Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace and Trade Disputes

It’s time for a reassessment of Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace with a recent trade war disrupting across North America. Begun, the Trade Wars have.

“Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star system is in dispute.”

It is not an understatement to say that The Phantom Menace gets a really bad rap. We’ve been hearing it since the film’s original release in 1999. One could not write a review in 1999 or the 25th anniversary in 2024 that could be as prescient as it is today. We have an actual trade dispute at the current moment. I revisited Attack of the Clones after watching Obi-Wan Kenobi and as such, I am revisiting the first prequel today. If what’s happening at this moment does not make the film relevant, I don’t know what will.

The current trade wars in North America are the fault of the convicted felon and insurrectionist occupying the White House and everyone responsible for his election, including leftists that turned their backs on Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. It is because of them that both Mexico and Canada are retaliating against America. Ironically, the man who recently said he would be the “best friend” that the Jews have ever had in the White House…is now causing kosher food to increase in costs. That’s right. America imports most of its kosher beef from Mexico! Throw in the impact of bird flu chickens and the effects are just going to be devasting for the Jewish community and kosher restaurants.

Now that I went on that tangent, let’s talk about The Phantom Menace. The trade dispute sees a pair of Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), come to Naboo to negotiate with the Trade Federation. But alas, it’s a trap and there are no negotiations. This leads to Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) serving a life debt to Qui-Gon and everyone–including Queen Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) in disguise as a handmaiden–taking off for Coruscant. But they don’t make it there–they hide away on Tatooine after R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) saves the day by fixing the shields.

We always knew that we’d eventually meet a young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd). What we didn’t know was that both Shmi (Pernilla August) and Anakin Skywalker would both be slaves to Watto (Andy Secombe). Anakin, who first built C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), talks Qui-Gon into letting him enter the pod race and Qui-Gon then takes advantage of Watto’s gambling addiction to bet on Anakin’s freedom. The Force was strong with Anakin because we knew he’d win his freedom and start along his journey to becoming Darth Vader. But for now, he’s just a little kid in The Phantom Menace. How much damage could he do? Blow up a Trade Federation starship?

It’s on Tatooine where The Phantom Menace changes Star Wars canon as we know it. This is the planet where we hear midi-chlorians discussed for the first time. According to Qui-Gon, they are “a microscopic life form that resides within all living cells.” And thus, our knowledge of the Force and everything about it changed in an instant. It’s one of those things that makes you go, WHAT?!? But at the same time, I can also appreciate how it enhances what we know about the Force. There are other questions later on–why didn’t Qui-Gon’s body disappear?

There’s also a duality of sorts taking place. Naboo Senator Sheev Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is playing both sides of the Trade Federation dispute in The Phantom Menace. This will be further explored during the prequels. He advises Queen Amidala and gets the ball rolling to replace Chancellor Finis Valorum (Terence Stamp) as the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. As Darth Sidious, he works with Trade Federation viceroy Nute Gunray (Silas Carson) and apprentice Darth Maul (Ray Park). Left for dead, Maul survives to become a fan favorite. The Trade Federation will come to play a substantial role over the next two sequels before Palpatine gets new apprentice Darth Vader the order to kill them in Revenge of the Sith.

Behind the camera, George Lucas’s script for The Phantom Menace has room for improvement. Obviously, there’s nothing we can do about that now. John Williams handles scoring duties again, providing a hit theme with “Duel of the Fates.” It’ll recur throughout the prequels. But to think, we don’t get the prequels, sequels or TV series without Jurassic Park paving the way. But still, I’ll take puppet Yoda (Frank Oz) over digital Yoda any day of the week. Obviously, digital Yoda is necessary in Attack of the Clones given the lightsaber battle. Here? Not so much.

Speaking of digital characters, The Phantom Menace is not without its own controversy. The Gungans have been controversial for over two decades along with Watto. Jar Jar gets a really bad rap but Ahmed Best does not deserve any of the blame. I was glad to see his ovation during the 20th anniversary and again on The Mandalorian. Prior to the film’s release, animation director Rob Coleman revealed that Alec Guiness’s Fagin from Oliver Twist–an antisemitic caricature–was an inspiration for Watto’s demeanor. I didn’t think anything of it at the time but you can’t ignore it today!

Upon reassessment, Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace is really the victim of having very high expectations because of the original trilogy. Say what we will about George Lucas’s screenwriting abilities, but the man is a heck of a worldbuilder. He introduces us to new locations with brilliant visual effects. But again, the original trilogy alone meant having very high expectations going into The Phantom Menace that living up to it was practically impossible.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: George Lucas
CAST: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Pernilla August, and Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Oliver Ford Davies, Hugh Quarshie, Ahmed Best, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, with Terence Stamp

20th Century Fox opened Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace in theaters on May 19, 1999. Grade: 4/5

Please subscribe to Solzy on Buttondown and visit Dugout Dirt.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.

You Missed

27th CDGA Winners Announced

27th CDGA Winners Announced

Love Hurts Is An 83-Minute Distraction

Love Hurts Is An 83-Minute Distraction

Jurassic World Rebirth Releases First Trailer

Jurassic World Rebirth Releases First Trailer

Anne Frank Rules Apply: Stop Appropriating Jewish Pain

Anne Frank Rules Apply: Stop Appropriating Jewish Pain

September 5: Newsroom Thriller Arrives on Digital

September 5: Newsroom Thriller Arrives on Digital

Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace and Trade Disputes

Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace and Trade Disputes