Try again. Good surround sound, 3. Rules of the Force: This is the first time we see the Jedi firing on all cylinders, showing off Force powers that include running really fast, jumping really high, and holding their breaths for a really long time (handy when you’re being attacked with poisonous “dioxis” gas). Video availability outside of United Kingdom varies. A shame this flopped on original cinema release back in 1995 as this is a fun superhero movie. Say what you want about Lucas, but he knows how to nail action sequences. Essentially, the movie is about the discovery of Force wunderkind – and future big bad – Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) and the political machinations that start secret Sith lord Senator Palpatine (a brilliantly ominous Ian McDiarmid) on the path to becoming the evil ruler of the Galactic Empire. So maybe that happy ending isn’t all it seems? And after the successful, digitally remastered re-releases of the Original Trilogy in 1997, anticipation for a new batch of Star Wars movies was at a fever pitch. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. And though the journey to the big finish might be a bit arduous at times, the film is, nonetheless, a solid saga starting point. It stars Ryan Carnes as Kit Walker, the 22nd Phantom, and is produced by RHI Entertainment and Muse Entertainment. Making good use of slick, pacey editing and John Williams’ muscular score, it’s as gripping a finale as any in the series. Read More: 10 Emperor Palpatine Facts You Might Not Know. Sign in to see videos available to you. Apprentice: 1; Master: 0. With superheroes all the rage now and any comic book can become a movie, why not a reboot of The Phantom?? I really enjoyed this film. As Qui-Gon explains: “We are symbionts living with them; without them, no life would exist and we would have no knowledge of the Force. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 May 2019. Plus, he’s found himself a new soon-to-be apprentice (“We will watch your career with great interest,” he gleefully tells the young Skywalker). There’s also telekinesis, including the Force push and the ability to summon objects (handy when you’re dangling over a chasm and in dire need of a lightsaber). This Star Wars article contains spoilers. “I don’t sense anything,” Qui-Gon replies, before the two are locked in a room and gassed. Phantom Update. Good comic book style action, in the Indiana Jones type genre. Star Wars creator George Lucas had been toying with the idea of expanding his original trilogy into a wider cinematic saga right from the very beginning but, as the filmmaker admitted to Time magazine in 1983, he had been “burned out” by the release of the final chapter, Return of the Jedi. Qui-Gon was right about one thing, though – the negotiations were short. Who wins? Most notably, we meet Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), and senior Jedis Mace Windu (Samuel L Jackon) and Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) – all of whom have key roles to play in Anakin’s journey to the dark side. Dig a little deeper, though, and the election of Palpatine – aka Darth Sidious (you’re fooling none of us with that hood, mate) – as the Republic’s new Supreme Chancellor is the first step on the Sith Lord’s rise to power. Jedi wisdom: Be mindful of the future, “but not at the expense of the moment.” Qui-Gon offers Obi-Wan some sound advice that we could all do with remembering, to be honest. The Phantom, descendent of a line of African heroes, travels to New York to thwart a criminal genius. Who has a bad feeling about this? Qui-Gon might have died in the process, but the Trade Federation is defeated, the humans and Gungans of Naboo have made peace, and Anakin is accepted into the Jedi Order under his new master, Obi-Wan. Episode I of the Star Wars “Skywalker Saga” was faced with a unique challenge when it was released in cinemas in the summer of 1999. Sedate, relaxing, not as brutal or in your face as most current movies. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 October 2019. And to top it all off, it’s soundtracked by Williams’ infinitely hummable “Duel of the Fates.” These scenes still give us chills. McGregor especially really throws himself into it, Neeson’s death has real dramatic heft, and Park’s whirling acrobatics are mesmerizing. Some may find it a little slow and tame but it was done in the older style with some tongue in cheek superhero cliches, and stayed true to this generation of heroes. It was totally worth it, too, promising epic lightsaber duels, huge space battles, and weird, wonderful, and digitally rendered alien creatures. A heroic baritone (Nelson Eddy) tries to win the affections of Christine as he tracks down the disfigured “monster” who has begun murdering those who resist his mad demands. .cls-2{mix-blend-mode:screen}.cls-3{fill:none;stroke:red;stroke-miterlimit:10;stroke-width:4px}.cls-4{fill:red}. Jar Jar is clearly a comedic foil directed at the children in the room, so perhaps the last two decades of criticism and ridicule are a bit unfair. Ostensibly, the light side emerges victorious here. The legendary journey of the PT on Sunwell back in 2018/2019. Galactic stop-offs: We’re introduced to three planets in The Phantom Menace. Enjoyable and good cast to fit the storyline. There's a problem loading this menu at the moment. Plot actions that are always moving. Obi-Wan utters the immortal words when the Jedi are made to wait for their “negotiation” with Viceroy Nute Gunray. And then there’s the huge Gungan in the room: yep, Jar Jar hasn’t become any less annoying in the last 20 years, although you can’t lay all the blame for that at the feet of actor Ahmed Best, who gives the role his all. Set 32 years before A New Hope, when Luke Skywalker was but a twinkle in Darth Vader’s eye, The Phantom Menace is a surprisingly complex first chapter, pitched against the backdrop of a brewing war between the sinister Trade Federation and the peaceful planet of Naboo (ruled over by Natalie Portman’s young Queen Amidala). Following a tragic accident that leaves him disfigured, crazed composer Erique Claudin transforms into a masked phantom who schemes to make beautiful young soprano Christine Dubois (Susanna Foster) the star of the opera and wreak revenge on those who stole his music. Best lightsaber bit: The climactic duel, in which Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan take on Sith badass Darth Maul (Ray Park) and his double-bladed lightsaber, is one of the best – if not the best – laser-sword dust-ups in the entire series. Forget CGI dull fests like Justice League and The Avengers, The Phantom is awesome. And yet, millions persevered to get a better look at the first Star Wars movie in 15 years. Read More: Everything You Need to Know About Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Being a huge Phantom fan I, did hope that they would not ruin the character by making a film. After the first cinema-only teaser, the second promo for The Phantom Menace was released online in the early days of the internet, when downloading a short, tiny, pixelated Quicktime video would take around two hours (and earn you a stern telling off for clogging up the home phone line while you were at it). It first aired on The Movie Network and then on Syfy in June 2010. Oh, we can’t forget the Jedi mind trick, which we learn doesn’t work on everyone (Watto, we’re looking at you).