On May 19th, 1999, the world was taken back to a galaxy far, far away after a sixteen-year hiatus from the last film, Return of the Jedi. Ever since The Empire Strikes Back was dubbed “Episode V” this lead to many believing that we would one day see the origins of Darth Vader, the fall of the Jedi and the slow rise of the empire. And now that time had come.
The first episode in the prequel trilogy lets us see a young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) being found by master Qui-Gon Jin (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and freed from slavery to become a Jedi. He also meets his future wife, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman). Meanwhile, from the shadows Darth Sidious (Ian McDirmis), and his apprentice Darth Maul (Ray Park), manipulate the galactic republic by causing a war on the plane of Naboo in an attempt to seize power.
When first released, the film received a rather mixed reception from audiences. Many thought that the film had too much comedy, with the character of Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) becoming a lightning rod for negativity. Many also criticized the dialogue (which George Lucas wasn’t the best at) and the discussions relating to galactic politics. There was also criticism of the number of CGI characters and environments. 
On the other hand, many enjoyed the action scenes, with the final duel between the Jedi and Darth Maul being one of the most impressive sword fights in Hollywood history. Some also liked the imaginative visuals and the new worlds we were introduced to. The soundtrack by composer John Williams also lived up to the films that came before.
The film also saw a massive avalanche of merchandise, with various companies like Hasbro and Lego making figures and play sets, along with promotions with companies like Pepsi. Various video game tie-ins helped extend the lore of the characters and setting.
(Video courtesy of Flandrew on YouTube)
Years later, many have come to appreciate the film for what it was trying to do, and that was to flesh out the galaxy that George created. An entire online community has been generated for creating and sharing quotes and memes of the prequels, which still goes strong today.
While there are definitely some flaws, Lucas did attempt to fix some of them in his next two films. The film gave us a brand new era of the franchise to explore, with new planets, characters, and stories set decades before the original trilogy. The film has since grossed over $1 billion worldwide at the box office and still has its legacy edged in pop culture history.
Did you see The Phantom Menace when it was first released? Did you hate it or love it? Do you still appreciate it today? Let us know.
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