Review: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

'Be mindful of the living Force.'

★★★

This is not to be confused with my review of the film. This is my review of the novelization by Terry Brooks. You can read my review of the film here.

1999 was a big year for Star Wars. George Lucas was going to release a new Star Wars movie, the first one since 1983, nearly 16 years since "Return of the Jedi." While the reception was mixed, the film still made over a billion dollars at the box office. Just a month before the film was released, the official novelization for the film was released. It was written by fantasy fiction author, Terry Brooks. George Lucas approached him to write the adaptation of the film. Terry Brooks has spoken fondly of his work and his time spent with George Lucas, which is a good sign to note.

For those who have read my review of the film, you might already know that I gave it a positive rating, which some of you may not agree with. But what about the novelization? Unfortunately, my opinion on that isn't as favorable. Instead of comparing it to other novelizations—something that would be entirely unfair—I’ll focus on how it compares to the film, since that’s the basis for the novel.

The plot of the novel is essentially the same as the movie, which is acceptable, but it is told in a way that closely resembles a script and doesn't add much to the story. While reading, I felt as if I were watching the film, just in book form. I’m not sure if Terry Brooks wrote the novel directly from the script with only minor changes, but that’s what it feels like. This might raise an eyebrow in light of my positive rating, but it’s mainly because I genuinely love the film and its story. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has read my film review.

The novel includes three entirely new scenes. The first is Anakin's first Podrace, which is mentioned in the film but never truly explored. I'm not certain if it was in the original script, but it was nice to see this small detail addressed. The second new scene features Anakin saving a wounded Tusken Raider, leading to a foreshadowing dream. The third scene occurs just before Darth Sidious speaks with Darth Maul and explains the history of the Sith, a detail that George Lucas provided to Terry Brooks. I found these additions fascinating. However, I wish more scenes had been included to clarify details that were cut from the film.

In conclusion, the novelization is merely a straightforward retelling of the script and the movie. In my opinion, novelizations should provide a different experience from the film, but this one only offers a slightly altered perspective. Because movies don't have enough time to explain everything, that's what a novelization is for, but Terry Brooks decided to write the book just as the script is, like a direct "copy-and-paste" with a few added scenes.