Star Wars III - Revenge of the Sith
Okay, I saw it - yesterday at 12:20PM at the Northtown Regal Cinemas in Spokane. It was good - far better than the previous two - but nothing like the first three. Of course, that is due, in large part, to the content. We all know this is the story of Anakin's conversion to Darth Vader - an inherently unhappy tale. We know it's dark - that's been all over the media as if to warn us "this is not going to be all laughs and chuckles... evil wins". They're right. It's dark.
So, my review - it is good, but it does have its shortcomings. Inevitably, it will be compared to the original trilogy. Heck, I find myself doing that all the time. The original was amazing, groundbreaking on so many levels, and just plain good fun. It had a great ensemble cast with fabulous chemistry. Okay, maybe they weren't the BEST actors, but they played off of each so well - something the latest trilogy sorely lacks. The original had catchy one-liners sprinkled liberally throughout all three films that found their way into common usage for years after they debuted (or was is just me who ran around saying "May the Force be with you"?) This is also lacking in the current trilogy. But I think the real root of the "problem" with the current trilogy is the tale it tells. It can't help but be bashed because it is all about evil triumphing over good and, as a people, we are never thrilled with that type of story. We like happy endings, the guy getting the girl, all that stuff. The original trilogy is all about good triumphing over evil, and the heroes of the epic struggle, hence it reverberates in the hearts and minds of us all. We get to cheer the good guys and boo the bad guys - an opportunity we don't get in the current trilogy.
I left the theater feeling a bit ambivalent. Okay, so now I know how Anakin became Darth. I know how Luke and Leia came to be separated and why they ended up on their respective planets, how and why Obi-Wan came to be on Tatooine, and why C3PO, despite having been Padme's protocol droid, didn't have a clue who anyone was when he "met" Luke and Leia. I also got to see Chewie in his native land with all his Wookie warriors (very cool)... but I didn't get to cheer anyone for their triumph over adversity and evil. The story was sad. So many times there is the chance for Anakin to go the other way, away from the Dark Side, and I found myself saying "no, Anakin, no!" knowing, of course, the path he would take. It's hard to accept a character turning from good to evil and not ending up dead or repentant. Episode VI, where Darth does finally repent in a way, is too far removed from Episode III, so you just have this nice young, but immature and selfish, boy turn into an evil monster who gets to live and wreak havoc on the world. It's just a very sad story.
As for acting, it really wasn't very good. Hayden Christensen is pretty awful. He just wears that brooding scowl throughout most of the movie to show his displeasure, dismay, anger, and regret. One face for every emotion. You get no sense of chemistry between him and Natalie Portman, and sadder yet, none between him and Ewan McGregor. There was a definite chemistry between Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, between Ford and Carrie Fisher, Fisher and Hamill, and Hamill and Alec Guiness. There was great chemistry between Han and Chewie. You knew they all cared about each other, would do anything for each other, to save each other. You get no sense of that connection between Obi-Wan and Anakin, or among any of the Jedi, for that matter. Probably more than any other aspect of the movie, I miss that and fault that for the poor reviews.
Go see it for yourself. You need to finish the story. But be prepared to be sad.
The first three movies (IV, V, VI) were a complete product in and of themselves. I, II, & III are meaningless without IV, V, & VI. There is no reason for them to exist except as prelude. I am not sure I like that aspect of the trilogy. But hey, who am I to second guess George Lucas. The guy is a creative genius who brought us the original Star Wars and changed the world of filmmaking in the process.
