Phantom Menace.........that could be seen in a couple of lights...
1. Darth Maul.......he was not revealed til late.......
2. Darth Sidious......never revealed, but we all knew that he was the master mind behind many troubles......
3. The Sith.....the Jedi knew they were back, but didnt know who they were or when they would strike again.....
4. The strong supporter causing the outter systems to rebel against the Republic....
So, see.....I suppose the Phantom Menace is all about interputation....
It was Jar Jar - he was a computer generated "unreal" character who couldnt be seen by the actors, hence phantom.
And nearly made the film so painfully unwatchable we puked - plus pointed the way towards Darth Lucas's obsession with digital technology being held in higher regard than story and acting. Hence menace.
Jar jar - the only answer that makes sense.