Episode I: The Phantom Menace |
Okay complete and utter spoilers, followed by my review.
 Storyline Cue Star Wars title and music, roll text. The new series starts with the Trade Federation blockading a small planet named Naboo. The Ambassador's are two Jedi, a Master and an apprentice, scared the Trade Federation leader, demands that they are killed (on the advice of a 'Darth Sidious'), but the Jedi escape to the planet bellow, as the invasion starts. Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master Qui-Gon Jinn, run threw the trees and encounter a strange creature named Jar Jar Binks, Jar Jar leads them down to the Gungan city, under the water, where they are given a ship to true and get to the Nabooians capital city. There they encounter the Queen and whisk her away to Coruscant. But their ship is damaged on the way out and they make a detour to the desert planet of Tatoonine where they discover they don't have enough things to barter with. Qui-Gon meets a strange boy and trusts him to win a Pod Race the next day so that they can win, everyone else thinks this is foolish but Qui-Gon will have none of it. The slave boy, Anakin Skywalker, who's father is a non-entity wins the race and earns the parts for their ship and his freedom. He leaves his mother behind to travel the stars with the Jedi. On Coruscant, Senator Palpatine convinces the Queen to call for a vote of no confidence in the current chancellor so that the blockade can be stopped. The senator is quickly elected as Chancellor whilst, the Jedi Council refuses to let Qui-Gon train Anakin, fearing the young boy, saying he's too old to learn. The Queen refuses to wait and goes back to Naboo with the Jedi and Anakin to try and capture the Viceroy, behind all of it. They find the Gungans and convince them to help, the Queen showing her ruse, posing as one of the handmaidens as protection. She and the Jedi escape into the city whilst the Gungans mount an attack on the Trade Federation droid armies. Once inside the building, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan become engaged in a battle with Darth Maul, whilst Padme makes her way to the Viceroy. Anakin, getting stuck inside a cockpit of a fighter, manages to knock out the droid ship, helping all those below on the surface. But it is too late for Qui-Gon who is slain by the Sith. Obi-Wan kills Darth Maul and is declared a Jedi Knight, taking Anakin as his padawan.
Review This movie got me back into Star Wars. I remember first watching it and being awestruck, and hooked. My first Star Wars page was of Qui-Gon Jinn, my favourite character. Looking back it is a little cheesy, Jar Jar is annoying, but you get over it. C-3PO was a little cheesy too, but I got over it. All in all, I like this movie the least out of the lot because it isn't as dark and forbidding as the other movies, there is a little scuffle, but nothing to the extent of later movies. It is very 'kiddy' but still Star Wars!
Ahhh prequel I have questions! Note these are my theories not fact, so don't take them as fact.
Why didn't the Qui-Gon disappear?
At the time of the release of Episode 1 there were many speculations on why he didn't disappear, though apparently in the script he does disappear in the fire. But in later Episodes he reappears in some form, in 2 we here his voice warning Anakin, in 3 Yoda tells Obi-Wan that Qui-Gon has learnt the gift of Immortality. So maybe he disappeared, maybe he didn't, we don't know, though in Episode 2 there are many Jedi bodies not disappeared on the ground, Obi-Wan checks one of them, so maybe only select Jedi can disappear, maybe it is Qui-Gon's new discovery that allows Obi-Wan and Yoda to learn the talent.
Why does Yoda look so funky?
He's a new puppet, the old puppet was kinda feisty, so they made a new one, a younger Yoda. The effects team later ditched this new puppet for a fully CG animated Yoda in later Episodes.
I hate Jar Jar Binks!
You and practically everyone else, but he isn't that bad, the only reason why I find him annoying is that I have no idea what he is saying half the time making it too hard to follow. In a word, get over it.
Some images I have collected from all over the place. Click on the image to enlarge - opens new window. Qui-Gon Images
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