Star Wars fans slam controversial new change to Phantom Menace: 'we're finished'

First released in 1999, Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace was enjoyed by children and adults alike but following a recent new change, many young viewers may not get to experience peak entertainment.

Marking the start of the prequel trilogy and the first chronological chapter of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace follows the story of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi as they help Padmé Amidala alongside the Force-sensitive Anakin Skywalker.

The movie was a box-office success and broke numerous records when it first hit cinemas in 1999 and thanks to its U (universal) rating, fans of all ages were able to come together to enjoy the next saga in the Star Wars universe.

However, now 26-years on from release and The Phantom Menace has been reclassified from a U rating to PG (parental guidance) in the United Kingdom.

This is reportedly due to the “moderate violence” seen in the lightsaber battle between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul.

The United Kingdom has been hit with a brand-new age verification law which went into effect on Friday so this is no doubt in correlation with that.

With some people able to beat the system and overcome 18 ratings using none other than Death Stranding’s Sam, it is unlikely that a PG rating will stop many.

As you can imagine, even still, fans are less than pleased with this controversial change and took to social media to share their thoughts.

“We’re finished in the UK,” one fan joked.

“I could understand raising the rating for Qui-Gon getting gutted, but the whole fight isn’t enough to warrant that,” another user added, “especially when you consider how it’s the most 'kiddie' of the films and tame in comparison to the PG Star Wars films like AOTC & Empire”.

There is no doubt that movie classifications will continue to change following the new U.K. law but it is still a shame that the younger generation will have to wait a bit longer to see the magic of The Phantom Menace.