Star Wars: Every Movie & TV Show Ranked Worst To Best

The Phantom Menace has its issues, many of them glaring. There's the introduction of Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best), Jake Lloyd's wooden portrayal of a young Anakin, and the heavy-handed politics of the Republic's worldbuilding.

But there are more virtues to the prequel trilogy's debut than you may remember, amongst them the strong performances and chemistry of Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson, the development of the Jedi Council, and John Williams' epic score.

Then, of course, there's the film's highlight: The Duel of the Fates, in which Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn clash with the silent villain Darth Maul, setting the stage for the chaotic war between light and dark that colours the entire saga.

Its high points might not be enough to overcome its subtle-as-a-rock storytelling, strangely convoluted mythology, or tacky humour, but The Phantom Menace is far from being an all-out failure because of them.