Since this week will put the wraps on the cinematic versions of Star Wars, I have decided to go back in and watch each film, starting with The Phantom Menace, and working my way through to Return of the Jedi
I figure that since it has been a few years since I have seen Menace and Clones, not only will it refresh my memory as to what has been going on, but will give me a more detached view of these films
So I will watch TPM and AOTC prior to seeing the new Episode III, and then watch the last (first) three -- good Lord, this is confusing -- after watching the concluding part of the trilogy
And so it begins with TPM ...
The Phantom Menace REWATCH & REVIEW
I have composed this as a review and summary. The review is first and the summary follows. The summary is more for my recall purposes than anything else
REVIEW
It is very surprising to me three years after last watching TPM that the first 10-11 minutes or so of the movie are actually quite engaging and good, despite the somewhat unbelievable premise that the grand sweeping SW saga started over trade dispute and blockade of a minor planet.
The overall thrust of the story arc of the Republic/Empire by which Senator Palpatine/Lord Sidious orchestrates a coup over the Galactic Senate that results in his insertion as the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. This arc is actually very well executed as the naive Queen Amidala is made a pawn in the grand design of Palpatine, when faced with the dire choice of sacrificing her people. These are the seeds of the Empire, and that background story is well done.
The main storyline that emerges throughout the six movies, in other words, what appeared to be a story about the Skywalker twins and their struggle against the Empire, is actually a story about their father's rise, fall, and his children's struggles to redeem him. The main storyline about Anakin is put out there, but there feels like there are too many pieces to the story and too little elaboration in this initial chapter of the saga. I had a feeling that if they streamlined his introductory story slightly, it might have felt more tight and compelling. The unfortunate aspect of the way the movie currently runs is that the main storyline really falls to a subplot status in this episode behind the bigger background of the Empire arc.
The really significant in the grand scheme of things relationship of Obi Wan and Darth Vader is problematic in this movie. The pairing of Anakin and Obi Wan as the result of Qui Gon's fall to Darth Maul seems contrived. I felt left with the feeling throughout the movie that Obi Wan was not all that thrilled about bringing the kid along, and with the negative reaction of Yoda and the Council about his suitability for training ... It is hard to believe that he decided to take him on as a padawan because it appeared to be inconsistent, simply on the basis of Qui Gon's death wish, but that's just my impression
On the acting or casting, I was not too bothered about the stilted dialogue or the apparently wooden acting performances given by a significantly talented cast. I thought that Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine/Sidious), Liam Neeson (Qui Gon), and Ewan McGregor (Obi Wan) gave solid performances, with Neeson edging out McDiarmid for the best overall performance.
In terms of characters, TPM held up the tradition of introducing very cool villains, both Sidious and Maul are really great villains. In many ways, Maul steals the show with his menacing look and really dynamic lightsaber fighting.
Qui Gon is a really solid Jedi character, real firm has a New Hope Ben kind of feel to him, real established and firmly a Jedi. Obi Wan has the dynamic feel of a young Jedi coming into his own, they don't fully explore him, but he plays a great sidekick to Qui Gon.
Although we know that Amidala is very important to the overall scope of things, she really feels like a pawn in this episode and doesn't really give us much to latch on to relating to her character. The Anakin character is many things in this one, I think the main feel we get is youth and innocence, and that is such a contrast with what he is to become. And, not too much from the droids other than to introduce them.
Lastly, about that Gungan...
Now that several years have past, I noticed one very odd thing, it almost seems like the parts with the Gungan in them, superimpose the character in them, and feel like a parody or Saturday Night Live skit or something. It truly feels as if you could cut the Gungan out and have an alternate cut of the movie, because the character feels added in and superimposed, I know it's a weird observation. All I can say is their arrival to the Naboo city prior to the ambush, the walk-in of the group into the spaceport at Tatooine, among many other scenes where the Gungan appears, are examples of this superimpose weirdness.
The other issue with the Gungan is the untimely use of the character for really out of sync "humorous" moments that never really hit the mark. I know that there has been endless speculation that the Gungan was in there to promote and enhance the interest of younger children while watching the movie. Now several years later after seeing TPM for the first time, I actually found the Gungan character to be quite grating and I really do not enjoy the scenes where it is doing something goofy or has dialogue with the other actors. In many ways, I feel the tone of the scenes with the Gungan take away from and make the movie feel disjointed, and overall these sequences distract from the overall watching feel of the movie.
My overall impression is that this movie felt like an early draft, there is a lot of stuff floating around out there, and although it still has that wonderful visual and action quality that we love from SW, I just wish it was more tightly conceived, from the inclusion to the Gungan, to the lack of cohesion to the Anakin intro to the overall story line of the hextilogy (probably not a word LOL), to the really cool Darth Maul that was in many ways a throwaway action device, etc.
I guess I was left with the feeling that this was Star Wars, but it didn't feel that much like your typical Star Wars movie because of some poor organization and some bad plot direction decisions (if the film were viewed as self contained). In so many ways, the movie is mixed, so my review is equally as mixed ...
Our 2005 grade: C ... In 1999, I thought it was a C/C+
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SUMMARY
It all begins with a dispute over taxation on the trade routes to the outlying systems. The Trade Federation has decided to blockade the planet of Naboo to force action in the Congress of the Republic on the matter. Therefore, the Supreme Chancellor Valorum has secretly sent in two Jedi, Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn and his padawan learner Obi Wan Kenobi, to resolve the dispute
We are introduced to Lord Sidious, who has a secret plan that has yet to unfold. The hooded figure of Sidious is orchestrating the blockade. He tells the Neimoidians leading the blockade to start sending troops down to the planet surface. It appears that the blockade is a ruse, and the positioning of the blockade around Naboo is to enable the illegal invasion of the planet.
The illegal invasion appears to be a direct challenge to the authority of the Galactic Republic. The Neimoidians are ordered to kill the recently arrived Jedi, apparently to silence their ability to report the invasion back to the Chancellor. The Neimodians attempt to assassinate the Jedi fails, and the Jedi learn of the Trade Federation plans to invade Naboo. The Jedi stowaway onto transport craft that are part of the invasion to get down to the planet surface.
After being warned by Queen Amidala of the Naboo of the arrival of the Jedi to force a settlement to their trade boycott, the Trade Federation viceroys act quickly to disrupt communications to and from Naboo, and begin their invasion of the planet with a large army of battle droids.
On Naboo, the Queen and her advisors discuss the situation with Senator Palpatine, after the communications breakup, the discussion shifts to what is the best course to pursue. Her advisors warn that this could only mean an invasion, and that their army could not defend against such an invasion. The Queen wishes to continue negotiations, and will not support action that will lead her people into war.
As the invasion begins, the Trade Federation deploys its transports and vehicles to the surface of Naboo. The Trade viceroys warn the droid battle commander that the Jedi no longer appear to be on the ship and could have made their way to Naboo on one of the transports.
In the forest chaos that ensues from the invasion force clearing the area, the two Jedi team back up and run into a Gungan, who reluctantly leads them to underwater Gunga City.
At Gunga City, the Gungan is taken captive for disobeying his order of banishment, and the group is taken before the leader of the Gungans, Boss Nass. The Jedi inform the Boss about their need to inform the Naboo about the pending danger of the invasion to all lifeforms on the planet, and they learn of the feud between the Naboo and the Gungans. Using a Jedi mind trick on the Boss, the Jedi secure an underwater transport and learn of the best way to get to the Naboo palace. They save their Gungan guide from punishment, and he joins them on their voyage to the land of the Naboo
Back on the blockade ship, we learn that Lord Sidious is a senator in the Galactic Senate, and he has tied up the body in procedural matters to prevent action on the blockade. Sidious also optmistically indicates that the Federation will have no problem controlling the Naboo or their young leader.
Queen Amidala watches as the skies and streets of the Naboo city are filled with the craft of the Trade Federation army. The viceroys arrive on the planet, and are informed of the Queen's capture. The viceroys tell the captive royal party that they plan to have the Queen sign a treaty to approve of the invasion, and that it will receive the approval of the Galactic Senate. The Queen refuses to sign, but is told cryptically that she will after seeing the sufferring of her people.
After an eventful ride through the planet core, the Jedi and the Gungan arrive at the city, only to see the royal party being taken away by battle droids. They ambush the droid detail, and secure the release of the royal party.
They tell the royal party that there were no negotiations, and they need to inform the Chancellor of these events unfolding on Naboo. The Jedi learn that lines of communications have been cut to the planet, so they plan to use the transports of the Naboo and fly to Coruscant. It is here that Qui Gon indicates his skepticism about what the invasion of Naboo is really about. The Queen decides to go to Coruscant to plead the events in Naboo to the full Senate.
The Jedi group, the Queen, and a small royal detail get into a transport planning to fly to Coruscant. As they approach the blockade, they take on severe damage to the ship requiring the deployment of robot repair droids in flight. A single droid numbered R2-D2 repaired the serious damage to the shield generators and the ship manages to slip the blockade. However, the ship has enough damage to its hyperdrive that it cannot make it to Coruscant, the Jedi decide that they should land on nearby Hutt controlled Tatooine to make repairs and refuel.
On the blockade command ship, the viceroys inform Lord Sidious that Queen Amidala has not signed the treaty, has disappeared, and that one ship has slipped the blockade and are unable to track it down. Sidious introduces them to his Sith apprentice Darth Maul, who will track them down.
During the R2-D2 recognition for good work and cleaning sequence, we are introduced to what appears to be one of Queen's handmaidens, Padme. As they land on the outskirts of Tatooine, the team of Qui Gon, R2-D2, Padme, and the Gungan head into the spaceport to find repair parts for the ship.
They arrive at a junk shop, meet its Toydarian owner and his slave boy Anakin.
Unsuccessful in arranging a trade with the Toydarian for the necessary parts, the group wanders through time where they again bump into the young boy Anakin who saves them from a skirmish with top podracer Sebulba.
As a sandstorm arrives, Anakin takes the group to his home for shelter. In the Skywalker home, we learn that Anakin has developed a protocol droid C3-PO to act as an interpreter for his mother, and this scene serves as the first meeting between R2-D2 and C3-PO.
Back inside the transport ship, Obi Wan and Captain Panaka receive a communication from the Governor of Naboo urging them to give up and contact him. Obi Wan dismisses to the Queen as a trick to learn of their location, and advises radio silence. Obi Wan informs Qui Gon of the attempted communication, Qui Gon indicates the situation is becoming more urgent.
On Coruscant, we see the night meeting of Darth Sidious and Darth Maul, where Maul indicates he has tracked the royal party to Tatooine. He also excitedly blurts out that the Sith will finally be able to reveal themselves and get revenge on the Jedi. Sidious praises Maul, and indicates the Jedi will be no match for him.
During dinner at the Skywalker house, we learn again that the Republic has no control over Tatooine and that slavery is legal; Anakin is the only human that can podrace, to which Qui Gon remarks that he must have Jedi skills; and learn that the boy has abilities to vision the future, in particular seeing himself as a Jedi. Shmi allows Anakin to race in the podraces to help the group raise funds to fix their ship and get to Coruscant.
Pursuing their plans to race in the podraces, the group goes back to the Toydarian's shop. Padme and Qui Gon have an exchange outside the shop where Padme slips and nearly reveals her true identity as the Queen of Naboo.
Qui Gon proposes a deal to the Toydarian to put up the entry money and the boy for the podrace at Boonta Eve, while he will supply the podracer, in exchange for the parts if they win, and their disabled Naboo transport if they lose.
While notifying Obi Wan of the new plan to acquire the needed parts, Qui Gon informs him of the specialness of the boy. He then talks with Shmi about the force powers of her son, and she reveals to him about his special miraculous birth.
After a day of prepping the pod for racing, under the guise of cleaning his cuts, Qui Gon takes a sample Anakin's blood to be tested for midichlorians. Obi Wan does an analysis of the blood, and discovers an unprecendented high count. Qui Gon remains unsure of what this all means in relation to the boy.
In the meantime, Darth Maul arrives on Tatooine, scans the landscape for settlements and sends three probes into the nearby spaceport.
On race day, we learn from separate conversations with Watto (the Toydarian) and Anakin that the boy has never won any races and that Sebulba wins all the races. Learning that the Toydarian is betting on Sebulba to win, Qui Gon gets an additional sidebet on with the overconfident Watto proposing the podracer for the rights to the boy.
At the races, Sebulba sabotages Anakin's podracer prior to the race resulting in a slow start as the other racers blast by. Anakin works his way through mid-race mechanical difficulties, up through the other racers as they fall away, racing head to head with Sebulba and coming out victorious down the stretch. After the race, a poor loser Watto reluctantly lets the boy go with Qui Gon, only after being threatened with going to the Hutts to decide the dispute.
Hauling the parts back to the ship, Qui Gon reveals to Obi Wan that he intends to bring Anakin along with them to Coruscant. While Obi Wan is repairing the ship, Qui Gon goes back to the Skywalker home to inform Shmi and Anakin that he has won his freedom from Watto by winning the podrace.
Shmi asks if Qui Gon will take her son to train to become a Jedi, and he tells her that the events of their meeting were destined. When posed with the choice of learning to receive Jedi training, Anakin accepts but is sad to learn that his mother did not win her freedom as well. Later while leaving with Qui Gon, Anakin reluctantly leaves with sadness and promises his mother to return and free her.
Meanwhile, the probe reports back to Darth Maul, and he hops on a speeder to take him to the Naboo transport landing site. Just as they enter the landing site, Qui Gon instructs Anakin to duck as the Maul's speeder whizzes over his head. Maul and Qui Gon engage in a lightsaber duel in the sand, and Qui Gon tells Anakin to board the ship and instruct them to leave.
On ship, Obi Wan tells the pilot to fly the ship low near the site of the duel, with the loading ramp down. Qui Gon disengages from the duel and leaps onto the ramp and enters the ship. Darth Maul watches as the transport escapes him.
On board, Obi Wan and Anakin rush to check on Qui Gon. When asked what that was, Qui Gon speculates that Maul was after the Queen and very well trained in the Jedi arts, though he could not identify the nature of what Maul was. This is a significant moment as Anakin meets Obi Wan for the first time. The ship then speeds off towards Coruscant.
On Naboo, the Trade Federation viceroy is informed that battle droids will investigate and destroy the rumored underwater villages of the Gungans.
On the ship, Padme finally views and is perturbed by the earlier plea of Governor about the suffering on Naboo. She notices Anakin feeling cold and lonely, and goes to comfort him. He gives her a good luck token that he made her to remember him by, and she reassures him she will not forget him
Upon arriving on Coruscant, Senator Palpatine and Supreme Chancellor Valorum awaited their landing. Palpatine indicated his relief to see the Queen safe and his concern for the situation on Naboo. Chancellor Valorum said that there is great concern about the situation on Naboo, and that there will be a special session of the Senate convened so that the Queen can speak about the situation. Qui Gon informed the Chancellor that he was going to confer with the Jedi Council about the growing complexity of the situation.
In the Queen's room, Palpatine briefs her on his low opinion of the current Senate, and informs her that he does not believe they will take action on the Naboo invasion. The Queen rebuts this opinion by indicating that the Chancellor
was sympathetic. Palpatine dismisses this idea, and uses the opportunity to tell her of his idea to remove the current Chancellor.
He tries to persuade her to ask for a vote of no confidence in the Senate for the Chancellor's continued leadership. She is uncomfortable with that option, indicating that Valorum was Naboo's greatest supporter. Palpatine alternatively indicates that they could turn it over to the courts. The Queen indicates that the courts would be even slower, to which Palpatine urges concession to the idea that the Trade Federation will in the short term control Naboo, and she indicates her dislike of that idea as well.
At the Jedi Council, the two Jedi report, and Qui Gon confronts the council with his observation that he was attacked by a Sith Lord prior to leaving Tattooine. The Jedi Council dismiss the concept indicating the Sith have not been around for 1000 years, and that they would surely have noticed if the Sith had reformed. Yoda is more cautious and states that the Dark Side is hard to monitor, to which Mace Windu pledges the Council's efforts to identify the mysterious attacker.
Prior to leaving the Council, Qui Gon informs them that he has detected a vergence of the force around the boy Anakin. Qui Gon believes he may be the one prophesied to be conceived by the midichlorians because of his unprecedented high count of mc-s. Windu and Yoda confront Qui Gon's belief that the boy is the one to bring balance to the force, but later relent and allow the boy to be brought before the council for testing on suitability for training.
At the Galactic Senate, over the objections of the Trade Federation delegation, Palpatine accuses the taxation of the trade routes as the reason that incited the invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation, and introduces Queen Amidala to speak to the Senate about the situation.
The Queen addresses the Senate and decries the action of the Trade Federation at Naboo. After the Federation deny the allegations and are supported in their move for only a study, Palpatine seizes the moment of perceived obstruction to quietly push the Queen towards asking for a vote of no confidence.
When Valorum asks if the Queen will defer until a commission is formed and reports, the Queen refuses to defer and asks for a vote of no confidence on the Chancellor. This throws the Senate into a frenzy of support for the vote, and Palpatine reassures the Queen that a new strong chancellor will be supportive of the situation in Naboo.
Meanwhile, Obi Wan indicates his reservations to Qui Gon about Anakin and his chances of winning the approval of the Jedi Council. Obi Wan chides his master by arguing that it is such rogue things that prevent him from being appointed to the Council. Qui Gon dismisses his concerns saying he has much to learn.
Anakin makes his appearance at the Jedi Council, and demonstrates his extrasensory perception. Yoda and the Council explore Anakin's feelings. Anakin admits that he misses his mother, Yoda says that he fears losing her. When Yoda is asked pointedly by Anakin what the point of that is, he indicates that fear is important for it is the path to the Dark Side, with severe consequences.
Yoda concludes by telling Anakin that he senses much fear in him.
After briefly contemplating the fate of Naboo with the Gungan, Panaka comes in with Senator Palpatine and tells her of the good news of his nomination to be the next Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine promises to the Queen to put an end to corruption, and indicates the chances of him winning the position are good because of sympathy for the plight of the Naboo.
The Queen dismisses him as missing the point, that the Naboo might be dead before he can do any good. The Queen decides to return back to Naboo over his protests for her safety, in her opinion to leave politics to the politicians, and return to the side of her people. Upon leaving, she makes a dark observation about the Republic no longer functioning, and that she hopes Palpatine can bring order back to it.
At the council, Qui Gon, Obi Wan, and Anakin face the council and are told of their assessment. The Force is strong with him, but he is not to be trained for he is too old. Qui Gon insists that the council must see that he is the chosen one, but Yoda says that Anakin's future is clouded and hard to determine.
Qui Gon defies the Jedi Council, says he will train him, and names Anakin his padawan learner. Yoda reminds Qui Gon that he already has a padawan, and Windu concurs that the code prevents taking on more than one. Qui Gon tells the council that Obi Wan is ready, and Obi Wan concurs that he is ready to face the trials. Yoda chides them both that it is for the council to decide who is ready.
Yoda says that the fate of Anakin will be decided later, Windu concurs and
indicates that there are more important things going on now such as the election of a new Chancellor and the return of the Queen to Naboo. Windu assigns Qui Gon and Obi Wan to join the Queen in her return to Naboo in hopes of drawing out their mysterious enemy and solve the mystery of the Sith.
On their way to the landing pad, Obi Wan again chides Qui Gon about the dangerousness of Anakin and how is it that he cannot sense it when the council clearly does. Qui Gon retorts that Anakin is not dangerous and that his future is instead uncertain, and scolds him that the council will decide later and it is not his place to be thinking about it.
Anakin goes to Qui Gon for reassurance that he is not becoming a problem. In the discussion Qui Gon reassures that he is not and that he will keep him safe, that though he may not train him, Anakin should watch him closely andbe mindful of what he does. Anakin asks Qui Gon about the nature of midichlorians, Qui Gon tells him that they exist in all living cells in a symbiont relationship, and with training he will be able to hear their communication.
As the Queen's boarding party approaches the ship, Qui Gon indicates his continued service to the Queen. The Queen welcomes the support, remarking that Palpatine believes the Trade Federation will try to kill her. Qui Gon reassures her that they will defend her. The ship leaves for Naboo.
At Naboo, Sidious appears to the Federation viceroys to inquire if the planet is secure, they tell him that they have taken complete control of the planet. Sidious promises to keep the Senate under control, and will send over his apprentice Darth Maul to Naboo.
On approach to Naboo, the Queen confers with Qui Gon and Panaka. Qui Gon questions the soundness of returning, when it appears they will be captured and she will be forced to sign the treaty. The Queen states that she will take back what is theirs. Panaka indicates that they do not have enough forces to fight that kind of war, and Qui Gon indicates that the Jedi can protect her but not fight a war for her. So, the Queen solicits the Gungan for help.
The ship lands in the forest. Obi Wan informs Qui Gon that the Gungan has left to go to Gunga City to seek help. When asked about the potential success of the Queen's plan, Qui Gon replies that it will not be easy to convince the Gungans to help. Obi Wan apologizes for repeatedly chiding his master about Anakin, and thanks him for vouching for his readiness to the council. Qui Gon indicates that he has been a good apprentice and foresees that he will be a great Jedi.
The Gungan returns and says that no one is there. After some discussion about the fate of the Gungans, the Gungan tells the royal party and the Jedi that they have a secret hiding place and offers to take them there.
At the secret place, the Queen implores the Boss of the Gungans to help with the battle against the Trade Federation. The Boss replies favorably and says that they can be allies. In the process, the decoying of the Queen as a handmaiden is revealed to everyone as necessary to protect her safety.
At the palace, the viceroys, with Darth Maul present, reassure Lord Sidious that they are close to locating the Queen's party. Sidious puzzles over this move as unlike the Queen, and commands Maul to be watchful and allow them to make the first move
In the forest, the Queen's party strategize. She is told that their numbers are not enough to do battle with the droid army. The Queen tells of her plan that the strategy will be to mass the Gungan army to draw the droids out of the city. She lays out a strategy to enter the city, then the palace, and capture the viceroy. Concurrently, the Naboo fighters would head to space to take out the droid control ships. The Queen indicated that the most important objective is to seize the viceroy, because as Obi Wan had indicated, if they are unsuccessful, the Trade Federation would send down another droid army.
The Boss is told that the expected collateral damage to the Gungans may be severe. He commits that this is part of the Gungans doing their part. Prior to the discussion, the Boss makes the Gungan a general of the Gungan Army for his good work in bringing the Naboo and Gungans together.
At the palace, Sidious appears to the viceroys and indicates his surprise at the plan of the Queen to launch a frontal attack on the droid army. The viceroys tell of the nature of the Gungan army, and Sidious gives the order to take advantage of this opportunity and wipe them out.
The Gungans march on the droid position and turn on a defensive shield. The droid army appears at the top of the hill and open fire.
In the meantime, the planned tactical assault on the palace begins lead by the Queen and the Jedi. The viceroys puzzle at the closeness of the battle. As they enter the hangar, Qui Gon instructs Anakin to find cover, he gets into the cockpit of a Naboo fighter manned by R2-D2. The Queen tells the fighter pilots to get into the fighters, they all start to leave for space. The Naboo fighters are met with a steady wave of Federation space fighter craft.
At the battlefield, the droid army sets out battle droids. The viceroy in the command ship in space gives the command for their activation. They arm and start their march towards the Gungan positions, and the battle is engaged.
At the palace, the tactical teams break out into two separate teams, with one team heading out to get the viceroy in the throne room. As the groups march off, Qui Gon instructs Anakin to stay in the ship cockpit
The doors of the hangar open to reveal Darth Maul. Qui Gon and Obi Wan assure the tac team that they will handle him, so the tac team leaves them and heads for their objective. Maul unhoods, revealing his horned head, and the Jedi cast off their robes.
Rolling into the back of the hangar are destroyer droids, the tac team are being ambushed. A heavy firefight ensues, with the tac team taking positions behind columns and firing at the destroyers. Anakin sees them and tries pushing buttons in the cockpit, one sets the ship in motion, another shoots the guns and destroys the droids. The tac team moves out, and Anakin tries to override the autopilot on the fighter as he heads off towards space.
Back at the duel, Maul lights up his double bladed light saber, and starts the duel with Qui Gon and Obi Wan. The duel is vigorous and moves into a circular chamber with multi-leveled platforms.
One of the tac team moves on the throne room, finding heavy firefight resistance against battle droids
In space, Anakin and R2's fighter's autopilot is drawing them to the Trade Federation command ship. In the meantime, the battle goes on in the fields between the Gungans and the droid army. The initial Naboo fighters are finding that the deflector shield for the base is too strong for the fighter's attack lasers.
R2 manages to take the autopilot off, Anakin struggles with the controls and disregards R2's advice to head back to the planet, justifying his decision with Qui Gon's command to stay in the cockpit
In the palace, the tac team advances on the throne room against heavy resistance. Meanwhile, the other tac team stands on a ledge two stories below and launches rapel cords to the top floor to raise them to the top floor.
At the duel, Maul breaks up the two man advantage by knocks Obi Wan down to a lower platform with a kick to the jaw, Obi Wan is left hanging on the ledge. A solo duel ensues between Maul and Qui Gon.
Qui Gon seizes the advantage by hitting Maul with a forearm and knocking him to a lower platform. Qui Gon pounces below and is turned away by Maul. They battle towards another room.
Meanwhile, Obi Wan has pulled himself up, and leaps to the platform where the duel is proceeding. The duel enters a hallway separated by impenetrable force shields, one field comes up between Qui Gon and Maul, and another separating Obi Wan and Qui Gon. All duelists depower their blades and wait for the fields to dissipate. Maul paces, while Qui Gon meditates.
At the battlefield, the Gungans have signalled the retreat, trying to draw the droid army in pursuit, and dropping shock orbs behind them. The droid army pursues the fleeing Gungans.
At the palace, the lead tac team has reached the steps of the throne room, but have to surrender as they are surrounded by droids.
In space, two fighters are hot on Anakin and R2's tail, they take a hit and spin out of control into a hanger in the control base. They skid to a stop, and Anakin cannot get the ship to repower up.
At the duel, Maul continues to pace. Qui Gon gets the field generators to turn, and the duel is back on. Obi Wan has to wait while the field generators open one by one to get to him. They open and he sprints down the corridor, unfortunately the last generator comes on, keeping him out of the chamber
The duel intensifies between Maul and Qui Gon. Finally Maul hits Qui Gon in the mouth with the centerpiece of his blade, temporarily stunning him. Maul takes this opportunity to run him through, and Qui Gon falls to the ground. Obi Wan witnesses his master's death and screams NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Maul continues his pacing in front of the field, as Qui Gon writhes on the ground, and Obi Wan continues to wait and watch.
At the battlefield, the Gungans are being rounded up by the droids. At the palace, the tac team with the Queen has been rounded up and the viceroys declare their victory. The decoy Queen and her tac team appear at the entrance to the throne room, the viceroy commands the droids to go after them. The Queen pops open the throne for arms, and both teams surround the viceroy and take out the droids. The Queen tells the two viceroys that they will decide a new treaty
At the duel, the field generator finally turns, letting Obi Wan in, the duel ensues vigorously between Maul and Obi Wan. After trading move for move, Obi Wan senses an opening and slices the double blade in half and kicks Maul down to the floor. Maul continues the fight single bladed, and both fighters press the advantage nip and tuck.
Maul uses his force powers to break the deadlock and force pushes Kenobi over the ledge, leaving his lightsaber on the floor above in the process, and leaving him hanging on to a safety light outcropping in the wall. Maul looks over the ledge and kicks Obi Wan's lightsaber past him and it rattles its way down into the deep tunnel below.
At the control ship, Anakin repowers the ship, fires off some lasers, and then sends two torpedos accidentally into the main reactors. Anakin and R2 fly out of the main hull just in time to escape. The control ship explodes from within, and the Naboo fighters celebrate.
As a result, at the battlefield, the droid army is deactivated. The Gungans celebrate the droid army deactivation.
Still hanging from the light, Obi Wan uses the Force to leap forward back on to the platform. He then uses the forces to call Qui Gon's lightsaber to his hand, and surprises Maul with a blade across the midsection. Maul falls backward down the void, his top half of his body separated from his bottom half.
Obi Wan attends to Qui Gon in his dying moments. Qui Gon gets Obi Wan to promise that he will train Anakin. Qui Gon's last words are that Anakin is the chosen one and ... train him
The state ship carrying Palpatine and his entourage arrives in Naboo. The Queen tells the viceroys that they now have to explain this to the Senate, and Panaka tells them they will not have their trade franchise.
Palpatine gives thanks to Obi Wan, and then tells Anakin he will watch his career with great interest. The Queen then congratulates Palpatine on being named Supreme Chancellor, and he gives her platitudes on her service and his pledge to make the Republic better.
At the Jedi Council, Yoda gives Obi Wan the rank of Jedi Knight, but he does not agree with him taking on Anakin as a padawan. Obi Wan stated that Qui Gon believed in the boy. Yoda admitted that he may be the chosen one, but he senses grave danger in training him. Obi Wan said he will train him even without the council's approval, since he promised it to Qui Gon. Yoda chides him not to be defiant like Qui Gon, and relents to allow Obi Wan to take Anakin as his padawan learner.
Qui Gon's body lies in a funeral pyre, a group is assembled to observe. Anakin questions Obi Wan as to what will happen now. Obi Wan replies that the council approves of him training Anakin, and he promises to make him a Jedi. Windu confers with Yoda and indicates that the mysterious warrior was a Sith. Yoda explains the rule of the Sith that there are only two, one master and one apprentice. Windu inquires which one was destroyed, as the camera dramatically shifts to Palpatine.
The Naboo celebrate their liberation victory with the Gungans. As the Gungans procession marches into the square, Naboo fighters fly overhead and flower petals drop.On the step are many dignitaries, including Jedi Master Yoda. The Queen offers an orb to the Boss, which he raises in exultation. The Queen smiles at Anakin who is sporting his new Jedi haircut, as Obi Wan looks on satisfied
