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: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (novel) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (novel) Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is a novelization of the "" written by Matthew Stover and published on April 2, in 2005 by Del Rey Books. The plot of the book corresponds with that of the movie, beginning and ending at the same points. There are several elements added not seen in the film (Lorth Needa as commander of the "Integrity" at the Battle of Coruscant, for example), while several sections of the plot are removed for pacing. All of the deleted scenes with the founders of the Rebel