‘Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith’

The Force is with George Lucas as he rediscovers the magic that made the first trilogy so enjoyable.

By: Jim Boyle

"image"
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor, left) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen, right) try to restore peace in the galaxy, while Yoda (below) shows what a true master Jedi can do in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith


   Now this is what a Star Wars movie should feel like.
   After suffering through the first two mediocre prequels, there’s every reason to approach Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith with a little caution. George Lucas has subjected us to a wince-inducing romance, boring scenes in the Republic’s senate that came across like intergalactic C-SPAN and Jar Jar Binks, all of which has been mostly eliminated to create a final chapter that lives up to the next three episodes. Revenge of the Sith wipes away the painful memories of The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones and thoughtfully sets the stage for A New Hope.

"image"

   The two main storylines, Anakin Skywalker’s acceptance of the dark side and Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, finally converge as Lucas provides new insights about why these terrible things have happened. In the two previous films, story and dialogue drove the plot, with a few breaks for some action. Here, the action starts immediately, as Lucas has finally rediscovered the way to move the story along without descending into simple exposition.
   As the film starts, it has been full-blown war between the Republic and its clone army and the separatists and its battle droids for three years. Between production of Episode II and III, Lucas also produced a series of five-minute animated episodes for the Cartoon Network highlighting some of the battles during that time. It’s not necessary to view them to follow the action, but they do introduce a new villain, General Grievous, who has kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and is being pursued by Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith.
   With a few fancy light saber moves and a final showdown with Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), the Jedi complete their mission and return to Coruscant. Anakin reunites with his secret wife, Padme (Natalie Portman), and learns that she is pregnant. Soon after hearing the news, he begins to have visions of Padme dying during childbirth. His desperate search for a solution takes him farther down the path to the dark side, a journey that is also accelerated by the Jedi Council’s constant suspicions of him and his friendship with the Chancellor.
   Christensen has made some remarkable improvements with his character from Episode II, where he came as a petulant brat. Everybody knows where the plot is heading and what will happen to Anakin, but Christensen turns the foregone conclusion into a true personal struggle. He is torn between his relationship with Chancellor Palpatine and his duties as a Jedi. He constantly seeks the approval of the Jedi Council, especially Obi-Wan, and can never seem to get it. But most of all, he wants Padme to be safe, and will do anything to ensure it.
   McGregor, on the other hand, seems to be having the most fun out of anybody in the cast. As with the first two movies, a smile flashes across his face from time to time, as if to say, "I can’t believe I’m in a Star Wars movie."
   Of course, the smile quickly disappears as the third act begins and the Chancellor plays his final hand. With a quick order, the Jedi are named traitors to the Republic and ordered exterminated. The ensuing violence may be a bit much for the younger crowd. In fact, this is the first Star Wars with a PG-13 rating, and it is appropriate. Light sabers cut through enough limbs to start a spare parts store.
   The rest of the performances are fine, from Samuel L. Jackson’s authoritative Mace Windu to Jimmy Smits’ short scenes as Senator Bail Organa. Natalie Portman’s Padme, however, has gone through too many changes. Her resolute strength and determination have vanished, replaced by quiet desperation as she feels her husband slipping away from her.
   There’s plenty for the diehard fans to cheer about, including the return of a butt-kicking Yoda, a cameo by Chewbacca and the introduction of Darth Vader’s suit. The great thing about Episode III is the new light it places on the next three chapters. Lines of dialogue are given whole new meanings as you watch Luke and Leia and Obi-Wan and Darth Vader interact. By finally getting all the pieces just right, Lucas has created a prequel that becomes something the first two are not: Necessary.
Rated PG-13. Contains sci-fi violence and some intense images.