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).
Star Wars (film) adapted by E. Jack Kaplan and Cheryl Gard. An audio CD boxed set of the "Star Wars" radio series was released in 1993, containing the original 1981 radio drama along with the radio adaptations of the sequels, "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi". Footnotes Citations Star Wars (film) Star Wars (later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) is a 1977 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first film in the original "Star Wars" trilogy and the beginning of the "Star Wars" franchise. Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison