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 (manga) Star Wars (manga) Four "Star Wars" films were adapted to manga by Dark Horse Comics between 1998 and 1999: "Star Wars" (1977), "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), "Return of the Jedi" (1983), and "" (1999). To conform to Western standards, for the English versions the art was copied in mirror-image in order to be read from left to right. Artwork - Hisao Tamaki Volumes - 4 Volume 1: Luke meeting Obi-wan and the droids, destruction of Luke's home Volume 2: Meeting of Han Solo, journey to Death Star Volume 3: Death Star events, Obi-wan's death Volume 4: Attack of Death