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 film 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. It 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 film after he had concluded that the science of film special effects had advanced to the level of what he wanted for his fourth film in the saga. Its filming took place during 1997 at various locations including Leavesden Film Studios and the Tunisian desert. Its special effects included extensive use of computer-generated imagery, with some of its characters and its settings being completely computerized and not existing at all in the real world. Wikipedia [ - ]

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and... [ + ]