‘The Phantom Menace’ at 15: The five best things about the worst ‘Star Wars’ movie

In the flurry of “Star Wars Episode VII” news and rumours, it’s easy to forget important anniversaries related to everyone's favourite galaxy far, far away.

This past weekend, “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” turned 15. Released on May 19, 1999, the George Lucas-directed prequel followed the adventures of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and introduced audiences to young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), the boy who would become the feared Sith Lord Darth Vader.

Though the film has its defenders, there’s very little to really like about “Episode I.” Between its paper-thin characters, mind-bogglingly terrible dialogue, endless space politicking, and Jar Jar Binks, we could go on for hours about everything wrong with the movie (many people already have). But instead, let’s look at the positives. Here are the five est things about the worst “Star Wars” movie - “The Phantom Menace.”

John Williams’s score

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Good old reliable John Williams. While “Episode I” itself left much to be desired, its Williams-composed score definitely didn’t disappoint. Weaving together classic “Star Wars” musical cues and new character themes, the Oscar-winning composer (49 Academy Award nominations and five Oscar wins to be exact) brought his A-game to “The Phantom Menace,” even if director George Lucas didn’t.

The pod race

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As mid-movie set pieces go, “Episode I”’s pod race is pretty fantastic. It has everything the rest of the movie lacks: high stakes, fun characters and tons of action. Particularly great is the extended version of the race (with a whole extra lap) only found on the “Phantom Menace” DVD/Blu-ray. While it’s essentially just a sci-fi take on the famed “Ben Hur” chariot race (with racers in tiny carriages are pulled around the track by gigantic jet engines instead of horses), the whole sequence establishes young Anakin Skywalker as a naturally gifted pilot and a stand-up kid who’s willing to help others. The set piece also offers the audience 15-nearly-Jar Jar-free minutes.

Location shoots

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Unlike the subsequent prequel movies, which relied heavily on green screens in indoor sets, “The Phantom Menace” made great use of actual, physical locations in the real world. Like the original "Star Wars," "Episode I" shot extensively in Tunisia (doubling for the desert planet Tatooine), as well in and around Italy's gorgeous Caserta Palace (which played the Naboo Royal Palace in the movie). These real world locations gave "The Phantom Menace" a life and reality that the green screen filled "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith" just didn't have.

Darth Maul

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And the award for most awesome and inexplicably underused movie villain ever goes to… Well, that nonexistent trophy probably belongs to original “Star Wars” trilogy baddie Boba Fett, but “Phantom Menace” antagonist Darth Maul is definitely be a close second. Despite only appearing in a handful of scenes and barely uttering half a dozen lines, the horned and heavily tattooed Sith Lord is easily the most memorable thing about “Episode I.” Maul was "killed" by Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of the film, but returned (complete with a robotic lower half) in the “Clone Wars” TV series. Was a big screen return really so much to ask, George?

The Duel of the Fates

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The greatest lightsaber battle in film or "Star Wars" saga history. Enough said.

With respect to the original trilogy of "Star Wars" movies, director J. J. Abrams has some very big shoes to fill for "Episode VII." As "The Phantom Menace" and the other prequel films constantly remind us though, the Abrams-helmed sequels will almost improvement by default.