Entertainment

A Guide To <i>Phantom Menace</i>

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

May 6, 1999 / 1:10 PM EDT / CBS

The Phantom Menace opened at movie theaters across the U.S. last week.

Whether you want to have a little fun at George Lucas's expense, or whether you need a crash course in Star Wars culture before you see the latest installment, you could do worse than to start here.

Phantom Menace Tops $100M

In what is seen as an encouraging sign for the movie's longterm prospects, box office figures for The Phantom Menace dipped only slightly over the weekend.

And it made $28.5 million on its opening day, shattering the box-office record set in 1997 by The Lost World: Jurassic Park. For more details about the box office performance of The Phantom Menace, click here

All Right. How Was It?

CBS

Amid a solar storm of hype, publicity and merchandising gimmicks, the curtain finally has gone up on Lucas's intergalactic gift to the American movie-going public. Phantom Menace is said to be critic-proof.

Now that the clock has run out on the hype, what's the verdict? While much of the critical commentary has been negative, CBS News Correspondent Bobbi Harley went to the fans to get some feedback from the ticket-buying public.
Click here for her report

Liam Neeson: Space Cowboy

CBS

He doesn't wear spurs or a 10-gallon hat. But Qui-Gon Jinn of The Phantom Menace isn't too far removed from the Wild West.

The Irish actor has a few words with CBS This Morning Co-Anchor Mark McEwen. Click here or the interview.

Samuel L. Jackson's Dream Comes True

CBS

Ever since he saw the first Star Wars movie, Samuel L. Jackson has wanted in on the series. This time, he got his wish. He says he would have been willing to play an extra. Instead, he got to play Mace Windu, head of the Jedi council.
To see an interview with Jackson from CBS This Morning, click here.

More Talk From The Stars

CBS

You think it's easy playing a scene opposite Yoda? Stars Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Liam Neeson, and Jake Lloyd talk about making The Phantom Menace.

See the videos

A Fun Phantom Poll

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Plenty of people in the galaxy could make you look really, really bad. After all, there are fans who have seen the trilogy about a gazillion times and whose private libraries are stocked with Star Wars paperbacks and graphic novels.

But that's no reason not to take the CBS.com Phantom Menace poll. We're not looking for answers, just a few opinions. Take the poll

Our Critic Likes The Movie But . . .

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CBS.com's Rob Medich calls The Phantom Menace a "must see." He writes that George Lucas has created a cinematic marvel that contains several jaw-dropping worlds. On the other hand, the film lacks the romance and whimsy of Lucas' previous efforts. Read the review

George Lucas Behind The Scenes

Back in March, 60 Minutes Correspondent Lesley Stahl went behind the scenes of The Phantom Menace and came back with exclusive footage and a rare interview with its creator. To see previews of the movie and excerpts from her interview, click here.

Herb Weisbaum: A Tour Of The Toys

CBS

Along with the movie comes the toys, and the video games, and the T-shirts, and, yes, even the underwear. CBS This Morning Consumer Correspondent Herb Weisbaum was on hand at New York's FAO Schwarz the day the Phantom Menace merchandise went on sale. Here's the report he filed.

Starry Sites

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Fans of Star Trek already know that the Internet is rich in information about their favorite trilogy. And the opening of The Phantom Menace has spawned even more Star stuff.

A good place to start is CBS.com partner Hollywood.com. That's where celebrities are sharing their first Star Wars experiences, and you can access exclusive photos and in-depth biographies of the cast and crew. The site also offers a Str Wars Family Tree and a trivia contest.

To see a list of other Phantom Web sites, click here.