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sexta-feira, 26 de outubro de 2012

Star Wars: Episódio II - Ataque dos Clones (Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

Info About The Second Episode Of This Great SpaceOpera:

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series's internal chronology. At 142 minutes, it is the longest film in the series.
The film is set 10 years after the events in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, when the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. Under the leadership of a renegade Jedi named Count Dooku, thousands of planetary systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic. When an assassination attempt is made on Senator Padmé Amidala, the former Queen of Naboo, Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker is assigned to protect her, while his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi is assigned to investigate the assassination attempt. Soon, Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan are drawn into the heart of the Separatist territories and the beginning of a new threat to the galaxy, the Clone Wars.
Released on May 16, 2002, Attack of the Clones was one of the first motion pictures to be shot completely on a high definition digital 24-frame system. Like its predecessor, it garnered mixed reviews from critics^[2] and was a financial success; however, it also became the first Star Wars film to be internationally out-grossed in its year of release.

Plot

The Galactic Republic is in turmoil. Following the invasion of Naboo ten years earlier, the former Jedi Knight Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) has now organized a Separatist movement against the Republic. The Galactic Senate debates a plan to create an army for the Republic to assist the Jedi against the Separatist threat. Senator Padmé Amidala, the former queen of Naboo and now a politician, returns to Coruscant to cast her vote. Upon her arrival, she narrowly escapes an assassination attempt, and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine assigns Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) to protect her. Obi-Wan and Anakin subdue the assassin, Zam Wessell, during another assassination attempt. However, before she can give them any information, the assassin is killed by her employer using a poisonous dart. Obi-Wan learns that the dart was manufactured on the remote ocean planet of Kamino, and is assigned to investigate, while Anakin is assigned to escort Padmé back to her home planet of Naboo. Anakin relishes the opportunity to spend time with her, and they fall in love. In investigating Kamino, Obi-Wan discovers that it has been removed from the navigation maps of the Jedi archives. Yoda reveals that such a thing could only have been done by a Jedi, suggesting that a conspiracy is afoot.
Obi-Wan heads to Kamino, where he discovers that an army of clone troopers is being secretly produced for the Republic, using a bounty hunter named Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) as their genetic template. Realizing that Jango is the assassin's employer, Obi-Wan tracks Jango and his son Boba (Daniel Logan) to Geonosis, a rocky planet where a new droid army is being created. Meanwhile, on Naboo, Anakin becomes troubled by premonitions of his mother Shmi in pain. Despite Obi-Wan's orders to remain on Naboo, Anakin and Padmé go to Tatooine. After meeting his new stepfather, Cliegg Lars (Jack Thompson), and stepbrother Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton), Anakin learns Shmi had been kidnapped by Tusken Raiders some weeks earlier. Anakin heads out alone to rescue Shmi, but the Jedi snaps after witnessing the death of his mother at the hands of the Tuskens. He kills the tribe in a rage and buries his mother's body at the Lars homestead.
Having learned that Count Dooku authorized the assassination attempt on Padmé and that the Separatists are developing a new battle droid army, Obi-Wan relays this information via hologram to Anakin, who transmits it to the Jedi Council. However, Obi-Wan is captured by Dooku mid-transmission. Dooku unsuccessfully attempts to make an ally of Obi-Wan, and reveals to him that the Republic is being secretly controlled by Darth Sidious. While Anakin and Padmé head to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, Chancellor Palpatine is granted emergency powers to organize the clone army and send them into battle. Shortly after arriving on Geonosis, Anakin and Padmé are captured by Jango and sentenced to be executed along with Obi-Wan. Anakin and Padmé profess their love before being led into a large gladiatorial arena where they and Obi-Wan are pitted against gigantic beasts in a public execution. However, Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and a team of Jedi appear and lead a strong defense against the beasts and the Separatists. Windu kills Jango Fett in a brief battle, but then the Jedi find themselves outnumbered by the Separatists' droid army. As Dooku demands their surrender, Yoda arrives with the clone army and rescues the survivors of the battle. After the arena is emptyed, Boba recovers the decapitated head of his father, and swears revenge for him.
As a large battle erupts between the Republic's clone army and the Separatists' droid forces, Obi-Wan and Anakin engage Dooku in a lightsaber duel. Dooku defeats them both, injuring Obi-Wan and severing Anakin's right arm, but then Yoda arrives to challenge the Count. Unable to defeat Yoda, Dooku flees in his ship to Coruscant, taking the blueprints for an ultimate weapon with him. He is met in an isolated hangar by his Sith master, Darth Sidious, who states that everything is going as planned now that the galaxy is at war. As the Jedi gravely acknowledge the start of the Clone Wars, Palpatine oversees the launching of several battalions of clone troopers. Meanwhile, Anakin– now fitted with an artificial arm– and Padmé secretly marry on Naboo, with C-3PO and R2-D2 as witnesses.

Cast

Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi Knight and mentor to his Padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker, who investigates the assassination attempt of Padmé which led him to discover the makings of a Clone Army.
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker: Obi-Wan's gifted padawan apprentice. He is believed to be the "chosen one" of Jedi prophecy destined "to bring balance to the Force." In the 10 years since The Phantom Menace, he has grown powerful but arrogant, and believes that Obi-Wan is holding him back.
Natalie Portman as Senator Padmé Amidala: Former Queen of Naboo, who has recently been elected the planet's Senator.
Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine: A former Galactic Senator from Naboo, who amasses vast emergency powers upon the outbreak of the Clone Wars.
Christopher Lee as Count Dooku: A former Jedi Master who is now leader of the Separatist movement as Darth Tyranus, and a suspect in Obi-Wan's investigation.
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu: A Jedi Master sitting on the Jedi Council who warily watches the Galactic Senate's politics.
Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett: A bounty hunter who gave his DNA for use by the cloning facilities on Kamino for the creation of the clone army. In addition to his wage, he requested an unaltered clone for himself to take as his son – Boba Fett.
Frank Oz voices Yoda: A Jedi Grand Master of an unknown species. In addition to sitting on the Jedi Council, Yoda is the instructor for the young Jedi padawans.
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO: A protocol droid for the Lars homestead.
Kenny Baker as R2-D2: An astro-droid, often seen on missions with Anakin and Obi-Wan.
Daniel Logan as Boba Fett: Jango Fett's clone and adopted son, who is created from his "father"'s DNA.
Leeanna Walsman as Zam Wesell: A bounty hunter and partner of Jango Fett, who is given the task of assassinating Padmé. Although her appearance is human, she is actually a shapeshifter.
Silas Carson as Nute Gunray and Ki-Adi-Mundi: Gunray is the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, who attempts to assassinate Padmé as revenge for his loss against her people on Naboo. Ki-Adi-Mundi is a Jedi Master and a member of the Jedi Council.
Ahmed Best as Delegate Jar Jar Binks: A Gungan whom Padmé appoints Representative of Naboo.

E! Online reported that Lucas had allowed 'N Sync to film a small background cameo appearance, in order to satisfy his daughters. They were subsequently cut out of the film in post-production.^[3] The end credits erroneously list Alan Ruscoe as playing Neimoidian senator Lott Dod. The character was actually another Neimoidian, played by an uncredited David Healey and voiced by Christopher Truswell.
A large search for the new Anakin Skywalker was performed across the United States. Lucas auditioned various actors, mostly unknown, before casting Christensen. Among the many established actors who auditioned were Jonathan Brandis, Ryan Phillippe,^[4] Colin Hanks,^[5] and Paul Walker.^[6] Leonardo DiCaprio also met with Lucas for the role, but was "definitely unavailable" according to DiCaprio publicist Ken Sunshine.^[7] Co-star Natalie Portman later told Time magazine that Christensen "gave a great reading. He could simultaneously be scary and really young."^[8]

Themes

See also: Star Wars sources and analogues

Lucas has noted that Palpatine's rise to power is very similar to that of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany; as Chancellor of Germany, the latter was granted "emergency powers", as is Palpatine.^[23] Comparisons have been made to Octavian&nbsp– who became Augustus, the first emperor of Rome&nbsp– and to Napoleon Bonaparte, who rose to power in France from 1796 to 1799. Octavian was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of political opponents well before he was granted tribunician powers; Bonaparte was appointed First Consul for life (and later Emperor) by the French Consulate after a failed attempt on his life and the subsequent coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799.^[24] Some have drawn parallels to the American Civil War, likening the Separatists to the Confederate States of America; the official name of the Separatist group is the "Confederacy of Independent Systems". The name of the government Army, the "Grand Army of the Republic", is the same in both Star Wars and the American Civil War, and both Palpatine and President Abraham Lincoln took extensive war powers and suspended many civil rights.^[24]
War journalism, combat films, and footage of World War II combat influenced the documentary-style camera work of the Battle of Geonosis, even to the point that hand-held shakes were digitally added to computer-generated sequences.^[24]
The prequel trilogy films often refer to the original trilogy in order to help connect the films together. Lucas has often referred to the films as a long poem that rhymes.^[25] Such examples include the now-famous line of "I have a bad feeling about this," a phrase used in each film, and battles, namely lightsaber duels, that almost always occur over a pit. As with Attack of the Clones, The Empire Strikes Back was the middle film in a trilogy; therefore, of the original trilogy films, The Empire Strikes Back is the object of the most references in Attack of the Clones. In both films, an asteroid field is the backdrop of a major star battle in the middle of the film. Obi-Wan escapes Jango Fett by attaching his spacecraft to an asteroid in order to disappear from the enemy sensors; Han Solo uses a similar tactic by attaching the Millennium Falcon to a Star Destroyer in The Empire Strikes Back. As a retcon, John Knoll confirms on the film's DVD commentary that Boba Fett, who would later catch Solo in the act in The Empire Strikes Back, "learned his lesson" from the events of Attack of the Clones.^[23] In another scene, Obi-Wan asks Anakin, "Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me?" This is an allusion to A New Hope where Anakin, as Darth Vader, kills Obi-Wan aboard the Death Star. Also, Count Dooku cuts off Anakin's arm, similar to when Darth Vader cut off Luke Skywalker's hand in The Empire Strikes Back.

Release

After a teaser trailer premiered with the film Monsters, Inc., a new trailer for the film aired on the Fox Network on March 10, 2002 between Malcolm in the Middle and The X-Files,^[26] and was made available on the official Star Wars web site the same day. The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas from Chicago predicted before the film's release that U.S. companies could lose more than $319 million in productivity due to employees calling in sick and then heading to theaters to see the film.^[27]
Attack of the Clones was screened out of competition on May 12th at the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City^[28]and the following week at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival,^[29] before getting a worldwide theatrical release on May 16, 2002. The film was also later released in IMAX theaters; the film had not been filmed for IMAX but was "up converted" with the digital remastering process. Because of the technical limitations of the IMAX projector, an edited, 120-minute version of the film was presented.^[30]
Before the film's release, there was a string of controversies regarding piracy. In 2000, an underground organization calling itself the Atlas Group, based in Perth, Western Australia offered a copy of the screenplay, with an asking price of US$100,000, to various fan sites and media organizations, including TheForce.Net. The scheme was subsequently reported to Lucasfilm Ltd. by the fan site.
A pirate copy was allegedly made at a private showing, using a digital recorder that was pointed at the screen. This copy spread over the internet, and analysts predicted up to a million fans would have seen the film before the day of its release.^[31] In addition, authorities seized thousands of bootlegs throughout Kuala Lumpur before the film opened.^[32]

Reception

Attack of the Clones received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics.^[33] On the Rotten Tomatoes review site, the film received a 67% favorable rating based on 218 reviews, the general consensus being "Containing more of what made the Star Wars series fun, Attack of the Clones is an improvement over The Phantom Menace."^[34] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 53 based on 39 reviews, which indicates "Mixed or average reviews".
Critics called the dialogue "stiff" and "flat".^[35] The acting (particularly by Christensen and Portman) was also disparaged by some critics.^[36] Conversely, other critics felt fans would be pleased to see that Jar Jar Binks has only a minor role.^[37] He in fact plays a pivotal part in the story by making a motion in the Galactic Senate to grant Palpatine emergency powers– unknowingly assisting Palpatine's rise to power. Additionally, Jar Jar's attempts at comic relief seen in The Phantom Menace were toned down; instead, C-3PO reprised some of his bumbling traditions in that role. McGregor referred to the swordplay in the film as "unsatisfactory" when comparing it to the climactic duel in Revenge of the Sith as it neared release.^[38]
Roger Ebert, who had praised all of the other Star Wars films, awarded this edition only two out of four stars, noting, "[As] someone who admired the freshness and energy of the earlier films, I was amazed, at the end of Episode II, to realize that I had not heard one line of quotable, memorable dialogue." About Anakin and Padme's relationship, Ebert stated, "There is not a romantic word they exchange that has not long since been reduced to cliché."^[36] Leonard Maltin, who also liked all of the previous installments, only awarded two stars out of four to this endeavor as well, as seen in his Movie and Video Guide from the 2002 edition onward. Maltin cited an "overlong story" as reason for his dissatifaction and added, "Wooden characterizations and dialogue don't help."^[39]
In following suit with the previous installments in the series, the Academy Awards presented Attack of the Clones with a nomination for Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll, and Ben Snow for Best Visual Effects at the 2003 Academy Awards, but lost to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.^[40] Natalie Portman was also honored at the Teen Choice Awards,^[41] and the film received an award for Best Fight at the MTV Movie Awards.^[42] In contrast, the film also received seven nominations from the Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Picture, Worst Director (George Lucas), Worst Screenplay (George Lucas), Worst Supporting Actor (Hayden Christensen), Worst Supporting Actress (Natalie Portman), Worst Screen Couple (Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman) and Worst Remake or Sequel.^[43] It took home two awards for Worst Screenplay (George Lucas) and Worst Supporting Actor (Hayden Christensen).^[44]

Box office

The film grossed $310,676,740 in North America and $338,721,588 overseas for a worldwide total of $649,398,328. Though a huge financial success, it was nevertheless overshadowed by the even greater box-office success of The Phantom Menace three years earlier.^[1] It was not the top grossing film of the year, either in North America (where it finished in third place) or worldwide (where it was fourth), the first time that a Star Wars film did not have this distinction. In North America it was outgrossed by Spider-Man and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, both of which enjoyed a more favorable critical reception as well. Worldwide, it was also outgrossed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, though Attack of the Clones performed better than The Chamber of Secrets in North America. Adjusted for inflation, Attack of the Clones is the lowest-performing live-action Star Wars film at the North American box office, though is still in the Top 100 highest grossing films of all time when adjusted for inflation.^[45]

Home media

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones was released on DVD and VHS on November 12, 2002. George Lucas edited or added certain elements that make the DVD slightly different from its theatrical release. The DVD features an audio commentary from director George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, editor and sound designer Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors Pablo Helman, John Knoll, and Ben Snow. Eight deleted scenes are included along with multiple documentaries, which include a full-length documentary about the creation of digital characters and two others that focus on sound design and the animatics team. Three featurettes examine the storyline, action scenes, and love story, and a set of 12 short web documentaries cover the overall production of the film.^[46]
The Attack of the Clones DVD also features a trailer for a mockumentary-style short film known as R2-D2: Beneath the Dome. Some stores offered the full mockumentary as an exclusive bonus disc for a small extra charge. The film gives an alternate look at the "life" of the droid R2-D2. The story, which Lucas approved, was meant to be humorous.^[47]
The DVD was re-released in a prequel trilogy box set on November 4, 2008.^[48]
The Star Wars films were released on Blu-ray Disc on September 16, 2011 in three different editions.^[49]

All Extracts Taken From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_II:_Attack_of_the_Clones

More Info: http://www.starwars.com/explore/the-movies/episode-ii/ - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121765/

sexta-feira, 19 de outubro de 2012

Star Wars - Episódio II: O Ataque dos Clones (Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones)

A Jedi shall not know anger. Nor hatred. Nor love.

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is a seminal tale of the Star Wars mythos, unlocking some of the history and events that laid the foundation for the Rebel Alliance's epic struggle against the Empire as chronicled in the original Star Wars film trilogy. Featuring familiar characters as never seen before and introducing new players destined to become Star Wars icons, Episode II is a must-see film, and this graphic novel is a must-read for all Star Wars enthusiasts. Adapted by Henry Gilroy from the original screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales, and illustrated by Jan Duursema and Ray Kryssing. Make sure you catch this legendary series that's sure to please Star Wars fans of all ages.

( http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/00-490/Star-Wars-Episode-II----Attack-of-the-Clones-1-Photo-Cover )

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is a seminal tale of the Star Wars mythos, unlocking some of the history and events that laid the foundation for the Rebel Alliance's epic struggle against the Empire as chronicled in the original Star Wars film trilogy. Featuring familiar characters as never seen before and introducing new players destined to become Star Wars icons, Episode II is a must-see film, and this graphic novel is a must-read for all Star Wars enthusiasts. Adapted by Henry Gilroy from the original screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales, and illustrated by Jan Duursema and Ray Kryssing. Make sure you catch this legendary series that's sure to please Star Wars fans of all ages.

( http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/00-493/Star-Wars-Episode-II----Attack-of-the-Clones-2-Photo-Cover )

Dark Horse Comics proudly continues the comics adaptation of the long-awaited second Episode of the Star Wars saga. Adapted for comics by Henry Gilroy from an original screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales, this series tells of a young Jedi coming of age, forbidden love, and a threat that has been a decade in the planning...

Artfully illustrated by Jan Duursema and Ray Kryssing, this four-issue series is a must for the serious Star Wars collector.

( http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/00-498/Star-Wars-Episode-II----Attack-of-the-Clones-3-Photo-Cover )

( http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/00-502/Star-Wars-Episode-II----Attack-of-the-Clones-4-Photo-Cover )

( http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/11-177/Star-Wars-Episode-II----Attack-of-the-Clones-TPB )

Star Wars: Episódio I - A Ameaça Fantasma (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

Info About The First Instalment Of This Great SpaceSaga:

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms of story chronology. The Phantom Menace was also Lucas' first production as a film director after a 22-year hiatus following the original Star Wars film, and only his fourth overall.
The film follows the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, who escort and protect Queen Amidala in traveling from the planet Naboo to the planet Coruscant in the hope of finding a peaceful end to a large-scale interplanetary trade dispute. The film also features a young Anakin Skywalker before he became a Jedi, introduced as a young slave boy who seems to be unusually strong with nascent powers of The Force, and must contend with the mysterious return of the Sith.
Lucas began production of this motion picture after he had concluded that the science of movie special effects had advanced to the level of what he wanted for his fourth film in the saga. Its filming took place during 1997 (started on June 26, 1997) at various locations including Leavesden Film Studios and the Tunisian desert. Its special effects included extensive use of computer-generated imagery (CGI), with some of its characters and its settings being completely computerized and not existing at all in the real world.
The Phantom Menace premiered in theaters on May 19, 1999, sixteen years after the 1983 premiere of the previous Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi. The film's premiere was accompanied by considerable hype, extensive media coverage and great anticipation, due to the large cultural following its predecessors had created. Despite mixed reviews by critics, who tended to praise the visuals and action sequences but criticize the writing, characterization and acting, it grossed $924.3 million worldwide during its initial run in theaters, making it the Star Wars film with the highest gross-income (unadjusted for inflation). A 3D reissue was released in February 2012, which has earned an additional $102.7 million at the box office, bringing the film's overall worldwide total to over $1 billion,^[2] returning the film to the top ten highest grossing films of all time, however some months later it would bumped out of the top 10 by The Dark Knight Rises.
The film was followed by two additional sequels: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in 2002, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in 2005.

Plot

The Galactic Republic is in a period of decline. In response to a taxation on trade routes, the Trade Federation organizes a blockade of battleships around the planet of Naboo. Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum (Terrence Stamp) dispatches two Jedi Knights, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), to negotiate with Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray (Silas Carson) in hopes of resolving the issue. However, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious orders the Viceroy to kill the Jedi and invade Naboo with an army of battle droids. The two Jedi escape the attempt on their lives by stowing aboard landing craft and escaping to Naboo. There, Qui-Gon saves Gungan outcast Jar Jar Binks (voiced by Ahmed Best) from being crushed by a Federation tank. Indebted to the Jedi, Jar Jar leads them to the underwater Gungan city of Otoh Gunga; there, the Jedi unsuccessfully attempt to persuade the Gungans to help the people of Naboo, though they are able to obtain a transport to reach the Capital city of Theed on the surface.
The leader of Naboo, Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman), is captured by the Federation army, but is rescued by the Jedi. The Queen escapes Naboo with the Jedi on her personal starship, which is damaged on its way through the blockade surrounding the planet, forcing them to land on Tatooine, a nearby desert planet, for repairs. Qui-Gon ventures into the settlement of Mos Espa with Jar Jar and the astromech droid R2-D2 to a junk shop to purchase a new hyperdrive generator. The queen allows Padmé, a handmaiden, to journey along with them. There, they meet a slave child named Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), a pilot and engineer who has created his own protocol droid, C-3PO. After spending time with Anakin, Qui-Gon senses a strong presence of the Force within the boy, and suspects he may be the "Chosen One" of Jedi prophecy who will bring balance to the Force. Qui-Gon makes a bet with Anakin's owner, Watto (voiced by Andy Secombe), to enter him in a podracing tournament; if Anakin wins, he will be freed. Anakin manages to win the race and joins the group to be trained as a Jedi, but he is forced to leave his mother Shmi (Pernilla August) behind, as Qui-Gon was unable to arrange for her release. They are attacked by Darth Sidious' apprentice, Darth Maul (played by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz), who was dispatched to capture the Queen.
Having escaped the attack, the Jedi escort the Queen to the Republic's capital planet of Coruscant so she can plead her people's case to the Galactic Senate. Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council to train Anakin as a Jedi, but is rejected. Meanwhile, Senator Palpatine of Naboo convinces the Queen to make a motion of no confidence in Valorum in attempt to vote for a stronger Chancellor who will help end the conflict. She pushes such a vote, but grows frustrated with the lack of action by the Galactic Senate, ultimately deciding to return to Naboo with the Jedi.
Back on Naboo, Padmé reveals herself to be the real Queen Amidala, the other "Queen" (Keira Knightly) having been a decoy. Padmé convinces the Gungans to form an alliance against the Trade Federation. While Jar Jar leads his people in a battle against the droid army, the Queen tries to capture Gunray in Theed, Anakin pilots a vacant starfighter and joins the fight against the Federation droid control ship in space and destroys the ship, deactivating the droid army down on Naboo. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon encounter Darth Maul once more and engage him in a lightsaber fight. Maul mortally wounds Qui-Gon, but is defeated by Obi-Wan; Qui-Gon's dying request is for Obi-Wan to train Anakin. Palpatine is elected as the new Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, the Federation Viceroy is sent to stand trial for his crimes, Obi-Wan is bestowed the rank of Jedi Knight, and the Jedi Council accepts Anakin as Obi-Wan's apprentice. However, the Jedi are still mystified by the recent reemergence of the Sith, and even at Qui-Gon's funeral they're left to wonder if Darth Maul was a Sith master or merely a master's apprentice. At a festive ceremony, Padmé presents a gift of appreciation and friendship to the Gungans. During a Post-credit scene a blank screen is shown with Darth Vader's iconic breathing, reminding the viewers of the fate of young Anakin Skywalker.

Cast

Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn: A Jedi Master and mentor to Obi-Wan. When he discovers Anakin, he insists that the boy be trained as a Jedi, despite the protests of the council. Lucas originally envisioned an American actor in the role, but cast Neeson, who is Irish, because he considered Neeson to have great skills and presence, describing him as a "master actor, who the other actors will look up to, who has got the qualities of strength that the character demands."^[3]
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi: Qui-Gon's young Jedi Padawan apprentice. He holds Qui-Gon in high regard, but questions his motives at times. McGregor prepared for the role by watching Alec Guinness, who portrayed the elderly Obi-Wan, in both the original Star Wars trilogy and Guinness' early work.^[3]
Natalie Portman as Queen Padmé Amidala: The young queen of Naboo at 16 years of age, Amidala hopes to protect her planet from a blockade brought on by the Trade Federation. Over 200 actresses were auditioned for the role,^[4] with production notes stating that "The role required a young woman who could be believable as the ruler of that planet, but at the same time be vulnerable and open." Portman was chosen especially for her performances in The Professional (1994) and Beautiful Girls (1996), which impressed Lucas.^[3] He stated, "I was looking for someone who was young, strong, along the lines of Leia [and] Natalie embodied all those traits and more."^[3] The actress was unfamiliar with Star Wars prior to being cast,^[3] but was enthused over being cast as the Queen of Naboo, a character she expected to become a role model: "It was wonderful playing a young queen with so much power. I think it will be good for young women to see a strong woman of action who is also smart and a leader."^[5]

Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker an eleven year old who dreams to became a Jedi like Kenobi and Jinn.
Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine/Darth Sidious: The Senator of Naboo, who is eventually elected Chancellor of the Republic. McDiarmid was surprised when Lucas approached him 16 years after Return of the Jedi to reprise the role of Palpatine, because he had assumed that a younger actor would play the part in the prequel films.^[6]
Ahmed Best as the voice of Jar Jar Binks: A clumsy Gungan, exiled from his home but taken in by Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. He accompanies them throughout the film. Best was hired after Gurland saw him on a Stomp performance in San Francisco,^[7] and originally was just going to provide motion capturing, but after offering to also voice the character, was accepted. He wandered in the set in a foam-and-latex suit and headpiece to provide reference for the actors, with his filmed performance later replaced by the computer-generated character.^[8] Best frequently improvised movements to make Jar Jar as clumsy and comedic as possible.^[7]
Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker: Anakin's mother. She is concerned for her son's future, and lets him leave with the Jedi. August, a veteran of Swedish cinema, was chosen after auditioning with Liam Neeson, although she was afraid of not being chosen due to her accent.^[8]
Ray Park as Darth Maul: A Zabrak Sith apprentice to Darth Sidious who uses a double-bladed lightsaber. A martial arts champion with experience in gymnastics and swordfighting, Park was originally only a member of the stunt crew,^[7] and stunt coordinator Nick Gillard filmed Park to demonstrate how he envisioned the lightsaber battles. Lucas and McCallum were so impressed with the test tape that they gave Park the role of Maul. His voice was considered "too squeaky", leading it to be dubbed over.^[8] He was voiced by Peter Serafinowicz.
Anthony Daniels voices C-3PO: A protocol droid built by Anakin, he lacks a metal covering in this film, which R2-D2 refers to as being "naked". A puppeteer – dressed in a color close to the one seen in the background, similar to the Japanese puppet theater Bunraku, so he could be erased during post-production – manipulated a skeletal C-3PO figure attached to his front, while Daniels read his lines off-camera.^[7]^[9]
Kenny Baker as R2-D2: An astromech droid, notable for saving Queen Amidala's ship when all other droids fail. Before the production of The Phantom Menace started, fans campaigned on the Internet to retain Baker as R2, to which Lucas replied that the actor would remain. Baker is used for scenes where R2 bends forwards and backwards and wobble from side to side, while actual robots and a digital replica are used otherwise (see Effects, below).^[10]
Silas Carson as Nute Gunray: The Viceroy of the Trade Federation who leads the invasion of Naboo and tries to force Queen Amidala to sign a treaty to legitimize the occupation. Carson also portrays three minor characters: Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, Trade Federation Senator Lott Dod, and an ill-fated pilot (which was the role Carson originally auditioned for).^[11] Carson got the role because another actor was uncomfortable with the costumes used by the Trade Federation characters – which were hot, exerted a lot of pressure on the bearer, and took about 15 minutes to apply. The Thai accent used by the character was chosen after Lucas and McCallum listened to various languages to pick how the Neimodians would speak.^[12]
Hugh Quarshie as Captain Panaka: Queen Amidala's chief of security at Theed Palace. Quarshie accepted the part for considering it "a good career move" and a production that would be fun to make.^[13]
Andy Secombe voices Watto: A junk dealer on Tatooine who owns Anakin and his mother as slaves. With a design that was an amalgalm of various rejected ideas, Watto's expressions were based on video footage of Secombe doing the voice acting, photos of animation supervisor Rob Coleman imitating the character, and modeler Steve Alpin saying Watto's lines to the mirror.^[14]
Lewis MacLeod voices Sebulba: An aggressive, scheming Podracer and rival of Anakin. Sebulba's design was described by Lucas as "a spider crossed with an orangutan crossed with a sloth",^[15] with a camel-like face, and clothing inspired by medieval armor.^[16]
Frank Oz as the voice of Yoda: The centuries old leader of the Jedi Council who is apprehensive about allowing Anakin to be trained. Yoda was mostly portrayed as a puppet designed by Nick Dudman, based on Stuart Freeborn's original design, with Oz controlling the mouth and other parts controlled by the puppeteers using remote controls.^[8] A computer-generated Yoda is featured in two distant shots and Warwick Davis portrays him in the scene in which Obi-Wan becomes a Jedi Knight.^[17]
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu: A member of the Jedi Council who also opposes the idea of training Anakin. After Jackson expressed interest in appearing in a Star Wars film, he was approached by cast director Robin Gurland to play Windu.^[7]
Terence Stamp as Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum: The current Chancellor who commissions Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to negotiate with the Trade Federation Viceroy. Lucas described the character as a "good man but he's beleaguered – a bit like [Bill] Clinton".^[18]
Brian Blessed voices Boss Nass: The leader of the Gungan tribe who allies with the Naboo and defeats the Trade Federation. Blessed originally auditioned for Sio Bibble, the Governor of Naboo,^[19] for which he was considered "too loud".^[20] Blessed described Nass as a "reluctant hero",^[20] and a fun role to play.^[21]
Greg Proops and Scott Capurro voice Fode and Beed, the two headed announcer of the Boonta's Eve Race. The actors were filmed wearing make-up and blue bodysuits, so their heads would be joined in a computer-generated body. The visual effects crew did not like the original results, and ended up crafting Fode and Beed as an entirely computer generated alien.^[22]
Keira Knightley as Sabé: Queen Amidala's body double and decoy. The role was originally going to be filled by a stand-in, until casting director Robin Gurland came across Knightley, who bore a striking resemblance to Natalie Portman. Knightley's role was kept quiet by The Phantom Menace's marketing department in order to heighten the surprise of there being a decoy Queen when the film was released. The Queen's costumes were specifically designed to hide any height and shape differences between Knightley and Portman, so much so that Portman's mother could not distinguish between the two on set.^[23]

Release

The release of the first new Star Wars film in 16 years was accompanied by a considerable amount of hype.^[48] Few film studios released films during the same week as the release of The Phantom Menace; among them were DreamWorks and Universal Studios, with the releases of The Love Letter (on May 21) and Notting Hill (on May 28), respectively.^[49] The Love Letter resulted in a box-office flop, whereas Notting Hill fared rather well and followed The Phantom Menace closely in second place.^[50] Challenger, Gray & Christmas of Chicago, a work-issues consulting firm, estimated that 2.2 million full-time employees did not appear for work to attend the film, resulting in $293 million in lost productivity. According to The Wall Street Journal, so many workers announced plans to view premiere that many companies shut down on the opening day.^[51] Queue areas formed outside cinema theaters over a month in advance of ticket sales.^[52]
More theater lines appeared when it was announced that cinemas were not allowed to sell tickets in advance until two weeks into the release. This was done out of fear that family theater-goers would be either unable to receive tickets or forced to pay higher prices. Tickets were instead to be sold on a traditional first-come-first-served basis.^[53] However, after meetings with the National Association of Theatre Owners, Lucasfilm agreed to allow advance ticket sales on May 12, 1999, provided that there be a twelve-ticket limit per customer.^[54] As a result, however, some advance tickets were sold by scalpers as high as $100 apiece, which a distribution chief called "horrible", stating it was exactly what they wanted to avoid.^[55] Daily Variety reported that theater owners received strict instructions from Lucasfilm that the film could only play in the cinema's largest auditorium for the first 8–12 weeks; no honor passes were allowed for the first eight weeks, and they were obligated to send their payments to distributor 20th Century Fox within seven days.^[56]
Despite worries about whether the film would be finished in time, two weeks before its theatrical release Lucasfilm pushed the release date up from May 21, 1999 to May 19, 1999. At the ShoWest Convention, Lucas stated that the change was to give the fans a "head start" by allowing them to view it over the week and allowing families the chance to view it on the weekends. Foreshadowing his future conversion to digital cinematography, Lucas stated that the film would be released on four digital projectors on June 18, 1999.^[57] Eleven charity premieres were staged across the United States on May 16, 1999; receipts from the Los Angeles event were donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation with corporate packages available for $5,000–$25,000.^[58] Other charity premieres included the Dallas premiere for Children's Medical Center, the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research at the Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York, the Big Brother/Sister Association of the Philadelphia premiere, and the Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C. A statement said that tickets were sold at $500 apiece and that certain sections were set aside for disadvantaged children.^[59]

3D re-release

In September 2010, it was announced that all six films in the series will be stereo-converted to 3D. They are being released in episode order, beginning with The Phantom Menace, which was released in 3D to cinemas in February 2012.^[78] The conversion was supervised by Industrial Light & Magic and produced by Prime Focus.^[79]
George Lucas stated that the 3D conversion was "just a conversion" of the Blu-ray release of the film in 2011 and no additional changes were made.^[80] The only confirmed change is to Anakin's magnetic wand during the podrace scene where the tip was sharpened to more accurately fit the 2D photography to the new 3D image.^[81]

Reception

Critical reception

The Phantom Menace received mixed reviews from film critics. As of the film's re-release in 3D during March 2012, the film holds a 57% "Rotten" rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 5.8/10, based on 186 reviews,^[82] It also has a score of 51/100 ("mixed or average reviews") on Metacritic based on 36 reviews. On both sites, it is the lowest rated film in the Star Wars film series. Many aspects of the scripting were criticized, especially the character of Jar Jar Binks, who was regarded by many members of the older fan community as toyetic — purely a merchandising opportunity rather than a serious character in the film.^[83]^[84]^[85] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described Binks as "a major miscue, a comic-relief character who's frankly not funny." ^[86] George Lucas criticized the American media for using fan opinions from the Internet as a reliable source for their news stories.^[87] In 2002, with the release of Attack of the Clones, Ewan McGregor said that in retrospect The Phantom Menace slightly lacked some of the "humor and colour" of the forthcoming prequels. He felt as a result of bearing the weight of setting up the entire saga, it seemed "kind of flat."^[88] One critic observed that, "Perhaps the absolute creative freedom director George Lucas enjoyed while dreaming up the flick's 'comic' relief – with no studio execs and not many an independently minded actor involved – is a path to the dark side." ^[89]
Conversely, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave it three and a half out of four stars, calling it "an astonishing achievement in imaginative filmmaking," and stating that "Lucas tells a good story." Ebert also commented that it was perfectly fine for the characters being a bit less compelling, seeing that they were just being introduced, and hypothetically entreating filmmakers to "give me transparent underwater cities and vast hollow senatorial spheres any day."^[90] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B grade and complimented Liam Neeson's performance and the action scenes.^[91] However, in another Entertainment Weekly review of the film, Marc Bernardin gave the film a C-, calling it "haplessly plotted, horribly written, and juvenile."^[92]
Susan Wloszczyna of USA Today thought the movie did "plenty right," praising the characters of Darth Maul and Watto.^[93] David Cornelius of efilmcritic.com remarked that the better moments of the film "don't merely balance out the weaker ones – they topple them."^[94] Colin Kennedy of Empire said that despite problems with pacing and writing "there is still much pleasure to be had watching our full-blown Jedi guides in action", praising the visuals and Liam Neeson's performance, and considering the duel between Darth Maul and the Jedi "the saga's very best lightsaber battle".^[95]
The Phantom Menace was ranked by Entertainment Weekly as one of "The 25 Worst Sequels Ever Made".^[96] Similarly, Comcast ranked the film among the worst film sequels of all time.^[97] James Berardinelli would later note, "The Phantom Menace was probably the most overhyped motion picture of the last decade (if not longer), and its reputation suffered as a result of its inability to satisfy unreasonable expectations."^[98] William Arnold, of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, agreed that the massive hype of the film caused much of the negative reaction, saying "it built expectations that can't possibly be matched and scuttled (the) element of storytelling surprise." However, he also felt that the film was "well made and entertaining" and believed it was much better than similar box office fare released around that year, such as The Mummy and The Matrix.^[99]
The introduction of midi-chlorians (microscopic organisms mediate use of the Force) in the film has been controversial among fans. Those against it have seen it as a concept that negates the spiritual quality of the Force. Film historian Daniel Dinello notes, "Anathema to Star Wars fanatics who thought they reduced the Force to a kind of viral infection, midi-chlorians provide a biological interface, the link between physical bodies and spiritual energy."^[100] Religion expert John D. Caputo adds, "In the 'Gospel according to Lucas' a world is conjured up in which the intractable oppositions that have tormented religious thinkers for centuries are reconciled. ... The gifts that the Jedi masters enjoy have a perfectly plausible scientific basis, even if its ways are mysterious: their bodily cells have a heavier than usual concentration of 'midi-chlorians.'"^[101]
After the release of the film, there was controversy over whether several alien characters reflected racial stereotypes, notably: the oafish, slow-witted Jar Jar Binks had long droopy ears reminiscent of dreadlocks and spoke with what many perceived as a Caribbean patois (particularly Jamaican Creole);^[102] the greedy and corrupt Neimoidians of the Trade Federation spoke with East Asian accents; and the unprincipled desert trader Watto has been interpreted as a Fagin-esque Jewish stereotype. Lucas has categorically denied all of these implications;^[83] however, animator Rob Coleman admitted that he viewed footage of Alec Guinness as Fagin in Oliver Twist to inspire his animators in creating Watto.^[103] Jar Jar Binks was described by one critic as "Servile and cowardly...a black minstrel-ish stereotype on par with Stepin Fetchit."^[89] Michael Eric Dyson, professor of African-American studies at Georgetown University, observed that the entire Gungan people seem oddly suggestive of a primitive African tribe: "The leader of Jar Jar's tribe is a fat, bumbling buffoon with a rumbling voice, and he seems to be a caricature of a stereotypical African tribal chieftain."^[104]

Historical and cultural allusions

See also: Star Wars sources and analogues

Like previous Star Wars films, The Phantom Menace makes several references to both historical events and films from George Lucas' youth. The Star Wars movies typically mix several selected concepts from different mythologies together.^[122]
The Jedi practice Zen-like meditation and martial arts, as did the ancient Japanese Samurai warriors. The name "Qui-Gon" adapts the term Qigong, which refers to a Chinese discipline involving meditation and cultivating the flow of the vital energy called "Chi" or "Qi" for healing, health and combat. The words ki (Japanese) and Ch'i (Chinese) are translations of the Indian term "Prana", referring to the energy thought to flow through all living things from the source of all chi (or power) which is "The Way" or "The Tao" in Chinese philosophy. In Taoist philosophy, from The Way is born the two opposing but complementary aspects of reality or nature, yin and yang. Unlike Chinese philosophy, where yin and yang are not moral qualities, the ancient Persian philosophy of Zurvanism taught that the dualism of dark and light forces are locked in eternal battle while at the same time being two sides (or evolutes) of the same "Force", the force of time itself (Zurvan): the prime mover. These elements derive primarily from Eastern and Iranian religions and myths.^[122]
There are many references to Christian mythology in the film, such as the appearance of Darth Maul, whose design draws heavily from traditional depictions of the Christian Devil, complete with red skin and horns.^[122] The Star Wars film cycle features a similar religious narrative involving Anakin Skywalker, the "chosen one" conceived of a virgin birth, who is tempted to join the Sith. His fall from grace seemingly prevents him from fulfilling his destiny as the "chosen one" – the individual prophesied to bring balance to the Force. The inspiration behind the story of the "virgin birth" parallels a concept developed by Joseph Campbell and his work on The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the same work that heavily influenced Lucas in his writing of the original Star Wars trilogy's outline.^[122]
Japanese film such as Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress was a source of inspiration for the original Star Wars film, and scholars point out that The Phantom Menace was likewise influenced by Japanese culture. Film historians Geoff King and Tanya Krzywinska assert, "The costume and make-up designs ... favour a mixture of the gothic and the oriental over anything very futuristic. The gothic is most strongly apparent in Darth Maul's demonic horns and the red and black make-up mask that borrows from the facial designs found in depictions of Japanese demons." King and Krzywinska note that "Qui-Gon's pony tail and Obi-Wan's position of apprentice further encourage a reading in terms of the Samurai tradition." Finally, "Amidala, in keeping with her status and character, has a number of highly formal outfits ... to go with hair sculpted into a curve that frames make-up of a Japanese cast."^[123]
The design of Queen Amidala's personal spaceship is based on the actual US strategic reconnaissance airplane Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.^{[citation
needed]}
Above Extracts Taken From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_I:_The_Phantom_Menace

More Info: http://www.starwars.com/explore/the-movies/episode-i/ - http://www.starwars.com/explore/the-movies/episode-i-3d/#5 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120915/