It is exactly 25 years since The Phantom Menace was released on May 19, 1999, the first Star Wars film in 16 years.

One of the biggest build-ups to a film release in the history of cinema, for the sheer fact it was Star Wars, complete with one of the best posters for a film:

And what a great reaction it got, with the birth of Lego Star Wars, children getting Darth Maul face paint for the next 3 years, the expansive costumes compared to the Original Trilogy, the praise for George Lucas’ CGI effects, including the first entirely CGI main film character in Jar-Jar Binks, and it eventually became the first Star Wars film to crack $1 billion without adjusting for inflation (Thanks to a 3D re-release in 2012), something which wouldn’t happen again until The Force Awakens in 2015…

Which was all followed by occasional rioting in toy stores, looting, plus death threats and constant abuse towards cast members by fans, which has since become a Star Wars fandom tradition.

Hysteria leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.