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Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menance Synopsis
When the evil Trade Federation plots to take over the peaceful planet of Naboo, Jedi warrior Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi embark on an amazing adventure to save the planet. With them on their journey is the young queen Amidala, Gungan outcast JarJar Binks, and the powerful Captain Panaka, who will all travel to the faraway planets of Tatooine and Coruscant in a futile attempt to save their world from Darth Sidious, leader of the Trade Federation, and Darth Maul, the strongest Dark Lord of the Sith to ever wield a lightsaber. Purchase your copy of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menance today at |
Some material may not be suitable for children.Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menance NewsCarrie Fisher to Reprise Princess Leia Role in Upcoming Star War... 3/6/2013 12:36 PM EDT It has been confirmed that Carrie Fisher will definitely be back in the next Star Wars film. Fisher herself confirmed the news during an interview with Palm Beach Illustrated. When asked if she could confirm that she would be reprising the role of Princess Leia, she replied, "Yes". She went on, joking about how she thought Leia would be portrayed. "Elderly. She's in an intergalactic old folks' h... More>> Harrison Ford to Return to Star Wars? 2/15/2013 1:17 PM EDT Some exciting news for Star Wars fan! According to Latino Review, Harrison Ford will be returning to the franchise as Han Solo. There hasn't been any official statement released yet, but rumor has it that he is definitely locked in for the role. Ford has said in the past that he wouldn't come back as Solo, but then recently, he said he would. We look forward to a confirmation soon!... More>> Could Yoda Be Getting a Biopic? 2/5/2013 5:07 PM EDT Disney Pictures is currently working on the "Star Wars: Episode VII" film, but now they are also in the process of making some spinoffs.Bob Iger confirmed on CNBC that there are some scripts being developed, and that more details will be released when they are ready. Many are speculating about a possibly standalone film about Yoda.There is no confirmation of specific characters that will... More>> No More 3D Releases for Star Wars Prequels 1/28/2013 4:43 PM EDT Disney has decided that they will be passing on releasing any more of the "Star Wars" prequels in 3D, according to Deadline. The decision most likely comes directly as a result from the poor performance of "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" that was released in February of 2012.The film only debuted with $23 million domestically, and was looked at as simply another way for George Lucas to make mone... More>> J.J. Abrams to Direct Star Wars 1/24/2013 5:01 PM EDT J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay. “It’s very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie,” said Kennedy. “J.J. is the perfect dir... More>> Matthew Vaughn Top Pick Candidate for Next Star Wars Film 11/28/2012 2:45 PM EDT Matthew Vaughn, who directed "Kick-Ass" and "X-Men: First Class", is now on the list to possibly direct the upcoming "Star Wars: Episode VII".Other directors have said that they aren't attached to the position, which makes Vaughn the most likely candidate for the job. There have been no comments from the studio or from the director.<div style="background-color:#f1f1f1;padding... More>> Could Harrison Ford Be Returning to Star Wars Franchise? 11/6/2012 2:18 PM EDT With the entertainment industry abuzz about the recent announcement of Disney/Lucasfilm merger, the news of more "Star Wars" films has kept the rumor mill busy.Yesterday, a rumor was posted online about the possibility of Matthew Vaughn ("X-Men: First Class" and "Kick Ass") coming aboard to helm "Star Wars: Episode VII", and fueling the rumor is his recent departure from "X-Men: D... More>> Fox Still Owns The Rights To Original Star Wars Films 11/1/2012 11:50 AM EDT News hit the world about Disney acquiring "Star Wars" from George Lucas with a lot of various reactions. Mostly, it seemed that "Star Wars" fans were worried about where Disney would go with the franchise. However, it may comfort those fans to know that 20th Century Fox owns the distribution rights to the original 1977 "Star Wars" film, as well a... More>> Star Wars Episode VII Coming To Theaters Via Disney In Blockbust... 10/30/2012 4:13 PM EDT Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA, October 30, 2012 - Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas. Countdown to the release of Star Wars: Ep... More>> The Final Two Star Wars Prequels to be Released in 3D in 2013 8/27/2012 1:34 PM EDT Since the re-release of "The Phantom Menace" in 3D earlier this year, the question that has been on the mind of every Star Wars fan was "when will we get to see Attack of the Clones re-released in the same format?"The good news is that it is coming; the bad news is that it's just over twelve months away! Via the official Star Wars twitter feed, the news was announced that "Attack of the Clones" wi... More>> I've Got A Bad Feeling About This -- A Look at Star Wars: The Ph... 2/12/2012 11:26 AM EDT To not much media fanfare (or fan desire), George Lucas has decided its time to re-release the entirety of the Star Wars catalog back on the big screen...only this time in glorious 3D! Another in a long list of cash grabs for Mr. Lucas, The decision to start with the much maligned Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and go in what he considers the new canonical order of the series is quite questionable.... More>> Star Wars Set Breaks Records 9/23/2011 4:00 PM EDT The nine disc "Star Wars" boxed set was released and, not surprisingly, has broken records.While many people were upset at the changes that were made to the Blu-ray, it didn't stop anyone from purchasing it, apparently. So far, the box set has earned $84 million since September 16. The earnings have made this the number one pre-order and 'catalog title' ever released in Blu-ray.... More>> For more Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menance news please visit FlickDirect's movie news section. |
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menance Staff Review There is nary a person alive today who hasn't heard of Star Wars or seen the influence it has had on culture. So to explain it to you seems unnecessary but for the sake of this article let's do so. Star Wars follows a group of resistance fighters who are trying to topple the regime of an evil emperor, at the same time a young farm boy eager to make his mark in the world discovers he is part of an ancient culture capable of tapping into a mystical energy that exists in the universe.The original movie aired in the late 70's and spawned two sequels titled The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The movies were a blockbuster success and made George Lucas (its creator) a household name. But many fans, for many years, waited for Mr. Lucas to return to that universe and map out the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker, who would one day become Darth Vader. Finally near the end of the 90's the wait was over when the first of the prequel trilogy arrived in theaters titled Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The movie went back a generation to a time when the Republic was still the major political force in the universe and the Jedi were the guardians of peace throughout the galaxy. The plot went something like this: A Jedi knight and his young pupil become mixed in a political battle over trading rights which is being secretly manipulated by a dark figure. The two Jedi wind up aiding two young children, one who is a poor boy from a backwater planet and another who is the leader of the people whose planet is being laid siege. With me so far? By the end of the film the young boy is recruited into the Jedi as an apprentice, or padawan, and the planet of Naboo is saved however the figure who manipulated this entire situation is never discovered and that lays the seeds for the sequel. Reaction to this film was mixed and many fans felt it did not do the series justice; this fan was one of those non-supporters. The movie just doesn't work on many levels; there is no clear villain, the over use of CGI in the film disconnects you from the whole experience and the performances are superbly underwhelming. At the risk of sounding like someone refusing to adapt to the "new", the old films were simply better, the characters were more fleshed out, performances were stronger, and the effects in the movie weren't completely reliant on CGI but instead made use of models which gave the effects scenes more substance. Even scenes with alien beings were better because the first film relied on live actors in make-up instead of forcing an actor to play against nothing and add in a CGI character later. Let's stop here because this could go on for a while, and the point of this article is to discuss the re-re-release of The Phantom Menace in theaters, now in 3D. 3D is a questionable format right now, some films benefit from it because they are engineered that way while others are made worse because 3D is just slapped on afterwards. The Phantom Menace is a good example of the latter; the film was clearly not made with the idea of 3D in mind so many of the scenes where it would be useful or fun wind up being neither. Suffice it to say, this film just doesn't work on many levels and putting it back in theaters now just seems wholly unnecessary especially considering the reaction to it. But it seems that releasing Star Wars in theaters is all that is left to Lucas at this point. It's not something to feel bad about, he made some great films besides Star Wars; go check out the Indiana Jones series or American Graffiti. Those are some classic films and the impact his effects studio has had on cinema in the 20th century is unparalleled. So in closing let's not be too upset over Star Wars, no matter how anyone feels about it, its impact on the world is clear and unchangeable. May the Force always be with us. --Chris Rebholz For more reviews please visit our film/television review section. |
