Revenge of the Sith

Posted by Greg

February 28, 2008

A Force to be Reckoned With

****1/2 out of *****

George Lucas isn’t a very good director. That’s right, I said it. But what he can do better than nearly everyone else is tell stories that involve you and create characters that are real and interesting. I can’t imagine how he must feel this week; the story that he started telling 28 years ago is finally finished and his characters that are only slightly less well-known than Ronald MacDonald the world over will never be heard from again. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is easily the best of the three prequels and certainly good enough to convince more than a few people that it’s the best film in the series, period. Let the arguments begin.

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) has now completed training his young apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). In the middle of a civil war, they’re dispatched to rescue Chancellor Palpatine, who has been kidnapped by the leader of the Separatist Army, General Grievous. When they finally fight their way to the chamber where the Chancellor is being held, they confront Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). Goaded into doing something very un-Jedi like by the Chancellor, Anakin emerges as the hero of the day, safely bringing Palpatine back home.

Soon, we find out that Anakin and his wife-in-secret Senator Padme (Natalie Portman) are expecting a baby, which could cause serious problems for them both. Jedi are forbidden to have emotional attachments and news of their relationship could end both of their careers. On top of that, it soon comes to light that the Jedi Council doesn’t trust Palpatine, as his thirst for power seems to have only grown since war broke out. As a member of the Council as well as Palpatine’s favorite Jedi, Anakin’s loyalty is torn. When the Chancellor promises Anakin the ability to protect his family from a danger that he knows is coming, the cracks start to show; the Dark Side of the Force is starting to grow within Anakin and the tug-of-war for his loyalty begins.

The difficulty here is making a compelling story that will hold everyone’s interest even though we all know how it ends. Luckily, the film manages to be eminently watchable, due in no small part to some fine performances, mind-blowing special effects and the sheer momentum of the story. Lucas, maybe taking a cue from his particularly vocal fans, has managed to trim the fat from this installment. Jar-Jar, more hated than Vader himself, is seen only briefly, there are no loveable new characters to up the cute-quotient and, as promised, Lucas pulls no punches in telling a story that needs to be told, no matter how dark it gets which is good because Episode III is easily the bleakest of all six movies.

The best performance in the film is McGregor as Obi-Wan. Looking very much like Sir Alec Guinness from the original, he brings credibility and fortitude to his character; you believe in him and root for him and know that he won’t be corrupted. His delivery in many scenes - particularly his final one with Anakin - is powerful and chilling, especially since you know what troubles lie ahead.

Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine is spot on as a sneering, powerful Dark Jedi, hiding behind the mask of democracy while quietly manipulating events to his advantage (sound familiar?). When it’s eventually revealed who he actually is, it’s a frightening and powerful scene. The relationship between him and Anakin is especially interesting to watch, as he slowly convinces Anakin that the Dark Side is the only way to save those he loves, and destroying all who oppose them is the only way to rule. When ‘Order 66′ is declared by Palpatine and the galaxy-wide elimination of the Jedi begins, the movie reaches its zenith, and we’re able to see for the first time how seamlessly this movie will connect with the original.

But the emotional center of the film falls on Christensen. He really comes into himself in this one, as a Jedi Knight who knows that his powers are greater than many of his peers and that respect should follow. The reasons that he turns to the Dark Side are well thought out and noble at their core, but the repercussions are far graver than he could have imagined.

The last hour of the movie is an emotional snake-bite; a heart-breaking, tragic descent that you know won’t end happily. Anakin and Obi-Wan - once as close as brothers - face off as mortal enemies, their furious light-saber battle on and around rivers of lava intercut with the epic Force-battle between Palpatine (now Emperor) and Yoda, who is fighting the battle of his life for the last chance to restore peace to the galaxy.

Since I’d read advance reviews (and books, and websites, and comics, and…) I knew how the movie would end, but it was still jolting to see how brutal it was. The events that lead to Anakin becoming Vader and being entombed in that immortal black armor are truly shocking; you might do well to avoid bringing any kids under 8.

Of course there will be quibbles, and I have some of my own. General Grievous was kind of a wimpy character that ran away from every battle (except in one scene where he battles Obi-Wan with 4 light-sabers). Some dialogue was outrageously cheesy with some really bad decisions made concerning voice talent and there were some too-cute moments with goofy droids that felt out of place. But beyond these minor points, I can’t really think of any way Lucas could have changed the story to make it better.

In praise of everything else, well, I could write pages. The effects are flawless, the battle scenes epic and involving, the acting is top notch and the music, again by maestro John Williams, is outstanding, possibly the best score of any of the six movies.

For someone to make a film this ambitious within a universe that carries as much baggage as it does is truly an astounding feat, and one that nearly makes the film immune to the minor criticisms I have. Overall, it’s nearly perfect; a fantastic capper to a staggering series of movies. When you’re done watching this one, go back home and throw in Episode IV on DVD as I did; you’ll be amazed at how much more involving it is now that we know every piece to the puzzle. And of course, there are rumors of Lucas eventually making episodes VII-IX, which he wrote many years ago. He denies this, of course, but in any case… may the force be with him.

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