Star Wars: 50 Greatest Moments - Ranked

30. Podrace (The Phantom Menace)

Star Wars The Phantom Menace Podrace
Lucasfilm

Yes, there's a hell of a lot to dislike about the first Star Wars prequel, a topic which has been exhausted over the course of the 21st Century. There are, however, a couple of redeeming moments.

One of them is this, the famous podrace scene, which Qui-Gon enters young Anakin into in a bid to win his freedom and, eventually, bring balance to the Force (it didn't quite work out).

It's comfortably one of the highlights of the movie, and the prequels as a whole: the visuals are like something out of a video game, but for this particular sequence it actually works, giving the scene a greater sense of immersion. Like the Endor bike sequence, it's especially helped by the sound effects and speed it moves at, which make it a truly exciting set-piece.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.