Today, five installments later, it has become a huge phenomenon with some of the most lovable characters and thrilling moments caught on screen.

Suparn Verma takes a look at the six movies:

Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

The Story: Two Jedi knights, Qui-Gon Jinn and a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with a Naboo outcast named Jar-Jar Binks, must help Queen Padme save her world from greedy trade executives. Along the way, they discover a young boy named Anakin Skywalker, who has the potential to be a powerful Jedi himself.

After a massive build of expectations, Episode One came as a huge shock and disappointment. It could be because Lucas started far back into the story, or because Episode One was just a set-up for the next two episodes. But when I came out of the theater, I was in a state of shock -- so much so that I went right back to watch the next two shows of the same film.

Technology had finally caught up with Lucas's imagination but I missed the old effects. Sometimes, I wonder if Lucas should have creatively supervised the franchise and not directed the newer lot -- a Star Wars fanatic at the helm would have made Episode I and 2 something to remember.

Favourite scene: My pick is a scene devoid of all the sci-fi trappings: it is when Anikan Skywalker leaves his mother and goes away with Obi-Wan. I still remember watching the very first Star Wars in Bombay's Strand theatre (it does not exist anymore; either does the name 'Bombay'!).

Suparn Verma is a former journalist at rediff.com. He has directed Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, and written scripts for Qayamat, Zameen and Jaanasheen.

Also read: The universe that George built

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