Star Wars Episode I: Revenge of the Sith Review

I went opening night to the theater here in Bangor to see ROTS. None of that midnight showing stuff for me though, I’m getting to old for that.

As the end credits started to roll my initial reaction was: I’m not loving this movie.

But, the reason for this was multi-faceted. It was the last movie in the series, so there was some emotions about that. Face it, many of us have grown up with Star Wars, so there is definitely some sadness about the end of the films. The movie is also very fast paced, unlike the first two episodes. There is a lot to take in, and I am going to go again next week and might even update this post.

So, after some reflection, I have to say the movie was awesome. The bar was set pretty low because of Episodes I and II, so III was phenomenal in comparison. Lucas saves the prequel series with this one and does do a nice job tying the two series together.

The storyline is simple: we watch the decline of Anakin into darkness, that being turning to the Dark Side of the Force and becoming Darth Vader. Along the way, he does some very despicable stuff.

I found quite a bit to like about this film. General Grievous was a great character. He paces and coughs like someone who is very old and has some health issues, but he fights like a madman. In addition, the fact he has four arms and wields the lightsabers of fallen Jedi in each one is cool. The battle between he and Obi-Wan was amazing.

The most improved acting award would go to Hayden Christensen. The onscreen chemistry between he and Natalie Portman was vastly improved, as was his interaction with Ewan McGregor. The acting is still pretty stilted, but that is not the highlight of this film. I seem to remember that Mark Hamill’s acting in Return of the Jedi was pretty stiff too. The most moving scene is at the end of the epic battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan. McGregor nails it. I was almost in tears.

I was disappointed by the miniscule role the Wookies had in the movie. A trivial side note at best, even though they come to Yoda’s defense. They could have been left out altogether and no one would have missed them.

As Lucas and moviemakers as a whole move toward digital effects and characters, Yoda was a highlight. Our favorite digitized green Jedi Master moved and emoted as if he was real. The showdown between Palpatine and Yoda gets a thumbs up.

Overall, I would say this is “the” movie of the summer, maybe the year. Lucas does a good job tying up the loose ends and completing his masterpiece. Star Wars fan or not, this is a must. It is rated PG-13, so keep the kids at home.