Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Going to see a Star Wars movie these days is twice as hard as ever. Your first enemies are the pundits who threaten to either give away the surprises or ruin your expectations by nitpicking about what they didn’t like in the movie. Your second enemies are the “behind the scenes” programs that completely destroy your suspension of disbelief and dilute the movie-going experience. How many times do we need to see a demonstration of blue screen technology?

I still get chills when I see the opening to a SW film, but I’ve struggled to maintain the excitement I felt before Empire or Jedi came out - when little was known about the latest film and Lucas kept a closer hold on the surprises. I also long for the days when people kept their mouth shut about a movie and allowed others to make up their mind.

Before seeing Episode III, I caught the beginning of a review on NPR but turned it off because I simply didn’t care what they had to say. Likewise, local radio stations were running call-in shows trying to gauge public opinion. I tuned them out too. Emails from friends with subject headings relating to anything close to Star Wars were ignored until afterward. If while watching television I came across a sneak peak, {insert Yoda voice} watch them I did not.

With this introduction in mind, I will comment on my perception of the film, but the reader should stop here if they feel the same way I do about such reviews. Go see it yourself and make up your own mind.

Overall I was very pleased. From the opening sequence (one of the best ever in a SW film) to all the final loose ends being tied up, they really did a great job. The acting was a bit better than Clones, and the storyline was much richer (by necessity since there were so many loose ends). The CGI on Yoda was the best for that character, and I’m glad they finally got it right.

What problems did I see? When R2-D2 is ejected from Anakin’s craft, it appears a bit less credible. Why isn’t he loaded into the ship from below? Mace Windu’s final cry was lacking in depth, and Anakin’s final realization of turning to the Dark Side was missing some conviction, but we’ve learned not to expect much from the actor. During the final volcanic duel, the use of droids as fighting platforms was a bit gratuitous. My mind’s eye impression of the volcanic battle was different, but that was not Lucas’ fault. It’s his film. The thing that struck me (and others) as something in need of improvement was Vader’s final cry of “Noooooo!!!!” It was reminiscent of “Stellaaaaa!!!”

These are just my opinions, and they certainly shouldn’t detract anyone from going to see the film. We’re in the process of a move and I’m now looking at my box of original Star Wars figures, which are neatly packed away. Episode III felt like the perfect closer to a journey that started so many years ago. As I look at those figures, I can not believe the levels on which the films have affected me – something that no pundit can take away, and no single review can reflect.