It's over. Thank god.

Rating: 6/10 (23 May 2005)

With "Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith," it's time for those of us raised on the Star Wars franchise, we who have a certain fond attachment to the series, to acknowledge the unavoidable: these are not good films. It's easier to admit this about the first trilogy, protected against criticism as it is by the prism of nostalgia. Even the considerable mess of "The Phantom Menace" seemed no worse than a mulligan. After providing the heroes and villains of countless childhoods, George Lucas could be forgiven for being a bit stiff after a 20 year absence. But by the time R2D2 suddenly sprouted booster rockets in "Attack of the Clones," something had clearly gone wrong. The saga limps over the expected finish line with "Revenge of the Sith," and the end is gratifying; we no longer must bear witness to the agony of something so beloved. It's the film equivalent of putting down Old Yeller.
The details of the plot are as bewildering - and immaterial - as in the previous two installments. Young Jedi Anakin Skywalker races toward black helmet-dom as the Jedi Council, infinitely wise and able to read minds, yet unable to fathom the numbingly obvious, stumbles to uncover the Sith Lord manipulating galactic politics in order to rule the Republic. Perhaps Chancellor Palpatine, he of the consolidated emergency powers and sinister hiss, is involved? Perhaps the pope wears a funny hat.
By this third episode, Lucas has lost any trace of cinematic patience he once displayed. There's nothing here like the slow dawning of the nature of the hulking Death Star in "A New Hope" ("that's no moon"),or even the graceful glide of droid transports over silent grasslands in "The Phantom Menace." It's as if Lucas feels constrained by this last chance to blow his CGI load, and so crams every frame with as much wonder as he can muster. Even the film's quiet moments seem hyper-charged, and leave us feeling exhausted. Dialogue wooden enough to catch fire doesn't help, either.
That said, pieces of "Revenge of the Sith," like the two previous installments, are fun to watch, and may well delight the younger set as the earlier films did a different generation. I confess to a small thrill at seeing that shiny black dome, and hearing the mechanized Vader wheeze, for the first time. "Revenge of the Sith," though, is ultimately more relieving than anything else. It's over, finally. Time in the Galaxy for peace, and rest.