Lucas redeemed . . . somewhat.

Rating: 8/10 (23 May 2005)

Did it live up to the hype? Has George Lucas redeemed himself for the atrocities known as The Phantom Menace and The Clone Wars? Did it really tie up the loose ends? Read this review to find out.
Anakin's path to the dark side, and ultimately to Darth Vader, is the main reason anyone even remotely familiar with the Star Wars universe is going to see this movie. Sadly, they may be disappointed.
But let's start with the basics.
The Phantom Menace and the Clone Wars, Episodes I and II, respectively, were lousy. They were fun to watch, sure, but they didn't do the Star Wars universe justice. At least to most fans. I, having never seen the original trilogy, found them enjoyable, but not really worth watching a second time. Sadly, Episode III isn't much better.
Following the trend of the first two prequels, the special effects are simply amazing. From the opening scene, which is a huge space battle, to the very end, the special effects are breathtaking. And, contrary from what I've heard from others, they're not overwhelming; the effects don't pull you out of the movie. They're not overdone, like some claim. They're just plain cool. And the sounds accompanying these effects are just as good. In this department, the film is excellent.
I've heard some complain about a weak plot. That is absolutely untrue. The plot is very, very good, covering Anakin's path to the dark side, the formation of the First Galatic Empire, and the fall of the Jedi Order. The plot, I repeat, is excellent. Don't believe me, even after seen the film? Read the book, written by Matthew Stover.
However, the presentation of said plot just isn't good enough. Whether it be writing, or acting, or a combination of both, it just ins't believable. Now, some of the acting is done well. Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu is decent, and believable. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi does a good job, during most of the film. Natalie Portman, however, just can't seem to get her role right. As good-looking as she is (And she is hot!), her acting in The Revenge of the Sith is sub-par. Hayden Christensen has managed to get a bit better since Episode II. He still could've done a much better job, in my opinion.
Now I address another problem with the film: pacing. This movie is not very well thought out. The first part, the big space battle, is over entirely too soon. Count Dooku is dead within the first five minutes of the film. Instead of presenting the story as it should have been, it seems that the final battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin, and between Yoda and Darth Sidious, take up the final half of the film. It may not be quite half, but it's probably a big percentage of the film. Now, those battle sequences are cool. I'm not saying they should have been shortened. Instead, I think Lucas should have expanded on the rest of the film. Anakin's turn to the dark side, instead of being progressive, like you would think, is simply flipped like a switch in a two minute scene. This is only one example of the many mistakes made with the pacing and presentation of the story.
Other than that, I don't know what else I can say, really. The film was enjoyable to watch, but it certainly doesn't live up to the rave reviews it's been getting, and I'll probably never watch it again. The final installment of the Star Wars saga should be better than this.
I can say this; I've never seen the Original Trilogy, save for A New Hope. Thus, I'm not one of the people saying that this film is horrible because it doesn't live up to the originals. I don't know, maybe it doesn't. But, maybe it does.
However, judging this film as a stand alone film, it's acting, scripting, and pacing make it sub-par. The amazing special effects will only take you so far.