[10] Central to the movie is an exciting race using the super-fast "pod racers", in a sequence reminiscent of the great chariot race in the classic movie Ben Hur.

[11] George Lucas spent a large chunk of his $ 200 million budget on nearly 2,000 computerised digital special effects shots-- by far the most seen in any film, and four times the number used to sink the "Titanic". The spectacular effects also include three totally different worlds generated by the wizardry of computers; 145 new and assorted creatures of various hideous and humorous aspects; 1, 200 new costumes and 654 standing sets.

[12] There are enough battles, races, high-speed chases, noise (John Williams is the composer along for the ride with the music, as he was for the Star Wars trilogy) to please the hardiest fan of space drama. Yet, despite all the computer trickery, that old "Star Wars" magic centres on the trilogy's familiar struggle between the forces of good and evil.

[13] But mostly George Lucas intends his movie Star Wars: Episode 1---- The Phantom Menace to appeal, as Star Wars did, to a "generation growing up without fairytales". Little did he guess when he began his original trilogy in 1977, that 22 years later, the story would still be unfolding.

乔治·卢卡斯耗费了他2亿美元预算中的一大部分用于将近2000个电脑数字特效镜头——这是到目前为止所有电影中用得最多的，为“泰坦尼克号”沉没所用特效镜头的四倍之多。引人注目的特技效果还包括：由电脑的魔力控制的三个截然不同的世界；145个全新的和组合的、有着各种丑陋可怕和滑稽幽默的容貌的生物；1200套新服装和654个固定布景。

影片中有足够的战斗、竞赛、高速追逐和噪音（约翰·威廉姆斯加盟进来为影片谱曲，《星球大战》三部曲的音乐也是他写的）采取悦最苛刻的太空故事迷。当然，除了所有的电脑技巧之外，更不用说还有围绕着三部曲中人们熟悉的善恶势力斗争展开的古老的“星球大战”魔法。

但是，乔治·卢卡斯的主要意图是希望他的《星球大战；第一集－－幽灵的威胁》像《星球大战》一样吸引“缺少神话故事而成长起来的一代”。当他于1977年开始三部曲的初创时，他一定没有想到，在22年之后，这个故事还可以铺展开来。