Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Audio problem: Before the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship starts exploding from the inside, a Neimoidian says, "Nothing can get through our shield". But his mouth doesn't move until after he's said it. (01:57:45)

Revealing mistake: When Darth Maul is harassing Obi-Wan as he dangles in the pit, the first swing of Darth Maul's sabre is out of sync with the resultant sparks (very evident in slo-mo). (01:58:50)

Continuity mistake: At the end, after Darth Maul has knocked Obi-Wan into the pit, Obi-Wan is beginning to remember about Qui-Gon's lightsaber. The scene shows Darth Maul with the lightsaber in his right hand. When Obi-Wan leaps out of the pit and flies over Darth Maul, the lightsaber switches to Maul's left hand. (01:58:55)

Continuity mistake: When Obi-Wan kills Darth Maul, he grabs Qui-Gon's lightsaber with his left hand. But when he twists above Maul's head, he's holding it in his right hand. In the next shot, it's back in his left hand. (01:59:10)

Continuity mistake: When Darth Maul is killed and begins to fall, he is holding his lightsaber, but when we see him falling down the pit, no lightsaber is falling through the air. (01:59:15)

Other mistake: After Darth Maul is killed, in the shot where he begins to fall into the pit, there's no reflection of Obi-Wan's lightsaber blade on the shiny floor. This can also be seen in the shot where he rushes over to Qui-Gon. (01:59:15)

Continuity mistake: When Anakin and Obi-Wan walk up to greet Palpatine on Naboo, in the wideshot, a Republic guard is passing by them. In the close-up, the guard is gone. (02:00:40)

Revealing mistake: After the final battle scene when the Jedi council come down to the Naboo city, as they are leaving the spacecraft there is a figure in the background who is obviously supposed to be Mace Windu, but is definitely not Samuel L. Jackson. The man is African-American, bald and dressed in Windu's clothes, but is not him. Perhaps Mr. Jackson was unavailable that day. (02:00:50)

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Suggested correction: There is no indication that this man is "supposed to be" Mace Windu. First, several adult Jedi wear similar clothes. Second, during the funeral service for Qui-Gon, there are two rows of people sitting in a large, round room. We don't see all of them on screen. No reason why another human Jedi, who looks similar to Windu, could not be there.

Revealing mistake: When Palpatine meets Amidala on Naboo in the crowded scene Anakin is different from the original actor. Seen in the whole scene with his profile and front shot. (02:05:54 - 02:06:24)

Revealing mistake: When the Queen blasts the window to gain entrance into the upper floor of the palace, a shot from down the corridor reveals that the window was already open before the sparks and smoke appeared on screen.

Continuity mistake: After Qui-Gon is struck by Darth Maul's lightsaber, he drops down, and his lightsaber is lying on the floor. In the shot where Maul turns around to face Obi-Wan, the sabre is not lying in the same place as before (seen from the colours of the floor), and the activation button faces upwards, which it didn't do in the previous shot. In the next shot of Qui-Gon, his lightsaber is now closer to him than in the previous shot.

Revealing mistake: When Qui-Gon is attacked by Darth Maul for the first time, he escapes by leaping onto his ship which quickly takes off. As they zoom up into space, he discusses the mystery attacker with Obi-Wan. However, the lighting from outside the windows never changes giving the impression that they are static on a set rather than whizzing up into space.

Continuity mistake: In the scene in the podracer hangar after the Podrace, the existence and position of the people and objects keeps changing between shots.

Audio problem: When Obi-Wan rushes through the Force Doors, after Qui-Gon's death, to face Maul, watch and listen carefully. Obi swings his lightsaber three times in rapid succession, Maul blocks all three attacks. The lightsabers appear to contact, there is even the almost subliminal flash from the beams hitting each other, but the sound crew only inserted two contact sound effects, and those two sounds are slightly out of sync with the actual movements.

Continuity mistake: After Darth Maul falls off the walkway, Qui-Gon jumps down after him, and as they continue the fight, there are several vertical beams behind them. The number of beams and their size change between shots.

Continuity mistake: When Jar-Jar is helping repair Anakin's podracer, he loses his tool in the motor. When he tries to take it, it is suddenly stuck in the compressor, some centimetres ahead and over.

Dr Wilson

Continuity mistake: Just before the podrace Qui-Gon talks to Shmi on the platform. After the conversation, they walk towards the camera. Pay attention to the background, it's the same as the previous shot even though Qui-gon and the others are walking in the other direction.

Other mistake: When Darth Maul is fighting with Qui-Gon for the first time on Tatooine, Darth Maul's first saber strike actually hits Qui-Gon's hands and saber hilt, not the blade.

Qui-Gon Jinn: You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods.
[Jar Jar tries to grab a piece of fruit with his tounge, but Qui-Gon catches it.]
Qui-Gon Jinn: Don't do that again.

More quotes from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Trivia: This film had the dubious honor as being the highest-grossing film to be nominated for "Razzie" awards, until "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" was released in 2018. It also has the dubious honor as one of a few films to be nominated for both "Razzie" (for directing, screenplay, picture, and acting roles) and Academy Awards (only for technical achievements) at the same year. While it did not win any Oscars, it won only one "Razzie" for "Worst Supporting Actor" (Ahmed Best who provided the voice of Jar-Jar Binks).

megamii

More trivia for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Question: Something I never quite figured out when watching the film was what the shields in the corridor were for? The shields that separate Darth Maul from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan during the fight. There are dozens of them and all they seem to do is benefit the fight in the film without having any real purpose.

Lummie

Chosen answer: According to "Inside the Worlds of Star Wars: Episode I" by Kristin Lund, they are "laser doors which lock into position in response to potentially lethal power outputs that occur intermittently during plasma activation process" (the fight takes place in a plasma energy processing plant). There are six laser doors in deference to an ancient Naboo legend in which Chaos is held back by six inpentrable gates. As you say though, they're really just a plot device to add dramatic tension to the duel!

Sierra1

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