‘The Phantom Menace’ at 25: A Lover, Hater and Newcomer Debate Jar Jar Binks, Podraces, Droids and Darth Maul
variety.comStar Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” debuted on May 19, 1999, few movies before (or since) were greeted with more fevered anticipation.
Not only was the movie the first new “Star Wars” movie in a generation, but it was touted as the first of a prequel trilogy charting the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi Knight fated to turn to the dark side as Darth Vader.
Despite the breathless build up (or perhaps, in part, because of it), by the end of that summer, the near-universal consensus was that “The Phantom Menace” was, at best, a colossal disappointment and, at worst, a calamitous embarrassment.
Some blamed the decision by George Lucas — directing for the first time since 1977’s “A New Hope” — to start the story with a precocious 9-year-old Anakin (Jake Lloyd).
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