Product Description

Straight from the screen comes the adventure that stars young Anakin Skywalker (the future Darth Vader), the brash Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, the plucky droids C-3PO and R2-D2, and their extraordinary allies. Storyboards throughout.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70697 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-21
• Released on: 1999-04-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Amazon.com Review
While the serious Star Wars buff should settle for nothing less than the comprehensive Phantom Menace Illustrated Screenplay, this PM storybook packs a lot of punch in its 64 pages, with well-chosen screen shots and an abbreviated, novelized script. This young-adult adaptation hits all the major plot points, from the Trade Federation's ambush of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon through to Anakin's wild starfighter ride and the triumphant victory parade on Naboo. Crystal clear stills from the movie stop the action, zooming you in for a closer look. Finally, you get to check out every member of the Jedi Council, study a Podracer as it's blown to bits, and decide at long last just who's uglier, Watto or Darth Maul. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

From the Inside Flap
The Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Movie Storybook is the definitive souvenir book of the movie Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Packed with over 140 big, full-color photographs from the movie, The Phantom Menace Movie Storybook retells the Episode I adventure from beginning to end with easy-to-read text based on the screenplay by George Lucas. Freezing the most thrilling and poignant frames of the movie, this book is the perfect collector's item for young (as well as older!) Star Wars fans. Every saga has a beginning, and The Phantom Menace Movie Storybook will let you relive that beginning over and over again!

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
NOTE:  This excerpt may not be posted on other Web sites without the permission of Lucasfilm Ltd.

EXT. NABOO SWAMP LAKE--TWILIGHT

QUI-GON, OBI-WAN, and JAR JAR run to a murky lake and stop as JAR JAR tries to catch his breath. The TRANSPORTS ARE HEARD in the distance.

QUI-GON: Much farther?

JAR JAR: Wesa goen underwater, okeyday?

QUI-GON and OBI-WAN pull out small capsules from their utility belts that turn into breathing masks.

JAR JAR: (Cont'd) My warning yous. Gungans no liken outlaunders. Don't expict a werm welcome.

OBI-WAN: Don't worry, this has not been our day for warm welcomes.

JAR JAR jumps, does a double somersault with a twist, and dives into the water.

Breath masks on, QUI-GON and OBI-WAN wade in after him.

EXT. NABOO LAKE--UNDERWATER

QUI-GON and OBI-WAN swim behind JAR JAR, who is very much at home in the water. Down they swim into the murky depths. In the distance the glow of Otoh Gunga, an underwater city made up of large bubbles, becomes more distinct.

They approach the strange, art nouveau habitat. JAR JAR swims magically through one of the bubble membranes, which seals behind him. OBI-WAN and QUI-GON follow.

INT. OTOH GUNGA--CITY SQUARE

GUNGANS in the square scatter when they see the strange JEDI. Four GUARDS armed with long electro-poles ride two-legged KAADUS into the square. The GUARDS, led by CAPTAIN TARPALS, point their lethal poles at the dripping trio.

JAR JAR: Heyo-dalee, Cap'n Tarpals, Mesa back!

CAPT. TARPALS: Noah gain, Jar Jar. Yousa goen tada Bosses. Yousa in big dudu dis time.

CAPT. TARPALS gives JAR JAR a slight zap with his power pole. JAR JAR jumps and moves off, followed by the two JEDI.

JAR JAR: How wude.

Customer Reviews

very cool for the more hardcore fans.........
First off, I thought the flick was pretty good, though a little too slow in the middle. It needed more action, more depth, less clumsy dialogue, and less kiddie stuff. We all know that now. Okay. With that in mind, the screenplay is great in some parts, and groan out loud bad in others. If you're one of the more forgiving (and less bandwagon-jumping obsessed) hardcore fans, it's a treasure. Even with all it's faults, it's cool to sit down and read how the pieces begin to fall into place. Also, this is an uncut script, so a lot of the deleted stuff you see on the DVD is in here, as is some cut dialogue. Again, I wouldn't advise this for the passive Star Wars fan, but it is a must-have for the REAL (being a relative term, of course) Star Wars fan.

A best bet
If you are willing to buy the TPM screenplay(you can get it for free on the Internet), this is your best bet. It has a selection of the orginal storyboards, cut scenes(this is the uncut screenplay), a introduction by producer Rick Mccalum, and the underwater and battle storyboards in order, kinda like a movie effect. If you like Star Wars, buy this!

Better than the Movie.
This book is by far better than the movie. Why? Because lines in the script that were cut in the final product actually fill in the blanks and add more substance to the plot movement. The scene where Amidala appeals to the senate is just one example. There were a lot of little lines that were cut out here but, I feel, important lines. Another facet of this book is when you read it you really feel Anakin should have been at least 14 rather than nine years old and Amidala 16 rather than 14(You'll undertand why when you read the book but the "Angel" dialogue at Watto's was cut so you don't experience it in the movie). It also explains why Anakin was able to enter the Droid Control Ship when everyone else couldn't! The only downside is there isn't any color photos or reasons for the cuts made (Like in JC's Titanic Illustrated Screenplay). A Must Read for ALL Star Wars fans.