|
|
|
|
| Cast and Credits |
| Cast: |
Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Jimmy Smits, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew |
| Director: |
George Lucas |
| Writer: |
George Lucas, Jonathan Hales |
| Rating: |
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some intense images. |
|
Reviewed By: Tak Yamashita
Rating: 9/10
OK Let's start by saying that I am a Star Wars fan. Always have and always will be. Having said that I will try and give as fair an assessment of the last Star Wars movie (?) ever put to film (or digital film as the case may be).
For those few who don't know EP3, takes place approximately 3 years after the end of Attack of the Clones. The Clone Wars is nearing its climax and in a bold strike the separatists have kidnapped the Chancellor in a daring move to turn the tide of the war in their favour. It's up to the two heroes – Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker – to rescue Palpatine from the grips of General Grievous – a previously unmentioned – leader of the separatists.
Bear with me because I'm going to try and review this movie on three levels – as a stand alone movie; as the ending of the prequel trilogy (as it's called these days) and as a member of the 6-part opus that is the Star Wars universe.
As a stand-alone movie
As a stand-alone movie, this movie is not without its flaws. Many of its strengths are clearly evident: breathtaking specials effects that are well integrated into the film as a whole (with exception of the opening sequence, which I'll get to later); absolutely imaginative worlds with such painstaking focus on detail that one cannot help but admire the effort; a great job by Ian McDiarmid in creating a villain we can all hate; wonderfully Operatic music that balances the thrill of adventure with a sense of melancholy; and thrilling battles that are topped by an absolutely fantastic climax.
On the flip side, some of the films weaknesses are also quite evident: some (and I repeat, some) flat acting; characters that seem to come out of nowhere (ala General Grievous); and a few story flow problems mainly due to a somewhat overly complex plot.
Overall however the strengths far out number the weaknesses and if we were to take the movie as part of an overall series, many of those weaknesses become less so. I found that the beginning was the weakest part of the movie. While it was breath-taking to watch the adventure unfold, it was here that some of the action sequences and dialogue seemed the most forced. This was particularly the case with the scenes involving Count Dooku and Anakin Skywalker. Somehow it was all too easy and lacked some tension. In one scene in the elevator instead of shooting the intruders the robots just told them to freeze. This was a little corny.
If the first step was off however, the following sequences more than made up for it. The faint footsteps became louder and louder as the film progressed and the visual imagery became all the more poetic. The turning point is definitely the Opera scene, where Ian McDiarmid really delivers a standout performance. From here there is no looking back and we get a movie that becomes progressively darker and more powerful.
It has been said that George Lucas was influenced by a little known Canadian short called 21-87 that manipulated images and sound to create moods. In a way this is what Lucas does with Sith. While the images aren't just pieces spliced together like 21-87, what we do get is sequence that effectively uses layers of colour and sounds to accomplish a visual symphony.
All in all it is a satisfying movie and one that should please most.
Score: 9/10
As Part Three of the Prequel Trilogy
One of the many complaints that people have had with the prequel trilogy is that it lacks the 'fun' of the original trilogy. And people inevitably compare the Old Trilogy to the Prequel Trilogy. (It's a good thing that it was never called Old and New Trilogies. The religious connotations would be too great.) This has never been a fair comparison.
I think it was Steven Spielberg who once said when comparing the two; you can only be a virgin once. This is in some ways a fair comparison of the two trilogies. There was no way in which the PT could ever surpass a first love.
In addition the purpose of the two trilogies was always different. Where the OT was a story arc that was complete on itself - at least the Rebellion part - the PT was more of a character study. In some ways this is interesting. Name another villain in the history of film that has been afforded or would be afforded a film(s) studying how they came to be. Maybe Hannibal the Cannibal but I'm not sure if even he would rate a full trilogy. Not the same with Darth Vader, people have always been fascinated with how the man in black came to be.
Now while some would argue that it would be just as easy (and better) to make Anakin an adult from the beginning and make him become Vader early in the plot, this wouldn't really be true to the Star Wars mythos. The story had to be about innocence lost through actions taken while growing up, for only then would Luke saving Vader have any real meaning. If it were the story of a man's fall from grace the story arc of a son redeeming his father would have less meaning.
In this regard, Lucas had the compelling back story – the fall of Anakin - but he didn't have the story arc of the rebellion that he had to work with like he did with the OT. He had instead the creation of the Empire. Now while many would argue that this is a great story (and it is) but who do you root for? Remember, the good guys are supposed to be winning in this era. It's easy to root for the underdog, not so easy when the underdog wants to Force choke you and rule the universe.
When Lucas originally conceived the story it was with Nixon and his ultra-right wing agenda in mind. So the story is dated… or is it? Coincidently, history did repeat itself and in place of Nixon, today we have Bush and his mythical WMDs. The story arc regarding democracy and liberty and how quickly it can be lost is competed nicely in through ROTS.
While true political aficionados would realize that Lucas' rendering is not without its flaws, what I was impressed was that he started this whole thing around 1996-97 (when he first started writing) and it somehow parallels what is happening today. Luckily, the US military, unlike the Clones, have freedom of thought and are there to protect the Constitution rather than serve the President.
Lucas does a reasonable job in creating a different era in the Star Wars timeline, one with similarities but sufficiently different. This new more constrictive environment was a necessity in what was to come. It was a necessary part of the messages that Lucas was trying to deliver all along. How one generation acts differently from another. How a stifling society can cause problems. Darth Vader wasn't created by himself; Darth Vader is a product of society. How a 'good' society can lose its soul if it isn't constantly vigilant.
Overall, I was very happy with the Prequel Trilogy, but I also feel that the trilogy was a bit inaccessible for the more casual fan and those who weren't that interested in the political machinations of a long ago place, regardless of how it is reflected in today's time.
One note and this one is a spoiler. For those Jar Jar 'fans' who wished for something more… painful, you will be a bit disappointed.
Score: 8/10 (10 for me of course)
As Part Three of a 6-part Epic
This is where it gets interesting. How does ROTS fit into the grand scheme of the Star Wars Universe? To paraphrase the immortal Darth Vader: "most impressive". In this aspect the film delivers in spades.
We finally get to see how Darth Vader was created. We get to see how the Sith destroyed everything and took control. We get to see how Palpatine came to be. Everything clicks. Watching the movie as it nears its end you can almost hear the clicks as they occur, irrevocably linking the two diverse trilogies into one grand opus. The Prequel Trilogy becomes the Ying to the Yang that is the Original Trilogy.
For all those people who thought the language was too formal in the PT, we now see that even that had a purpose. Think of all those times you thought your parent's and their generation was too stiff, too square. That is what the old generation in Star Wars is to the new generation in SW. It's like we're speaking a different language. It makes sense and from a tonal point of view is what you would expect between two different generations.
For all those who thought that the PT was 'too pretty' compared to the OT. We now see what happens over 19 years of dictatorial rule - things, especially art or culture, regress. Think the Stalin/Communist era in Russia.
We also see many parallels between choices that were made by Anakin and those made by Luke. And we see that being allowed to make one's own choices ultimately lead's to the better choice. We see that the weight of expectations can crush even the best of us. We even see that love flourishes when we have our own free choice (Leia/Han) where as if it exists in constant fear of reprisal it sours (Padme/Anakin).
Revenge of the Sith effectively adds to the whole Star Wars mythos. It not only makes more sense out of the first two movies but adds new layers to the original three. Quite an accomplishment considering the years separating the two and the near cult-like attention to detail that people give to the original trilogy.
In the end, Lucas for better or worse has accomplished exactly what he set out to do. While it will forever be debated whether a Spielberg or Howard could have done a better directing job, or whether Kevin Smith could have helped in the writing, no one can deny that in the end this is Lucas' vision that is realized to film. There are very few people who can say that.
Score: 10/10
The information entered on this page will not be used to send unsolicited email
and will not be sold to a third party. Please refer to our Privacy Policy. |
|
|
|
|
