Review: episode III

If any of you have ever talked to me about Episodes I and II, you know that I find them painful to watch. From the wooden acting to the uninspired dialog, from the midiclorians to Jar-jar, from the poor pacing to the lack of character development, the first two movies leave a lot to be desired.

Needless to say, I had my reservations going into Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, but like all true Star Wars fans, I was there on opening night (technically, Thursday morning), laying down my hard earned duckets to make good on a promise made almost 30 years ago.

And, the result? A good movie, actually. Not a great movie, but on the whole, a good movie. The action sequences, which there are more of than in the previous two movies, actually work and draw the audience in. The storyline of Anakin finally matures and begins to payoff, as the audience is finally given someone to root for or against (depending on your point of view.)

Still, Episode III suffered from many of the problems of the first two installments, but less so. For example, there were scenes in Episode III where you could actually believe Anakin and Amedalla are in love with each other. Unfortunately, they never pull it off at the same time. Regardless, you couldn't say that at all about Episode II, where the two "lovers" seemed comically at odds with one another and yet the audience was made to believe they were in love.

In all, the flaws are minor enough that you can actually enjoy this movie. Does Episode III ever reach the excitement or drama of first trilogy? Sadly, no. But, iit does feel more like a real Star Wars movie than the previous two films. So, I am happy (and slightly shocked) to say that I can recommend it.

One final Star Wars thought about the PG-13 rating the movie received and whether it was warranted. In my opinion, given one particular scene, the movie did warrant the rating it got. This is both remarkable and unusual for a Star Wars film, which begs the question, "Was the scene / imagery worth it?" The surprising answer is a big "Yes!" The scene / imagery actually has the ability to change how the audience thinks about the character of Anakin / Darth Vadar, and consequently the entire Star Wars series overall. This is no small feat considering how much we already knew and loved /hated about the character before the movie even began. I have to give it to Lucas for having the balls to keep it in the final cut.