Production Year: 1999 - Science Fiction - Director: George Lucas - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Pernilla August, Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Oliver Ford Davies, Terence Stamp, Brian Blessed, Kenny Baker, Ralph Brown, Anthony Daniels, Warwick Davis, Adrian Dunbar, Hugh Quarshie, Samuel L. Jackson, Ahmed Best, Silas Carson more
The first of three prequels to George Lucas's celebrated STAR WARS films, EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE is set some 30 years before the original STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE in... more
inStar Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menaceas he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event ... well, ever. He might as well be speaking ...
are building an army of assassin droids and unless they are stopped, these dangerous machines will terrorise the galaxy.Your job is to become a master droid builder by designing and building druids that help you complete important missions. Ultimately you must find the secret location of the assassin factory and reprogram the assassin droids to outsmart the evil empire. But can they cut it?!Everything you need to construct the perfect droid is in the workshop. You can choose from 87 unique parts and build from a possible 25 million variations. You can even paint them to your own specification. Droids are tested in the training facility where you learn how to overcome obstacles that lie ahead in the perilous 3D environments.Aimed at anyone from 10 years up, the BAFTA award-winningStar Wars Droidworksis an engrossing and highly entertaining game. It might sound complex but there are four tutorials which clearly show you how to build and operate droids and deploy them on missions. There are easy-to-follow on-screen instructions telling you the speed, how much power you have left and where to exit to the workshops.The assassin droids are large hunks of moving scrap metal. They are dull-witted and fairly easy to elude. But don't let them get too close--and may the force be with you! --Justin Hunt
leaves Mos Espa at dawn, how long will it take to get to the Arena Gate?" Watto, Tatooine's notorious junk dealer, has purchased a large pit-droids shipment to help with the pod races. Naturally, the droids don't know the way, leaving you to direct the capering mechanoids to their goals by placing various arrows in their path.Right from the slick panoramic interface,Pit Droidsis a blast. C-3PO's thorough tutorials (featuring the inimitable Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2's chirpy in-game help will have you herding the hordes of droids in no time. Not only do you need to avoid collisions, you need to change droids' attributes, sort them and adjust the timing of their patterns. While holding your attention with the frenetic puzzle-solving fun,Pit Droidsquietly refines your logical-thinking and problem-solving skills, making it a great game for older children as well as adults.Pit Droidsrewards progress with comic short films of the clowning droids in action. Eight locations offer more than 300 puzzles spanning three levels of difficulty, and the Puzzle Editor lets you build your own devices. It's enough to keep you interested for as long as the droids keep you scrambling. --Jack Gardiner, amazon.com
Decidedlynotanother Star Wars arcade game, this software incorporates music, vocabulary, critical-thinking skills, geometry and map reading in six different activities with four different difficulty levels.When all the levels are completed, you can print out an official Yoda-endorsed certificate--Luke Skywalker never got this kind of reinforcement!You can jam with the Cantina Band or create your own songs, all the while drumming with Jar Jar to outwit the battle droids. This program contains tricky tangrams; when they're complete, each picture turns into a real scene from Episode I. It's also possible to print your own illustrated stories in the process of programming C3PO's memory. With extraordinary graphics, great sound, and so many different puzzles and printables, all of these content-rich games are sure to delight and challenge the Padawan learners in your galaxy.--Jill Lightner
Demolitionis yet another embarrassingly mediocre title based on the premier sci-fi movie series. A mish-mash of elements from the variousStar Warsfilms, the laughably implausible premise here allows for disparate combatants (Boba Fett, a piloted Pod Racer, and a Rancor, to name a few) to fight in arenas that range from inappropriate (e.g. the swampy Dagobah) to impossible (e.g. the surface of the Death Star II).It's a shame that the gameplay inStar Wars Demolitionisn't even remotely as imaginative as its "what if?" fanboy scenario, as all you've got here is an uninspired regurgitation of similar games (likeVigilante 8), with clunky controls tossed in for bad measure.Whatever "amusement" one can find inStar Wars Demolitionwears thin really fast, making this disc one really expensiveStar Wars-themed drink coaster. --Joe Hon
buffs alike. Covering everything you might want to know about the film, the information comes on two discs. Disc 1 covers characters, technology, vehicles and locations, while Disc 2 relays the Star Wars Saga, behind the scenes action and the expanded universe, with a plethora of other Star Wars material beyondThe Phantom Menaceitself.As you steer through the guide, you can discover the tricks of the trade, see shots behind the scenes, examine the scale models used in movie making and browse through the concept art of your favourite characters. There is also a glossary of Star Wars expressions, providing you with all the knowledge to astonish your friends.Navigation around the guide is very user friendly and suitable for all ages. With an array of video and audio clips, even the youngest enthusiast will be entertained. For the potential masterminds, there is a self-scoring trivia option on many pages, which will keep a running total of your scores as you browse.If you are a die-hard Star Wars fan, then theInsider's Guidewill hold pride of places among other Star Wars memorabilia. However, the guide is not a game so the longevity of the entertainment value might be restricted as a result. --Chris Hall
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
A review by ultrafrosty on Star Wars - Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (DVD) September 2nd, 2006
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Satisfactory
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?
Good
Advantages:
It's still Star Wars . . .
Disadvantages:
Pretty much the weakest of both trilogies . . .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
* * * Please note: This review first appeared on www.dooyoo.co.uk under my dooyoo alias of dlb74 * * *
Well... After a gap of 16 years, George Lucas finally brought us what we'd been waiting for for what seemed like forever... MORE STAR WARS!!! The problem is that when it arrived, the anticipation of the original trilogy had given us too much to hope for.
For some, The Phantom Menace was more of the escapism magic that Lucas had conjured up for us in our younger years... and for others it was a vast, vast disappointment. I personally liked it though it certainly wasn't on par as a whole as the other three films that had preceded it... but then... how could it?!? We tend to forget that we are all a fair bit older than when we first saw the original trilogy and as adults in today's stressful world, we have forgotten what it is to just let go and enjoy the ride.
Phantom Menace is certainly still a thrill ride in places - and in all the right ways for a Star Wars film. There is still more than enough in this installment to make us feel comfortable and familiar in a galaxy that we already know:
-------------------------
Disc 1: Episode I: The Phantom Menace
The Plot:
There are certainly lots of familiar faces and names in this film to remind us we are still in Lucas's domain... and it's pretty interesting to find out a little more of some character's origins.
Of course, this is the first chapter in the story of how Anakin Skywalker (Jake Bloody Lloyd) eventually turns to the darkside and becomes Darth Vader... though in this film, Anakin is still a child. I have to say that although I don't despise Jake Lloyd or his representation of Anakin, I have often wondered why George Lucas couldn't have hired a better chikd actor to play him. On the DVD extras, we see both Jake Lloyd's original screen test and that of another boy (whose name I don't know... Sorry, boy who was ALMOST Anakin Skywalker!!! If it's any consolation, I still think you were better than Lloyd!!!) who in my humble opinion would have been a much better Anakin. There's just something about this other kid that makes you think back of how Luke Skywalker will look in Episode IV and you can totally imagine the kind of resemblance that would have existed between Anakin and Luke...
Anyway... I digress!
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is portrayed as a young man - still learning the ways of The Force and is an apprentice Jedi (known as a 'Padawan', you know!) who is being trained by Jedi-Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson). There is something very reassuring about Qui-Gon - that makes you feel how wise this character is. Liam Neeson is as good as ever and is one of the best bits of casting in Phantom Menace.
That said, there are still some other strong and reliable examples of the casting. Ian McDiarmid is great as Senator Palpatine. Yoda is also in Phantom Menace - but instead of seeing him hobbling around in a secluded swampland, we see him here at the height of his time in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Frank Oz is as reliable as always at giving Yoda the jumbled up way of speaking that we've all come to know and love. It's great seeing these characters as we know for a majority of them what their future holds - but the real fun is watching it unfold.
Now, I must be absolutely honest and say that this is by no means. There are still lots of areas where Phantom Menace disappoints. Of course one of the most hated additions in this Episode was Jar Jar Binks - the Gungan who's nonsensical way of speaking makes Yoda sound like he's speaking the fluent Queen's English! Jar Jar would have been a better character had he played a more secondary role or at the very least if Lucas had written him and his dialogue to be... well... just more mature. I know the Star Wars movies have always been primarily for kids. Why else do you think lots of us big kids grew to love them? Because we were mostly only kids ourselves when we first saw them! That said though, Lucas really should have considered his older fan base too when writing this. Anyway... getting back to another point where Phantom Menace fails in my opinion...
Yoda.
Yes. Yoda! Okay... as I wrote above, Frank Oz still provides the voice for Yoda. Perfect. He also controlled the puppet in this installment - just as he did in Episodes V and VI. Fantastic! No-one else could have controlled the Yoda puppet like Oz... but the puppet itself is just not quite right. We know that Yoda is meant to be Younger in Episode I than in the later Episodes BUT although it still looks like him, it somehow doesn't feel like this incantation of him could become the Yoda we were introduced to in Empire Strikes Back. He's kind of too green in my opinion and not quite as convincing as the puppet used in Empire and Jedi. The curious thing is that in one of the extras on the Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith DVD, there is a fully realised clip of the computer generated Yoda that was used in Episodes II and III (which WAS totally Yoda... the one we already knew... the one who ends up having to hide away on Dagobah!) saying the stuff he says to Anakin in this one:
"Fear leads to anger. Anger Leads to hate. Hate... leads to suffering."
Read into this what you will... Does this mean we can expect Lucas to do what he's infamous for and churn out yet another version of Phantom Menace? I have to be honest and say that I WOULD actually buy it again just to own a version of the film with the far superior CGI Yoda in it... for all my sins! Could I just ask 'Uncle George' and all at Lucasfilm one tiny little favour? It's not even the one that other fans might ask - like killing off Jar Jar. Nope - he's there now and that's that. Like it or not. Anthony Daniels must be pleased though as with the arrival of Jar Jar Binks, C-3PO was no longer the most thoroughly irritating character in the Star Wars galaxy!
Now... Back to my favour to George Lucas. Please if you ever release Episode I with a CGI Yoda, can you please also commision the guys at ILM to create a CGI Anakin too so we don't have to put up with Jake Lloyd's occasionally wooden and forced performance? Thanks!
Anyway... back to the plot before I lose the plot again!
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are sent on behalf of the Jedi Council to attempt negotiations with the corrupt Trade Federation who are locked in a dispute with the peaceful government of Naboo. The Viceroy of the Trade Federation, Nute Gunray, is being coerced into the blockade of Naboo by the mysterious Darth Sideous. Who is Sideous and what are his plans for the pawns in this game of his? Sideous orders Nute Gunray to kill the two visiting Jedi immediately.
After escaping narrowly with their lives, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stow away on seperate Trade Federation attack ships to the surface of Naboo, where Qui-Gon saves the clumsy Jar-Jar and ruins the film for countless fan-boys. The trio end up in the city of Theed, where Queen Amidala of Naboo has been captured. After a daring rescue, the Jedi, Jar-Jar, the Queen and her crew escape the clutches of the Trade Federation but are forced to seek solace on the nearby planet of Tatooine due to damage their ship has taken during their escape.
On Tatooine, they meet a little boy named Anakin who has been sold along with his mother as slaves to an alien junkyard proprietor named Watto, who sees a perfect opportunity to rip-off the Jedi who are looking for replacement parts for their damaged ship.
It turns out that little Anakin is already quite a pilot despite his age and is quite an established pod racer. Qui-Gon manages to free Anakin from slavery by using the influence of the force to rig a roll of chance dice on whether a win for Anakin will speall his freedom or his mother's. Qui-Gon sees potential in the boy and senses The Force is strong in him.
This brings me to another thing I wasn't keen on at all in Phantom Menace. In Episode IV, Obi-Wan explains to Luke that "The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together" whereas in this installment as with all three prequels, The Force is explained away with the mentioning of midi-chlorians - microscopic beings that live inside cells of most living creatures and communicate with The Force. What the?!? This also leads to a ridiculous revelation from Anakin's mother to Qui-Gon when asked who his father is. She tells him there was no father. Okaaay... so a virgin birth?!? Not exactly original... and not fitting somehow to Star Wars. Who are we to throw our hands in the air and wonder just what the hell Lucas is playing at? Star Wars is his baby afterall so we should be used to this kind of weirdness from him by now!
Qui-Gon takes Anakin to the Jedi Council and explains that he feels the boy to be the subject of a prophecy which speaks of one who will bring "balance to The Force"... How wrong can he be?!?
We all know where Anakin's path ultimately leads him but it's intriguing seeing the start of this journey toward the darkside. So to summarise, Phantom Menace isn't awful... it's just nowhere near as good as it could have been. Still - most origin stories drag along at times and Star Wars is by no means infallible.
Every journey has a first step - so said the teaser trailer for Phantom Menace. This was more of a slight stumble but we know better things lie ahead so grin and bear the cringe-inducing elements of this and try to remember what it felt like when you saw your first Star Wars films when you were a youngling!
THE DVD:
Audio Commentary By Writer/Director George Lucas, Producer Rick McCallum, Co-Editor And Sound Designer Ben Burtt, Visual Effects Supervisors Scott Squires, John Knoll And Dennis Muren, And Animation Supervisor Rob Coleman
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen (PAL)
English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
This version of the film contains seven never-before-seen deleted scenes with full visual effects completed just for the DVD.
-------------------------
Disc 2: Bonus Material
- "The Beginning" - An hour-long documentary containing some very insightful information regarding the process of creating a new Star Wars movie - from pre to post production. Offering unprecedented access to both Lucasfilm and ILM during the making of the movie.
- Multi-angle storyboard to animatic to finished film featurette.
- Five further behind-the-scenes featurettes.
- John Williams' "Duel Of The Fates" music video from 1999.
- Galleries of theatrical posters, print campaigns and exclusive previously unreleased production photos.
- Trailers and 7 TV spots.
- Star Wars: Starfighter - The making of the game featurette from Lucasarts.
-------------------------
MY CONCLUSION:
This DVD set the bench-mark for the kind of presentation that would be expected for any Star Wars movie. Both picture and sound are outstanding and the menus are beautifully animated.
As I said, this is a far from perfect Star Wars outing but it's still first class entertainment despite it's flaws. Not great but not awful either... The best is yet to come.
Advantages: It's Star Wars! Disadvantages: Jar Jar Bin, some overly long scenes, some FX
...In 1999, twenty years after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was first released at the cinema amidst a wave of fanatical behaviour, followed by episodes V and VI, George Lucas' considerable enterprise starts off the prequel trilogy with Episode I: A Phantom Menace. The film was eagerly anticipated for so long, with die hard Star Wars fans queuing, sometimes for days, to be one of the first to get a glimpse of the new film. This was to set the scene ... ...of them, would tell a chronological tale. Phantom Menace was met with much excitement, and raving reviews. It also met with criticism, and there was disappointment amidst all the eagerness.
The Plot
A dispute between the Trade Federation and the Galactic Republic has led to a blockade on the planet Naboo. Two Jedi, Master Qui-Gon Jin and his fully trained apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, are attempting to resolve the dispute with Viceroy Nate Gunroy ...
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26.03.2009
You Know You Want It... Review ofStar Wars - Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (DVD)by
Howiemon
Advantages: Stunning presentaion, quality extras - and plenty of them, DVD identical the world over. Disadvantages: Frickin' Jar Jar!
...big one, this is a Star Wars movie.
Maybe not THE Star Wars movie, and certainly not the BEST Star Wars movie, but a Star Wars movie nonetheless, and arguably the most anticipated movie of all time.
Whether the film actually lived up to its enormous expectations is, of course, another matter, and for many the answer to that would be a resounding 'no', but I'm not here to discuss the artistic merits of the movie - that has been done already (and ... ...in Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Star Wars - Episode 1 will give you an audio adventure like no other movie. Even the benchmark standards set by previous discs such as The Matrix and Terminator 2, pale in comparison to what is on offer here. All of the sequences that you would expect to sound good, do, with obvious highlights being the space battles, the much-touted pod-race and the astonishing three-way lightsabre battle at the end, but even during Phantom's ...
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19.10.2001
(12.12.2002)
Recipe For A Bad Film Review ofStar Wars - Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (DVD)by
Nameless
Advantages: Some very good scenes, as a standalone film it's pretty good Disadvantages: Some bad decisions made in the build up to this, overhyped and up against the best sci-fi films ever.
...a great fan of the Star Wars saga I, like most others, was eagerly awaiting the new film.
I’ll step back first to give you the idea (if you were on mars for the last 5 years.) The Phantom Menace is the (poorly titled) prequel to the original Star Wars Trilogy (now when the first film says Episode IV we all get it.) Set some 30 years before Han Solo, Chewie and the rest got mixed up with Darth Vader, this film focuses on Vader as a young boy, ... ...Some 30 years before Star Wars, the trade federation takes control of the planet Naboo by force, the chancellor of the republic sends 2 Jedi Knights to negotiate a treaty. However they will discover a more sinister force at work, and a young boy who could change the future of the galaxy.
Reasonably standard sci-fi stuff with the Star Wars logo emblazoned on it. The action moves swiftly around the galaxy, from Naboo to the Republic’s home planet ...
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Advantages: the name 'Star Wars', great actors, music Disadvantages: it's not as good as it could be!
...30 years before the old Star Wars
movies.
The old republic is weakened. The commercial federation besieges the weak planet Naboo. Unfortunately the senate cannot undertake anything against it. As last way out it transmits the Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn and its
young apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to the commercial federation, in order to
hold peace conversations.
But one tries to kill them, but they can flee and land on Naboo. There the commercial ... ...Now, many people, particularly Star Wars Fan, think that Episode 1 is really bad!
I follow this opinion only reduced. Episode 1 isn't that bad! No, the film is even really good! But as a Star Wars film it is rather bad only.
Which is probably because of the fact that the three original movies put
the measuring pole condemned highly!
The problem of this film is, that one notices too often that the film tries to come forceful on the level of the ...
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Advantages: Good Disc and despite it all it IS star wars Disadvantages: Three words...JAR JAR BINKS
...bad (at least on a Star Wars level) but thankfully it only seemed to strengthen my admiration and love of the original three….
I suppose that’s something good to come out of it!
The film begins with the Trade Federation setting up a blockade against the planet of Naboo. Don’t ask me why this is, either it isn’t explained very well or I just didn’t care to pay much attention.
Two Jedi – Qui Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) ... ...good stuff is the true Star Wars stuff.
What’s wrong with it?
Everything else!!!!! Annakin Skywalker, as we all know, is destined to become Darth Vader. He is portrayed as the most sweet and innocent child in the world. Ok fine but surly Darth Vader, even at this age should have some sort of dark cloud over him? It’s too sickly for words as he runs around shouting ‘Yippeeee’ and everyone calls him ‘Annie’….Ugh! ...
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Plot: A prequel to Star Wars which introduces the main characters; a young boy with special powers called Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The galaxy is threatened by war and the Jedi Knights must keep the peace at all costs. Jedi warrior Qui-Gon Jinn sets out to save the planet of Naboo from the Trade Federation.
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; Deluxe Video Service - Fox
Special Effects: Industrial Light and Magic, Nick Dudman, Dennis Muren, Scott Squires, John Knoll
Costume Designer: Trisha Biggar
Languages
Main Language: English
Subtitle Language: Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Hearing Impaired Language: English
DVD Description
The first of three prequels to George Lucas's celebrated STAR WARS films, EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE is set some 30 years before the original STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE in the era of the Republic. Naboo, a peaceful planet governed by the young but wise Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman), is being threatened by the corrupt Trade Federation, puppets of an evil Sith lord and his terrifying apprentice, Darth Maul (Ray Park). Jedi knights Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor, performing an amazing vocal imitation of Alec Guinness, the older Obi-Wan) are called on to intervene in the trade disputes. Along the way, they acquire an apprentice of their own in the form of young prodigy Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), or as STAR WARS fans know him, the future Darth Vader. They also encounter Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best), a goofy, lizardlike creature who has been banished from his underwater world for clumsiness. When the Trade Federation launches an attack on Naboo, the queen and her allies must battle hordes of robot troopers while Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan face off against the sinister Darth Maul. One of the most anticipated films of all time, THE PHANTOM MENACE sets the stage for the tumultuous events to come. Lucas fills the screen with detailed sci-fi creatures and locations, revealing the most creative and exquisite sets, costumes, and character designs to hit the screen since the original trilogy.
Technical information
Special Features: Commentary By George Lucas, Deleted Scenes Documentary Including Extended Podrace Sequence, Interactive Featurette, Original Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots, Cast And Crew Photographs, Twelve Part Web Documentary Series That Chronicles The Production Of Episode One, Five Featurettes Which Explore The Storyline Design Costumes Visual Effects And Fight Scenes, Duel Of The Fates Music Video Featuring John Williams, Production Photo Gallery, DVD ROM Weblink
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround English
Professional reviews
Review: "...It sustains the gee-whiz spirit of the series and offers a swashbuckling extragalactic getaway..." (New York Times, p.E1, 19/05/1999)
"...Thrilling pod race and gorgeous images..." -- 3 out of 5 stars (Premiere, p.96, 01/05/2000)
"...Impressive....A complex technical achievement..." (Sight and Sound, p.34-5, 01/07/1999)
"...A visual circus of stunning effects. Once again, it simply boils down to a fight between good and evil, and the hordes of STAR warriors wouldn't have it any other way..." (USA Today, p.8E, 21/05/1999)
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