Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Anakin Skywalker, a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the evil Sith have returned, enacting their plot for revenge against the Jedi.

Critics were genuinely split on the film at release, and that division has only hardened over time — it sits among the worst-rated entries in the Star Wars series with professional critics while audiences received it far more warmly. The script, character work, and Jar Jar Binks drew the sharpest complaints, while the visuals, action sequences, and world-building found more defenders; several critics argued that impossibly inflated hype, not the film itself, was the real culprit behind the backlash.