Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Access

: The Making of Star Wars: Episode I offers a detailed look at story development and casting. You can find secondhand copies of this making-of book at retailers like AbeBooks .

: Jar Jar Binks was the first fully articulated, digital main humanoid character in cinema history. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

: The Terry Brooks novelization (available as an eBook at Barnes & Noble ) includes expanded internal monologues and a Darth Maul short story. Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace - Wookieepedia : The Making of Star Wars: Episode I

Set 32 years before A New Hope , the film centers on a trade dispute that masks a much darker political maneuvering. : The Terry Brooks novelization (available as an

George Lucas returned to the director's chair after a 22-year hiatus, largely because he felt CGI technology had finally reached the point where he could realize his "grand, epic scale" vision.

: Despite its massive box-office success—grossing over $924 million initially—the film received mixed reviews. Critics praised the "Duel of the Fates" lightsaber sequence but heavily criticized the character Jar Jar Binks and the dense focus on political taxation.