Review published May 19, 2005

A.J.'s Rating:  3 Prequelogy Stars

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A long time ago, in...well, okay, you all know the rest... it's Star Wars: Episode III, the final prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy! How will young Anakin turn to the dark side? What will become of the secretive union between Anakin and Padmé? Who will survive the birth of the Empire? And, most importantly, is there anybody out there who still gives a damn? These questions and far too many others are answered in Revenge of the Sith.         Having written himself into a tight spot with Episodes I and II, Jedi creator George Lucas takes on the task of connecting the series to the events of Episode IV, and somehow, in the process, misses the entire point. Now, this is not to say that Revenge of the Sith isn't exciting or entertaining; believe me, it is. I only wish that Lucas had also re-introduced the primary theme of the original trilogy, the power of ones faith and spirit over technology, in this episode. An emotional thematic tie really would have helped bring Episode III into line with the episodes that follow. Unfortunately, from its opening crawl forward, Revenge of the Sith seems quite content with bombarding the audience with visually complex battle scenes, occasionally interrupted by political treachery and forced exposition. The politics are needed to set up the Empire, of course, and the forced dialogue only exists to prove to the world that Lucas never asked anyone for help with his screenplay. Why, the continuing romance between Anakin and Padmé alone is so cheesy that it may drive more than a few impressionable Jedis straight to the dark side.         As for young Anakin, his journey to the dark side is much less amusing. I had hoped that this transformation would be through some planet-shattering event, leaving Anakin in a position of hopelessness, with no other recourse. After all, the rise of Darth Vader is a pivotal event in the series, and deserves a certain degree of operatic drama, worthy of Anakin's decent into darkness and careful to preserve a bit of audience sympathy for his character. I had envisioned a loss for Anakin; a loss so great that it would finally send him over the abyss. What horror would serve to unleash the ultimate rage within Anakin Skywalker? Who would have guessed that, several severed limbs and dropped lightsabers later, it turns out that Anakin is simply saddled with the flawed personality and emotionally stunted mind of a frightened, spoiled little boy from Tatooine? Revenge of the Sith? Please! A more accurate title would have been Star Wars: Episode III - I Want My Mommy.         Despite my disappointment over its handling of Anakin's emotional motivation, had Lucas ended Episode III with his transformation complete and a certain other character secretly pregnant with twins (no, not Chewbacca!), I would have been happy. However, once Lucas got rolling with connecting Episode III with Episode IV, he seemed to have forgotten how to stop! With Episode III, Lucas successfully ruins all the surprises of the original trilogy. G.L., what the Force were you thinking?!! If Episode III had left a few loose ends, watching each movie in episodic order may have been a satisfying experience. However, as the series now stands, I suggest that future generations watch Episodes IV through VI before viewing Episodes I through III... just like the rest of us did!         On the positive side, Episode III does feature better acting than the other prequels, fantastic visuals (other than those lame lava flow effects), plenty of thrilling action, some interesting political drama, and a Jar-Jar Binks that is seldom seen and never heard from. Heck, for my money, that alone is worth the price of admission. If you're still a fan of the series, give it a look, and may the Force always be with you!

Directed By: George Lucas Written By: George Lucas Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits, Frank Oz, Anthony Daniels, Christopher Lee MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some intense images.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith