“Star Wars 1” redirects here. For the first Star Wars film, see Star Wars (film).
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed through George Lucas, produced via Lucasfilm, allotted through twentieth Century Fox and starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Pernilla August, and Frank Oz. It is the fourth movie in the Star Wars film collection, the first film of the prequel trilogy and the primary chronological bankruptcy of the “Skywalker Saga”. Set 32 years earlier than the authentic trilogy, throughout the era of the Galactic Republic, the plot follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi as they are trying to defend Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo in hopes of securing a peaceful cease to an interplanetary change dispute. Joined by Anakin Skywalker—a younger slave with surprisingly robust herbal powers of the Force—they simultaneously cope with the mysterious go back of the Sith.
Following the release of Return of the Jedi, Lucas was unmotivated to return to the franchise and hold the tale past Return of the Jedi, even though the backstory he created on Anakin sparked interest in him to develop a prequel trilogy. After he determined that computer-generated imagery (CGI) had advanced to the level he desired for the prequel trilogy’s visual consequences, Lucas began writing The Phantom Menace in 1993 and manufacturing commenced in 1994. Filming began on June 26, 1997, at locations which include Leavesden Film Studios and the Tunisian wilderness and ended on September 30. The movie became Lucas’s first directorial effort after a 22-year hiatus following the original Star Wars[b] in 1977.
The Phantom Menace became released in theaters on May 19, 1999, almost 16 years after the surest of Return of the Jedi. The film’s optimum became significantly blanketed with the aid of media and became greatly expected due to the big cultural following the Star Wars saga had cultivated. Upon its launch, The Phantom Menace acquired mixed opinions. While the visible results, motion sequences, musical rating, and a few performances (specifically Neeson’s) had been praised, criticism become largely targeted on the screenplay, pacing, and characters, most considerably Jar Jar Binks. Despite the mixed reception, The Phantom Menace changed into a container workplace success and broke numerous field workplace records in the course of its debut. It grossed extra than $924.3 million worldwide at some point of its preliminary theatrical run, becoming the very best-grossing movie of 1999, the second one-highest-grossing movie global and in North America (at the back of Titanic), and the highest-grossing Star Wars movie on the time. A three-D reissue, which earned an extra $102.7 million and taken the film’s average global takings to over $1 billion, become launched in February 2012. Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005) observed The Phantom Menace, rounding out the Star Wars prequel trilogy.Plot[edit]
The Trade Federation creates turmoil within the Galactic Republic via blocking the planet Naboo in protest of new rules taxing important galactic alternate routes. The Republic’s leader, Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, dispatches Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to barter with Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray. Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord and the Trade Federation’s secret benefactor, orders the Viceroy to kill the Jedi and begin an invasion with an military of warfare droids, but the Jedi break out and flee to Naboo. During the invasion, Qui-Gon rescues a Gungan outcast, Jar Jar Binks. Indebted to Qui-Gon, Jar Jar leads the Jedi to Otoh Gunga, the Gungans’ underwater city. The Jedi fail to influence the Gungan leader, Boss Nass, to help the planet’s floor dwellers, however control to gain Jar Jar’s guidance and underwater delivery to Theed, the capital town of Naboo. After rescuing Queen Amidala, the organization make their get away from Naboo aboard her Royal Starship, proceeding to reach the Republic capital planet of Coruscant.
Passing via the Federation blockade, the deliver is broken in the crossfire, and its hyperdrive malfunctions. The deliver lands for repairs on the outlying barren region planet of Tatooine, situated beyond the Republic’s jurisdiction. Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, astromech droid R2-D2, and Queen Padmé Amidala (in cover as one in every of her own handmaidens) go to the agreement of Mos Espa to buy a new element for their hyperdrive. They come across a junk provider, Watto, and his nine-yr-antique slave, Anakin Skywalker, a gifted pilot and engineer who has constructed a protocol droid, C-3PO.
Qui-Gon senses a sturdy presence of the Force inside Anakin, and is convinced that he’s the prophesied “Chosen One,” destined to restore balance to the Force. With Watto refusing to simply accept price in Republic currency, Qui-Gon wagers both the specified hyperdrive part and Anakin’s freedom in a podrace. Anakin wins the race and joins the group to study as a Jedi, reluctantly leaving behind his mother, Shmi. En course to their starship, Qui-Gon encounters Darth Maul, Sidious’ apprentice, who was sent to seize Amidala. After a short lightsaber duel Qui-Gon escapes aboard the starship with the others.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan escort Amidala to Coruscant in order that she will be able to plead her human beings’s case to Chancellor Valorum and the Galactic Senate. Qui-Gon informs the Jedi Council that his attacker became a Sith and eventually asks for permission to teach Anakin as a Jedi, however the Council refuses his request, worried that Anakin is susceptible to the darkish aspect of the Force. Undaunted, Qui-Gon vows to absorb Anakin as his new apprentice. Meanwhile, Naboo’s Senator Palpatine persuades Amidala to name for a vote of no confidence in Valorum to pick a greater succesful chief and to solve the crisis. Though she is a hit in pushing for the vote, Amidala grows pissed off with the corruption within the Senate, and makes a decision to go back to Naboo. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are ordered by means of the Jedi Council to accompany the queen and look into the go back of the Sith, whom that they had concept to be extinct for over a millennium.
On Naboo, Padmé reveals herself because the real queen before the Gungans to benefit their believe, and persuades them to assist in opposition to the Trade Federation. Jar Jar is promoted to widespread and joins his tribe in a warfare in opposition to the droid military, whilst Padmé leads the look for Gunray in Theed. Qui-Gon tells Anakin to cover inside a starfighter in the palace hangar, but he by accident triggers its autopilot, and flies into space, joining the Naboo pilots in their battle in opposition to the Federation droid manage deliver. With R2’s help, Anakin pilots the fighter into the deliver and reasons its destruction from within, deactivating the droid army. Meanwhile, Maul, who has been dispatched by using Sidious to assist Gunray, engages in a lightsaber duel with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Maul mortally wounds Qui-Gon, however is then sliced in half via Obi-Wan and falls down a shaft.[c] Qui-Gon asks Obi-Wan to teach Anakin earlier than dying in his fingers.