The long awaited Oscar and BAFTA nominated The Phantom Menace was the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars series but tells the story of the young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) who has a chance meeting with two Jedi Knights, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). They recognise he is unusually strong with the power of the force. As a result Anakin embarks on a life of adventure as the galaxy is thrown into political unrest. Written by George Lucas, who had waited before embarking on the project allegedly wanting special effects technology to have advanced sufficiently to do the film justice, The Phantom Menace was filmed at Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire and included a significant amount of CGI (computer generated imagery). The film had an all star and star in the making cast including Terrence Stamp (Supreme Chancellor Valoru), Natalie Portman (Queen Padme Amidala), Ian McDiarmuid (Chancellor Palpatine), Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Keira Knightly (Sabe) and Richard Armitage (Naboo fighter pilot); Frank Oz is the voice of Yoda. Furthermore given the cult status of the previous three Star Wars film there was considerable anticipation from both the media and audiences alike. Despite the mixed reviews and reception, it grossed $924.3 million worldwide which made it the highest grossing Star Wars film and the highest grossing movie in 1999; the budget was $115 million.

Release / Airing: 16/07/1999