RE-WRITING STAR WARS ... Episode I: The Phantom Menace

AS THE STORY BEGINS:



Obi-Wan Kenobi is a young Jedi Knight instead of a Padawan .... He is highly regarded and seen as someone who usually adheres closely to the Jedi Code and does things 'by the book'.  He and Qui-Gon have a close relationship as he is Qui-Gon’s former apprentice. He feels that there is never a situation that requires you to operate outside the regulations of the Jedi Order …

Qui-Gon Jinn - Much the same character as he is in TPM, Qui-Gon is a more rebellious Jedi and doesn’t always see things in Black & White like Obi-Wan does … he is more of a Jedi that will do what it takes to get the job done regardless of Jedi regulations.... this often puts him at odds with not only the Jedi Council, but his former Padawan as well....

Padme Amidala - A young, upstart politician, Padme is NOT the Queen in Episode I .... She is a protege of Palpatine and she was hand-picked by him to take over for him in the Galactic Senate when he took a higher position.  She is the youngest person ever to represent Naboo, and she feels the weight of that responsibility and has a maturity far beyond her years ….

Anakin Skywalker - Anakin is a troubled, street-hardened 16 year old boy .... he is a racer and mechanic living a harsh life as a slave on Tattooine .... Slave life has hardened him and made him bitter towards the Galaxy, and he often dreams of a way to free he and his mother from the clutches of his slave master .... But underneath you can tell he has a good heart .... Anakin's prodigious skills have made a lot of money for his master, Watto, who runs the pod races on Tattooine .... This is also why Watto doesn’t want to free him … Anakin is shown to be very angry and troubled early on, but also very powerful .... He only softens when in the presence of his mother, but when he meets Padme everything changes ....

Palpatine - Instead of being the Naboo Senator, Palpatine is the Vice Chair of the Galactic Senate .... He is not as powerful as the Chancellor but is see as the second most powerful man in politics like the Vice President or Speaker of the House .... He is a former Senator from Naboo and serves as a mentor to young Padme Amidala who has ascended to the Senate after Palpatine was himself elevated .... However, Palpatine has his eye on a bigger prize .... He believes by promoting the young Padme Amidala to replace him as Naboo's senator he has chosen someone he can easily manipulate .... but he will soon witness Padme's resolve first-hand ....

Nute Gunray - The Prime Minister of Cato Neimoudia, a powerful planet that also controls the might of the Galactic Trade Federation. Gunray is the one that orders the invasion of Naboo .... Secretly being manipulated by Darth Sidious, he has been sent to Naboo to oversee the invasion personally from his command ship to make sure it goes according to plan …. But not even Sidious could forsee the interference of the Jedi ...

Jar Jar Binks - Jar Jar Binks is not the bumbling comic relief that failed miserably in the original movie.  Binks is a Gungan, the indigenous species to Naboo that have existed on the planet long before humanoids settled it .... Binks is the son of Boss Nass, who is the Gungan tribal leader .... Binks does not embrace the Gungans warrior culture, which has ostracized him from their society and he is seen as a disgrace by his father, who is a great warrior and leader of the Gungan people ....









SPACE - NEIMOUDIAN COMMAND SHIP

- The Trade Federation has always been a corrupt organization, and Sidious makes them all kind of promises to have them do his bidding and help him gain control of the Senate. When the fleet of Federation warships shows up above Naboo, it proves how ineffective the Senate has become .... The Republic has no standing army, which makes the private army of the Federation one of the most powerful forces in the galaxy Senators are just in it for the power rather than serving the people but Padme is the one that breaks that mold and shakes things up .... Sidious orchestrates the blockade of Naboo, and the Senate just watches it happen ….

INT - NEIMOUDIAN COMMAND SHIP

- The entire ship is automated and ran by Trade Federation droids and the only non-droids are the Neimoudians on the bridge .... The Jedi are stalled by a protocol droid the Neimoudians have sent to meet them. Obi-wan views the situation in black & white, saying the Neimoudians are breaking the law and need to withdraw, but Qui-Gon says they will hear the Neimoudians grievances and pursue a resolution through diplomacy ....

INT - NEIMOUDIAN COMMAND SHIP - BRIDGE

- Nute Gunray says he has a bad feeling about this .... the protocol droid tells him the ambassadors are Jedi, and Gunray pulls up security cam footage of the conference room to show Obi-wan and Qui-Gon waiting .... he starts to panic .... His advisor, RUUNE HAAKO, immediately panics and says the blockade is finished because they dare not go against a Jedi Knight .... Gunray orders the Jedi's drinks to be poisoned .... The scene cuts to the Jedi waiting as they are served the poison drinks by the droid. Qui-Gon raises his glass to take a drink, but Obi-wan senses something at the last second and stops him just before he takes a drink …. They try to leave the conference room only to find the doors are locked … They demand that the protocol droid take them to the bridge, but the droid just keeps apologizing ….

- On the bridge, Gunray is speaking to Darth Sidious and he tells him that the poison didn’t work .... Gunray is afraid now, and he tells Sidious that this was not part of the deal and now he has 2 Jedi on his ship asking questions .... Sidious is genuinely surprised that the Jedi are there, which means that Valorum sent them without the knowledge of the senate .... Gunray says he took care of the problem, but Sidious says poison will not easily dispatch a Jedi .... He tells Gunray that he must leave no trace …. Gunray turns to Haako and tells him to destroy the ship and send droids to take care of the Jedi … Haako says it isn’t going to work ...

- The Jedi are arguing with the protocol droid when they suddenly fall silent … Obi-wan looks down to see gas pouring into the room from a vent on the floor … The Jedi take a deep breath before they are swallowed up by the fog ...

- A group of droids are assembled outside of the room the Jedi are in … A hologram of Gunray appears and orders the droids to dispose of the Jedi's remains .... The droid leader opens the door and the fog billows out into the corridor and he starts to report that the Jedi are dead, but a lightsaber ignites in the fog and cuts him in half in mid-sentence .... The Jedi then go on their rampage through the ship ....

- When the transmission gets cut off abruptly, Gunray orders another security feed pulled up and we see the Jedi running down the hallway .... Haako says they are headed for the bridge … One by one the feeds start to go out as the Jedi disable the cameras .... Gunray orders the bridge to be sealed off and DROIDEKAS to guard the door ....

- The Jedi arrive at the bridge and Obi-Wan starts cutting through the door .... DROIDEKAS show up and open fire .... Qui-Gon says they are out of time, but Obi-wan keeps cutting and ignores him … 'Almost there ….’ Qui-Gon finally yells for Obi-Wan to retreat, and Obi-Wan finally abandons his task and he and Qui-Gon flee ....

- There is no Jedi 'super speed' this time .... They are on the run being chased by Destroyer Droids and Qui-Gon stops at a ventilation shaft and begins to cut through it as Obi-Wan covers him with his lightsaber .... More droids show up as Qui-Gon cuts the panel free and disappears inside .... Obi-wan deflects a few more bolts and plunges through the hole and drops straight down into the darkness …. The Destroyers roll up to the hole but can’t follow … The next time you see them is in the hangar and they observe the droids being loaded onto the drop ships … Obi-wan says its an invasion army but Qui-Gon wonders what the Federation hopes to accomplish by openly invading a Republic planet, especially one as prominent as Naboo …




NABOO

- The Neimoudians are watching events unfold from the bridge when a transmission comes in from Padme .... She cites Republic laws that the Neimoudians have broken and says they are being backed by the 'thugs' of the Trade Federation .... The senate will not sit still for this .... Gunray says that is all the Senate is able to do .... Padme demands to know why they are doing this, but Gunray jams the communications .... Gunray contacts Sidious and tells him that Padme is onto them .... Sidious orders him to accelerate his plans and begin landing his troops .... Gunray disconnects but RUUNE HAAKO asks him why he didn't tell him the Jedi have escaped .... He says they haven't escaped yet ....

- Next time we see the Jedi, they are down on the surface .... We see a lake and Obi-Wan’s head slowly surfaces … He watches as droids are unloaded from the ship … he emerges from the water and hides behind and tree as the tanks roll by, then he starts to sneak off but he is spotted by a STAP and it chases him … Cut to a scene of Jar Jar approaching the lake and you can hear the rumbling of the tanks in the background … Jar Jar sees ships fly overhead and he is concerned, but just then Obi-wan runs into him and both of them tumble to the ground … The STAP is bearing down on both of them and fires, but Qui-Gon comes out of nowhere to destroy the STAP. In fleeing from the STAP, the Jedi are now lost and Qui-Gon asks JAR JAR if he knows the way to the city .... Not only does he know the way, he knows a short cut .... Obi-wan says they can't trust this 'creature', but Qui-Gon says they have no choice ....

- The 'short cut’ that Jar Jar is talking about takes the group right through the Gungans 'Sacred Place' .... They are arrested by Captain Tarpals for trespassing and taken prisoner .... The next time we see the group they are in chains before the Boss Council, which is led by Boss Nass … Boss Nass wants the strangers expelled immediately because he wants nothing to do with the surface dwellers .... Meanwhile, Jar Jar is set to be punished according to Gungan custom for desecrating their sacred ground .... Since Jar Jar is his son, instead Boss Nass banishes him to the surface instead .... Qui-Gon offers to take Jar Jar with them and Boss Nass agrees ....

- This whole situation delays the Jedi and they are unable to warn the capital .... Trade Federation forces now occupy the city … Meanwhile, Padme tries to lead the Queen and her advisors to safety .... Padme has some relationship with the Queen whether as a childhood friend or a relative … They are discovered by droids but the Jedi show up just in time to save them .... The Jedi’s priority now is getting the Queen to safety, but she refuses to leave her people … Qui-Gon wants to stay, but they are outnumbered .... The Queen won’t leave but tells Padme to make contact with Palpatine and enlist the help of the Senate .... She says as long as she stays the people will have hope .... Padme comes up with the idea to take the Royal Starship in order to make them think that the Queen is leaving the planet … Obi-Wan says it will only work if they actually manage to escape …

The group makes their desperate attempt to escape, but they are cut off my Federation forces ... With the heroics of R2-D2 they are able to run the blockade and escape, but their ship is damaged ...




TATTOOINE

- The group meets Anakin Skywalker after their emergency landing on Tattooine .... The group heads into the nearest settlement (Mos Espa) and make their way into a cantina similar to the one in A New Hope that is full of scum and villainy ... they are looking for someone who can help them fix their ship … Padme is appalled by the characters in the cantina because she is usually surrounded by more ‘ civilized’ people and everything is so clean and bright on Naboo … Padme is separated from the Jedi and she has an encounter with a street thug (Sebulba, the weird alien that is Anakin's nemesis in Episode I) … Anakin shows up for the first time and comes to her defense, threatening Sebulba ... Sebulba's reaction to Anakin shows that Anakin has developed a little bit of a reputation on the streets of Mos Espa ... the disturbance leads to everyone getting kicked out of the cantina before they can find someone to repair the ship ... Anakin tells them he is not allowed in there because 1. He’s not old enough and 2. He’s a slave ... Obi-wan is irritated that Anakin got them kicked out, but Anakin offers to take him to his boss, who is the biggest junk dealer on Tatooine … Anakin is rough around the edges but obviously a prodigy with mechanics ... Anakin his mom are slaves, and he is pissed off at the world because of it ... Anakin tells them he can fix their ship because he can 'fix anything' ... They talk to Watto, but Watto doesn't want to deal with them ... and he instructs Anakin not to deal with them either ... Anakin defies his order and takes them to his home when a big sandstorm hits the town ...


- The attraction between Anakin and Padme is obvious from the start .... There is a lot of flirting between the two, so much so that the Jedi even notice it .... Padme is fascinated by Anakin and his presence seems to distract Padme from worrying about the crisis on Naboo .... Anakin tells her about his dreams and how he can sometimes see things before they happen ... He even saw her in one of his dreams ... He realizes they are Jedi, and tells them about a dream he had where he became a Jedi and came back to Tattooine to free all the slaves .... The Jedi say that is not why they are here ... Anakin's priority becomes helping Padme ....




NABOO

- The Neimoudians come to the conclusion that the Jedi and the Queen have escaped .... Sidious is pissed, and he force chokes one of them over a great distance, showing his power … he tells them to 'calculate every possible destination along the last known trajectory' .... This is where he introduces Darth Maul, and says he will take care of finding the Jedi from here ….




TATTOOINE

- Anakin feels that he was meant to help Padme and the Jedi .... He shows his knowledge of machines by knowing which parts they need that are compatible with the Nubian technology .... However, when Watto finds out that the people asking about the parts are Jedi, he drives the price up so they can't afford it .... Anakin becomes angry and tells Watto that he has made his fortune off of exploiting Anakin's skills .... Watto agrees to the price, but he and Qui-Gon make a side bet for Anakin's freedom ....

- The race is more like a street race than a nascar race ... The field is mostly slaves because they are expendable ... After Anakin wins the race, due to the side bet between Watto and Qui-Gon, he is freed .... He doesn’t like that he’s been freed but his mother hasn’t, and he doesn't want to leave ... The ONLY reason he leaves is because he remembers the dream he referenced while they were all sitting at the dinner table ... The dream that he became a Jedi and came back to free the slaves ... He believes leaving with them is the only way to save his mother from slavery .... To him, he must become powerful enough to come back here and free her and the only way he can do that is to become a Jedi .... He thinks Jedi are the most powerful beings in the galaxy .... Anakin tells his mother the only way to make the dream come true is to leave .... She tells him to follow his dream, but to not look back and forget about her .... The only way she will be able to make it is knowing he is safe and has a future .... It is not easy for Anakin ....

*** This scene is WAY more emotional than the original movie .... Anakin struggles with leaving his mother behind, but he believes the only way to save her is to leave and become a powerful Jedi .... This is a serious missed opportunity in the prequels and really gives Anakin a reason to hate the Jedi later on down the line, making it easier for him to one day turn his back on them ... ***

- Anakin and Qui-Gon are riding some kind of alien beasts through the desert on their way back to Padme's ship ... Anakin suddenly stops and looks to the horizon and sees a flash of light (which is Darth Maul’s approaching speeder) .... He senses it even before Qui-Gon is able to sense it .... Qui-Gon pulls his beast to a stop and asks Anakin why he stopped, then suddenly he realizes what is going on ... He charges head-first toward the direction the flash of light came from, yelling over his shoulder for Anakin to get to the ship .... Qui-Gon rides full speed ahead and the camera cuts back and forth between Darth Maul's speeder and Qui-Gon as they are riding straight at each other ... As they are about to collide, Maul leaps from his speeder and cuts down the beast spilling Qui-Gon onto the ground .... Maul moves in, and Qui-Gon pulls himself up and ignites his saber and the duel begins ....

- Anakin bursts into the cockpit and tells them Qui-Gon is in trouble .... Obi-Wan orders the ship to take off, but Anakin thinks they are leaving Qui-Gon and he argues with Obi-wan ... Obi-Wan asks who he is and Anakin says 'never mind that now!'  Obi-Wan shouts over Anakin's protests for the pilot to fly low toward them as he pushes past Anakin to head back into the ship .... Anakin follows .... Obi-wan lowers the ramp, and they hover over Maul & Qui-Gon fighting ... Qui-Gon leaps up, grabbing Anakin's hand as Anakin hangs off the ramp ... Obi-wan seals the door as Anakin pulls Qui-Gon up and they fly away leaving Maul behind ....



INTERIOR NABOO ROYAL SHIP - SPACE

- Aboard the ship, Anakin talks with the Naboo pilot, who doesn't see how the equipment they obtained from Watto will fix the hyperdrive ... but to Anakin, everything looks easy ... Anakin shows the Naboo pilots how to use the parts they brought with them to repair the damaged hyperdrive .... He shows off his mechanic skills by actually 'feeling' what is wrong with the machine and how to make it work again ....

- Despite the Jedi warning against it, Padme risks communication with Naboo, telling the Queen that they are headed to Coruscant, but Darth Maul intercepts the transmission .... He learns the Queen is still on Naboo .... Sidious instructs Maul not to come to Coruscant because they can’t risk revealing themselves yet, and instead to return to Naboo and wait for Padme and the Jedi to come to him .... Sidious will make sure he delivers Padme and the Jedi into Maul’s waiting arms .... He tells Maul when they return to Naboo to kill them ...




CORUSCANT - JEDI TEMPLE

- Qui-Gon takes Anakin before the Jedi Council and tells them what he believes, that Anakin is the chosen one conceived by the Force .... The Council can immediately see Anakin is damaged, and see his anger .... They refuse his training because of his age and the anger inside him, the imbalance ... This sets Anakin off, causing him to become even more angry ... he believes he MUST become a Jedi!  Yoda asks why he feels this way, and he says it's because of his dream, and because of his mother .... Yoda warns Anakin about attachment and tells him 'always in motion is the future' .... Anakin must choose how to serve his mother best .... Anakin becomes angry and says he came all this way for nothing and wishes he would have never come here .... Qui-Gon says it was not for nothing and he will find a way to train him .... he tells Anakin to be patient, but Anakin is anything BUT patient ...

- Padme goes to the Senate and meets with Palpatine so they can discuss the crisis on their home world .... She believes in Palpatine and knows he has influence in the Senate .... He says that by sending the Jedi to intercede, Valorum may have escalated the conflict .... Whereas if he would not have interfered, a more diplomatic solution could have been reached .... Palpatine says the Jedi caused the invasion with their presence ... This is where Padme discovers how ineffective the politics in the capitol are ... No one can get anything done about the Naboo crisis and Palpatine says their only way is to remove the Supreme Chancellor so Palpatine can have control ... Palpatine says elections are approaching but by the time that happens it could be too late .... something has to be done now .... Palpatine says he will call an emergency session of the Senate ....

- They go to the senate and plead their case .... The senate is ineffective and locked in a debate over what to do .... LOTT DODD says there is no proof of an attack on Naboo and he asks her where her evidence is .... the Jedi aren’t there to vouch for her .... Dodd demands an investigation, and Valorums hands are tied .... Padme says she will not wait for an investigation when her people are in trouble, because by the time the senate acts the Neimoudians will have what they want .... Padme calls the Senate ineffective, and says maybe Naboo is better off not being part of the Republic .... Palpatine steps in and calls for a private meeting in his chambers and adjourns the senate meeting until later ....

- Instead of going to meet with Palpatine and the Supreme Chancellor privately, Padme orders her Captain to prepare her ship for takeoff .... She is taking matters into her own hands and going back to Naboo .... Her plan is to convince the Gungans to help her liberate the planet.  When she arrives at the landing pad, she is surprised to find the Jedi waiting for her .... she tells them not to try to stop her, she’s going back to Naboo .... Qui-Gon says they aren’t there to stop her, they are going with her .... Qui-Gon wants to learn who it was that attacked them on Tattooine .... Padme looks at Anakin and says ‘What about you?’ .... Obi-wan says they have been ordered to return Anakin to Tattooine ... Qui-Gon interrupts and says they aren’t going back to Tattooine, they are going with her and so is Anakin .... Obi-wan pulls Qui-Gon aside and tells him that he is going to have to report back to the council about what Qui-Gon is planning because he has a responsibility to the Jedi .... Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan to do what he’s got to do because Qui-Gon is going to do what he must .... Anakin is quiet, and he says he just wants to go home .... Qui-Gon tells him to trust him, and this is not over .... they will sort it all out when they get back, but he promises to protect Anakin ....




NABOO

- The group returns to Naboo and land in the swamps ... their group meets up with the Queen and her group of survivors .... at first the Queen sees Jar Jar and is shocked .... ‘Is that a ... Gungan???? What is it doing here???’  The city is still under the control of the Federation, but most of the fleet has left the system, and they are hopelessly out-numbered .... Padme wants to go straight after the Viceroy, but Anakin says that’s suicide ... Padme says with the Viceroy under their control the rest of the Federation will surrender ....

- Qui-Gon asks Padme what her plan is, and she looks at Jar Jar .... she wants to talk to the Gungans, but the Queen advises against it .... There are tensions between the 2 races which is why they live separately .... Padme offers to go and the Jedi and Anakin go with her .... Jar Jar guides them as they swim to the underwater Gungan city .... They meet with the Boss Council again, and they are mad that they have come .... Padme steps in and negotiates with Boss Nass, and Jar Jar helps .... they forge a treaty with the Bosses and they agree to fight .... Padme has her army .... Jar Jar knows a way into the city that they will not be detected ....

- On the eve of the impending battle, Padme sits alone distressed .... Anakin approaches and tries to comfort her .... Neither of them know anything of war .... Anakin gives her the necklace, and tells her it's for luck .... Padme doesn't know if they will see each other again, so she kisses Anakin on the cheek and says that is for luck too .... Anakin promises that he will see her again because he just knows it .... Anakin wants to fight too, but Qui-Gon orders him to remain behind .... after telling them how to get into the city, Jar Jar is told you remain behind with Anakin ....

- Boss Nass is the leader of the Gungans, and he is a great warrior .... He helps lead the assault .... The Gungans swim up into the city via underwater passages so they are undetected .... The heroes sneak in via Gungan submarines ....

- The battle begins, and Anakin and Jar Jar watch from a distance .... Anakin HATES being left behind .... They see more droids landing outside the city for reinforcements, and they know the heroes are in trouble .... Anakin decides not to wait anymore, or do as he is told, and instead he leaves and heads toward the city .... Jar Jar protests but follows along ....

- Anakin and Jar Jar sneak into the city, and Jar Jar once again unintentionally distracts some droids so Anakin can overpower them and take their guns .... Anakin knows Padme is headed for the throne room, and he goes after her .... Anakin and Jar Jar run into some droids and are stuck in a firefight.... Meanwhile, Padme and her group are pinned down in a separate area of the palace .... Anakin escapes onto a window ledge, where he begins to scale the outside of the palace wall along a cliff face .... Padme and her group make their way all the way to the throne room, but they are surrounded by droid reinforcements .... Gunray is about to give the order to have them executed via firing squad when a blaster suddenly is pressed against his temple and its Anakin .... He orders Gunray to shut the droids down .... Gunray thinks Anakin is bluffing and won’t shoot him, but the look on Anakin's face shows it is clear that he is willing to kill Gunray if he doesn't comply .... Gunray finally shuts the droids down .... Padme rushes into Anakin's arms and embraces him .... But when the 2 realize everyone is watching them they kind of get themselves under control ....

- The duel between Maul and the Jedi pretty much takes place just like in the movies, with Qui-Gon dying and then making Obi-wan promise him he will train Anakin ....


- Qui-Gons death is the event that really brings Anakin and Obi-Wan together, where they haven’t really liked each other before .... Obi-wan blames himself for Qui-Gons death and feels he failed .... As they stand beside each other at the funeral, Anakin senses this and is the one that tells Obi-wan not blame himself for what happened .... This surprises Obi-wan that Anakin can sense his feelings .... Anakin asks what is going to happen to him now, and Obi-Wan thinks for a second and says 'I am your master now ... You will be a Jedi, I promise.'  Obi-wan does not tell the Jedi Council about the promise he made to Qui-Gon, as he plans to do it in secret ....

- The final scene is the heroes being honored for their part in Naboos liberation .... Padme becomes the new Queen of Naboo .... She welcomes the Gungans into the city for the first time in generations and now the 2 races live together in peace .... Palpatine arrives and promises that he will see to it that the Neimoudians are dealt with by the Senate .... He and Padme talk and Padme believes it is up to the 2 of them to end corruption in the Republic .... Palpatine is introduced to Anakin .... Anakin is dressed up in clothes similar to Luke's in ANH, but not a Jedi robe .... Padme gives a medal to Anakin and Jar Jar ....

As the celebration continues, Anakin and Padme catch each other's eye from across the plaza and they share a smile .... The scene wipes to the end credits ....