughter of an Imperial scientist joins the Rebel Alliance in a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star. Knoll and his visual effects team wrote new computer software, including cloth simulators to allow a realistic depiction of the digital characters' clothing, to create certain shots. (1999). Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to confront the leaders. McCallum stated that his experience with The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles led to many of his decisions on The Phantom Menace, such as long-term deals with actors and soundstages, the employment of recent graduates with no film experience, and the creation of sets and landscapes with digital technology. The site's critical consensus reads, "Burdened by exposition and populated with stock characters, The Phantom Menace gets the Star Wars prequels off to a bumpy – albeit visually dazzling – start. Experience the heroic action and unforgettable adventures of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. During a celebratory parade on Naboo, Padmé presents a gift of thanks to the Gungans to establish peace. [163] The Phantom Menace was 1999's most successful film, staying in the Top 10 until August 5 (11 weeks total), earning $431.1 million in the United States and Canada. [33], In November 2015, Ron Howard confirmed that he, Robert Zemeckis, and Steven Spielberg were approached by Lucas to direct The Phantom Menace. All future films would be shot using Sony CineAlta high-definition video cameras. On the night following the third day of shooting in Tozeur, an unexpected sandstorm destroyed many of the sets and props. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The Star Wars films typically mix several concepts from different mythologies together, drawing heavily from the hero's journey, an archetypical template developed by comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell. THE PHANTOM MENACE Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. Star Wars Beginning. Chiang uses that orientation to base the droids on the Imperial soldiers, only in the same style of stylized and elongated features seen in tribal African art. From MS folder copy files D3DImm.dll and DDraw.dll and place them in a folder with a game (where TMP.exe file is). [82] The Star Wars film cycle features a similar Christian narrative involving Anakin Skywalker; he is the "Chosen One"—the individual prophesied to bring balance to the Force—who was conceived of a virgin birth. The Phantom Menace. They also say "Amidala, in keeping with her status and character, has a number of highly formal outfits ... to go with hair sculpted into a curve that frames make-up of a Japanese cast". Another Are the Sith really extinct? [134], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 53% based on 232 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The legendary Taken actor had the best surprise for Star Wars fans! Qui-Gon believed in Anakin from the first second and believed in him to the end; most likely he understood the suffering and upheavals that promised further training of the boy for the Galaxy and for himself, but in one thing he was certain that in the final analysis Skywalker would return the Force to equilibrium ...Finishing on the major note of universal jubilation and festivities, "Episode I: The Hidden Menace" at first glance does not justify its mysterious and menacing title. Except for Jake Lloyd inside a hydraulically controlled cockpit and a few practical podracer models, the entire podracing scene—which the effects crew designed to be as "out of this world" as possible—is computer-generated. The Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novelization was written by Terry Brooks and published on April 21, 1999, by Del Rey. [18] Lindsay Duncan voices TC-14, a protocol droid on the Federation ship. The cameras were fitted with data capture models to provide technical data for the CGI artists. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) art director Doug Chiang impressed McCallum the most and was hired as the design director. The Jedi escape and flee to Naboo. Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to confront the leaders. [131] Kellogg's promoted the film internationally,[132][133] and French restaurant Quick launched three Star Wars-themed burgers. [26] In 1993, it was announced in Variety and other sources that he would be making the prequels. Unlike Chinese philosophy, in which yin and yang are not moral qualities, the ancient Persian philosophy of Zurvanism taught that the dualism of dark and light forces are locked in an eternal battle while being two sides (or evolutes) of the same "Force", the force of time itself (Zurvan)—the prime mover. This page was last edited on 16 January 2021, at 22:16. You can try the Dolby Surround options too, but there’s certainly no guarantee they will work. [83], There are many references to Christianity in the film, such as the appearance of Darth Maul, whose design draws heavily from traditional depictions of the devil, complete with red skin and horns. In a 2018 Saturday Night Live comedy rap video, Natalie Portman reprised her appearance as Queen Amidala from The Phantom Menace and defended the prequel trilogy. They went to a MTT Cruiser to escape. But for him, extremely sensitive to everything around him, holding in an unsurpassed harmony the awareness of his own forces and the sense of difficulty of the tasks set, for him, who knows how to feel the situation on many, many forward steps, faith is the main tool. Undaunted, Qui-Gon vows to take up Anakin as his new apprentice. Then the wise counsel of Qui-Gon Jinn and unselfish greed deprived the boy Anakin Skywalker, wanted to visit every planet in the universe, it seems quite clear and sharp, Go up to the call of the heart, and you go on the right path. About 1,950 of the shots in The Phantom Menace have visual effects. [118] In the Blu-ray release of The Phantom Menace, the Yoda puppet was replaced with a CGI model, making it consistent with the other films of the prequel trilogy. At the ShoWest Convention, Lucas said the change was intended to give the fans a "head start" by allowing them to view it during the week and allowing families to view it during weekends. Featured on Meta New Feature: Table Support. [166][167] Outside the United States and Canada, the film grossed over $10 million in Australia ($25.9 million), Brazil ($10.4 million), France and Algeria ($43 million), Germany ($53.9 million), Italy ($12.9 million), Japan ($109.9 million), Mexico ($12 million), Spain ($25 million), and the United Kingdom and Ireland ($81.9 million). With Watto refusing to accept payment in Republic currency, Qui-Gon wagers both the required hyperdrive part and Anakin's freedom in a podrace. "Writing the script was much more enjoyable this time around because I wasn't constrained by anything. [142] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B" grade and complimented Liam Neeson's performance and the action scenes. [78], The film's soundtrack was released by Sony Classical Records on May 4, 1999. [28], Lucas began writing the Star Wars prequel trilogy on November 1, 1994. [137], Many aspects of the scripting and characters were criticized, especially that of Jar Jar Binks, who was regarded by many members of the older fan community as toyetic—a merchandising opportunity rather than a serious character. Meanwhile, Naboo's Senator Palpatine persuades Amidala to call for a vote of no confidence in Valorum to elect a more capable leader and to resolve the crisis. In its first two days of availability, the regular version sold 4.5 million copies and the limited edition sold 500,000. [163] At that time, the film was the third highest-grossing film in North America behind Titanic and Star Wars (1977), and the second highest-grossing film worldwide behind Titanic without adjusting for inflation of ticket prices. It was written and directed by franchise creator George Lucas, who took the director's chair for the first time since A New Hope. After a daring mission to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels dispatch to Endor to destroy the second Death Star. It grossed more than $924.3 million (equivalent to $1.42 billion in 2019) worldwide during its initial theatrical run, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1999, the second-highest-grossing film worldwide and in North America (behind Titanic), and the highest-grossing Star Wars film at the time. Use the HTML below. [111], The film was released worldwide on VHS between April 3 and 8, 2000. See the first fateful steps in the journey of Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon senses a strong presence of the Force within Anakin, and is convinced that he is the prophesied "Chosen One," destined to restore balance to the Force. But the main feature of Obi-Wan's teacher is not in these, of course, the most important qualities. [89] Queue areas formed outside cinema theaters over a month before ticket sales began. ): 'Phantom Menace' Moves Up to Fifth All-Time", "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (In 3D)", "The 72nd Academy Awards (2000) Nominees and Winners", "21st Annual Young Artist Awards: 1998–1999", British Academy of Film and Television Arts, "Natalie Portman Raps Defense of "Star Wars" Prequels", "Dark Rey's New Lightsaber Explained from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker", Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode I: Obi-Wan's Adventures, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga, Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Wars:_Episode_I_–_The_Phantom_Menace&oldid=1000822542, Films shot at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from August 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Many of the aliens are hybrids, combining features of real animals. [155] Some viewed it as a concept that negates the Force's spiritual quality. [184] A similar weapon to his dual-bladed lightsaber appears in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Despite the anticipation, it received mixed reviews; critics praised the visuals, action sequences, themes, John Williams' musical score, and some of the performances (notably Neeson and McGregor), but criticized the screenplay, characterization, and the respective performances of Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks and Lloyd as Anakin. The two Jedi escape, and along with their new Gungan friend, Jar Jar Binks head to Naboo to warn Queen Amidala, but droids have already started to capture Naboo and the Queen is not safe there. [126], Lucas stated the 3D re-release was "just a conversion" of the film's 2011 Blu-ray release and no additional changes were made. He concluded his review by saying that rather than Star Trek films, filmmakers could "[g]ive me transparent underwater cities and vast hollow senatorial spheres any day". Ebert also wrote that, "If some of the characters are less than compelling, perhaps that's inevitable" because it is the opening film in the new trilogy. [44] Biggar worked closely with concept designer Iain McCaig to create a color palette for the inhabitants of each world: Tatooine followed A New Hope with sun-bleached sand colors, Coruscant had grays, browns, and blacks, and Naboo had green and gold for humans while Gungans wore "a leathery look, like their skin". Set 32 years … Pernilla August started acting as a child, performing in plays at Vår teater and at school. [62] Most of the action and stunts were filmed by Roger Christian's second unit, which worked alongside the main unit instead of afterwards because of the high number of shots to be completed daily. Sally Hawkins made her screen debut as an uncredited villager. Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK. [185], A sequel, Attack of the Clones, was released in 2002. Instead, tickets were to be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The film 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 am… While writing the original Star Wars film,[b] Lucas decided the story was too vast to be covered in one film. The story takes place on three planets, some with varied environments such as the human and Gungan cities of Naboo and three buildings in Coruscant. With her help, he stands unshakably on his feet, seeking his own, by all means.Once having set a goal - to certainly train quite a young Anakin Skywalker - Qui-Gon will go to her persistently and steadily. [170] In North America, its revenues overtook those of the original Star Wars as the saga's highest-grossing film when not adjusting for inflation of ticket prices, and is the tenth highest-grossing film in North America as of August 2017[update]. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute. This was because of a fear that family theater-goers would be either unable to receive tickets or would be forced to pay higher prices for them. Before Liam Neeson impressed audiences with his portrayal of a CIA agent in Taken, and went on to voice Aslan, the lion king (literally) in The Chronicles of Narnia, he was a lightsaber-wielding Jedi master on Star Wars.. It was released on May 19 th, 1999. Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader. The film was followed by two sequels: Attack of the Clones in 2002 and Revenge of the Sith in 2005.[3]. But this is only at first glance, because if you look closely ...Young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his teacher, Qui-Gon Jin (Liam Neeson), go to negotiations with the Trade Federation, which threatens to blockade the peaceful little planet of Naboo. And Anakin Skywalker's aching lead heart, which is filled with a burning, drying fear after the death of a Jedi so much loved by him, also lies in a small coin, albeit of a larger value than the rest, on a comprehensive battle map of the devilish clever and cunning puppeteer. RELATED: Star Wars: 5 Things The Phantom Menace Did Better Than The Force Awakens (And 5 The Force Awakens Did Better) When the shot changes, she is at the front of a group of children throwing confetti, before returning to her position behind R2-D2 and Anakin. However, unlike Jesus, Anakin will eventually fall from grace and seemingly fail to fulfill his destiny (until the prophecy comes true in Return of the Jedi). If you want to continue to explore the fascinating world of "WandaVision," we have you covered with some inspired recommendations. Or $9.49 to buy MP3. [129][130] The film was extensively promoted in Japan; promotional products were sold by 7-Eleven, Domino's Pizza, Pepsi and Gari-Gari Kun. Swag is coming back! "[159] The greedy and corrupt Neimoidians of the Trade Federation speak with East Asian accents, and the unprincipled trader Watto has been interpreted as a Jewish stereotype reminiscent of Charles Dickens' character Fagin. He also said that the film was "well made and entertaining" and was much better than similar box office fare released around that year, such as The Mummy and The Matrix. [57] Sofia Coppola, daughter of Lucas' long-time friend and creative partner Francis Ford Coppola, considers Lucas as "like an uncle to me". [119], On April 7, 2015, Walt Disney Studios, 20th Century Fox, and Lucasfilm jointly announced the digital releases of the six released Star Wars films. The scene in which toxic gas is released on the Jedi is the only sequence with no digital alteration. However, because Lucas had developed most of the backstory, the idea of prequels continued to fascinate him. Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace Opening Crawl | StarWars.com This was the first crawl to be created entirely digitally. [151][152] James Berardinelli wrote, "The Phantom Menace was probably the most overhyped motion picture of the last decade (if not longer), and its reputation suffered as a result of its inability to satisfy unreasonable expectations. The Phantom Menace instead is a bold announcement that the new films will do their best to try something new every time. [138][139] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described Binks as "a major miscue, a comic-relief character who's frankly not funny". In Taoist philosophy, from The Way, yin and yang—the opposing but complementary aspects of reality or nature—are born. Alan Ruscoe appears as Jedi Master Plo Koon and Neimoidian Daultay Dofine, commander of the Trade Federation's droid control ships. The Phantom Menace became the fastest selling DVD ever in the U.S.; 2.2 million copies were sold in its first week after release. [59] The forest scenes on Naboo were filmed at Cassiobury Park in Watford, Hertfordshire. [8] Ray Park, a martial arts champion with experience in gymnastics and sword fighting, was originally a member of the stunt crew. [103] The next morning, the trailer was released on the film's official website and shortly afterwards the servers became overloaded. The effects and production design are stunning, but they always serve the story, not the other way around. [187][188] A second sequel, Revenge of the Sith, was released in 2005. [82] This film also notably borrows from Ben Hur, including the podrace sequence, which mirrors the chariot race scene; additionally, the end celebration scene closely resembles a Roman parade in Ben Hur. Is the Queen really who she says she is? [143] In an Entertainment Weekly review for the DVD release, Marc Bernardin gave the film a "C–", calling it "haplessly plotted, horribly written, and juvenile". Whitlatch also designed detailed skeletons for the major characters and facial muscles on Jar Jar Binks as a reference for ILM's animators. [124] Prime Focus Limited did the conversion under the supervision of ILM. [109], A LucasArts video game adaptation was released for the PlayStation and PC. The surviving members of the resistance face the First Order once again, and the legendary conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its peak bringing the Skywalker saga to its end.

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