:Description:Begin your STAR WARS DVD collection with STAR WARS: Episode 1 THE PHANT0M MENACE. Packed with over six hours of additional material, including exclusive documentaries and never-before-seen deleted scenes, this 2-disc set provides the perfect showcase for the incredible detail and breathtaking scope of George Lucas's first episode in the mythic STAR WARS saga.
:'l have a bad feeling about this,' says the young 0bi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in
Star Wars: Episode l, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the
Star Wars saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is
Star Wars, but is it
my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the
Star Wars movies,
The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breather Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about
Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film--the adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot race in
Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.
Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3P0, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and 0bi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet, a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics.
Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting
Episode ll when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, 'We will watch your career with great interest.' lndeed! --
Tod Nelson
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Good Company
This movie was sold as 'used-very good condition' I recieved a movie in 'like new-excellent' condition. At a great price. Shipping was fast, it did suprise me that it was shipped FedEx but arrived by US Postal. I would and will do business with this company again. BTW, my 6 year old is a star wars nut and he has watched this movie over and over, with no issues with the dvd.
Rating: -
Best Movie Ever! Muy Muy I love you!
Okay, Ja Ja Binks here, and Ima gonna be reviewing dis here movie, Star Wars Episode 1, da Phantom Menace!
Now first of all, mesa kinda biased with dis one, mmm hhmm! Know why? Cause itsa be starin me! Ja Ja Binks! Dis defintiley be bein da best outta all da Star Wars films. First, da Jedi be fightin the Trade Federation who looka like Chinamen, Den, dy fly to Naboo where dey meet me, Ja Ja Binks! And when dey me in trouble, mesa come along to rescude dem! Deysa about to be sentenced to prison by our maxibig leader, but mesa defend dem and we are all allowed to leave and go on adventures. Uh huh!
Da Jedi be goin to da desert land of Tattooine, and here dey meet da young ANakin Skywalker. I thinkin it bein a good idea to brign himin alongin, sos I talk da Jedi into takin him along. While dis is going on, I help da young Anakin win a pod race so we can free all the slaves on da planet.
Now meesa go back to Naboo and be leadin our army to war against the TRade Fedaeratiobn. And deysa havin all robats, but we having our Gungan bombad genreals, and our sheieldsenm, and our giant lizard things! Deysa can't win against all datin!
Sos once I save da day dere, mesa become decorated war hero and beocme a maxibig senator for the da people of Naboo. Uh huh!
dis is bein da best of all da star wars films, and if you a beein seein just one, you be makin sure you be seein dis one.
Oh yeah, after I retire from bein senator I retire and become inportant journalist and Gungan movie reviewer on Amazon!
[...]
Rating: 
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JAR JAR BINKS - IT STINKS!
Showing my age here: when STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE finally appeared in 1979, I was among the first in line; I stood in the snow waiting breathlessly for the second show. When the audience for the premiere emptied out, everyone had blank, bewildered faces. Not good. After watching it I understood why. STTMP put the best characters on the sidelines and rehashed "Where No Man Has Gone Before."
Fans develop attachments to characters and themes.
Even the late great Joseph Campbell revered the original STAR WARS trilogy. The original will always remain a classic, and Empire, the immediate sequel, nearly topped it. But by the time we got to Jedi we had cutesy Ewoks running around and a rehash of blow-up-death-star.
Drunk on profits, Lucas was already dumbing down the franchise.
Little did we know just how dumb it would get until PHANTOM MENACE.
We've all seen and suffered through it anyway, so I'm preaching to choirs. But it's still staggering to witness just how childish, simplistic and foolish PHANTOM is - this from a man who could literally film anything he wanted - and he did.
Nobody wanted to say NO to George Lucas.
Jar-Jar Binks: easily the most reviled "character" in film history; that took a lot of work to accomplish.
Darth Vader - a cultural icon - is reduced to a silly child. "Annie! Annie!"
ANNIE??? That's a girl's name, and a rather famous one.
There are so many jaw-droppingly stupid scenes, from the underwater "fish" people prancing around to the idiotic "finale" with Annie running amok as a wannabe pilot.
After suffering through this I have more respect for Mel Brooks' SPACEBALLS. It's about the same - except Lucas was serious.
Rating: 
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Not Much To See Here....Move Along
The sad truth dawned on all of us watching Phantom Menace that this movie made Return of the Jedi look like Taxi Driver. With nothing but emotionless dialogue, bad acting from star Jake Lloyd and LONG gaps without any action Phantom pushes your patience. Add to that the tornado of annoyance that is Jar Jar Binks, and you have the weakest Star Wars movie in the saga. The menacing presence of Darth Maul is the only saving grace here, and the lightsaber duel is pretty impressive in it's own right. But the rest of the films flaws are just to much to suffer through. Kids will love it and it's great for introducing real young ones to the franchise, but otherwise just stick with the SW movies with Darth Vader on the cover.
