|
Movie Review - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
|
|
|
|
|
(What this rating means)
|
|
| |
|
| Director: |
George Lucas |
| Starring: |
Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Yoda, Natalie Portman, and Samuel L. Jackson |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for sci-fi violence and some intense images) |
| Length: |
140 minutes |
| Genre: |
Sci-Fi/Action |
| Tagline: |
The Saga is Complete |
| Studio: |
LucasFilm |
| Website: |
Revenge of the Sith |
| Release: |
May 19, 2005 |
|
PLOT
|
After Senator Palpatine is kidnapped by the droid leader, General Grievous, Obi Wan Kenobi
and Anakin Skywalker are commissioned to rescue him. Palpatine sees great promise in young
Skywalker and decides he is to be his next apprentice. He proceeds to convince Anakin that
the Jedi are the ones trying to destroy the Republic, and with the promise of learning to have
power over death, he begins to seduce Anakin to the Dark Side. Sith ensues.
|
|
JOHNNY'S TAKE
|
How in the world am I supposed to review this? If you were to catch me coming out of the screening and ask for my
thoughts then I could blabber on until you were forced to awkwardly figure a way out of the conversation. But to
translate my thoughts into words to be read on a computer screen? The genuine excitement seems to get lost in
the translation.
What you need to understand is that Star Wars is the movie universe I've grown up with. I was hooked ever since
I saw The Empire Strikes Back at the theater when I was 5 years old, and so Revenge of the Sith is
the culmination of my childhood.
Star Wars has always been about anticipation. When Han Solo was lowered into the carbonite, my little 5-year-old
mind anticipated returning to the theater the very next week to see how he'd be saved. Episodic television being
my only reference point, I didn't realize I'd have to wait three years before seeing how everything would be
resolved. So for Star Wars fans, waiting for Revenge of the Sith has been a 28 year lesson in
anticipation.
As for the movie itself, it's a 140-minute lesson in anticipation. I honestly wanted the movie to be longer.
I was immediately sucked in as the Star Wars logo appeared amidst the backdrop of John Williams' ingenious
score. Goosebumps hit, I followed the text as it scrolled into the distance, and I rode this roller coaster
from beginning to end. From the opening rescue of Palpatine to Palpatine's perfect job of manipulating Anakin's
ego and weaknesses to Anakin's conflicting loyalties to the mind-blowing battle between Anakin and Obi Wan
all the way to the juxtaposition of the birth of the twins and the "birth" of Darth Vader. This is a Star Wars
fan's dream, and I didn't want it to end.
I was scared to look at my watch because I didn't want to know how little time was left. But the anticipation of
what was left to come kept me going. "All right, we still have the lava battle between Obi Wan and Anakin," I'd
think to reassure myself that the movie wasn't over yet. But as that battle ended I was left scrambling for hope,
"The twins still have to be born, and we haven't seen Darth Vader's unveiling yet!" I told myself, holding on to
what little hope was left. But then the end credits hit, and the experience was over - way too soon.
I was left wanting to head straight home and watch the original trilogy in the context of the prequels. I can't
wait to take a look at Darth Vader in the new light that has been shed on Anakin. The guy truly is a sympathetic
character in Revenge of the Sith. He had nightmares about his mother dying, and what happened? She died.
He begins to have nightmares about Padme dying, so naturally he wants to prevent this. So when Palpatine tells
him that he can show him how to have power over death, you can't blame the guy for being curious.
And when Mace Windu wants to kill Palpatine rather than take him to trial (which is the Jedi way), you can't
blame Anakin for being conflicted over what to do. The guy is forced to make one pained decision after
another, and you can tell he simply does not know if what he's doing is right. And hey, if I was left in the
condition that Anakin was at the end of his battle with Obi Wan, then I'd probably be pretty bitter for the
next 20 years as well. Plus, would you rather be called "Ani" all your life or "Darth Vader"? That's what
I thought.
Obviously, this is a movie that will be most enjoyed by people with at least a slight working knowledge of the
Star Wars universe. If you have no idea who Chewbacca is or that Anakin was the father of twins then I don't want
to hear you complaining. Speaking of the twins, man, Luke really got the raw end of that deal, huh? He and
Leia had to be split apart for their protection, so Leia gets to go with Senator Bail Organa and become a
princess while Luke is stuck on Tatooine with his dirt farmer Uncle Owen. Ouch. I'm surprised Luke didn't
eventually turn to the Dark Side.
Revenge of the Sith is absolutely the most visually impressive movie I have ever seen at the theater, and
the last 20 minutes or so are probably the most fun and exciting minutes I can remember experiencing on the big
screen. I know that's a grand statement, but it's how I felt. For me, this is what movies are all about - the
creation of a realistic world outside of my own that I get totally drawn into. Minor flaws such as awkward
expressions of young love matter not because you know a really cool lightsaber battle is coming up, and really,
that's what matters most.
If you can't have fun with a movie like this then I hope your family has already made the funeral arrangements
because you simply have no pulse.
|
|
ODDS & ENDS
|
- The lightsaber that Obi-Wan uses in the movie is the same one used in Star Wars: A New Hope.
- Hayden Christensen gained 24 pounds for Revenge of the Sith by eating six meals a day, aka the Kirstie
Alley Diet.
- The battle with the Wookiees was mentioned as early as screenplays for Star Wars: A New Hope. What
really makes me want to cry is that instead of Ewoks, Wookiees were originally supposed to help the Rebels
fight the Imperials in Return of the Jedi. Man, how awesome would that have been? But noooooo, Lucas
wanted to have some cute and cuddly Ewoks to market to the youngsters. Rumor has it that the Ewoks were modeled
after Lucas' beard, but I can't confirm that.
Thankfully, the Wookiees finally get some battle time in Revenge of the Sith. Unfortunately, it's not
nearly as long as I would've liked.
- George Lucas has a cameo as some bearded dude in a crowd scene, but I didn't see him.
- Ewan McGregor was in Nightwatch with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
|
|
MAMA'S APPROVAL
|
This is definitely the darkest of the Star Wars movies, but I'd have no problem telling my parents
that it's safe for my 10-year-old brother. Some of the violence may be a bit much for really young
kids though. After all, there's the implication of young children being slaughtered, and we see a
few amputations.
|
|
TRAILER COMPARISON
|
The trailer's awesome. The movie's awesome. What else can I say?
|
|
THE GIST
|
Not only do I recommend seeing Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith at the theater, but I
recommend seeing it TWICE. There's so much going on that it'll take multiple viewings to absorb it all.
Even casual Star Wars fans should be impressed with the visuals and battle scenes. If you're not, then you
simply have no sense of fun. Make your way to the biggest, loudest, best quality screen you can find and enjoy.
|
|
