Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
65%RT Audience Score: 59%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
26 wins & 69 nominations total
Burdened by exposition and populated with stock characters, The Phantom Menace gets the Star Wars prequels off to a bumpy — albeit visually dazzling — start
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace has been a topic of debate among fans for years, but one thing is for sure: it’s not lacking in iconic moments. From the pod races to the final battle with Darth Maul, there’s plenty of action to keep you entertained. However, the film falls short in terms of character development and storytelling. Plus, let’s be real, who really wants to follow a plot about intergalactic trade embargoes? Overall, it’s a fun watch for Star Wars fans, but not the best entry in the franchise.
Production Company(ies)
New Line Cinema, Wing Nut Films, The Saul Zaentz Company,
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Sidi Bouhlel, Bouhlel Sdada, Tunisia
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for sci-fi action/violence
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 13m
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Language(s):English, Sanskrit
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 19, 1999 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2005
Genre(s)
Adventure/Action
Keyword(s)
starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Pernilla August, Frank Oz, directed by George Lucas, written by George Lucas, produced by Rick McCallum, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, PG, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Adam Kempenaar, Evan Williams, Joe Holleman, Kate Muir, Noel Murray, Andrew O’Hagan, Brian Eggert, Cory Woodroof, Betsy Bozdech, Tony Black, Richard Propes, Mike Massie, Star Wars Saga
Worldwide gross: $1,027,082,707
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,843,642,096
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 24
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 201,051,483
US/Canada gross: $474,544,677
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $851,820,927
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 23
US/Canada opening weekend: $64,820,970
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $116,355,448
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 61
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $115,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $206,428,206
Production budget ranking: 106
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $111,161,589
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,526,052,301
ROI to date (est.): 481%
ROI ranking: 264
Ewan McGregor – Obi-Wan Kenobi
Natalie Portman – Queen Amidala, Padmé Naberrie
Jake Lloyd – Anakin Skywalker
Pernilla August – Shmi Skywalker
Frank Oz – Master Yoda (Voice)
Director(s)
George Lucas
Writer(s)
George Lucas
Producer(s)
Rick McCallum
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
26 wins & 69 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (235) | Top Critics (74) | Fresh (121) | Rotten (114)
The dialogue isn’t the issue; the acting isn’t really the issue; nor is it any single annoying character… There’s no sense of wonder. No yearning. No spirit.
December 20, 2019 | Rating: 2/5
Adam Kempenaar
Filmspotting
TOP CRITIC
Everything in Phantom Menace exists in a bright noisy vacuum.
December 15, 2015
Evan Williams
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
The movie is fun, for the most part, and several scenes are as good or better than anything Lucas created in the original films. The human characters, however, are not nearly as interesting as those in the earlier episodes.
December 14, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Holleman
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
Do kids really want to follow a plot about intergalactic trade embargoes?
November 16, 2015 | Rating: 2/5
Kate Muir
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
If there’s anything really disappointing about Episode I, it’s not being able to line up for Episode 2 tomorrow.
November 16, 2015
Noel Murray
Nashville Scene
TOP CRITIC
The visual effects in The Phantom Menace are so good that you find yourself not caring very much about Qui-Gon’s prophetic murmurings.
November 16, 2015
Andrew O’Hagan
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
By demystifying the original films, Lucas does not so much expand on his original mythology but fills in blanks and answers questions that once enchanted us with their mystifying qualities.
April 25, 2022 | Rating: 1/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
The pod races on Tatooine, and the Duel of the Fates final hanger battle with Darth Maul, stand as raucous, iconic set pieces whose absences would make the sage feel incomplete.
February 11, 2022
Cory Woodroof
615 Film
The upcoming Oct. 16 release of Lucasfilm’s first DVD – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – is officially a Very Big Deal.
January 15, 2022
Betsy Bozdech
DVDJournal.com
The Phantom Menace will always be possibly the single biggest missed opportunity in modern cinematic history
February 16, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
Tony Black
Cultural Conversation
An amazingly disappointing film experience.
September 24, 2020 | Rating: 1.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Despite the repetitiveness and subpar feeling existing in just about every aspect, there’s still fun to be had with the lightsaber dueling and space battles.
September 24, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
The evil Trade Federation, led by Nute Gunray is planning to take over the peaceful world of Naboo. Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to confront the leaders. But not everything goes to plan. The two Jedi escape, and along with their new Gungan friend, Jar Jar Binks head to Naboo to warn Queen Amidala, but droids have already started to capture Naboo and the Queen is not safe there. Eventually, they land on Tatooine, where they become friends with a young boy known as Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon is curious about the boy, and sees a bright future for him. The group must now find a way of getting to Coruscant and to finally solve this trade dispute, but there is someone else hiding in the shadows. Are the Sith really extinct? Is the Queen really who she says she is? And what’s so special about this young boy?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.
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