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| Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: George Lucas
Actors: Ewan Mcgregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Pernilla August
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $7.89
You Save: $12.09 (61%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $7.89
Avg. Customer Rating:  (2692 reviews)
Sales Rank: 809
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 133 minutes
Number Of Items: 2
Discs: 2
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD2002391D
UPC: 024543023913
EAN: 0024543023937
ASIN: B00003CX5P
Release Date: March 22, 2005
Theatrical Release Date: 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 My least favorite Star Wars movie, but still alot of fun. March 26, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
When Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released in theaters in May of 1999, I was one of those crazed fans camping out for the midnight showing. Having grown up with the original trilogy (episodes IV-VI), I had very high expectations for the first film in the prequels. The visual effects did not disappoint, however, the film was not without its problems. The main villian in the film, Darth Maul, promised to be the ultimate bad guy of the Star Wars saga. Although the character, played by Ray Park, was very menacing, I felt the movie spent too much time on the hated Jar Jar Binks, and not nearly enough screen time was given to Darth Maul, making Jar Jar the most hated character in Star Wars history. The film does, however, do a good job of setting up the rest of the series, giving you an introduction to key characters, and leads to the better movies in the franchise. For me, Star Wars is told like a loaf of bread. The end pieces (Episode I and Episode VI) are the weekest parts. The best Star Wars films are everything in the middle (Episodes II-V).
Deciphering the Star Wars Episode IV from the Star Wars Episode I known by Few March 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I wouldn't say that Star Wars Episode I isn't a movie to be excited about when your going to go see the premiere, but deciphering it from the very first Star Wars movie ever made, it just feels so..."movie magic". I mean the special effects were very convincing, considering the Podrace and all, but in Star Wars Episode IV, you can see that normal people just like you are performing in an action-packed sci-fi film. It's harder with these "model" characters. Queen Amidala looks like a plastic Barbie doll with bird crap on her face, and Anakin looks like he's some nerd with a bob-cut. And Qui-Gon Jinn is wearing a girl's hairdo. I mean, does this seem just a LITTLE unhuman? And most of these people don't get really into the movie. They just seem like movie characters, and that is all.
The effects are basically what you should look forward to. The aliens, the vehicles, even the backgrounds look maginificent and so very real, as if it were a real place. Coruscant reminds me somewhat like New York City but, well, alot more metal. And Sebulba looks like a turkey, if that's a good thing. :P Do you think the character's where made by special effects, too? Seems like it.
Now enough about the movie. The DVD is very informational, especially the documentary on Disk 2. It's a bit lengthy, but if you enjoy Star Wars as much as I, then you should watch it. Getting a glimpse behind all the blood, sweat, and tears in the Phantom Menace is enough to get me excited. Did you know that when the people are hitting each other with the lightsabers really fast, that they really ARE that fast? I mean you see them battling with metal sticks, but it's still so cool!
 Huge Star Wars fan.... wildly disappointed. March 14, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
So, this review is long-overdue, and I'm sure it's been said before:
Why did Mr. Lucas have to take, what started out as a well acted, fun series, and prequel it with this garbage?
First of all, I should say that Liam Neeson and Ewan McGreggor were excellent in this film. Darth Maul was an ultra cool villain. The graphics were quite cool, and probably cutting edge. However...
1) Jar Jar Binks might be one of the biggest mistakes in recent memory. I think GL was trying to recapture a Chewbacca-like character..... but FAILED MISERABLY. AWFUL. It actually polluted the entire movie for me - I felt like I was watching a made-for-TV Disney kids movie. Hideous mistake.
2) Darth Maul had the potential of being a GREAT foe, for the duration of the movie. Instead, he engages in a couple of really great fights, then gets killed.
3) Instead of seeing more of Darth Maul, we are forced to suffer through the cutsy-wootsy little Anakin Skywalker. Yes, establish his innocence, before his turn to the dark side, but really..... it was too much.
4) The droids were absolutely unbelievable. Their speech was unrealistic, and they occasionally seemed to have a sense of humor that was like watching two computer geeks talk to each other. It seems like they tried to stick to the sterotype of how a robot might work, but then threw in a cute little spin to it - - - it made them unbelievable.
5) What's with all the racial stereotyping? The alien guys that look like fish have unaltered Asian accents? Why? Why does the water-going rastafarian-wannabe Jar Jar Binks have a Jamaican accent? Why do the Jedi's have british accents? It looks like GL spent too much time wanting accents, and not enough time working them out. It's kind of offensive.
In conclusion, if it weren't for Jar Jar Binks, this movie would be quite worthy of the Star Wars name. If it weren't for all the hype about this super-villain, Darth Maul (who was so easily dispatched), when the movie came out, it would be far cooler. This movie isn't worthy of the Star Wars name.
 Every saga has a beginning... March 10, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
This DVD was the last part of my Star Wars DVD collection. It's a great item. Discs contain lots of features that you can't see everywhere easily. You should listen to the orchestra conducted by John Williams. It's amazing!
Episode I on DVD March 7, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
While I think TPM was the second weakest of the 6 films it's still Star Wars and that put it well above most movies in my book. The pacing of the action is good and it had some very memorable lightsaber battles. Some people find Jar Jar Binks to be incredibly annoying, but I really did not feel this way. It doesn't have the flavor of the original trilogy, but that might have something to do with being made 16 years later. As for the DVD itself, the picture and sound quality are superb as with all the Lucasfilm releases on dvd. This is a must for any Star Wars fan.
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