Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Skywalker Saga

Rise of the Sith Trilogy

Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

                Movie opens with the following crawl:

                It is a time of mounting tensions.  For a thousand years the Galactic Republic has been a bastion of unity and prosperity - founded upon the crumbled ruins of the Old Republic after a fierce and terrible war with an ancient enemy.  Now, recent scandals and growing criminal activities have shaken the faith of the people of this once great government.  From within the shadows, an unknown evil festers and grows, casting suspicion and doubt upon everything.

                In an effort to stem the increasing unrest, the Jedi Knights, renowned guardians of peace and justice, have united with the Republic’s leader, Supreme Chancellor Valorum, who has recently become mired with baseless allegations of corruption.  With the hope that he might regain the trust of his citizens, Valorum sends two Jedi, Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to the planet Naboo to discuss peaceful negotiations between Amidala, the queen of Naboo, and her planet’s corporate rivals, the Trade Federation.

                Meanwhile, at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Master Sifo-Dyas, a powerful Jedi with the gift of foresight, finds himself enthralled by a horrifying vision of the future.  The Balance of the Force is at stake.  If those who fight for the Light Side do not act swiftly, the galaxy will surely be plunged into darkness…

                

                The typical star field remains.  The scene then drops to the planet Geonosis.  A Republic Star Destroyer moves into view.  The scene shifts to show Trade Federation warships firing upon the Star Destroyer.  Then, other Star Destroyers are shown following the lead Destroyer.  A large space battle ensues as fighters are released from all ships.

                In a hanger bay, Yoda is seen staring down at the planet’s surface through the main doors.  He issues an order for the Captain of a nearby transport to begin the descent to the planet’s surface.  He then boards the transport as the gunship’s doors close.  Gunships are then seen dropping towards the planet.

                The scene shifts to show the arena in Episode 2.  The Jedi battle against the droid armies in an attempt to escape.  It is a broad view so that only a few main characters, such as Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi and a few of the main Jedi masters are seen.  There is no view of Anakin or Padme.  The battle occurs just as in Episode 2.  Then, the gunships arrive, the doors open, and Yoda appears.  However, instead of clone troops, Yoda is accompanied by Republic soldiers.  Within the first two minutes of the scene, Obi-Wan, Mace, all main Jedi Council members, and finally Yoda, die as even with the arrival of the Republic, they are overwhelmed and killed. 

                The scene ends with Yoda lying on the battlefield.  He looks up at a robed figure cloaked in darkness.  It is clear from the maniacal laughter that follows, it is the Emperor.  As Yoda looks up at him, he blasts Yoda with lightning right in the face.

                The scene cuts to Sifo-Dyas sitting cross-legged in one of the chambers in the Jedi Temple.  He shakes himself to rid himself of the vision.  Then he leaps to his feet and rushes into the Jedi Council Chambers, barging in without being summoned.  Count Dooku is standing before the council, and it is clear he is not pleased by the disruption.  Sifo-Dyas explains to the Council that he has seen another vision of the future.  It is clear that unless the Galactic Republic begins building a large military force to defend against this future, the government will fall, and the Jedi will die with it.  He concludes by proclaiming, "I believe the Sith have returned."

                Dooku, who is discovered to be a Master himself, helps to manipulate the discussion within the council chambers.  He easily turns the Council against Dyas, pointing out Dyas’ fear and stating that he is merely reacting to his anxieties.  Also, he points out that a centralized military in the Republic could potentially lead to the Senate having too much power.  He also points out that the growing tensions have not escalated to this point as of yet.  He expresses his full faith in the Jedi and the Senate to be able to resolve all conflicts in a peaceful way…which is the Jedi way.

                Yoda and Windu follow Dooku’s leading and the Council agrees.  To advise the Republic to create a large, centralized military could lead to a disastrous outcome.  The scene ends with Dyas storming out of the Council chambers, clearing unhappy with the outcome.  Yoda is shown with narrowed eyes, in suspicion, and he makes a comment that Dyas should be someone that they monitor.  He is concerned that Dyas may be allowing his visions to cloud his judgments.  This could lead him down a dark path.  Dooku is asked to follow Dyas, discretely, to ensure that he doesn’t do anything foolish.  Dooku bows, and exits, the picture of a perfect Jedi Master.

                The scene cuts to the transport ship of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as they arrive over Naboo to meet with the Trade Federation Viceroy, just as in the original Phantom Menace.  The story matches the original at this point up until Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan reach Naboo’s surface.  One change, however, is that Sidious is not so obviously Emperor Palpatine.  He is some dark, cloaked figure with a frightening mask, and his voice is distorted.

                Here, they meet Jar Jar Binks, who is still silly, clumsy and lucky, for the benefit of the kids, and he clearly annoys Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, but he is much more tamed down.  One of the primary points of Jar Jar's character is to show that the Force works in ALL creatures, even those not Force-sensitive, and Qui-Gon at one point mentions something to this effect to Obi-Wan.  "Watch him and see," Qui-Gon says to Obi-Wan.  "He is what some would call 'lucky', but in my experience there is no such thing as luck.  He is a simple-minded creature, and oftentimes those who are most clumsy and awkward display the Force more powerfully - for when a creature is weak, the Force is proven even stronger when the weak yet miraculously succeed."

                Jar Jar leads them down to his home city, as in the original, except that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan don’t use aqua breathers from their Jedi utility belts but instead use the Force to hold their breaths long enough to get to the underwater city.  This is to show that the Force can truly do some amazing things, even helping Jedi to hold their breath for tremendous amounts of time, and it would make more sense than the Jedi being equipped with aqua-breathers, as if aqua-breathers are standard issue equipment for a Jedi.  Upon arrival, Jar Jar could even comment, "Wow!  Yousa guys can REALLY hold yer breaths much more den other hoomans."

                To which Qui-Gon replies, "We are Jedi, and the Force can grant us many extraordinary abilities that most do not possess."

                Arriving in the underwater city, the scene continues much as it did in the original, except for the reason why Jar Jar was not in his city but up in the swamps.  Instead of being exiled, Jar Jar left home of his own free will.  He has always been an outcast amongst his people because he is lanky and clumsy.  Feeling that he really had no place in his own homeland, Jar Jar has lived on the surface alone, trying to scratch out a living for himself on the surface.  This gives him more depth and touches the hearts of many who feel like outcasts and who feel unloved.  It also makes Jar Jar a survivalist with skills and abilities that make him a useful character.

                So Jar Jar’s character is more of a loving and gentle soul who is jovial and innocent in spite of being rejected by others.  He doesn’t let the negativity of others change him.  Still, there is a lonely side to Jar Jar that, throughout the movie, pops up from time to time to make people see him in a more serious light and also so that they feel sorry for him.  Also, Jar Jar proves to be a bit more useful than in the original, able to defend himself with his own makeshift weapon which is similar to a slingshot that fires muck at his opponents that is sticky, almost like tar, and can blind them.  This also gives him a bit more of a serious side and yet makes it so that he is not a killer, again for the kids.

                The story continues as in the original movie up to the point when Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Amidala and her entourage arrive on Tatooine.  A few things happen before showing them arriving on Tatooine.  Sidious speaks with the Trade Federation Viceroy, as in the original, introducing Darth Maul.  Also, a conversation still takes place between Maul and Sidious, but it is slightly changed.  Sidious tells Maul that Jabba the Hutt, on Tatooine, has informed him of the arrival of the queen’s ship.  They have landed at Mos Espa.  Jabba has agreed to assist Maul in capturing the queen, but for a price. 

                Sidious then tells Maul that Jabba has been an ally of his for a few years now, assisting Sidious in his efforts to discredit Valorum in the Senate, along with others who have dared to stand in the way of the Sith.  Jabba’s price is the assassination of his rival, a crime lord named Kozalla the Hutt, who has thwarted Jabba for years, keeping Jabba from gaining complete control over Tatooine.  Maul is to do two things.  He is to go to Tatooine to capture the queen, with Jabba’s help, and he is to make sure Kozalla is dead.  He doesn’t care which comes first. 

                Maul is then dismissed after the line is said, “At last we will have our revenge.”  As he leaves, Sidious is shown entering a dark chamber and activating a terminal.  The image of an unknown, cloaked figure appears.  It is unclear who the person is, but it should lead individuals to believe it is Master Sifo-Dyas.  The scene ends as the holographic figure states, “It is finished, My Master.”  Count Dooku and Master Sifo-Dyas should be played by actors with similar features so that Dooku and Dyas are almost interchangeable, keeping audiences guessing as to who this mysterious cloaked figure is…is it Dyas?  Also, to throw audiences off as well, the voice of the holographic, dark servant should be distorted so that it almost sounds like Emperor Palpatine, as if Sidious is Palpatine’s master.

                Finally, on Tatooine, things progress again similarly to the original movie.  However, after landing, Qui-Gon sends Obi-Wan with Padme, Jar Jar and R2 instead of going himself.  (Quick note...Obi-Wan hardly ever notices R2 during their travels, which is why he seems to ponder the droid in Episode 4, as if maybe he's seen R2 somewhere before but he can't recall where.  Obi-Wan should, then, give very little notice to R2 or 3P0 during any of the movies, as if he doesn't consider them as important at all.)  Qui-Gon is concerned with the safety of the queen, and he decides to remain on the ship.  He then has the pilot move the ship to the Jundland Wastes to hide it from anyone who might recognize it.  Obi-Wan is to call them as soon as he is able to secure the parts.

                Obi-Wan is then the one who meets Anakin, and immediately Obi-Wan feels a connection with him.  He immediately wants to help Anakin escape his slave life, and he, like Qui-Gon in the original, suspects Anakin to have an incredible affinity with the Force.  Also, it is obvious during this time that Padme establishes a bit of a crush on the slightly older Obi-Wan.  This is extremely important for later in the trilogy.

                After meeting Shmi, she explains that there never was a father for Anakin, and like Qui-Gon in the original, Obi-Wan assumes this means that he was immaculately conceived.  Obi-Wan tries to convince Shmi to let Anakin go with him to be trained as a Jedi, but Shmi won’t allow it.  He is only nine, and she refuses to allow a nine-year-old to make such a decision.  Shmi has endured a lot of hardships at the hands of people throughout the years, and she would never trust her son to strangers, no matter who they are.  She then explains that she has had bad experiences with Force-users.  She wants Anakin to be free, but she refuses to let someone like Obi-Wan or his master take him away.  She doesn’t want him to follow Obi-Wan on some fool, idealistic crusade.

                Living in the apartment next door is the Lars family.  The homes are interconnected, so only a door is between one apartment and the next.  It is during this scene that everyone learns that Owen Lars is Anakin’s closest friend.  The two are like blood-brothers, swearing an oath to one another to always be friends.  Upon hearing Shmi’s response to Obi-Wan, Anakin confides in Owen that he really wants to go with Obi-Wan and that he’s thinking of sneaking off with him and Padme, the girl he has a crush on.  He has a plan to sneak into Watto’s office and use a new device he’s made to crack Watto’s safe, steal the slave chip locator, deactivate his and his mother’s chips, and Owen’s and his family’s chips too, and then have them all escape together.

                Owen, however, is quite upset.  He gets angry with Anakin and mirror’s Shmi’s statement.  “How can you be so selfish, Wiz?”  (Anakin’s nickname is Wiz, not Annie.)  “First, it’s too dangerous.  You’ll get caught and Watto’ll use the device to fry your brain.  Second, I’ve heard what happens to people who go off and become Jedi.  They wind up sacrificing their lives for some darn (he’s a kid and I don’t like swearing so he says “darn”), fool, idealistic crusade.  I can see you wanting to be free, and even stealing the device because Watto’s an idiot and would never find us after that, but we shouldn’t leave the planet.  Let’s go off into the Dune Sea and become one of the moisture farmer families out there.  I bet my dad and your mom would make an awesome couple.  My dad’s single…your mom’s single…eh?”

                But Anakin is determined.  He feels connected to Obi-Wan somehow…and to Padme.  He also feels that his destiny is so much bigger than being a moisture farmer out in the Dune Sea.  He then hurts Owen’s feelings by saying, “I’m not like you, Owen.  You’re happy being nobody.  As for me…I gotta DO something with my life…something BIG!  I’m gonna be a Jedi Knight and I’m gonna vanquish evils all over the galaxy.  I’m gonna fly starships through supernovas and blast pirates to space dust!  Nothing is gonna hold me back.  Just wait and see!  Even people on this dust ball of a planet are gonna know the name of Anakin Skywalker as the greatest hero the universe has ever seen!”

                As this is happening, Maul arrives and sends his droids out into the wastelands searching for the ship.  He then meets with Jabba who says, “I see you received my message that the ship went somewhere out towards the Jundland Wastes.  I have my own men searching out there for it as well.”  Then Jabba informs him that a young man, looking like a Jedi Padawan, a young girl, a strange aquatic alien, and a blue and white astromech droid left the ship, entering the city.  They managed to give Jabba’s spies the slip, but only because Kozalla’s thugs were lurking around.  However, the Boonta Eve pod race is tomorrow, and he knows that everyone will be there.  Kozalla will be exposed to assassination and those who entered the city will either be at the race or one of the only people wandering the streets of Mos Espa.  Either way, they’ll find them in the morning.

                The Boonta Eve race arrives and Anakin enters it, similar to the original, in an effort to help Obi-Wan and Padme pay for the parts they need for the ship.  Obi-Wan tries to win Anakin’s freedom as well, but he is unaware that while he is discussing the deal with Watto, Anakin breaks into Watto’s office with Owen standing watch.  Anakin steals the locator, just as planned, and he deactivates it for himself, his mother, Owen and Owen’s whole family, along with a few other slaves that Watto owns.  He then smashes the device and puts it back in the safe with a little note that says, “Come and get me, if you can, Poodoo Brain!”  Then he signs it at the bottom with the name “Wiz”.

                Anakin rushes to his pod after he sends Owen off to tell his family and all of the other slaves.  Knowing his mother won’t come with him, and won’t let him go either, Anakin says goodbye to Owen after making him promise to take his mom with them into the Dune Sea to take care of her.  Owen and Anakin then re-swear to one another that they are brothers and friends forever.  Then they part ways.

                Maul arrives at the stadium and moves into a dark stairwell.  There he unslings a large pack off his back and pulls out a Sith Assassin Droid.  Once activated, it springs to life and stands to full height, appearing to be nothing more than a standard protocol droid.  Maul activates a holographic image.  “Your target,” he hisses, and the droid’s eye sensors zero in on the image.  Then it moves up the stairs silently and stealthily as Maul turns and heads towards the stands.

                The race ceremony begins as in the original except maybe a bit more brief.  Anakin lines his podracer up and has his exchange with Sebulba, just as in the original.  Sebulba also sabotages Anakin’s pod, just as in the original.  Obi-Wan, Padme, R2 and Jar Jar step into the spectator booth along with Shmi.  Obi-Wan is seen using a pair of macrobinoculars, and he zeroes in on Kozalla the Hutt’s booth, spotting Watto there, who waves smugly at him as he mouths, “Sebulba always wins.”  Then the race begins.

                Qui-Gon is then shown aboard the queen’s starship.  He is meditating and senses the danger they are all in.  Immediately, he alerts the pilot and orders the ship to head to the city at once.  He is pulling the plug on the mission.  They’ll have to get the parts in some other way.  As the ship launches and begins heading through the canyon, however, sensors suddenly detect a missile lock.  Jabba’s thugs have spotted them and one is carrying an anti-vehicle missile launcher.  The ship veers just in time, and the missile hits the cavern, blowing a huge hole in the middle of a huge chunk of rock, forming “The Stone Needle” in Beggar’s Canyon.  This brief scene ends with one of Maul’s droids seen as it transmits the signal to Maul of the ship’s escape from the canyon.

                Immediately, the scene cuts to Anakin swinging through the canyons, trying his best to get ahead.  However, he is struggling with his engines, as seen towards the end of the race (thus cutting the entire race much shorter).  This brief scene summarizes the pod racing seen, showing pod racers smashing into each other, crashing, etc. so that you get the idea of what happens during a pod race without prolonging the scene too long.  This snippet of the pod race ends with the Tuskan Raiders firing on the racers.  (Cutting this scene much shorter thus allows room for the additional scenes I've added.)

                At the same time, Maul is seen milling about the audience along with a bunch of Jabba’s thugs.  One of them spots Obi-Wan and Padme, and they point them out.  Maul uses his own macrobinoculars, and zeroing in on the two, he gestures to start the attack.  “Leave the Jedi to me,” he remarks.

                Anakin finally gets the podracer going again, and he jets back into the race.  He does that little jump that he did in the original, and winds up closing in on the leaders.  Suddenly, as he gains on the leaders, he seems to sense something that distracts his attention for a moment during the final, long and open stretch before the finish line. 

                Maul’s attack begins as thugs begin firing on Obi-Wan and the others.  Obi-Wan tackles Padme, using his own body to shield her, creating a moment between the two.  One of the thugs then uses a mechanism to cause the spectator ring to drop to the ground.  At the same time, the Sith Assassin Droid arrives in Kozalla’s box.  It serves the Hutt a drink and then plants a couple of charges within the box.  Watto is also in the box, and he takes a drink from the droid as well.  The droid steps out of the box, and as the door closes, it presses the detonator.  Kozalla’s box explodes, and panic from both the attack on Obi-Wan and the Hutt sends the crowd into pandemonium.

                While Padme, Jar Jar, and R2 try to fend off the attacking thugs, R2 using his fire extinguisher, Obi-Wan is suddenly attacked by Maul.  Obi-Wan falls back, barely holding off the Sith Lord as blow after blow rains down on the Jedi’s saber.  Meanwhile, Owen’s family rushes towards the booth, grabbing Shmi as Obi-Wan commands them to get her out of there.  Shmi is screaming for Anakin as the Lars family flees the scene.

                The scene snaps back to Anakin, as if he has just seen all of this happening.  No longer caring about winning the race or about his podracer, Anakin seems to develop a plan instantly.  He bypasses all sorts of security protocols and sets the engines to maximum power.  This boosts his pod recklessly towards the finish line just as Sebulba is approaching, about to win the race.  As warnings scream at him from all over the control panel, Anakin seems to bide his time as he streaks past all of the other racers, closing quickly on Sebulba.  At the last second, he snaps the cables loose from the engines, and they shoot off like rockets towards Sebulba and the finish line.

                Several things happen all at once.  One engine smashes into Sebulba from behind, creating a massive and catastrophic chain reaction.  Sebulba’s pod snaps in pieces, sending his own engines flying.  Several other pods smash into Sebulba’s wreckage and they also explode or send shrapnel flying through the air at ridiculous speeds.  Anakin’s other engine flies straight at the thugs shooting at Padme, Jar Jar and R2, and the engine acts like a missile, exploding upon impact as it smashes into the crates and other parts used for podracers that the thugs are using for cover.  In a massive fireball, mirroring the Hutt’s box’s explosion, the thugs are instantly incinerated.

                At the same time, shrapnel from all of the devastated podracers flies across the finish line.  Padme, Jar Jar and R2 duck down within the spectator ring for cover as the whirlwind of destruction blasts into the ring and flies around it.  During this entire crazy series of events, Maul and Obi-Wan continue to duel, dodging debris and wreckage until Maul is suddenly hit by Anakin’s cartwheeling pod.  Obi-Wan then dives for cover himself within the spectator ring.

                When the dust clears, the queen’s ship is suddenly seen dropping down near the spectator ring.  Qui-Gon drops out before the ship even lands, and he immediately rushes to Obi-Wan’s side.  “Anakin!” Obi-Wan cries in terror, and he races off recklessly towards where the pod has come to rest some distance across the finish line.  As the security forces grab Padme and the others, Qui-Gon joins Obi-Wan at Anakin’s pod.  There is no sign of Darth Maul. 

                Anakin is then seen stumbling away from the pod, looking as though he is barely scratched.  “What a rush!” he comments before falling into Obi-Wan’s arms.  Maul is then seen emerging from the flaming wreckage, looking like Satan himself with exposed chest and scorched and torn pants.  “Get the boy to the ship!” Qui-Gon urges Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan complies without question.  Maul then unleashes his next assault on Qui-Gon.  He has gone into a Dark Side Rage and is like a frenzy of blade swipes.  Like in the original, he still has not revealed the double-bladed side of his lightsaber, but only fights with one blade.  Qui-Gon is shown calmly deflecting Maul’s frenzied attacks, as if he is just biding his time, waiting for Maul to wear himself out before striking back.

                As Obi-Wan rushes up the ramp, Padme is seen screaming at the security chief.  “But how are we going to get the parts now?” she cries.

                “We commandeer them,” says the chief.  “We don’t have time to play games now.  We have to get out of here.  We have no choice.”

                Obi-Wan then comments, “It won’t matter much at this point.  The junk dealer was in the booth with the Hutt when it exploded.  He won’t be needing those parts anyway.  Get to the junk shop!  I’ll help Qui-Gon.”  Padme takes Anakin in her arms and is about to say something to Obi-Wan, as if to tell him to be careful, but he is gone too quickly.  The ramp closes as the ship lifts off.

                Seeing Obi-Wan coming towards him, and knowing he is weakening, Maul uses the force to cause a leaking fuel hose to suddenly spew its contents into a fire close by.  The explosion sends Qui-Gon flying through the air, and Maul retreats into the shadows of the stadium interior.  Just before disappearing into the stadium, Maul is seen looking up at the queen’s ship, indicating that the ship is his true target.

                Obi-Wan rushes to Qui-Gon’s side, but Qui-Gon shoos him away.  “Quickly!  The Queen!”  Then, as Qui-Gon is nursing a minor wound, Obi-Wan darts off after Maul in hot pursuit.

                Obi-Wan reaches the interior of the stadium only to be nearly decapitated by Maul’s Assassin Droid.  There is a brief skirmish between Obi-Wan and the droid, and Obi-Wan prevails.  As he rushes off to continue his pursuit of Maul, the assassin droid tumbles over, cut in half, foreshadowing what will happen to Maul at the end of the story. 

                A chase scene now ensues as Obi-Wan follows hot on Maul’s tail.  Maul continues flipping and running up walls and from rooftop to rooftop like some agile predator.  Obi-Wan is clearly no match for his prowess, but Maul’s injuries and the fact that he expended so much energy clearly slow him down. 

                Finally, at the junkyard, the last of the parts are being loaded into the ship as some of the queen’s soldiers are blasting the last of Watto’s security droids.  Maul enters the junkyard at that point and charges the soldiers.  They begin firing at him in a horrified panic, but Maul deflects blaster bolts with his saber as if they are gnats.  His fierce appearance causes them to draw back instinctively.  There is a moment when it seems as if Maul is about to slaughter them all, and Obi-Wan isn’t going to make it in time, when a massive mound of junk topples over onto Maul, burying him under it.

                Qui-Gon is then seen standing on the top, outer wall of the junkyard, his hands raised indicating that it was he who had buried the Sith Lord.  Obi-Wan enters the junkyard just in time to see this.  The two meet at the ramp of the ship.  “How did you get here so fast?”

                “Sometimes, my dear Padawan, using your head is better than using muscle.”  He then gestures to a swoop bike that is resting just inside the wall.  It is unclear how he managed to fly that vehicle up onto the wall, but that is irrelevant.  The two have no time to continue the discussion, and they race up the ramp.  The ship launches into the air and shoots off towards space.  As it goes, Maul is seen rising up out of the mound of junk, a look of immense rage on his face.

                The ship is seen entering hyperspace, and the story lines up again with the original movie with the following exceptions:  The Senate seen is cut completely.  Instead, there is conversation between Amidala and Palpatine discussing the results of the meeting.  “You did well, My Queen.  Your vote of “No Confidence” in Chancellor Valorum has given us all the opportunity we need.  I must say, though, that being nominated to become the next Supreme Chancellor was a shock.  However, if elected…”  Then, as in the original, the queen interrupts him and tells him she cannot wait for the Senate to discuss it all in a committee.  She is going back to Naboo to end the conflict herself.

                Meanwhile, the interview with Anakin also happens similarly to the original except that both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stand up for Anakin’s training.  Also, Count Dooku is present, in holographic form, giving his own input and helping to persuade the council.  He shows his own disdain for the boy and says that he senses much aggression and conflict within him.  This begins Anakin’s resentment towards Dooku, and Dooku only seems to fuel it to prove his point.  Yoda seems a bit suspicious, suddenly, of Dooku’s actions, though he says nothing.

                There is then a brief scene with Maul contacting Sidious.  It is from Sidious’ perspective with Maul as a hologram.  Sidious is obviously displeased.  “Your failure is unacceptable, My Apprentice,” he says as the scene opens.  “I am most displeased.  You have one last chance to redeem yourself.  Go to Naboo.  The queen is returning there.  I’m not entirely sure what she is planning, but thwart it!  She MUST be captured alive.  Use the civilian population as a weapon, if you need to.  Let the whole planet burn.  Wipe them out…all of them.”  (This scene, then, replaces the scene with the Viceroy where Sidious instructs them to unleash everything.)

                The story then continues as the original movie did all the way through the end with the following exceptions: As the Gungans fight, Jar Jar does wind up becoming a general, and he actually rises to the challenge.  He is still a bit clumsy, but he proves that he is smart and clever in tactics, showing that you should never underestimate an outcast.  The Viceroy commands his droids to have the Naboo citizens used as shields against the queen’s own forces.  However, one of the queen’s spies within the city alerts her that droid forces are bringing civilians to the battlefield, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan thwart this by ambushing these forces, drawing the droid fire away from the people as they escape.

                At the same time, the queen goes into the dungeons of the palace because, naturally, the pilot prisoners wouldn’t be sitting in a hanger bay just waiting to be released so they could steal their ships and battle the Trade Federation battle cruiser.  Instead, the queen’s pilots and many other soldiers of the palace are locked in the queen’s own dungeons.  And so, after releasing everyone, and gaining more soldiers for the fight, the queen begins ascending up to her throne room to capture the Viceroy.

                Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan just meet up with the queen in the hanger after they have secured it.  The pilots rush to their ships and Qui-Gon orders Anakin to find a safe place to hide, following the original movie again at this point.  Anakin climbs into one of the fighters and R2 is ordered to stay with him to help keep an eye on him.

                Then Maul enters the hanger bay with a host of droid forces on all sides of him.  He then ignites his double-bladed lightsaber and charges.  The droid forces swarm in with him, hot on his heels as they fire at the Naboo soldiers and the queen.  The queen and her forces retreat as the droid armies pursue.  Maul, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan engage in the duel, but because of a blast from one of the many blaster bolts streaming around the room, a platform that the duelists are on drops out of the hanger and into some cargo loading bay.  This is what separates them from the queen and her forces, and from this point on, the duel continues mostly as in the movie.  Meanwhile, the queen also continues to the throne room almost exactly as in the movie.

                As for Anakin’s involvement in the space battle, he does so of his own volition, not by accident.  Sitting in the cockpit, battle droids suddenly spot him and start swarming towards him.  To escape them, Anakin launches the fighter and escapes the palace.  Once in space, he begins hearing the screams of dying pilots and he also hears one of the pilots state, “This is hopeless!  We can’t win this!”

                “The Queen is counting on us!” the lead pilot announces.  “We MUST succeed.”

                For several moments, Anakin is shown contemplating his situation.  He then sets his jaw in determination.  R2 squeals at him, but he says, “The fate of the planet is at stake, R2!  I can’t just sit here and do nothing.  I have to do this…for Padme...the queen.”  The last part he says a bit under his breath as if still stunned that Padme is Queen Amidala.

                During the space battle, Anakin also does not just accidentally blow up the ship’s main core.  One of the Queen’s technicians is shown on the planet’s surface, accessing Trade Federation records.  He reports the weakness to the battle cruiser to the pilots.  Hearing this, and sensing his own destiny, Anakin purposely flies into the hanger and recklessly weaves his way through to the core.  He then blasts it with the proton torpedoes and weaves his way out.

                As for the battle between Maul, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, it concludes with Qui-Gon being killed, as in the original.  However, as Obi-Wan hangs there, about to be finished off by the taunting Maul, it is Qui-Gon who saves Obi-Wan’s life.  Because of Maul’s overconfidence, he does not see Qui-Gon use the Force to hurl his lightsaber at Maul.  At the last second, Qui-Gon is seen flicking his wrist.  Then the lightsaber ignites as it spins, the blade acting like a buzz-saw and cutting Maul in half.  Maul then topples past Obi-Wan into the pit, cut in two.

                Free of danger, Obi-Wan then leaps up onto the platform where Qui-Gon is, and Qui-Gon makes him promise to train Anakin.  He does believe, as Obi-Wan did, that the boy IS the Chosen One.  “I know you hate disobeying the Council, Obi-Wan, but in this case, you must be strong.  No matter what the Council thinks… you must train him.  The fate of the galaxy rests…on him…I can see it clearly now...”  It is clear that he is seeing a vision as his life is fading away.  “Whatever side claims him…that side…will triumph…Light Side…or Dark…”  And then, Qui-Gon dies in Obi-Wan’s arms.

                The rest plays out as in the original movie, but Yoda is no longer as resistant to Anakin’s training and Obi-Wan does not become a full-fledged Jedi just yet.  Yoda explains, “Affected me much, Qui-Gon’s final words have.  Train the boy, you shall.  Still, a Jedi you are not at this time, Obi-Wan.  Finish your training, I will.  In the meantime, train as a Youngling, Anakin will.  Teach him the basics myself, I will.  Then, when ready you are, take him as your apprentice, you will.  BUT!...help you with his training, I will.”

                “Thank you, Master,” says Obi-Wan.

                Therefore, in this way, Obi-Wan is indeed trained by Yoda, for in Empire Strikes Back Obi-Wan had called Yoda “The Jedi Master who instructed me.”  Also, in this way, Yoda also is teaching Anakin the basics, as he does with all younglings at the Jedi Academy.  He, therefore, makes a deeper connection with Anakin, which is why he is so hurt by Anakin’s eventual betrayal and why he is so reluctant to train Luke.  By helping in teaching Anakin, Yoda then feels responsible himself for training a child who is “Too old to begin the training.”

                And the Phantom Menace comes to an end.