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"Lucas Gets His Revenge
STAR WARS: EPISODE III -- REVENGE OF THE SITH
RATING: B
Starring: Starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz. Music by John Williams, Produced by Rick McCallum, Written and Directed by George Lucas.
Rated PG-13, Running Time 142 MINS, 2.40:1 Anamorphic Scope Aspect Ratio.
I guess it's pretty obvious that I'm a die-hard "Star Wars" fan. Well maybe not a die-hard fan, you'll never see me dress up in a "Star Wars" costume. Okay, I'll admit, that's a lie, but who has never dreamed of wielding a lightsaber or traveling the galaxy? George Lucas's space opera has touched the lives of millions and has reached fanatic and almost religious proportions. There are those who accept the films as pieces of entertainment and others whose lives revolve around it. One thing is for sure and that is the series has had a major impact on the way films are made and marketed today. George Lucas is no doubt an innovator, but personally with his unlimited resources, I'm extremely enthusiastic about his return to more experimental filmmaking. In the meantime with the release of "Revenge of the Sith" the "Star Wars" movie saga is about to come to a close.
Three years after the events of Episode III, the Galactic civil war known as the Clone Wars are in full swing. The conflict led by former Jedi turned Sith lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) has been brought directly in orbit of Coruscant, the capital planet of the Republic. In a bold move the Separatist forces have kidnapped Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. In one of the most beautifully designed action sequences of the entire saga Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) pilot their star fighters in an attempt to reach the flagship of General Grievous, a lethal cyborg and commander of the enemy droid army. Not only is this wild ride through the battle visually stunning, but it's mostly done in one camera take with great attention to detail. The final space battle of "Return of the Jedi" pales in comparison as the camera tracks our two heroes, swooping between massive starships and explosions.
Obi-Wan and Anakin soon land aboard the lead starship and engage in a game of cat and mouse with robots before confronting Count Dooku and his apprentice General Grievous. Grievous is a part alien, part machine computer generated character skilled in lightsaber play despite an interesting asthmatic cough. Once Anakin and Obi-Wan rescue the Chancellor they find they must crash land the starship on the planet below before it burns up in orbit. As our heroes return home victorious, Anakin secretly rendezvous with his wife Padme (Natalie Portman) and discovers that she is several months pregnant. Despite the fact that exposure of their relationship could threaten their careers, Anakin is pleased at the news and sees it as a blessing.
As the war rages on several star systems, the Jedi Council determine that to put and end to the conflict General Grievous must be captured. They are also uncomfortable with the fact that Palpatine has remained in office for such an extended term and that his emergency powers granted by the Senate continues to grow. The politics of the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy have always been convoluted and incensed fans with too much exposition, but "Episode III" sheds some light on the heart of the situation. Palpatine oversteps his bounds by requesting that Anakin become his personal representative on the Jedi Council. The council is aware of Anakin's growing power, yet despite the fact that he has been prophesized as the chosen one to bring balance to the force, they feel he is too young for great responsibility. He is granted membership but not made a Master Jedi, which incenses Anakin because he feels he has earned a diplomatic position. The council puts further pressure on their young charge by encouraging him to spy on the Chancellor's dealings.
Anakin experiences turmoil brewing within him as he struggles between his allegiance to the Jedi and his growing friendship with mentor Palpatine. He sees the war as a conflict destroying the Republic and disagrees with Padme who feels they may be on the wrong side. "You sound like a Separatist," he angrily tells her when she expresses that the Chancellor should resort to diplomacy instead of military force. Anakin has more than politics on his mind as he suffers from horrible nightmares in which Padme experiences a dark fate. Hayden Christensen received much criticism and blame last time for a performance that was hindered by a poorly written role. Here we see that Anakin is still impulsive and headstrong, but has also matured and Christensen's physical and vocal performance shows confidence and a sign of the man we know he'll become. Anakin also knows that his dreams have a habit of coming true just as he foresaw his mother's death. Master Yoda (Frank Oz) counsels Anakin that fear of loss is what ails him and can lead to the dark side. He must let go of his attachments is he is to find peace, but Anakin is too emotionally attached to Padme and his fear will lead to his downfall.
As several star systems suffer from attack by Separatist forces, Yoda journeys to the Wookie planet of Kashyyyk to lead a defense. While Anakin struggles to be the Jedi he knows he should be, he's also dismayed that Obi-Wan is chosen over him to lead an attack on General Grievous who has been located on the planet of Utapau. His confidant Chancellor Palpatine is well aware of his anger and desire for more responsibility and the fact that he once slaughtered a tribe of Sand people over the death of his mother. He begins to place doubt in Anakin's mind over whether the Jedi trust him and reveals he knows a thing or two about the Force.
On Utapau Obi-Wan locates Grievous and leads an attack with an army of clone troopers. Back on Coruscant, Anakin's nightmares progress and he discovers the true identity of the Sith lord Darth Sidious. Apparently the "Phantom Menace" is none other than Chancellor Palpatine himself, who staged the blockade of "Episode I" to achieve sympathy for Padme's homeworld of Naboo so that the Senate would elect him Chancellor. He then recruited fallen Jedi Count Dooku to rally a war against the Republic, legitimizing his emergency powers and the creation of a clone army, which he completely controls. Now he has set his sights on Anakin, the chosen one created by the Force itself, to become his new apprentice. Anakin is torn between his loyalties to the Jedi, but intrigued that Sidious claims to know how to use the power of the dark side to preserve life. That skill could save Padme but Anakin knows that it will come at a price.
The essence of "Revenge of the Sith" is how Anakin Skywalker made a deal with the devil and sold his soul, ultimately becoming the villain we know as Darth Vader. Vader is perhaps the most recognized and beloved villains in cinematic history but this story of his origin portrays him in a new light. In the first two episodes we saw him grow from a young boy "who knows nothing of greed" to a bright and skilled yet impulsive young man. Here we learn that his downfall did not simply begin as a lust for power but the desire to save the love of his life. Christensen's performance works when he is a confident Jedi and skilled do-gooder and the romance between he and Portman is more believable and mature. But when his emotions rage and he gives in to his impulses it doesn't seem very credible how quickly this young man "flip-flops" to the dark side. Sidious does manage to convince Anakin that the Jedi are corrupt and that he wants to bring about