“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” (20th Century Fox)
After almost thirty years the final episode of the “Star Wars” saga reaches the screen. “Revenge of the Sith” is actually the third episode of the prequels and the one that kicks off the introduction to the final three segments which were the first releases in the series. Confused Well just imagine it is Yoda telling you all this.
In “Revenge of the Sith” Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is married to Padme’ (Natalie Portman) and is hoping for full Jedi status. He is coming under the influence of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) who is trying to lure him to the “dark side.” He eventually succeeds as any follower of the series knows, and Anakin aka Darth Vader and his son Luke will have a confrontation in later episodes.
This film does a very nice job of putting the pieces together to set up all that follows. It is also an amazing action adventure with one suspenseful event following another. There are battles in outer space that take your breath away, light saber fights between persons such as Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) that are mind boggling in their believability, and sights of unknown planets and places that are totally from the mind of George Lucas.
For “Star Wars” purists there is the thrill of seeing old friends from other episodes return. Chewbacca suddenly appears in all his furry glory, R2D2 is as heroic and comedic as ever, while C3PO is still a fussy and finicky robot. And Yoda, bless his little green head, is the hero of the piece with his light saber skills and his philosophical knowledge.
The downside of the movie is the acting. Christensen and Portman are at their very worst in trying to convey the love story that should be pivotal in Anakin’s trip to the dark side. These two have no chemistry together and their words sound awkward and stilted. Any time the film dwells on them it comes to a screeching halt. Luckily these moments are few and far between.
The movie is rated PG-13, which is a first for a “Star Wars” movie. The plot demands this rating as there must be violence in order to get Anakin over to the dark side. The violence is not extreme but it does get the point across.
“Sith” is not the best of the “Star Wars” movies. That would go to the second installment of the first three released films. But this is the best of the prequel series and it should prove satisfying to those who are “Star Wars” addicts. That group will probably see this one over and over again.
Go to see “Revenge of the Sith” for the action and not the acting (though Diarmid and McGregor are actually pretty good in their roles) and you will have a good time. All good things must come to an end and creator George Lucas ends his series on a pretty high note.
I scored “”Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” a galactic 7 out of 10.
