And so after 25 odd years the circle in finally complete. What started out as one man's vision to tell the stereotypical B-movie story, grew into possibly the greatest and most lucrative movie franchise in history.
Throughout the late seventies and eighties we swash buckled our way through parks and back gardens lost in the fantasy of being the parentally challenges Luke Skywalker, or for the cooler kids, the dashing rouge Han Solo.
When Luke set fire to the Darth Vader funeral pyre in Return of the Jedi we thought the satisfying trilogy had come to its' logical end, however in 1999 we found out there was more. Keen eyed fans had noticed that the first film ('A New Hope') actually had the prefix 'Episode Four'. So began the Star Wars prequels.
Rumour has it that George Lucas always intended for these films to be made, however back in the late 1970s he didn't feel technology was advanced enough to do the story justice, hence creating the films in the illogical order. Fans were overjoyed at the prospect of 3 new films, and the ability to fill in some of the backstory to their heroes. However the first two films disappointed many. 'The Phantom Menace' took over-CGI to a new level and also introduced Jar-Jar Binks as an immediate source of hatred in the Star Wars Universe. 'Attack Of The Clones' humanised the series again, however Hayden Christienson came in for criticism for turning a developing Darth Vader into
Kevin the teenager.
In 2005 the final film, and the abiding memory for this series was released. 'Revenge of the Sith' has been one of the most hyped and anticipated films ever. Finally we will see the turning point when Anakin Skywalker fell from the status of revered hero, to become one of the most recognisable figures of evil in movie history - Darth Vader. With the mass marketing and weight of expectation the pressure must have been high on anyone involved in this film to get it right. In my opinion they do just that.
First and foremost I am a Star Wars fan. I was there at the midnight showing and have waited patiently for the DVD. The film is just as good viewing the second time round. The action is intense, from fights filled with total hatred, to deception between characters, to some genuinely heart jerking moments. Hayden does a lot better with his role as Anakin, giving him a good sense of growing power and evil. Ewan McGregor is brilliant as an Alec Guiness in training and brings an excellent level of pomp and stuffiness to his role which balances well against Anakins' arrogance. The support cast is also adequate, although this film is based around the dynamic of the story.
Knowing this is probably to be the last Star Wars action committed to film George Lucas goes hell for leather to fit everything in. Lightsabre duels? This film has 5! Thought the 2 on 1 fight from 'Phantom Menace' was good? At one stage we have 4 on 1! Impressed by Anakin using two sabres at once? Here we have a droid general who takes even this up a notch! I know that these types of action do not make a film good, however I do feel they are essential to Star Wars fans. None of us came to see a film filled with Oscar winning performances, we came to be entertained and to lose ourselves for a few hours.
My favourite parts of the film boiled down to 3 pivotal fights. The first in right at the beginning with Obi Wan and Anakin battling Count Dooku. This is fast paced and you really feel the emotion as the combatants almost spit venom at each other. The action also gives an excellent insight into Anakins' fate as he begins his first steps towards the dark side.
The second is the battle between Yoda - the ultimate force for good, against Darth Sidious - the ultimate force for evil. This fight needed to happen for the series to be complete and so the questions of 'what if' could be answered forever. It satisfies the audience without giving a direct answer as to what is more powerful - light or dark.
The final dual is also excellent. In a fans mind they might have imagined it several ways, however the action, the dialogue and the context were all right for me and the fact that they intercut this with the Yoda/Sidious fight was very clever as it showed the fate of the galaxy being fought out in two locations, light years apart.
As I have mentioned I enjoyed this film, however this does not make it my favourite film ever and nor does it mean it is without it's flaws. The reason behind Anakins' turn to the Darkside seems a little weak and after years of Jedi training he seems to collapse and swap sides without much difficulty. Some of the dialogue seems a little forces and cheesy - I know the phrase 'noooooooooo' had been in every film to date however on this occasion it's given to the newly suited up Darth Vader and given the fact that he's moving like a new born giraffe at the time it lessened the scene. The final major flaw I have with 'Revenge of the Sith' once again relates to the introduction of a new character. General Grevious in a psychotic droid general who is proficient in lightsabre combat. All very good, however he is also totally CGI and this shows through quite badly, especially during his fight with Obi Wan towards the end of the film. I think the idea of an evil droid was a pre-curser to Darth Vader however it could have been done better. The General has an annoying smokers cough and I am sure many fans won't know the backstory to this (there was a cartoon series between 'Attack of the Clones' and this film which covered the Clone Wars between the two films. The General is introduced there and given a bit more history, however if you were only a casual fan you probably didn't bother watching these).
Overall I see 'Revenge of the Sith' as a satisfactory end to the series. The story has been told in full and in an entertaining way. With such a large gap between the two trilogies you were always going to get fans who were never going to give the new films a chance and I feel this old skool is best attitude comes through a lot. An action film without high flying and CGI would be frowned upon by most of today's youth and that's were the money is for Hollywood, not in a cinema full of 35 year old 'pure' fans. You also have to remember that we've all seen the next film and so we know about Anakin and the Chancellor and have a fair idea of who is going to live and who is going to die, this removes some of the tension from some scenes means that shock value on the scale of 'I am your father' would be very hard to come by.
Lucas explained that most of his original thinking for the prequels is in this film, meaning that most of the previous two films are 'padding' I think this comes through and I also think that after seeing this film the first two can be seen in a different and most positive light.
DVD Features: • Special Feature Information: ° Full Length Documentary Produced By Lucasfilm Ltd ° The Prophecy Of Anakin Skywalker Featurette ° Stunts Featurette ° 15 Part Collection Of Lucasfilm Web Documentaries
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Science Fiction - Director: Hiroyuki Yamaga - Original Language: Japanese - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Ayako Kawasumi, Fujiko Takimoto
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
An excellant and outstanding review, as a huge star wars fan myself, I felt this review said everything I was thinking about this film and much more. Very well written and very very helpful.
earlofaldgate 08.07.2006 19:16
i felt your presents
MisterSlimm 15.12.2005 23:27
Your review of the film is excellent but you have marked that this is a rating of the DVD not just the film. You list the extras but have not reviewed either them or the picture or sound quality of the DVD.
Ending the most popular film epic in history,Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sithis ... more
an exciting, uneven, but ultimately satisfying journey. Picking up the action fromEpisode II, Attack of the Clonesas well as the animatedClone Warsseries, Jedi M...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The Star Wars saga is now complete on DVD with Episode III Revenge Of The Sith. Torn ... more
between loyalty to his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the seductive powers of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker ultimately turns his back on the Jedi, thus completing his journe...
Advantages: Action; opening space battle; lightsaber fights galore; last third of film is superb Disadvantages: Some parts drag on; others do not go on for long enough; the lover's dialogue
![Star Wars Episode III : Revenge of the Sith (2 Disc Edition) [DVD] [2005]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78507693.jpg "Star Wars Episode III : Revenge of the Sith (2 Disc Edition) [DVD] [2005]")
Oct 17th, 2005
exceptional by (7%):
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