The sets were often built with the parts that would be required on screen; often they were built only up to the heights of the actors. Now Playing and Upcoming Films. Knoll and his visual effects team wrote new computer software, including cloth simulators to allow a realistic depiction of the digital characters' clothing, to create certain shots. [181] The film did however receive seven Golden Raspberry Award (Razzie) nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor (Jake Lloyd as Anakin), Worst Supporting Actress (Sofia Coppola as Saché), Worst Screen Couple (Jake Lloyd and Natalie Portman), and Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best won the Worst Supporting Actor category.[182]. The preference of hand-to-hand combat was intended to give a spiritual and intellectual role to the Jedi. IMDB2 Information. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Plus Bonus Content) ( 6,515 ) IMDb 6.5 4 h 9 min 1999 PG During their escape, they discover nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, a child prodigy who is unusually strong in the Force. ): 'Phantom Menace' Moves Up to Fifth All-Time", "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (In 3D)", "The 72nd Academy Awards (2000) Nominees and Winners", "21st Annual Young Artist Awards: 1998–1999", British Academy of Film and Television Arts, "Natalie Portman Raps Defense of "Star Wars" Prequels", "Dark Rey's New Lightsaber Explained from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker", Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode I: Obi-Wan's Adventures, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga, Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Wars:_Episode_I_–_The_Phantom_Menace&oldid=1002600095, Films shot at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from August 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Lucasfilm also partnered with Variety, the Children's Charity to raise funds for children through the sale of a special edition badge. A month after the film's release, "Weird Al" Yankovic released the parody song and music video "The Saga Begins", in which he interprets the film's plot from Obi-Wan's point of view to the tune of "American Pie"; this was included as a bonus feature on a 2011 Star Wars Blu-ray. Oct 15, 2016 - Jake Lloyd in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). [187][188] A second sequel, Revenge of the Sith, was released in 2005. [144] ReelViews' James Berardinelli wrote, Looking at the big picture, in spite of all its flaws, The Phantom Menace is still among the best "bang for a buck" fun that can be had in a movie theater. [107] Additionally, a Scholastic junior novelization was written by Patricia C. Tech Support. IMDB2. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is a movie released in 1999.This movie is the fourth movie that director George Lucas made in the Star Wars series. Now Playing and Upcoming Films. [31], The larger budget and possibilities opened up by the use of digital effects made Lucas "think about a much grander, more epic scale—"which is what I wanted Star Wars to be". Skip Navigation. En route to their starship, Qui-Gon is attacked by Darth Maul, Sidious' apprentice, who was sent to capture Amidala. The visual effects crew did not like the original results and crafted Fode and Beed as an entirely computer generated alien. [169][174], The Phantom Menace was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound (Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson, Shawn Murphy and John Midgley); all of which went to The Matrix. His voice was considered "too squeaky" and was dubbed over in post-production by Peter Serafinowicz. [174] The film's earnings exceeded $1 billion worldwide on February 22, 2012, making it the first Star Wars film and the 11th film in history—excluding inflation—to do so. It isn't as fresh as the original Star Wars, nor does it have the thematic richness and narrative complexity of The Empire Strikes Back, but it is a distinct improvement over Return of the Jedi. But, in 1999, George Lucas' Sci-Fi epic was back with a bang. He's a villain that is just outside the Jedi's perception, and he is of course a menace. One is despite the awesome visuals, strong music score and good characters, the story never quite distinguished itself. [81], Like previous Star Wars films, The Phantom Menace makes several references to historical events and films that George Lucas watched in his youth. [123], On September 28, 2010, it was announced that all six films in the series would be stereo-converted to 3D. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top ... What to Watch Latest Trailers IMDb TV IMDb Originals IMDb Picks IMDb Podcasts. Every generation has a legend. [95] Eleven charity premieres were staged across the United States on May 16, 1999; receipts from the Los Angeles event, where corporate packages were available for between US$5,000 and US$25,000; proceeds were donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The central plot is Palpatine's intent to become Chancellor, which leads to the Trade Federation's attack on Naboo, the Jedi being sent there, Anakin being met along the way, and the rise of the Sith Lords. These included the Neimodians, background characters in Mos Espa, the Jedi Council, and the Galactic Senate. [82] This film also notably borrows from Ben Hur, including the podrace sequence, which mirrors the chariot race scene; additionally, the end celebration scene closely resembles a Roman parade in Ben Hur. Maul, who appears to die in The Phantom Menace, was resurrected for the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and also appears in Star Wars Rebels and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Star Wars Episoden The Phantom Menace Millennium Falcon For Stars Far Away Rogues Image Spaceship Movie. Was it the guy in the cloack or Darth Maul? Skip Navigation. I will admit I wasn't expecting much after reading some very negative reviews on IMDb, but I do think this particular instalment did in some ways exceed my expectations and disappointed as well. At the ShoWest Convention, Lucas said the change was intended to give the fans a "head start" by allowing them to view it during the week and allowing families to view it during weekends. Liam Neeson is a fine actor, his performances in Kinsey and Schindler's List are proof of that, and I do like Ewan McGregor. [119], On April 7, 2015, Walt Disney Studios, 20th Century Fox, and Lucasfilm jointly announced the digital releases of the six released Star Wars films. Two Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to … Movie Quotes. IMDB v2.1. ", "G Force: George Lucas fires up the next generation of Star Warriors", "Flip the Record : 'The Phantom Menace' topples two of three box office records", "All Time Domestic Grosses – Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation", "Weekend Report (cont. General Boards. Film General. View production, box office, & company info. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space-opera film written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm, distributed by 20th Century Fox and stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Pernilla August, and Frank Oz.It is the first installment in the Star Wars prequel … It's so happy to be itself and be alive as a movie. The way I conceived of the role is that he is very tough, and I figured the tougher I was, the tougher it would make the Jedi seem. When adjusted for ticket price inflation, it ranked as the 19th-highest-grossing film domestically, making it the fourth Star Wars film to be in the Inflation-Adjusted Top 20. Nine R2-D2 models were created; one was for actor Kenny Baker to be dropped into, seven were built by ILM and featured two wheelchair motors capable of moving 440 pounds (200 kg), enabling it to run and be mostly used in stage sets, and the British studio produced a pneumatic R2-D2 that could shift from two to three legs and was mostly used in Tunisia because its motor drive system allowed it to drive over sand. The Trade Federation upsets order in the Galactic Republic by blockading the planet Naboo in preparation for a full-scale invasion. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace [Blu-ray] [2020] [Region Free] 4.6 out of 5 stars 68. Two Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their original glory. The Neimodian suits, which were originally intended as digital characters, were delivered one day before they would be required on set. The scene in which toxic gas is released on the Jedi is the only sequence with no digital alteration. Is the Queen really who she says she is? And what's so special about this young boy? IMDB2. "Writing the script was much more enjoyable this time around because I wasn't constrained by anything. An ill-fated pilot. The cameras were fitted with data capture models to provide technical data for the CGI artists. These elements derive primarily from Eastern and Iranian religions and myths. [26] In 1993, it was announced in Variety and other sources that he would be making the prequels. The Phantom Menace is such a poorly told story that as I started compiling the screenwriting mistakes to highlight in this review, I realized there were too many to choose from. The concept drawings of Ralph McQuarrie for the original trilogy served as the basis for Mos Espa—which was also inspired by old Tunisian hotels and buildings and had touches such as a market place to differentiate it from A New Hope's Mos Eisley—and Coruscant, in particular a metropolis design that became the basis for the Senate. Jake Matthew Lloyd (born March 5, 1989), also known as Jake Broadbent, is an American child actor who portrayed the young Anakin Skywalker in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the first in the Star Wars prequel trilogy Join host Warwick Davis as we honor 20 years of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace! With Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, Catherine Zeta-Jones. [59] The forest scenes on Naboo were filmed at Cassiobury Park in Watford, Hertfordshire. Movie Quotes. The Phantom Menace became the fastest selling DVD ever in the U.S.; 2.2 million copies were sold in its first week after release. Other Games. With CG at my disposal, I knew I could do whatever I wanted". [78] One of the most notable tracks is "Duel of the Fates", which uses the chorus to give a religious, temple-like feel to the epic lightsaber duel. [23] In the trilogy's final episode, Return of the Jedi, Vader is redeemed through an act of sacrifice for Luke. $3.99. [148] Colin Kennedy of Empire magazine said that despite problems with pacing and writing, "there is still much pleasure to be had watching our full-blown Jedi guides in action". [38] Chiang stated that Lucas intended Episode I to be stylistically different from the other Star Wars films; it would be "richer and more like a period piece, since it was the history leading up to A New Hope." It was the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, and the first in terms of internal chronology. [49] The work was so extensive that three visual effects supervisors divided the workload among themselves—John Knoll supervised the on-set production and the podrace and space battle sequences, Dennis Muren supervised the underwater sequence and the ground battle, and Scott Squires, alongside teams assigned for miniature effects and character animation, worked on the lightsaber effects. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Trailer Two Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their old glory. [8] Ray Park, a martial arts champion with experience in gymnastics and sword fighting, was originally a member of the stunt crew. The track was made into a music video. For the first film released, see, 1999 American epic space-opera film directed by George Lucas. Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council for permission to train Anakin as a Jedi, but the Council refuses, concerned that Anakin is vulnerable to the dark side of the Force. In Taoist philosophy, from The Way, yin and yang—the opposing but complementary aspects of reality or nature—are born. Jackson told a reporter before The Phantom Menace's release that the best part about doing the film was that he got to say . 52 of 79 people found this review helpful. Indebted to Qui-Gon, Jar Jar leads the Jedi to Otoh Gunga, the Gungans' underwater city. Knoll previewed 3,500 storyboards for the film; Lucas accompanied him to explain factors of the shots that would be practical and those that would be created through visual effects. Lucas began production of this film after he determined that computer-generated imagery (CGI) had advanced to the level he wanted for the prequel trilogy's visual effects. A CGI character would later be added into the shot to complete the conversation. Jar Jar is promoted to general and joins his tribe in a battle against the droid army, while Padmé leads the search for Gunray in Theed. And Jar Jar Binks is okay on the most part, and you have to love Yoda. The Phantom Menace: USA: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace: Uruguay: Star Wars: Episodio I - La amenaza fantasma: Venezuela: La guerra de las galaxias: Episodio I - La amenaza fantasma: Vietnam: Chiến Tranh Giữa Các Vì Sao 1: Hiểm Họa Bóng Ma: World-wide (English title) (short title) Star Wars: The Phantom Menace : See also. On Naboo, Padmé reveals herself as the queen before the Gungans to gain their trust, and persuades them to help against the Trade Federation. As Obi-Wan pursues a new threat, Anakin acts as a double agent between the Jedi Council and Palpatine and is lured into a sinister plan to rule the galaxy. However, there were things about this film that did disappoint. Jackson told a reporter before The Phantom Menace's release that the best part about doing the film was that he got to say . Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Film historian Daniel Dinello says, "Anathema to Star Wars fanatics who thought they reduced the Force to a kind of viral infection, midi-chlorians provide a biological interface, the link between physical bodies and spiritual energy. After a daring mission to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels dispatch to Endor to destroy the second Death Star. Joined by Anakin Skywalker—a young slave with unusually strong natural powers of the Force—they simultaneously contend with the mysterious return of the Sith. The Jedi costumes followed the tradition from the original film;[45] Obi-Wan's costume was inspired by the costume that was worn by Guinness. Conversely, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it three-and-a-half stars out of four and called it "an astonishing achievement in imaginative filmmaking" and said, "Lucas tells a good story." [171] In North America, its ranking on the Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation list climbed to 16th place—one place behind Return of the Jedi. Because of their short-range weapons, Gillard thought that the Jedi would have had to develop a fighting style that merged every swordfighting style, such as kendo and other kenjutsu styles, with other swinging techniques, such as tennis swings and tree-chopping. Greg Proops and Scott Capurro voiced Fode and Beed, respectively, the two-headed announcer of the Boonta Eve Race. Over the course of … Lloyd is best known for his role as Anakin Skywalker in the 1999 “Star Wars” prequel “The Phantom Menace.” According to IMDB.com, Lloyd had several acting credits before then, including the “Jingle. Baker's Dozen. Most of the performances are very good, especially Natalie Portman as Queen Padma who looked stunning and Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker who shone with his confident charm. Of course though, Darth Vader is better. 26 wins & 66 nominations. [b], The Phantom Menace was released in theaters on Wednesday, May 19, 1999, almost 16 years after the premiere of the previous Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi. Lucas has denied all of these implications,[138] instead criticizing the American media for using opinions from the Internet as a reliable source for news stories. Hugh Quarshie considered the part of Panaka as "a good career move" and a production that would be fun to make. [127] Only a change to Anakin's magnetic wand during the podrace scene—its tip was sharpened to more accurately fit the original 2D photography to the new 3D image—was confirmed. Designer Trisha Biggar and her team created over 1,000 costumes that were inspired by various cultures. [186] The story continues a decade later with Anakin grown to adulthood, played by Hayden Christensen. In April 1994, McCallum started searching for artists in art, architecture and design schools, and in mid-year he began location scouting with production designer Gavin Bocquet. With a very good level design, this game let's you play as four different playable characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Captain Panaka and Queen Amidala. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) art director Doug Chiang impressed McCallum the most and was hired as the design director. These would be re-released in episode order, beginning with The Phantom Menace, which was released to cinemas on February 10, 2012. Many of the aliens are hybrids, combining features of real animals. Following the battle, Gunray is arrested by the Republic and Palpatine is elected Chancellor. The film was nominated Choice Movie: Drama, Choice Movie: Villain and Choice Movie: Summer at 1999 Teen Choice Awards, but both lost to Cruel Intentions and Big Daddy, respectively. It broke The Lost World: Jurassic Park's records for the largest single-day gross for taking more than $28 million in the opening day and fastest to gross $100 million in five days. Please Login or Register. The screenplay of Star Wars was adapted from Lucas' 15-page outline that was written in 1976, which he designed to help him keep track of the characters' backstories and events that occurred before the original trilogy. Movie Quotes. The evil Trade Federation, led by Nute Gunray is planning to take over the peaceful world of Naboo. Directed by George Lucas. During an adventure into the criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion. 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