One of the finer aspects of Episode II was that it (in part) resembled an old fashioned mystery. Obi-Wan is like an old 1940s gumshoe detective in a black and white film noir movie, hitting the streets hard and piecing clues together. Meanwhile, Mace Windu and Yoda are holding down the fort, trying to process the information passed on to them.
Tag: Episode I
Otoh Gunga
Otoh Gunga doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, does it? Then again, perhaps that’s the whole point. Like Utapau and Naboo, the weirder the name in Star Wars the better. Here are some things from the underwater city of Otoh Gunga that weren’t in the finished film.
The Naboo Swamp
In the beginning of The Phantom Menace, Jedi ambassadors Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi arrive on a Federation ship for negotiations. They are instead attacked, and end up on the surface of Naboo. Qui-Gon Jinn finds an unlikely ally, while Obi-Wan Kenobi crawls out of a swamp to try and find his master.
The Battle of Naboo
The Battle of Naboo was fought both on space and on land and both were quite hectic. The information on this page will cover much of the deleted material from these scenes, plus some other surrounding events.
Naboo Rescue
The Naboo trade blockade led to the Neimoidians trying to kill their Jedi Ambassadors. Soon after that, the Queen was taken prisoner, along with her staff. Of course, the Jedi came to the rescue.
Coruscant: Capital of the Republic
The prequels play out over the backdrop of the falling of the Republic and the establishment of a new Empire, still controlled from the city planet of Coruscant by Palpatine. In The Phantom Menace, these events are only beginning while the bureaucrats and senators go about their busy lives, unaware of the plot that’s being hatched beneath their very noses. Our time on Coruscant in The Phantom Menace is brief, but does result in a few interesting bits that fall into the area of cut or altered scenes. Read More
Leaving Tatooine
New Hyperdrive? Check. Free slave who will grow up to be a Sith? Check. Step in icky icky goo? Check. Time to get off this dustbowl of a planet, but not without taking a few moments to say goodbye and tie up some loose ends. Read More
Now This is Podracing
The Boonta Eve Podrace from Episode I is definitely a highlight of the film, especially after George Lucas decided to extend and improve it in subsequent video releases. No matter how much he expands it, however, deleted shots remain.
Jedi Diplomacy
The Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to and from the small planet of Naboo. Two Jedi have been dispatched at the request of Supreme Chancellor Valorum to help negotiate the matter. It doesn’t end well. Read More
The Secret of the Sith
This editorial was written before the release of Episode III.
Hiding, keeping secrets, duping people, duality—these are all themes that are at the forefront of the Star Wars saga. Padmé poses as a handmaiden and vice versa multiple times, Anakin and Padmé’s marriage is kept secret from pretty much everyone, the Sith hide in the shadows refining their evil machinations, Obi-Wan and Yoda hide themselves away on separate planets for years after Episode III, the Skywalker twins are separated and hidden at birth, Count Dooku is actually Darth Tyranus, the seemingly innocent Palpatine is actually an alter ego for an evil Sith Lord who will reveal himself for who he is and take over the galaxy as an Emperor—but is that last statement entirely true? Does he actually reveal himself or is it all about keeping things secret?
Review/Commentary: Episode I: The Phantom Menace
It’s what we’ve been waiting for for 16 years. It will no doubt reel in fans of all ages once again just like it did to me when I was seven years old. It will break all kinds of records and make all kinds of news. It will be torn apart by critics who refuse to open their minds. It is Episode One: The Phantom Menace and it is good.
The Phantom Menace Novelization by Terry Brooks
I was pleasantly surprised after reading the Episode I novelization by Terry Brooks. He’s done a fine job with making this book easy enough to read for kids yet interesting and well-paced enough for adults. I was never bored. The chapters did not drag on. The dialogue was reworded just enough so as to not interfere with the characters’ personalities. I found it hard to put down.