A disappointing end to a rather disappointing prequel trilogy.

Rating: 6/10 (2 April 2007)

When I started watching the Star Wars prequels I was maybe expecting something a little higher than what I actually found. I hadn't seen the original trilogy but I was confident Lucas would be able to make a couple of good films using today's CGI and since you can only get better at something the more you do it; maybe these films thirty years on would, in fact, be rather impressive. The only negative opinions I'd heard surrounding these films were from hardcore fans of the originals anyway; something I certainly am not. But, what was disappointing in the end was that this little series of films missed the mark more often than not; episode three guilty in its own way.
I could see what Lucas was trying to achieve with Revenge of the Sith; it's just that I couldn't quite grasp the emotion nor feel the feelings I was supposed to throughout, particularly nearer the end. I'm sure fans of the first three Star Wars films were on absolute tenterhooks as Obi-Wan and Anakin battled amongst lava, falling rock and loud explosions; a lightsaber battle to rival any of the previous ones seen in this trilogy but the whole time; I was under-rawed, I was un-entertained and I was just accepting it for what it was: A good end fight scene to round off a pretty average, summer film full of CGI. It brought back emotions I felt during the end of Return of the King (2003).
What Revenge of the Sith did right that I found the other two did wrong, was grab the script by the neck and keep it consistent throughout. This means that in this film; all the cheesy, 'buddy talk' dialogue has been scrubbed out and its been replaced by half decent, half serious talk that actually advances the plot and gives the film an atmosphere and a darker feel. This is, after all, the final episode of the trilogy so something's got to give  something amid all the previous errors and head-shakingly bad film-making has to give way. I'm sure most Star Wars fans would have found Anakin's decent into madness (which is labelled 'The Dark Side' in this galaxy) pure edge-of-the-seat entertainment but for me, it was nothing too fantastic. The characters you just know are going to die end up dying, most of the time the film gives you that feeling of 'Oh, it's time for a lightsaber dual  let's go' and it then complies with itself but more often that not  you're just sitting there begging them to get on with it. You know it's going to happen so quit dragging it out already. Although, as I said; fans of the original trilogy probably didn't get this frustrating feeling.
Even if Revenge of the Sith eliminates some flaws from the other two, it does in true Star Wars tradition, keep some. The annoying cutaways to other scenes when you're half way through a battle or an action sequence are still there and this is a very perplexing way of presenting a film, especially one so epic and on such a large scale as this. Can you imagine a Lord of the Rings film randomly cutting away from an intense fight scene with a few hundred orcs? Can you picture the remake of King Kong cutting from the raptor/stamped scene to two people talking as they make their way back to the boat? I can but I don't want to, as I'm sure is the same with you.
On the whole, The Revenge of the Sith is an epic, over the top, plenty of CGI and 'acting talent you know like the back of your hand', throwback film for fans of Star Wars  nothing more. If you're a fan of Star Wars: watch away. If not, steer clear as it will be no more than popcorn entertainment. Too bad a standard bag of popcorn doesn't last the length of this film, though.