Hey Jar Jar! I remember being a kid when this first came to the theatre. I watched it a half dozen times on the big screen and had a bunch of toys (figures, Legos, even jedi communicators). It holds up surprisingly well now, but it does drag a bit for the first half (hence watching at 1.75x speed).
This is the beginning of the Skywalker Saga (or the rise of the Empire), so lets take a minute to explain what happens.
As with most wars, the fall of the Jedi begins with a trade dispute around taxation. Two Jedi Ambassadors (Knights) are sent to Naboo to negotiate with the Viceroy of the Trade Federation (Gunray). Qui Gon Jinn and his Apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi are attacked on the Trade Federation Command Ship and flee on troop transports down to the surface of Naboo (we see the Viceroy report to Darth Sidious via Holo that they must have fled to the surface). When the Jedi land, they meet a curious creature who calls himself Jar-Jar Binks – he is a Gungan. Unfortunately, Jar-Jar was saved by the Jedi so he owes them his life. Jar-Jar offers to take the Jedi to the hidden city of the Gungans and he leads the way.
The Jedi swim into a nearby lake and enter an underwater city where they meet with Boss Nass, the leader of the Gungans. They plead their case that they want to go to Theed, the capital of Naboo. Nass gives them a Bongo, which is a ship to navigate through the planet, which is the fastest way to get to Theed. Along the way they see some scary creatures and almost get eaten. When the Jedi reach Theed, they come across a procession of the Queen and her attendants being taken to a processing station. They destroy the battle droids and take the Queen to a hangar bay where they get on a Royal Transport. They blast off through the blockade but their ship takes fire – damaging the hyperdrive and knocking out their shields. R2-D2 is one of a handful of Astromech droids sent out to repair the ship. He is the only one that survives (which he gets a commendation for). Qui Gon selects a nearby planet for them to land and stay off of everyone’s radar, he selects a system controlled by the Hutts, Tatooine. We also learn that Darth Sidious is going to send his apprentice, Darth Maul to find the Transport.
One of the Queen’s Handmaidens, Padme, talks with Jar Jar on the ride and decides to accompany the Jedi as they explore Tatooine. The Jedi first try a Toydarian scrap dealer named Watto who has the parts they desperately need. He has a small slave boy who helps them. The slave is named Anakin. He talks with Padme and explains that she is as beautiful as an angel. Anakin follows the Jedi and saves them from an conflict with a Dug named Sebulba. The Jedi try to depart but a storm is brewing and Anakin takes them to his home to be safe through the storm. While there at Anakin’s, they met C-3P0 who is being built as a protocol droid by Anakin. One of the members of the imperial court tries to contact the Queen and the signal is received by her ship on Tatooine – we cut to Sidious sending Maul to find them. Over dinner, Anakin offers to let the Jedi use his podracer on the boonta eve race tomorrow. He convinces the Jedi and his mother Shmi who all think it is too dangerous. Qui Gon makes a wager with the Toydarian to enter the podrace boonta eve race. He is intrigued by the boy and tests his blood. He asks Shmi who his father is and learns that he has none – Shmi admits that it is a bit strange that Anakin has no father. Anakin wins the race, it was close and dramatic – ultimately destroying Sebulba’s podracer to cross the finish line first. Qui Gon makes a last minute bet with Watto, he bets on some chance cubes for Anakins freedom and wins.
They get the parts for the ship and head out. When they get back to the transport, they are attacked by Darth Maul. He fights Qui Gon . Qui Gon escapes onto the transport and they return to Coruscant (the capital of the republic and home to the senate). The Jedi report to the Council and discuss the attack by the unknown assailant trained in the Jedi arts. Queen Amidala addresses the senate and finds that her calls for support are tied up in the machines of government. Seeing that nothing can be done she calls for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Vellorum – causing a vote for a new Chancellor. Anakin is tested by the council and they discover that he has fear in his heart (“clouded this boys future is” says Master Yoda). Senator Palpatine is in the finalists to be raised to Chancellor but in that revelation, the Queen informs everyone that she must return to Naboo and suffer the same plight as her people. When the Council tells Qui Gon that they will not train Anakin, Qui Gon says he can take him on as a Padawan learner – stating that Obi Wan is ready for the trials. The Queen departs with Qui Gon, Obi-Wan and Anakin. Sidious also sends his apprentice to Naboo to aid Viceroy Gunray – who is not pleased that a Sith is coming to him. On the way, the Queen makes a plan with Jar Jar to ask the Gungans for help.
The transport lands in the forest and Jar Jar goes out to find the Gungans. He finds the city deserted but believes that they went to the sacred temple, everyone journeys there and they find all of the Gungans. Queen Amidala makes a plea for assistance to Bossa Nass. In those negotiations, Padme steps forward, saying that she is the Queen and that the person dressed as the Queen is a decoy – a loyal body guard. She drops to one knee and pleads for the Gungans help. Boss Nass commits his army and the Queen and her guard meet with the resistance to create a plan.
The Gungan army assembles in the swamp and the droid army is dispatched to wipe them out – leaving Theed relatively unprotected. The Jedi sneak into the palace with the Queen. They free a large number of pilots who zoom off to attack the droid control ship. Qui Gon tells Anakin to stay in a ship cockpit to stay safe. The droids begin fighting the Gungans but the Gungans have energy shields that repel most blasts. The Queen and Jedi move to the throne room and meet Maul. Anakin and Obi-Wan fight Maul across the palace. Anakin tries to help and as he pushes buttons the autopilot takes him to the battle for the control ship. The Jedi fight maul until Qui Gon is ultimately stabbed through the heart. The Queen holds the viceroy hostage and Anakin somehow flies his ship into the droid ship hanger – he fires his torpedoes and the ship explodes. The droids shut down all over the planet. Obi-Wan is knocked down a hole by Maul and uses a force jump to go over Maul and cuts Maul in half. As Maul falls down the hole, we see his body separate. Obi Won goes to Qui Gon who askes him to promise to train Anakin.
We see the Viceroy loaded onto a Senate Transport as Chancellor Palpatine is congratulated for his ascension. Yoda tells Obi-Wan not to train Anakin but Obi-Wan is stubborn and wins the debate. There is a funeral on Naboo where Obi-Wan tells Anakin he will be trained. Yoda mentions that there are always two Sith and wonders if the Master or the Apprentice was destroyed. There is a parade in Theed and the Gungans are given a jewel by Padme. Thus endeth Episode I.
Again, Episode I is where it truly begins. There are a couple of lead in stories in the Chronological watching of Star Wars that give you some context into the events that are occurring simultaneously. We are introduced to Qui Gon’s Master, Master Dooku. We see Dooku learn of the corruption in the senate and we see him passed over for promotion because of his methods in solving a fellow Jedi’s murder. At the same time, we are introduced to Ahsoka, a young Togruta who shows some impressive powers to bond with scary tigers.
Concurrently with Episode I we are also given a small glimpse into how disenchanged Dooku has become. We see him enter the Jedi Archives to remove some data – and he learns of the death of his Padawan at the hands of Maul. Dooku refuses to attend the funeral and instead flies to the outskirts of the city where he meets his cloaked master. A Jedi named Yaddle follows and is forced to fight Dooku who ultimately kills her.
Episode I ends with the Jedi aware but in the dark. They suspect that there are more Sith hiding, but they cannot sense them and have no idea who they are or what they are doing – which is unsettling. At this point in the timeline, there are tens of thousands of Jedi spread across the Galaxy – they are at the height of their power, but are still blind. We can believe that the Jedi spend the time immediately after this trying to discover other Sith… then, ten years later, we get Episode II.