Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

57% of critics liked it
(186 reviews)
62% of users liked it
(997,365 ratings)

In 1977, George Lucas released Star Wars, the ultimate sci-fi popcorn flick-turned-pop-culture myth machine. It quickly became the biggest money-making film of all time and changed the shape of the film industry. After two successful sequels (1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Return of the… More In 1977, George Lucas released Star Wars, the ultimate sci-fi popcorn flick-turned-pop-culture myth machine. It quickly became the biggest money-making film of all time and changed the shape of the film industry. After two successful sequels (1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Return of the Jedi) that extended the story of the first film, Lucas took some time off to produce movies for others, with mixed success. In 1999, Lucas returned to the Star Wars saga with a new approach -- instead of picking up where Return of the Jedi left off, Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace would be the first of a trilogy of stories to trace what happened in the intergalactic saga before the first film began. Here, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is a young apprentice Jedi knight under the tutelage of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson); Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who will later father Luke Skywalker and become known as Darth Vader, is just a nine-year-old boy. When the Trade Federation cuts off all routes to the planet Naboo, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are assigned to settle the matter, but when they arrive on Naboo they are brought to Amidala (Natalie Portman), the Naboo queen, by a friendly but opportunistic Gungan named Jar Jar. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan plan to escort Amidala to a meeting of Republic leaders in Coruscant, but trouble with their spacecraft strands them on the planet Tatooine, where Qui-Gon meets Anakin, the slave of a scrap dealer. Qui-Gon is soon convinced that the boy could be the leader the Jedis have been searching for, and he begins bargaining for his freedom and teaching the boy the lessons of the Force. The supporting cast includes Pernilla August as Anakin's mother, Terence Stamp as Chancellor Valorum, and Samuel L. Jackson as Jedi master Mace Windu. Jackson told a reporter before The Phantom Menace's release that the best part about doing the film was that he got to say "May the Force be with you" onscreen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 2 hr. 11 min.
Directed By: George Lucas
Written By: George Lucas
Genres: Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Cult Movies

In Theaters: May 9, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Oct 16, 2001
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune News Service
We don't want to remember it's pretty bad. Then we do.
John Anderson, Newsday
"Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace" got dismissive reviews in 1999, and it deserves the same today. But you probably know that.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
You realize how much humor Harrison Ford brought to things; without him, at times the movie itself feels frozen in Carbonite.
(CNN.com) Paul Clinton, CNN.com
There are no romance, no humor, ultimately nobody to care about in this oddly sterile movie.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
It does the job just fine. That job, as director George Lucas freely admits, is quite simply to thrill the beating hearts and the inquiring minds of 12-year-old boys.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Though I've been bored senseless by the Star Wars phenomenon for over two decades, I found The Phantom Menace something of a pleasant surprise.
Brian Henry Martin, UTV
Has a film director ever induced such terrible performances from such great actors? Liam Neeson - wooden, Ewan McGregor - monotone and the Oscar winning Natalie Portman - a speaking alarm clock!
Martin Roberts, Fan The Fire
It hardly needs to be said that the 3D conversion here is nothing more than proficient, that it adds nothing and actually takes away some of the clarity and vividness of the film's varied colour palette.
Paul Chambers, CNNRadio
Darth Maul is back, this time waving his wand in 3D. "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" was poorly received by critics when it debuted, so does it fare any better with its new up-conversion? Not really. Paul Chambers, CNN.
Linda Cook, KWQC-TV (Iowa)
It's a nifty enough film that's entertaining but not comparable to the original 'Star Wars.'
Philip French, Observer [UK]
It's cinematic junk food, the pernicious effect of which had already set in long before this film came out.
Todd Gilchrist, Boxoffice Magazine
The Phantom Menace is, at best and worst, a mediocre film-a boring adventure undermined by anemic political theatrics and the rusty artistic tastes of its maker.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
The 3D conversion on this film is one of the best I've ever seen... and that's what makes it worth paying some extra money to see it again in the theater.
Alison Willmore, Movieline
The Phantom Menace, in any number of dimensions, is an exercise in disappointment, a film filled with enough callbacks to the first trilogy to remind you about what you loved about them without adding much of note in all the new material.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Naturally, if you already despise everything George Lucas touches, well, these aren't the droids you're looking for. It's more of a 3D party for fans and admirers, playing to the convinced with a conversion.
Matt Patches, Hollywood.com
You may never experience this or any Star Wars movie as a cinematic experience ever again. Especially not in theater.
Katey Rich, CinemaBlend.com
The 3D conversion isn't going to change your opinion on the movie or give you a whole new moviegoing experience, but it's not bad either.
Rob Vaux, Mania.com
You'll be surprised at how well its assets hold up and how much easier its liabilities slide away as a result. But $15 a ticket? Please George. Some of us have kids to feed... and yours don't need the money.
Ed Whitfield, The Ooh Tray
Oh George, why?
, This is London
The special effects are something to see in 3D, but don't listen too closely to the screenplay or try to work out who is who.

Read all 22 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Alexander D

An overly-long, often slow and boring start to the saga. It could be better.
Thomas A

First off the 3d was mostly disappointing, it looked good at times, the pod race etc. but most of the movie it was barley noticeable. Seeing as this was the main reason for the re-release it seems odd. As for the movie everyone had already seen it. The pod race and lightsaber battles… More
First off the 3d was mostly disappointing, it looked good at times, the pod race etc. but most of the movie it was barley noticeable. Seeing as this was the main reason for the re-release it seems odd. As for the movie everyone had already seen it. The pod race and lightsaber battles are great but not much else. The trade and diplomacy plot seems even more ridiculous and out of place as ever. Jar Jar Binks is ridiculous but seems to be on screen way more then he should. Sure there can be a goofy sidekick but they seem to stick him in scenes that don't need any comic relief and these ruin the flow and tone of the film.The film is still star wars, and enjoyable but the plot seems lazy and the Gungan aliens (Jar Jar's tribe) ruin the movie with terrible dialogue and accents and lame fighting. Probably best to pass on the first three films going to be released and wait until the original trilogy comes to theaters, if only to see how a 70's movie converts to 3d.
xGary X

If you think that the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise is popular, or that The Dark Knight was hotly anticipated you'd be right, but they are NOTHING compared to the impact of the original Star Wars films at the time they were made. Star Wars was not so much a film franchise,… More
If you think that the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise is popular, or that The Dark Knight was hotly anticipated you'd be right, but they are NOTHING compared to the impact of the original Star Wars films at the time they were made. Star Wars was not so much a film franchise, but a virtual way of life to a whole generation. The Phantom Menace was THE most anticipated film ever made, and by that measure, George Lucas had one HELL of a lot of expectation to live up to. And, well, we all know what happened...But now all the hype has died down and this film can be looked at rather more objectively, and there's actually a lot to be admired about it. Lucas obviously surrounded himself with some of the best cinematic talent around. The effects are fantastic, the fight choreography excellent and best of all, the production design is magnificent. It starts fairly well jumping straight into a decent action sequence, and it was hard not to feel a collective tingle up our spines when we heard the sound of a light sabre igniting for the first time in 14 years. And then "oh lordy lordy, where am dat warty melon mazzah?" it's Jar Jar f***ing Binks. We then spend the time in which a planet is being invaded by a droid army watching computer generated fish eating each other while a fish-faced Burt Kwouk impersonator talks about trade embargoes. And there's nothing more magical and awe inspiring than a good trade embargo, eh? There are some decent sequences, particularly the exciting Ben Hur-esque pod race and the space battles but it's obvious that Lucas' technical staff were responsible for those because the rest of the film is just a load of dreary sentiment, dull political manoeuvering and feeble slapstick. We know the likes of Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman can act, so to blame them for their performances is like blaming a jockey for not winning a race when he's handed a three legged donkey. All the faults with this film can be laid squarely at the door of Lucas and his feeble script, and the best analogy I can think of when comparing the original Star Wars to The Phantom Menace is it's like comparing Let It Be to The Frog Chorus.
Dean M

Very impressive and exciting sci-fi/fantasy/adventure I ever saw since 16 years to know all about future Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker in this prequel. Awesome special effects including an exhilarating desert race (that scene reminded of <i>Ben-Hur</i> in chariot race) and… More
Very impressive and exciting sci-fi/fantasy/adventure I ever saw since 16 years to know all about future Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker in this prequel. Awesome special effects including an exhilarating desert race (that scene reminded of <i>Ben-Hur</i> in chariot race) and stunning space city vistas. Glad to see George Lucas returned to his own directing on this film.
Albert K

Kid annoyed the hell out of me and same with Jar Jar Binks, but the action was great. Visually dazzling.
Directors C

The Phantom Menace is my least favorite of the overall groundbreaking franchise. It's a disappointing start to the long awaited prequel trilogy.
Shawn E

It's really easy to criticize the first prequel to the legendary star wars trilogy because the original star wars films were absolutely amazing. The few positives about this film are the visuals and the pod racing scene. The visuals in this movie are fantastic, and are a big… More
It's really easy to criticize the first prequel to the legendary star wars trilogy because the original star wars films were absolutely amazing. The few positives about this film are the visuals and the pod racing scene. The visuals in this movie are fantastic, and are a big leap from the last star wars films. The space scenes and epic battles look stunning with all the dazzling effects. The few action scenes such as the pod racing bring the film to life. There is so much excitement during the pod race with all the fast shots of racing space cars. The thrills of the pods making near misses and seeing the pods make wrong turns and exploding into shrapnel are a lot of fun to watch. Apart from the visuals and action scenes, the plot and character development are disappointing. The use of unnecessary goofy characters seems more annoying than funny. The always clumsy Jar Jar Binks character is the films attempt to reach a younger audience which seems unfitting in a Star Wars film. Even through this films flaws, the film is still plenty watchable with it's appealing visuals and fun nature.
Phil H

Looks great, love Mos Eisley, easily recognised as the Star Wars universe and always looks good. There's also an excellent pod race sequence which is the highlight of the film really, apart from that its pretty average but for the exciting Sith lord 'Darth Maul', he… More
Looks great, love Mos Eisley, easily recognised as the Star Wars universe and always looks good. There's also an excellent pod race sequence which is the highlight of the film really, apart from that its pretty average but for the exciting Sith lord 'Darth Maul', he really saves the flick when it could of been a complete throw away, even though it is too childish in many places, Maul's prescense is golden and the fact he dies in such a meaningless way really sums up the disappointment with this film. Not as bad as they say, better than most sci-fi flicks even so but with lame characters like 'Jar Jar' and his alien species and other poor designs like the battle droid army and various spacecraft I wonder how this survived, very off and on. It still does well simply due to it being Star Wars, but its heavily flawed.
Matt G

The first movie to be recorded in Dolby Digital Surround EX and was visually one of the coolest films I've seen in my life. Having said that, I wasn't very impressed and walked out of the silent theater in 1999 very disappointed along with many others. After multiple… More
The first movie to be recorded in Dolby Digital Surround EX and was visually one of the coolest films I've seen in my life. Having said that, I wasn't very impressed and walked out of the silent theater in 1999 very disappointed along with many others. After multiple viewings, I came to enjoy it though, especially on the mind-blowing Blu-ray. After yet another viewing, I fell in love with this film. It's spectacular. Call me crazy, but meesa likes it!
Lewis C

"The chosen one the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training." In the years since I've seen Episode I, I had forgotten how close Jar Jar Binks comes to ruining this entire movie. I was even looking forward to seeing it again, since I've only… More
"The chosen one the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training." In the years since I've seen Episode I, I had forgotten how close Jar Jar Binks comes to ruining this entire movie. I was even looking forward to seeing it again, since I've only watched it once before and had forgotten most of it. But then, Jar Jar popped up on the screen and opened his mouth, and I was re-introduced to the single most stupid and annoying character in the history of science fiction. I can't imagine even young children enjoying his insufferable shrieking. Sigh. As for the rest of the movie (other than some occasionally suspect acting), it's actually okay. The pod racing is still fun to watch today, there was some exciting action scenes, and Darth Maul was cool enough to almost make up for all the Jar Jar. The story isn't the best the series has to offer, but it's good enough to be a worthy addition to the Star Wars mythos. If the blatant efforts to make Episode I as appealing to kids as possible could have been toned down some (trust me, they would have liked it anyway), this probably wouldn't have been considered the ugly step-child of the Star Wars franchise. As it is, though, The Phantom Menace is a flawed movie that manages to overcome that and be entertaining, anyway. I guess that's the power of the Star Wars legacy; this universe is so rich that even lesser entries are hard to not like.
Tsubaki S

Natalie Portman's cute face (when she's not covered in all that stupid make up and costumes) barely kept me awake while watching this. Jake Lloyd is probably the worst kid actor i have ever seen, then again, Lucas insipid writting doesn't help at all. The biggest and… More
Natalie Portman's cute face (when she's not covered in all that stupid make up and costumes) barely kept me awake while watching this. Jake Lloyd is probably the worst kid actor i have ever seen, then again, Lucas insipid writting doesn't help at all. The biggest and most obvious problem with this is just how boring and tedious it is. I never bothered with the other prequels, seeing how putrid they are, just saw some parts of Clones and was enough to stay away from them. I was never that much into the original trilogy, so that helps me not caring one bit about these movies.
Brad W

I admit it sucked on a lot of stuff, but in my opinion it did a couple of good new stuff too. The plot was boring and got too much into politics and actually tring to make Jar Jar Binks important for some reason, and it was truly an aful storyline. The dialogue in the movie sucked,… More
I admit it sucked on a lot of stuff, but in my opinion it did a couple of good new stuff too. The plot was boring and got too much into politics and actually tring to make Jar Jar Binks important for some reason, and it was truly an aful storyline. The dialogue in the movie sucked, it was some of the worst dialogue ever. The cast was okay, but the kid who played Anakin better be being punched nowadays for almost ruining the character. The effects were very good, I can tell they went all out for this, and I enjoyed Pod Racing. Now the biggest problem... Jar Jar Binks. That has got to be the most pointless character in film history, I hate, hate, hate him. This film wasnt very good.
Eric A

Not liked by many, but when compared the IV, V, and VI, I can see why. However, it delivers awesome action scenes with Darth Maul and pod racing, but then get's a bit unnecessary at the same time with Jar Jar Binks & co.
Adriel L

Exhilarating and intriguing, there is much to like about Episode I, then again there is also much to dislike about it. The narrative is good, but not great, as there were moments of cheese probably to cater to younger audiences or maybe simply just a problem with Lucas'… More
Exhilarating and intriguing, there is much to like about Episode I, then again there is also much to dislike about it. The narrative is good, but not great, as there were moments of cheese probably to cater to younger audiences or maybe simply just a problem with Lucas' direction. Its not as poignant as what has been found in Episode IV and the latter. There's simply not a lot of depth in this movie, not what I expected. But there were moments it did shine, reminiscent of the glory of the original Star Wars trilogy. It's a decent sci-fi action film in its own right. But clearly, Star Wars has lost something.
Sergio G

Do you think I'm unfair? I'm a Star Wars fan! The trailer was so good, that I though...this is going to be the best movie ever...and it was...until a gungan appear on the screen called Jar Jar Damn. Why George? Putting this movie in #32 is my personnal way to tell Goerge… More
Do you think I'm unfair? I'm a Star Wars fan! The trailer was so good, that I though...this is going to be the best movie ever...and it was...until a gungan appear on the screen called Jar Jar Damn. Why George? Putting this movie in #32 is my personnal way to tell Goerge Lucas: Common! Either way I enjoy it. I scream and cheer when the Star Wars logo appeared with that amazing musical theme. Liam Neeson is a Jedi! and Natalie is Luke&Leia's mom! WOW. We wait 15 years for this moment. So I went, I saw and the crowd conquer the theater.
Michael E

not the best out of the new star wars films but pretty good
Drake T

This is actually my favorite movie of the franchise for many good reasons. In fact, it feels as if people hated it not because it was a bad movie but because: A: The idea of something reinventing Star Wars was evil and fans of the original had other ideas in their heads on what this… More
This is actually my favorite movie of the franchise for many good reasons. In fact, it feels as if people hated it not because it was a bad movie but because: A: The idea of something reinventing Star Wars was evil and fans of the original had other ideas in their heads on what this movie
Kase V

Despite many complaints, I believe Phantom Menace earns it position among the original trilogy. The story is disappointing (a trade blockade?!) and their is no emotional impact between the characters we see onscreen and we, the viewers. It is much too easy for us to watch Anakin leave… More
Despite many complaints, I believe Phantom Menace earns it position among the original trilogy. The story is disappointing (a trade blockade?!) and their is no emotional impact between the characters we see onscreen and we, the viewers. It is much too easy for us to watch Anakin leave his mother, and only Portman's performance does a fine job of shortening that emotional distance between characters. Great casting. But when the finale rolls around, no one is disappointed with a dazzling show of sword and skill, and a result that defines bittersweet. It's a good enough movie, but it feels like it should. A mere beginning point for the rest of the prequel trilogy.
Tim S

Despite the controversy, I really enjoyed this one. Okay, it is a pile of crap in A LOT of places and disappointing after years of excitement - waiting for the prequels to debut, but looking back on it there are some decent things about it. It's just a shame that Star Wars was… More
Despite the controversy, I really enjoyed this one. Okay, it is a pile of crap in A LOT of places and disappointing after years of excitement - waiting for the prequels to debut, but looking back on it there are some decent things about it. It's just a shame that Star Wars was ruined forever.
Jameson W

A decent first addition to the Star Wars prequel trilogy. I think the storyline of this episode is the strongest of the 3. However, the acting is quite horrible. I can't think of any of the actors that gave good performances. It''s ironic that Natalie Portman is now the… More
A decent first addition to the Star Wars prequel trilogy. I think the storyline of this episode is the strongest of the 3. However, the acting is quite horrible. I can't think of any of the actors that gave good performances. It''s ironic that Natalie Portman is now the frontrunner for best actress for her role in Black Swan this year. Her performance is horrible in this film, as are those of most of the other actors. However, I am a huge Star Wars fan and really enjoy this film, even though I gave it a 3 star rating.