Tapping into the hype surrounding the upcoming release of “The Phantom Menace” on DVD, Image Entertainment is taking their own shot at the franchise with the release of the popular and truly bizarre spoof Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle – Special Edition. Yes, that’s the real title.

Created by Steve Oedekerk, the writer of “The Nutty Professor,” “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” and “Patch Adams,” this hilarious “thumbation” spoof features reluctant hero Loke Groundrunner and his tasty companion, Princess Bunhead, as they try to stop Black Helmet Man and the Evil Thumbpire from doing really bad things! So hold onto your cuticles, eat your peas and get ready for the first and only all-thumbs space epic. May the thumb be with you!

The new Special Edition will be presented in its original fullscreen aspect ratio accompanied by a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix. An audio commentary by creator Steve Oedekerk and producer Paul Marshal will be featured on the disc along with trailers for “Thumb Wars,” “Thumbtanic,” and “The Blair Thumb”, storyboards, cast and crew biographies and a “Gabba the Butt” video interview.

Coming to DVD the same day as “Star Wars Episode I” on October 16th, “Thumb Wars” will carry a suggested retail price of $9.99. If nothing else, that’s a price that earns a thumbs up.