‘Phantom’ Overwhelms Box Office

The sky didn’t fall. Computers didn’t fail. Time did not grind to a halt. But millions of people put their lives on hold to see “Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace” on Wednesday, giving the film the projected largest one-day box office total in history.

Motivated in part by enough pre-release publicity to swamp a Death Star, workers and students across North America played “Wookie Hooky,” as some are calling it (even though there are no wookies in the movie). Reviews for “Phantom Menace” ranged from lukewarm to vicious; nevertheless, it seems poised to make a run at “Titanic” as the highest grossing movie of all time.

For some fans, that was precisely the point.

“We want first place back,” said a determined Matt Hanchey of Camarillo. Like many fans nationwide, the 26-year-old engineer arrived at the movie made up as a “Star Wars” character. He had painted his face in red and black, like “Phantom’s” evil Darth Maul, to stand in line in Ventura County for the 12:01 a.m. debut.

Unofficial estimates were that the movie would earn $30 million in its first 24 hours--well above the previous one-day record of $26.1 million for “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” in 1997. (But that came on the Sunday of a Memorial Day weekend). The previous record for a Wednesday opening was $17.4 million for “Independence Day” in July 1996.

In its first two days, exhibitor sources say the George Lucas movie could take in $50 million, and by the end of the weekend, about $140 million. That still leaves a long way to go to beat “Titanic,” which took in more than $600 million in domestic box office--but it’s a start. Lucasfilms, which produced the $125-million film, gets almost all the revenue; 20th Century Fox, which is releasing “Phantom Menace,” is only getting a distribution fee.

And what do the fans, the only critics who count, say about it? Their views are as mixed as the professionals. But even many of those who say it’s only so-so plan to see it more than once.

“The plot wasn’t as good as episodes 4, 5 and 6,” said Chadi Maatouk, 20, after the midnight show at the Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. “It wasn’t worth waiting in line for a month. I’ll probably see it again though.”

There were plenty, however, who said they loved the movie--almost as much as the experience of dressing up, staying up late and partying on the sidewalk while waiting to get in, a scene repeated outside theaters across the country as “Phantom Menace” fever hit full force.

“It ruled!” exulted Matt Gaffney, 19. as he came out of Mann’s. “Everyone said that it’s not gonna be able to come close to what everybody expected, but with all the digital animation they had in the movie, it overwhelms you. . . . I’ll see it at least a half-dozen more times.”

“It’s the most visually amazing film I’ve ever seen,” said Lincoln Gasking, 22, of Melbourne, Australia, founder of the CountingDown Web site--which has held a charity stand-a-thon outside Mann’s Chinese for the last six weeks--and who became a worldwide celebrity while waiting.

Jar Jar Gets Mixed Reviews

The midnight opening became the excuse for a national party. Outside Mann’s Chinese, an exuberant crowd of about 1,500 gathered, a majority of them young males, some outfitted in full “Star Wars” regalia. Lines looped around the block throughout Southern California, although theaters reported that tickets were available for most shows.

Unenthusiastic reviews didn’t seem to matter to the record numbers of people who camped out for weeks in order to be among the first to see the movie. Traffic was unusually light during the morning rush hour, a sign that some saw as “Star Wars” related, although the California Highway Patrol couldn’t confirm any connection.

“It was excellent,” said Nicole Auten, 18, a student at Verdugo Hills High School, who wore geisha-like Queen Amidala makeup. (Amidala is played by Natalie Portman in the film). She waited in line on Hollywood Boulevard off and on for more than a week, leaving only to go to school, but she said, “I would wait another month or two if need be ‘cause it was so good. I’m gonna have to see it again. I’m probably going to see it like every weekend till it leaves theaters.”

Other appraisals were less than enthusiastic, and much derision was directed at a new character, a floppy-eared amphibian named Jar Jar Binks. “Jar Jar is basically an extension of Goofy,” said Michael Danke, 32, outside Mann’s. “Much worse than an Ewok. . . . But Danke also noted: “The light-saber scenes are phenomenal though. It’s worth seeing just for that.”

“We hate Jar Jar,” said Gabriel Roxas, 25, who saw the movie at midnight at the Village Theater in Westwood. “We’re hoping for a death scene with Jar Jar.”

But it could’ve been an age thing. Eight-year-old Max Hassman, who came with his dad, Richard, 36, to celebrate his birthday at Mann’s, said: “I liked Jar Jar. I like this one a little bit better than the others.”

The Chicago employment firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimated that “Phantom Menace” could have cost employers nationwide as much as $300 million in lost wages, though no one can say exactly how many people skipped work to see the movie. Company CEO John Challenger noted that many people may have seen the movie before work in one of the predawn screenings--the movie opened at midnight at about 2,100 theaters, and expanded to about 2,900 theaters later in the day--but some of those people were too tired to go to work later and called in sick.

Instead of waiting for employees to phone in sick, some employers decided to give them time off. A few even turned it into a reason to have an office party.

“It’s a very low-cost party for the company and almost history in the making,” said Lisa Bigazzi, 27, a senior account executive at The Headline Group, an Atlanta public relations firm. “We are a young group here and we all remember growing up with “Star Wars.’ ”

A Pop Culture Phenomenon

What accounts for the movie’s drawing power? There is no discounting the spectacular avalanche of pre-release publicity, virtually none of it in the form of paid advertising. The movie turned into a pop culture happening, with just about every magazine, newspaper and TV show in America falling over themselves to run “Star Wars” stories.

But for many people, the appeal stemmed from something much deeper than hype.

“Obi-Wan taught us about life, man,” said Tom Sheene, 25, of Houston, who took the day off to see the movie with friends.

“We’ve been looking forward to this forever,” said Gary Copeland, the president of a small Fountain Valley software company who gave his 19 employees the day off and tickets to see the film. He compared the movie--as did many--to a spiritual experience that can unite people of all cultures. “It’s not about Christianity. This is not about Hinduism. This is about something else.”

Jeff Bennett, 18, from Mission Viejo, said the audience stood to sing the national anthem at the beginning of the viewing he went to at 3 a.m. at the Edwards Big Newport Cinemas in Newport Beach. He left the theater feeling stunned.

“It was everything I expected and more,” he said. “I thought it would be like the others. But it was much better than that. This is what America is all about.”

“It’s like God has smiled on us,” said Mike Jacobs of Toronto, who was driving toward San Francisco on Tuesday when he stopped off in Ventura to use a restroom. He was surprised--no, he says, blessed--to find that the Century 10 Theater downtown still had tickets for its 12:01 show.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for this, man,” Jacobs said. “It’s like religion for people these days. It’s something people relate to more than Daniel and the lion’s den and that type of stuff.”

“It opens up a new era,” said Jeff Hoover, 27, of Arcadia. “The first three, especially the first one, are always going to have special meaning for me, but it’s nice to get the background on Anakin and a young Obi-Wan.”

“If you go in there expecting the next part in the saga, you’ll be thoroughly pleased,” said Ken Brenan, 28, of Torrance, who camped outside the Village Theater. “But if you go in there expecting to see the best movie ever made, you’ll be sorely disappointed.”

Jason DuBoise, 22, of Inglewood, pronounced it the best of all the “Star Wars” movies because of its action and superior visual effects. But his friend, Shon Lindsey, begged to differ: “I thought it was rather dry,” he said. “It lacked the spice of the first one. There was no character that does what Han Solo does to the first one. There’s no comic relief.”

For Sid Campbell, 55, who teaches karate in Oakland, the film was “pure eye candy.” He gave thumbs up to the choreography of the fight scenes. “You could see the samurai influence throughout the movie,” he said, moving his arms and body as he described the details of a few sequences.

Scott Rau, 30, also of Oakland, said he had seen the original “Star Wars” films more than a dozen times as a young boy when he and his friends would skip school to watch them.

“You can’t critique ‘Star Wars’ the way you would ‘Schindler’s List,’ ” said Rau. “It is what it is. It’s part of our culture.”

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Also contributing to this story were John Beckham in Chicago, Michelle Botwin in Westwood, Matthew Ebnet in Orange County, Lianne Hart in Houston, Karima A. Haynes in the San Fernando Valley, Lynn Marshall in Seattle, Richard Natale in Los Angeles, Massie Ritsch in Ventura County, Edith Stanley in Atlanta and Sarah Yang in Oakland.

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‘Phantom Menace’

Projected one-day box office: $30 million. Previous record: “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” 1997, $26.1 million.

Estimated cost of employees skipping work to see “Phantom Menace”: as much as $300 million.

Seats filled at 4 a.m. showing of “Phantom Menace” at Sherman Oaks theater: 95%