This film is © by Twentieth Century Fox, 2005.

Starring:

Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Natalie Portman as Padme Skywalker
Ian McDiarmid as Supreme Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu

Directed by: George Lucas

RATING:

A long time ago, in a country far, far away, my mother took me to see a Spanish-dubbed version of Star Wars (A New Hope) when I was four years old. I didn't understand all of it back then but it sure did capture my attention and my imagination. Three years later my father (rest in peace) took me to see The Empire Strikes Back, this time it was with Spanish subtitles. I was seven so I had some trouble keeping up with the subtitles but understood what was going on. Many years later Revenge of the Sith comes along to bring closure to the saga of this futuristic fairytale for the modern day children of today (and yesterday like myself.) Despite any of the bad things about these movies I consider it a very special time when one is premiering at the theaters. There are so many emotional ties with Star Wars for me to do a straight review of the film. Still, I feel that I may be able to do so.

Episode III-Revenge of the Sith is the final chapter in the coming of age story of Anakin Skywalker as he becomes Darth Vader Lord of the Sith. Darth Vader is a tragic figure, a man who had many things going for him yet had so much go wrong in his life from the start. Hayden Christensen is Anakin, who delivers a better performance than in Attack of the Clones yet still does not pack enough punch for his role. Anakin is a man haunted by nightmares of his fears and remorse from being unable to save his mother from death. As a Jedi he has the occasional visions into the future which only add to his fears and ultimately lead him into the Dark Side. Most people already know how this story is supposed to end and what makes the movie interesting is in providing the details and answering a few questions along the way.

Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenoby,) Natalie Portman (Padme Skywalker,) and Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) do offer decent supporting roles in a movie where the acting and dialog are far from the main focus. Not much is seen from Mace Windu, and Padme seems to be stuck in room for most of the film. I think there were too many issues the film needed to present that it did not allow it to do much with so many characters. Like the previous two films, the acting is a bit sterile and the dialog is weak. The tender moments between Anakin and Padme don't really work and many of the lines make you cringe. The screen play is better in this film that the previous two as George Lucas consulted with a professional screen writer for the first time since Return of the Jedi. It is better, but it is not necessary good. I really don't know why Lucas did not hire a screen writer for these films as they would have greatly improved the finished product.

Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine) offers the best display of acting in this film. I don't feel the other cast members failed though, but they were limited by their lines and Lucas' work as director. Palpatine corrupts and deceives Anakin by playing on the young man's emotion. Anakin loves Padme very deeply and his fear of losing her is his greatest weakness. George Lucas does succeed in developing this premise and presents a story that flows very well. From beginning to end the viewer is allowed to be completely involved in the storyline and there are no lags or questionable editing. The film has great action and special effects and they are tied together with the flow of the plot in excellent fashion. This is the strength of this film, and displays Lucas' talent as a story teller. If only he had allowed others to help him with the other aspects of film making that are not his strong points.

The ending in this film does a good job in tying it together with the film that follows it. Cameos by Grand Moff Tarkin and Captain Antilles help bring it full circle. The character of Darth Vader is fully understood at the end which was the goal here. Of the current installments in this series this film is clearly the best and does deliver what it promises. I feel the arrangement of the storyline for the prequels could have been shaped better but Revenge of the Sith was their salvation. I really did enjoy this movie a great deal and most of it was done very well even though I focused a bit on some of its shortcomings. The best approach to this film is to evaluate it as a whole, and look at the big picture. Sure it has its shortcomings but anyone who enjoys fantasy, or had any connection with Star Wars growing up will not be disappointed by this movie.