Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace effort after a 22-year hiatus following "Star Wars" in 1977. "The Phantom Menace" was released in theaters on May 19, 1999, almost 16 years after the premiere of the previous "Star Wars" film, "Return of the Jedi". The film's premiere was extensively covered by media and was greatly anticipated because of the large cultural following the "Star Wars" saga had cultivated. It received mixed reviews; critics praised the visuals, action sequences, John Williams' musical score and some of the performances, but criticized the screenplay, characterization, and Ahmed Best and Jake Lloyd's performances (as Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker respectively).
Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III" (also known as "Robot Chicken: Star Wars III") is a 2010 episode special of the television comedy series "Robot Chicken", and the third and final installment in the Annie Award-winning and Emmy-nominated "" trilogy. It premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block on December 19, 2010. The special is 45 minutes long, as opposed to the usual 11-minute "Robot Chicken" runtime and the 21-minute runtime of the two previous "Star Wars" specials. It was the final "Robot Chicken: Star Wars" special. Unlike the previous installments in the