Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

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"I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, 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-3PO, 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 Obi-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 II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We will watch your career with great interest." Indeed! --Tod Nelson

Description

Feature-Length Audio Commentary
The creators of Episode I give you insight into the film like no one else can. Hear from: writer/director George Lucas, Producer Rick McCallum, sound designer and film co-editor Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires.

"The Beginning"
Making Episode I Documentary Film
Culled from over 600 hours of behind-the-scenes footage, this all-new hour-long documentary film takes you inside Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic during the making of The Phantom Menace. Sit in on the film's production process including: pre-production, casting, principal photography, editing, rough-cut reviews, visual effects meetings and other events that few people have had access to before.

Exclusive Deleted Scenes and Documentary
All-new documentary featuring George Lucas, Rick McCallum and guests discussing the painstaking process every director must go through in determining what scenes make the final cut. View seven exclusive deleted sequences that were created specifically for this DVD and learn why they were eliminated from the final version of the film.

Multi-Angle Animatics
Discover the amazing techniques used to create two memorable sequences (Submarine and Podrace Lap 1) from storyboards to animatics to final composites.

Featurettes
Five mini-documentaries give you an insider's look at The Phantom Menace's Storyline, Design, Costumes, Visual Effects and Fight sequences through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and filmmakers.

Web Documentaries
Originally released on starwars.com during the production of Episode I, this award-winning twelve-part web documentary series gives you a fly-on-the-wall perspective into the making of the film as it was happening.

Exclusive Production Photo Gallery
Scroll through a never-before-seen gallery of candid cast and crew shots, each with captions.

"Duel of the Fates" Music Video
One of the most popular music videos during its release in May 1999, the "Duel of the Fates" video intertwines live footage of John Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra with behind-the-scenes clips and dramatic footage featured in Episode I.

Posters and Print Campaign
Examine the Episode I theatrical posters (Teaser and Launch) and the International Outdoor advertising used to support the release of Episode I around the world.

Trailers and TV Spots
Watch the theatrical teaser and launch trailers, plus seven TV spots (including the five original "Tone Poems" along with "The Saga Begins" and "All Over Again").

"Star Wars: Starfighter-The Making of a Game" from LucasArts
This featurette offers insight into the making of the popular flight action combat game along with information on other Star Wars games from LucasArts.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Content
Your Episode I DVD is a key that unlocks exclusive Star Wars content only available through a special DVD-ROM website.

Customer Reviews:

My son loves it........2007-09-14

My five year old son is a huge Star Wars fan. We have watched this DVD many times and he never gets tired of it.

A small review of the DVD image quality, not the movie.......2007-09-10

After putting off this purchase for years, I finally walked to the store and got my copy. I was disappointed.

The image was transfered from film, which makes no sense to me. It has the typical dust, scratches, overexposure and over-sharpening problems of a scan from film. I guess back in 2001 when everyone had small TVs no one noticed, but I have a 70" screen and, compared to the Episode III DVD, the image quality in this one sucks.

I know Episode I was the last Star Wars flick shot with film instead of digital cameras, but, come on, it was edited in computers! It makes no sense to further degrade the image by transferring it from digital to film and then back to digital... unless you are planning to re-release it as a "Digitally remastered" version for the 10th anniversary (Which I hope they do, along with the HD DVD and Blu-ray versions)

Use The English Subtitles - It Will Help Make The Movie Better.......2007-09-05

I believe George Lucas said he was inspired by the chariot race in the 1959 epic Ben-Hur, and thought of it often when he staged the big pod race scene in this movie.

So, when I watched the film again the other day, the third or fourth time I've seen it, I kept looking for comparisons. Well, suffice to say nothing will surpass that chariot race, which had no benefit of any special-effects while this was almost all computer-generated. Nevertheless, the pod race in here was a lot of fun to watch, had excellent surround sound, was exciting and the highlight of the film. Oddly, in this movie instead of a man you have a small boy as the good guy- driver, so to speak. Young Jake Lloyd who plays "Anakin Skywalker." He's the key character in this Star Wars saga, the boy who later becomes the father to Luke Skywalker and winds up being revealed as Darth Vader. But....this is long before that

This movie, the first Star Wars movie after a long hiatus (16-years) disappointed a lot of fans but I thought it was entertaining overall. My main complaint was trying to understand "Jar Jar Binks," but on the DVD I can use English subtitles and thus understand all the strange things he says with his Caribbean accent. It makes the movie more enjoyable and I strongly recommend doing that.

As usual, there is a ton of astounding visuals in here, all kinds of strange characters and excellent "effects." Yes, the action gets hokey in spots, especially near the end, but what modern-day action film doesn't?

People who are really "into" this Star Wars saga, and take it seriously, were, as mentioned generally let down with this movie. I guess they expected a lot more after waiting so long for the next installment. I just watch it for the enjoyment of an escapist film and as someone who usually enjoys good visuals. I repeat: put on the "English subtitles." That helped a lot, believe me.

the child, Anakin Skywalker.......2007-09-04

This is a decent movie. it could have been better on a lot of levels but it is definitely a good movie to check out. If you're looking for A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, or Return of the Jedi, this ain't it.

It's a different movie. Not as action packed as those but definitely worth a look. I actually prefer this to Attack of the Clones, mostly because of Hayden Christensen, Jar Jar Binks is an annoyance but you'll learn to live with it. If he didn't talk as much it'd be a very good movie.

Alas, I still recommend this movie. The DVD is great. A commentary from George and others and a few features on the second disc make it all the worthwhile. The deleted scenes are a must watch. Definitely for the fans. If you aren't a fan, you won't appreciate it as much.

It's not my favorite, but still very enjoyable........2007-08-29

It's not my favorite, but still very enjoyable.

I enjoyed 'Star Wars' (a.k.a. Star Wars IV: A new hope) when it came out and I was 7 yrs old and I still love all the Star Wars Movies today. My son has loved all the Star Wars movies as well

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

My son loves it.
A small review of the DVD image quality, not the movie
Use The English Subtitles - It Will Help Make The Movie Better
the child, Anakin Skywalker
It's not my favorite, but still very enjoyable.

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Liam Neeson , Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Jake Lloyd , and Pernilla August
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006JDU9
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Amazon.com

Description

Begin your STAR WARS DVD collection with STAR WARS: Episode 1 THE PHANTOM 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.

Customer Reviews:

My son loves it........2007-09-14

My five year old son is a huge Star Wars fan. We have watched this DVD many times and he never gets tired of it.

A small review of the DVD image quality, not the movie.......2007-09-10

Use The English Subtitles - It Will Help Make The Movie Better.......2007-09-05

the child, Anakin Skywalker.......2007-09-04

It's not my favorite, but still very enjoyable........2007-08-29

STAR WARS EPISODE 1: PHANTOM MENACE (2PC) / (WS) - STAR WARS EPISODE 1: PHANTOM MENACE (2PC) / (WS)

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STAR WARS EPISODE 1: PHANTOM MENACE (2PC) / (WS) - STAR WARS EPISODE 1: PHANTOM MENACE (2PC) / (WS)

Manufacturer: ANTOnline
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00076RT24

Product Description

This is the 2-disc widescreen edition of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

VCD: Star Wars, Episode I, The Phantom Menace

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VCD: Star Wars, Episode I, The Phantom Menace
Starring: Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Pernilla August , and Frank Oz
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: Lucasfilm Ltd.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video
Product Features:

2-disc box set

ASIN: B000MVZYJO

Product Description

First chapter of the Star Wars saga, set 30 years before the original Star Wars film.

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DVD

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