Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace arrived in 1999 as the first new Star Wars film since the original in 1977, and it carried a weight no movie could reasonably bear. George Lucas wrote and directed it, his first directing job since that 1977 film. It runs 136 minutes. It is the fourth film in the series, the first chapter of the prequel trilogy, and the opening act of the “Skywalker Saga.”
Trailer, via Star Wars.
Qui-Gon Jinn and the Trade Federation Blockade
The plot is a trade dispute. The Trade Federation blockades Naboo in secret preparation for a full invasion, disrupting order in the Galactic Republic. Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum sends Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to negotiate with Viceroy Nute Gunray. Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord and the Federation’s secret benefactor, orders Gunray to kill the Jedi and start the invasion with an army of battle droids.
Liam Neeson plays Qui-Gon. Lucas originally wanted an American actor for the part but cast Neeson, who is Irish, because he considered Neeson had great skills and presence. Lucas called him a “master actor, who the other actors will look up to, who has got the qualities of strength that the character demands.”
Ewan McGregor plays Obi-Wan, a Jedi Padawan who holds his master in high regard but questions his motives, especially when Qui-Gon seems to break Jedi rules. McGregor was cast from a shortlist of fifty actors, all compared to pictures of young Alec Guinness so the younger Obi-Wan would read as believable. He worked with a vocal coach to sound closer to Guinness and studied Guinness’s early performances and the original films.
Tatooine, Watto, and a Slave Boy
The group lands on Tatooine, a desert planet beyond the Republic’s jurisdiction, to repair a damaged hyperdrive. Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, R2-D2, and Padmé — disguised as one of her own handmaidens — go to the settlement of Mos Espa to buy the part. They meet Watto, a junk dealer, and his nine-year-old slave Anakin Skywalker, a gifted pilot and engineer who has built a protocol droid, C-3PO.
Jake Lloyd plays Anakin. Qui-Gon senses a strong presence of the Force in the boy and becomes convinced he is the prophesied “Chosen One,” destined to restore balance to the Force. Watto refuses payment in Republic currency, so Qui-Gon wagers the hyperdrive part and Anakin’s freedom on a podrace.
Anakin’s mother, Shmi, is played by Pernilla August.
Jar Jar Binks and the Gungan Problem
Ahmed Best plays Jar Jar Binks, a bumbling Gungan outcast Qui-Gon rescues during the invasion. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fail to persuade Gungan leader Boss Nass to help the surface dwellers, but they get Jar Jar’s guidance and underwater transport to Theed, the capital of Naboo.
Padmé Amidala and the Queen in Disguise
Natalie Portman plays Padmé Amidala, the fourteen-year-old Queen of Naboo, who wants to protect her planet from the Federation’s blockade. For most of the film she uses her birth name, Padmé Naberrie, and poses as one of the queen’s handmaidens. More than 200 actresses auditioned for the role. Production notes said the part required “a young woman who could be believable as the ruler of that planet, but at the same time be vulnerable and open.”
Darth Maul, Ray Park, and the Lightsaber Duel
Ray Park, a martial arts champion with gymnastics and sword-fighting experience, was originally on the stunt crew. Stunt coordinator Nick Gillard filmed Park to show his conception of the lightsaber battles. Lucas and producer Rick McCallum were impressed enough by the test tape to give Park the role of Darth Maul. Park’s voice was considered “too squeaky” and was dubbed over in post-production.
Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, and the Casting Bets
Ian McDiarmid plays Senator Palpatine. Samuel L. Jackson expressed interest in appearing in a Star Wars film in any role, including as a Stormtrooper. Casting director Robin Gurland suggested him to Lucas, and he accepted. His role was kept secret from him until his first day on set, when he found out he was playing Mace Windu. Tupac Shakur was also considered for Mace Windu. Keira Knightley’s parents tried to convince her not to audition, but she sought a role because she was a Star Wars fan. Her casting was influenced by her striking resemblance to Portman.
Frank Oz voices Yoda. Anthony Daniels voices C-3PO. Kenny Baker plays R2-D2. The film’s ensemble includes:
- Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn
- Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala
- Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker
- Ian McDiarmid as Senator Palpatine
- Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker
- Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks
- Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
- Kenny Baker as R2-D2
- Frank Oz as Yoda
What The Phantom Menace Gets Right
The film’s craft is not the problem. The podrace is a real piece of filmmaking. The film’s failures are structural. Lucas wrote a story about a trade blockade and then populated it with characters who cannot explain why anyone should care about a trade blockade.
“Every saga has a beginning.”
The tagline is true and it is also the film’s excuse.
The Verdict on The Phantom Menace
The Phantom Menace is not the disaster its reputation suggests, and it is not the film its defenders claim. It is a handsomely mounted, badly paced, occasionally thrilling movie.
What matters most here is the bet Qui-Gon makes on Tatooine. The film’s whole reason to exist is that wager — a Jedi staking a slave boy’s freedom on a race — and the movie treats it as a plot beat rather than the moral center it is. That is the story. The Phantom Menace keeps looking away from it.
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