The Star Wars films have gone through a lot of changes since their release, as George Lucas tends to add new things or make big changes that end up affecting entire scenes. The prequel trilogy is no exception, and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace went through a couple when it was released on DVD in 2001. Back in 1977, Lucas introduced audiences around the world to a galaxy far, far away in the film now known as Star Wars: A New Hope, which along with the sequels Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, forms what’s known as the “original trilogy”.
Lucas didn’t waste time in making a couple of changes to the first films, and there are some scenes that have been changed so many times over the years that they have become an inside joke in the Star Wars fandom, such as the Han Solo/Greedo scene. In the late 1990s, Lucas decided to expand the Star Wars universe with a prequel trilogy focusing on the backstory of Anakin Skywalker, from his days as a young slave to his rise as powerful Sith lord Darth Vader. With the prequel trilogy also came more changes, not only to the new films but to the original ones as well, such as the addition of Hayden Christensen as Anakin’s Force ghost at the end of Return of the Jedi.
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The first installment in the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, also got some changes early on, as Lucas decided to add and cut some parts for the film’s release on DVD. Here’s every change George Lucas made to The Phantom Menace in 2001.
Other Racers Are Added Into The Podracing Scene
The podracing scene was the one with the most changes, which didn’t add to the story but extended the action. First is a longer introduction of the characters at the race, not just focusing on Anakin and Sebulba anymore. Although this doesn’t add to the story, it doesn’t take from it either, but to some it might make the podracing scene a bit more tedious – which is definitely a problem given that one of the most criticized aspects of the film was its pacing. The purpose of extending this part of the scene was probably just so viewers could get a look at the other competitors and show the CGI work, which was unnecessary as none of these characters had a relevant role in the story.
The Second Lap of the Podracing Scene
The podracing scene was already too long, and the 2001 version of The Phantom Menace made it even longer. Another addition to the scene is the second lap, which just like the introduction of the competitors doesn’t add anything to the story nor the scene itself (if anything, it only makes Anakin’s win less believable), other than showcasing the CGI work, which was probably the reason behind Lucas’ decision to rescue it from the cutting room floor.
Watto’s “SEBULBA” Line Was Removed
While the podracing scene had a lot of extra footage reinserted mainly for visual purposes, there were other minor details that were cut. One of the most subtle changes in the 2001 version was the removal of Watto screaming “Sebulba!” – it wasn’t important to the story, and it surely wasn’t a big loss to the eyes of Star Wars fans.
Air Taxi On Coruscant
Podracers and very long sequences aside, Lucas made a peculiar addition to The Phantom Menace: a scene with Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker in an air taxi. Just like the extra footage mentioned above, the air taxi sequence on Coruscant doesn’t add anything to the story, other than Jar Jar Binks saying the Queen is nice, but it doesn’t really hurt the scene either. Given how unpopular Jar Jar Binks was with audiences, spending more time with him, even if just a few extra seconds, was unnecessary – but again, the air taxi part was probably just Lucas showing the (at that point) impressive visuals they had for The Phantom Menace.
