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 Guyett. were included with introductions from Lucas and McCallum. An Xbox game demo for "" along with a trailer for the "" PC game was featured on the second disc. Also, a special two-pack exclusive, sold only at Wal-Mart stores, included another bonus DVD, "The Story of Star Wars". This release is notable because, due to marketing issues, it was the first "Star Wars" film never to be released on VHS in the United States. However, the film was released on VHS in Australia, the U.K. and other countries in the world. The DVD was re-released in a prequel trilogy