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WARS |
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Episode
I:
The
Phantom Menace
Widescreen
Edition |
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1999
Director: George Lucas |
DVD, Color, Closed-captioned, THX, Widescreen, Dolby
Rated: PG
Twentieth Century Fox
Number of discs: 2
ASIN: B00003CX5P |
$29.98
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Amazon.com
"I have a bad feeling about
this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star
Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into
the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be
speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars
saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is Star Wars,
but is it my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations
so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet
them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features
inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing
dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace
of heavy-breathing Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical
mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier
feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous;
three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and
horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are
breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film--the
adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot
race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.
Among the host of new characters,
there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between
R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young
and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen
Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a
mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson),
and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet,
a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while
Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker
(Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the
Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth
Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics.
Near the end of the movie,
Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly
awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We
will watch your career with great interest." Indeed!
--Tod Nelson
Cast List
Liam Neeson ... Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn
Ewan McGregor ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
Natalie Portman ... Queen Padmé Amidala Naberrie
Jake Lloyd ... Anakin Skywalker
Pernilla August ... Shmi Skywalker
Ian McDiarmid ... Senator Cos Palpatine/Lord Darth Sidious
Oliver Ford Davies ... Governor Sio Bibble
Hugh Quarshie ... Captain Panaka
Ahmed Best ... Jar Jar Binks
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2
Frank Oz ... Yoda |
Feature-Length Audio
Commentary
The creators of Episode
I give you insight into the film like no one else can. Hear from: writer/director
George Lucas, Producer Rick McCallum, sound designer and film co-editor
Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman and ILM visual effects supervisors
John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires.
"The Beginning"
Making Episode I Documentary
Film
Culled from over 600 hours
of behind-the-scenes footage, this all-new hour-long documentary film takes
you inside Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic during the making
of The Phantom Menace. Sit in on the film's production process including:
pre-production, casting, principal photography, editing, rough-cut reviews,
visual effects meetings and other events that few people have had access
to before. |
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Exclusive Deleted Scenes
and Documentary
All-new documentary featuring
George Lucas, Rick McCallum and guests discussing the painstaking process
every director must go through in determining what scenes make the final
cut. View seven exclusive deleted sequences that were created specifically
for this DVD and learn why they were eliminated from the final version
of the film.
Multi-Angle Animatics
Discover the amazing techniques
used to create two memorable sequences (Submarine and Podrace Lap 1) from
storyboards to animatics to final composites.
Featurettes
Five mini-documentaries
give you an insider's look at The Phantom Menace's Storyline, Design, Costumes,
Visual Effects and Fight sequences through behind-the-scenes footage and
interviews with the cast and filmmakers. |
Web Documentaries
Originally released on starwars.com
during the production of Episode I, this award-winning twelve-part web
documentary series gives you a fly-on-the-wall perspective into the making
of the film as it was happening.
Exclusive Production Photo
Gallery
Scroll through a never-before-seen
gallery of candid cast and crew shots, each with captions.
"Duel of the Fates" Music
Video
One of the most popular
music videos during its release in May 1999, the "Duel of the Fates" video
intertwines live footage of John Williams conducting the London Symphony
Orchestra with behind-the-scenes clips and dramatic footage featured in
Episode I. |
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Posters and Print Campaign
Examine the Episode I theatrical
posters (Teaser and Launch) and the International Outdoor advertising used
to support the release of Episode I around the world.
Trailers and TV Spots
Watch the theatrical teaser
and launch trailers, plus seven TV spots (including the five original "Tone
Poems" along with "The Saga Begins" and "All Over Again"). |
"Star Wars: Starfighter-The
Making of a Game" from LucasArts
This featurette offers insight
into the making of the popular flight action combat game along with information
on other Star Wars games from LucasArts.
Exclusive DVD-ROM Content
Your Episode I DVD is a
key that unlocks exclusive Star Wars content only available through a special
DVD-ROM website. |
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DVD Features:
Commentary by writer-director
George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt, animation director
Rob Coleman, and visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Muren, and
Scott Squires Exclusive deleted-scenes documentary features seven new sequences
completed just for this DVD release: Complete Podrace Grid Sequence, Extended
Podrace Lap Two, The Waterfall Sequence, The Air Taxi Sequence, Dawn Before
the Race, Anakin's Scuffle with Greedo, Farewell to Jira.
"The Beginning: Making Episode
I," an all-new hour-long documentary film culled from over 600 hours of
footage, including an insider's look at Lucasfilm and ILM during the production
Multi-angle storyboard to animatic to film segment featuring the Submarine
and Podrace Lap 1 sequences Five featurettes explore the storyline, design,
costumes, visual effects, and fight sequences Award-winning twelve-part
Web documentary series that chronicles the production
"Duel of the Fates" music
video featuring John Williams
Never-before-seen production
photo gallery with special caption feature
Theatrical posters and print
campaign from around the world
Theatrical teaser and launch
trailers, and seven TV spots
"Star Wars: Starfighter
- The Making of a Game" featurette from LucasArts
DVD-ROM weblink to exclusive
Star Wars content
Widescreen anamorphic format
The spectacular DVD release
of Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace--arguably one of the best DVDs
ever--will go a long way toward making it up to Star Wars fans who were
disappointed by the theatrical release. (But, in case you're wondering,
there's no option to delete Jar Jar.) The picture and sound are outstanding,
it's loaded with bonuses, and even the menus are action-packed fun. Disc
One includes the film with a commentary track by George Lucas, producer
Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt, animation director Rob Coleman, and visual
effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Murren, and Scott Squires. Rather
than a group of people yelling at the screen, this commentary is a compilation
of individual comments, very helpfully supplemented by supratitles that
indicate who is speaking. Numerous technical details are explained, and
Lucas mentions how certain scenes fit into the big picture of all six films
(every time dutifully referring to the original film as "Episode IV").
Of Disc Two's cornucopia
of bonus features, the most notable are the seven deleted scenes and a
long documentary. The deleted scenes, which are all interesting enough
to watch at least once, can be viewed individually or as a group along
with discussions of why they were cut. These rough scenes were completed
for the DVD and parts of them (including an introduction of the individual
Podracers and a longer view of the skies over Coruscant) were reincorporated
into the version of the film that appears on the DVD. The 66-minute behind-the-scenes
documentary was compiled from 600 hours of footage shot during various
stages of the film and includes Anakin screen tests, script-reading sessions,
location shooting in Italy and Tunisia, and giddy fans on opening night.
--David Horiuchi |
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WARS |
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Episode
II:
Attack
of the Clones |
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2002
Director: George Lucas |
DVD Widescreen Edition
Twentieth Century Fox Home Video
ASIN: B00006HBUJ |
$29.98
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Rated: PG
Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby |
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If The Phantom
Menace was the setup, then Attack of the Clones is the plot-progressing
payoff, and devoted Star Wars fans are sure to be enthralled. Ten years
after Episode I, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a senator,
resists the creation of a Republic Army to combat an evil separatist movement.
The brooding Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is resentful of his
stern Jedi mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), tormented by personal
loss, and showing his emerging "dark side" while protecting his new love,
Amidala, from would-be assassins. Youthful romance and solemn portent foreshadow
the events of the original Star Wars as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus,
played by Christopher Lee) forges an alliance with the Dark Lord of the
Sith, while lavish set pieces showcase George Lucas's supreme command of
all-digital filmmaking. All of this makes Episode II a technological milestone,
savaged by some critics as a bloated, storyless spectacle, but still qualifying
as a fan-approved precursor to the pivotal events of Episode III.
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Cast List
Ewan McGregor ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
Natalie Portman ... Senator Padmé Amidala
Hayden Christensen ... Anakin Skywalker
Christopher Lee ... Count Dooku/Lord Darth Tyrannus
Samuel L. Jackson ... Mace Windu
Frank Oz ... Yoda |
Widescreen anamorphic format
Other Formats:
VHS, VHS dubbed in Spanish, DVD |
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DVD Features:
Commentary by writer-director George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum,
picture editor and sound designer Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob
Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors Pablo Helman, John Knoll, and
Ben Snow
Eight exclusive deleted scenes with introductions: Padme Addresses
the Senate, Jedi Temple Analysis Room, Obi-Wan and Mace on Jedi Landing
Platform, Extended Arrival on Naboo, Padme's Parents' House, Padme's Bedroom,
Dooku Interrogates Padme, Anakin and Padme on Trial
"From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in Episode II": all-new
full-length documentary about the creation of digital characters in Episode
II "State of the Art: The Previsualization of Episode II": witness the
vital role of the animatics team |
"Films Are Not Released: They Escape" sound documentary
Three featurettes examining the story line, action scenes, and love
story through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and
filmmakers
12-part Web documentary
"Across the Stars" music video: an original composition by John Williams
crafted exclusively for this DVD
Exclusive production photos
One-sheet posters
International outdoor campaign
Trailers and TV spots
"R2-D2: Beneath the Dome" mockumentary trailer
ILM visual effects breakdown montage
Exclusive DVD-ROM content |
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DVD features
Star Wars: Episode II, Attack
of the Clones is a superior DVD, repeating many of the elements that made
its predecessor, Episode I, The Phantom Menace, so good. The picture and
sound are spectacular, helped immensely by the fact that the film was shot
entirely in digital, making this the first live-action direct digital-to-digital
DVD transfer. This version of the film was the one shown in digital theaters;
there are subtle differences from the standard theatrical version, such
as showing Anakin's right hand in the final scene.
Again, there's a commentary
track compiled from various people, including George Lucas (why can't he
pronounce the names he created?), producer Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt,
ILM animation director Rob Coleman, and three visual effects supervisors
discussing how the film was made and offering teasers to Episode III.
On the second disc are eight
deleted scenes with optional introductions. Most interesting are a scene
of Padme addressing the Senate to oppose the creation of a Republic army,
and some bits with her family and home on Naboo, but it's probably telling
that, unlike with Phantom Menace, none of the deleted scenes was incorporated
into the film on the DVD. Three substantial documentaries on digital characters,
animatics, and creating sound elements are complemented by three insubstantial
featurettes, a recycled but interesting 12-part Web documentary, and various
other items that should keep fans busy while they wait for Episode III.
--David Horiuchi |
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WARS |
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A
New Hope
The
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
Composed & Conducted by John Williams
Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra |
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 2
RCA
ASIN: B000003G8X |
$24.98
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Disc: 1
1. 20th Century-Fox
Fanfare
2. Main Title/Rebel
Blockade Runner
3. Imperial Attack
4. Dune Sea of Tatooine/Jawa
Sandcrawler
5. Moisture Farm
6. Hologram/Binary
Sunset
7. Landspeeder Search/Attack
of the Sand People
8. Tales of a Jedi
Knight/Learn About the Force [#]
9. Burning Homestead
10. Mos Eisley Spaceport
11. Cantina Band
12. Cantina Band, No. 2
13. Binary Sunset [Alternative][#][*] |
Disc: 2
1. Princess Leia's
Theme
2. Millennium Falcon/Imperial
Cruiser Pursuit
3. Destruction of
Alderaan
4. Death Star/The
Stormtroopers [#]
5. Wookiee Prisoner/Detention
Block Ambush
6. Shootout in the
Cell Bay/Dianoga
7. Trash Compactor
8. Tractor Beam/Chasm
Crossfire
9. Ben Kenobi's Death/Tie
Fighter Attack
10. Battle of Yavin
11. Throne Room [End Titles] |
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John William's operatic score
for the first Star Wars film is one of his fullest and best scores for
the movies. Disc 1 Starts out with the classic 20th Century Fox Fanfare,
then we are greeted with classic Williams, the opening Star Wars main title/Rebel
Blockade Runner, easily being one of the most memorable film tunes ever
(except for William's Jaws). The underlying themes are woven with flair
and brilliance, evoking suspense, wonder and thrills. Titles such as "Landspeeder
Search/Attack of the Sand People" and "Tales of a Jedi Knight/Learn About
the Force" are all presented in the bold, thundering, yet poetic Williams
Modus Operandi. The Cantina Band tracks are great too. Disc 2 goes into
dark and exciting territory with "Tractor Beam/Chasm Crossfire", "Ben Kenobi's
Death/Tie Fighter Attack" and "The Battle of Yavin." Then to round it off
nicely, we go full circle with the last track seamlessly blending into
the well-known bombastic Star Wars theme music. This is a truly great soundtrack. |
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WARS |
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Episode
II:
Attack
Of The Clones
Arena
Playset |
$39.99
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Hasbro
ASIN: B000063KCK
SKN: 527780 |
 This
playset allows you to re-create the major battle scenes from Episode II
of the Star Wars series. Add figures, vehicles, and accessories (all sold
separately) to re-create the Geonosian arena battle; the Battle Droid and
Super Battle Droid factory; the climactic duel in the "secret" hangar;
the arrival of the Clone Troopers in the Republic Gunship; or other scenes.
The playset features different environments on each side. |
| Box Size (in inches): 18.5 x 13.5 x 7.0 |
Shipping weight: 4.0 pounds. |
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| STAR
WARS |
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Episode
II:
Attack
Of The Clones
Republic
Gunship |
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Hasbro
ASIN: B000063KCQ
SKN: 527753 |
$39.99
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From the
Manufacturer
The Republic Gunship is
a powerful war machine used by the clone army. Its huge transport bay can
carry large numbers of troops into battle, deploying them no only through
the side doors but also with the deployable troop platform. Outfitted with
an impressive arsenal of weapons including laser cannons, blasters and
missiles, the gunship is instrumental in the final battle that heralds
the beginning of the Clone Wars. Firing cannons! Swiveling tail cannon
and grappling hooks! Rotating turret! Battle-ready automatic doors! Firing
missile launchers! Includes ship body, 2 wings, 2 cannons, 2 missiles,
2 launcher missiles, 2 grappling hooks, grappling hook string, deployment
platform, 8 wing bombs, 4 door bombs, swiveling tail cannon, 2 doors, canopy,
labels and instructions. |
| Box Size (in inches): 20.2 x 12.0 x 5.7 |
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Shipping weight: 5.6 pounds. |
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WARS |
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Episode
IV:
A
New Hope
3
3/4"
Landspeeder
with
Luke Skywalker |
$19.99
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Hasbro
ASIN: B000066G29
SKN: 560850 |
 The
sculpt and paint job on this toy are extremely close to the movie. The
landspeeder has retractable wheels that are clear to give it a better hover
look. Included is a Luke Skywalker figure with a rifle that attaches to
the side of the speeder. |
| Box Size (in inches): 10.0 x 7.0 x 5.5 |
Shipping weight: 1.169996 pounds. |
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