Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace [1999]

On the DVD: This spectacular two-disc DVD set was certainly worth the wait. Simply put, this is the most comprehensive packaging of supplementary materials so far assembled for DVD. Most importantly, Lucas film offers an anamorphic, 2.35:1 film transfer and a highly active Dolby 5.1 audio mix. Disc 1 includes an insightful commentary with Lucas--his first for DVD--and other key personnel, making for a great tour. The bulk of extra treasures can be found on Disc 2, including seven deleted scenes completed just for this set that possess the same quality as the film; in fact, some moments (the "Air Bus Taxi" and "Pod Race Grid" sequences) are so good that Lucas reincorporated them into the film proper. Viewers can also enjoy no less than 12 Web documentaries, five informative featurettes, the popular John Williams music video "Duel of the Fates" and numerous galleries of stills, trailers and television spots. Better yet, Lucas premieres "The Beginning," a 66-minute documentary edited from hundreds of hours of behind-the-scenes footage. This is not your standard-issue studio documentary, instead "The Beginning" is an Oscar-worthy, cinema veritye-style exploration of the creative process behind every aspect of the film's production. One of the most memorable moments involves a late-day visit to the set by Steven Spielberg: watching Lucas and Spielberg behave like kids in a candy store is one more reminder why the Star Wars saga remains enduringly popular. --Kevin Mulhall

There's no point in saying much about the film itself. We have all seen it and most of us didn't like it. The DVD edition sadly does include that Binks thing (Oh Lord, please let hime have died before Episode II begins) and some childhood fantasy destroying waffle about little symbiotic organisms being responsible for people being able to use The Force.

But the extra's make the DVD worth buying. No, really. George has a bit of a reputation for shrewd, some would say cynical, moves when it comes to relaasing Star Wars materials. For instance, did it not strike anyone else as funny that the Special Editions were released just before Lucas was due to lose some of his control over copyrights? But this package is worth twice the price, at least at current inflated DVD market prices.

There are huge amounts of extras. Documentaries first seen on the Star Wars website, features on costume design fight choreography, the effects process are included. There is a documentary devoted to the seven scenes not in the film that were finished especially for this release and the scenes can also be viewed seperately. TV spots and trailers, a weird section labelled "Posters" that has the same poster in a dozen languages, are included as standard. All this as well as a specially commisionned documentary on the making of the film as a whole.

Even the menus are lavish and extraordinary. Each one takes a different scene from the film, fully animated, and subtly transforms it to present the relevant options. For example, one has four battle-droids roll up to the screen, unfold, and switch on their shields. The shields then each display a different option.

The strength of it all is to give you a better understanding of why Episode 1 is so different to the other three films. You get a better picture of how much pressure Lucas was under to make a film everyone would like while still trying to be an artist. During the feature on costume design he meets with some creative staff and jokes that they will be catching flak for making the look so different to Episodes 4-6 simple designs. Then he corrects himself and jokes "Well, I will".

Whether his films stink or not, George Lucas is probably the most pioneering film-maker currently in Hollywood. His dedication to perfecting new techniques are unequalled and this DVD package gives a great deal of insight into that process. Love him or hate hime, we know we will all go back for more. Episode 2 is bound to be as big as the others. The Star Wars films are a huge part of many of our lives and this DVD is part of the package.

Don't put off by the cyber-muppets or new takes on Star Wars myhtology the film contains but revel in the opportunity to get some pretty amazing insights into a legendary cinematic experience.


You probably know the movie: what about the DVD?   October 21, 2001
 8 out of 10 found this review helpful

Leaving aside the value of the film (I'm a hard-core Star wars fan - let's leave it at that), the twin DVD with its wealth of additional material is brilliant. If you're the sort of person who loves to know the intricate ins and outs and trivia of a blockbuster in production, BUY THIS! There are no fewer than six documentaries plus many other features, including a whole extra LAP of podracing that never made it to the big screen. Everything is covered from story-boarding to jedi fight-coreography (including the straightening of bent light-sabres).


This is how DVDs should be made   October 22, 2001
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Whatever anyone thinks of the movie (I personally enjoyed it), this DVD is an example of how they should all be made. There are documentaries that take you though the creative process of making a movie and, despite the sheer amount of material on the disc, there is very little repetition. I'm not a big fan of filling the discs with trailers, but I'm sure that we didn't see all of the 5 tone-poem trailers in the UK.
All in all, I would recommend this DVD to anyone who loves movies and especially to anyone who loves Star Wars.


Greatest DVD on sale!   October 29, 2001
 15 out of 24 found this review helpful

Star Wars is the greatest grossing movie series of all time. It is so big that it has a following of millions of fans, has spawned spin off shows, a lot of computer games, a countless amount of books and comics and even a Star Wars monopoly game. On 15th October the first of the saga was released on DVD and was immediately sold out.
The Phantom Menace is set about 40 years before A New Hope. It tells the story of Anakin Skywalker (Lloyd) when he was a child and Obi Wan Kenobi (McGregor) as a Jedi Trainee. For those of you who have never seen any of the Star Wars movies (what's wrong with you?!?) a Jedi can control the force, i.e. can move objects with the power of their mind and can control weak-minded individuals. There is the dark side and the light side of the force. Good vs. evil. In episode 1 the good is Obi Wan and his Jedi teacher Qui-Gon (Neeson) and the bad is the evil looking Darth Maul and his Dark Jedi teacher Darth Sidious.
The plot is weak but it basically tells of how Anakin was discovered and Senator Palpatine's (McDiarmid) rise in power. Throw in amazing special effects, a young Yoda, an annoying Jar Jar Binks and thousands of robots and you have a big selling movie.
I am a massive Star Wars fan and think the original trilogy is in a league of its own. No other movie can compare to them. I was also a bit disappointed with episode 1. Don't get me wrong, it's a good film and I did enjoy it, but it just couldn't follow in the footsteps of the originals. It does however contain the greatest scene of any Star Wars movie, the lightsaber fight between Obi Wan, Qui- Gon and Darth Maul. It is mind-blowing!
Even though the movie isn't perfect, the DVD is. It is a two-disc set, disc one contains the movie and disc two contains the special features. The menu on each disc is stunning. Disc one takes you to the pod racing scene and then progresses around the track as you select different options. Disc two takes you into a spaceship and then each option takes you to different scenes, including the lightsaber fight. Then there are the special features. Over six hours including commentary by George Lucas, deleted scenes, trailers and an hour long documentary.

Conclusion: All in all this is the best DVD I own. George Lucas has really outdone himself with his first DVD release from LucasFilm. Cant wait till the originals are released. Go and buy this NOW!!!


Stop slating a great movie!   August 5, 2006
 7 out of 11 found this review helpful

As a big star wars fan, i like most of you had high hopes and expectations before going to see the Phantom Menace. And after the movie had finished i came out of the cinema with a huge grin on my face and wishing that the next one would arive soon. The reason why i love it so much, is that the qraphics and characters are brilliant and you can feel a ture history behind them and the planets they visit. The Phantom Menace sends your emotions rocketing, and then crashes them back down to earth.

The Phantom Menace is a brilliant opening to the new star wars generation. Kids and many adults world wide will love this series for decades to come. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!