Star Wars: Episode III–Revenge of the Sith
* * *
I do not mind giving this film a rating of three stars because it definitely deserves it in my book.
I found "Star Wars: Episode III–Revenge of the Sith" to be an improvement of the first two prequels (The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones) but it hasn’t come anywhere near the overall tone and substance of any of the three original Star Wars films. It lacked the spectacle and grandeur of episodes IV, V and VI and it lacked the benefit of a really good director’s touch.
The movie is good, though… just good!
There’s a lot in here that will satisfy any Star Wars junkie’s appetite
for anything and everything from the Star Wars universe (I particularly
fancied the beautifully choreographed lightsaber duels–really
classic!). I liked all the visuals and special effects and the costumes
and the set designs and just about everything technical about this
movie. There were so many planets, creatures, spaceships and robots to
feast your eyes on. So many beautiful colors, dresses, hairstyles and
weaponry. That’s where Sith’s strengths lie.
Episode III
is supposed to be the story that ties up the first trilogy to the
current one–questions are supposed to be answered making the whole
six-part saga complete. But I didn’t get that feeling at all. I mean,
yes! there was closure to the whole a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away tale–we do get to see Anakin Skywalker’s
transformation to the Dark Lord of the Sith; we get to see the birth of
Luke and Leia and the subsequent death of their mother, Padme Amidala;
we get to see how Supreme Chancellor Palpatine becomes Emperor
Palpatine (and how he got that very swollen face); we also find out how
both Skywalker kids end up with their adoptive parents; how and why
Obi-Wan ended up a hermit on Tatooine; and there’s even a connection
with the (spaceship) designs on Episode III to Episode IV. And it’s all
good.
But what I felt lacking here was the sense of depth and purpose to the answers/explanations the film presented. It just seemed like George Lucas
was throwing answers here and there for the heck of it, like Padme
naming her twins Luke and Leia right out of the blue–what’s up with
that? (Why did she choose those names?) And then there’s a portion in A New Hope where Obi-Wan tells Luke, "your father wanted you to have this (lightsaber) when you were old enough", which I think was never addressed in Sith. It’s like in that Side A song: "…so many questions but the answers are too few…" The whole thing just seemed too "forced"… pun intended. =o)
On a positive note: Kudos to Ian McDiarmid who did a kick-ass job of bringing all the evil and sinisterness out of Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious! He’s a definite stand out and probably the only actor in the film who brings a lot of conviction to his role… Yoda comes in second. Yes! Yoda! The little green guy bested the other flesh-and-blood actors when it came to acting–and lightsaber skills.
Hayden Christensen has improved a lot here and does okay. Natalie Portman,
though a good actress, was more part of the set design than of the main
cast. Or maybe that’s how Padme was written in this episode. It’s like
she’s just there because she has to be, not because she needs to be.
What a waste!
Some of the scenes felt a little off and out of
place too, aside from some cast members looking a little off and out of
place. Like I said, it all feels "forced"… pun intended. XD
I hope you guys don’t get me wrong. I AM A STAR WARS JUNKIE, but Sith, though better than Menace and Clones, just didn’t blow me away as much as A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi did!
But lemme just go back to the multiplex get another run through of the film. Might change my mind. =o)
