The more Lightsabers the better?

Rating: 7/10 (10 June 2005)

This film is certainly the best of the New Trilogy, not that that title says much considering the woeful errors made in the creation of the last two.
By comparison, Attack Of The Clones is the best to refer to, having such a similar cast, and this film is certainly a far superior effort. The scripts seem more fluid (a script coach for Lucas maybe?) and the actors more comfortable with their roles. Anakin and Ben actually have a more positive chemistry here which would have probably been more fitting for the second movie. Anakin is far more likable and audience empathic here than in Attack Of The Clones where he really needed to be.
I found that this final chapter in the New Trilogy really helped bind the new films together into something with a little more focus. On their own, the films seem to lack direction or real balance between character and plot, but Revenge Of The Sith somehow takes up that looseness and binds the films as one. The only pity is in doing so in neglects the vital link between it and episode IV.
Visually - as always - it's stunning. Action is vast although occasionally disorientating. The Lightsaber fights are fast and furious, worthy of Jedi, however are a little long. The biggest crime this New Trilogy has committed (aside from dodgy scripts, direction etc etc) is the overuse of the sabre. By the time you get to Anakin's big end battle the viewer has lost the awe of the spectacle - especially having to suffer Grevious and his multi sabre wielding earlier.
Grevious is another slight problem, but not in the normal fan cries that he wasn't powerful enough. For someone who had no interest in the Clone War cartoon, Grievous' part seems overstated and diverting for the central plot at hand, which brings the question whether relying on secondary media to support ones story actually strengthens or weakens the overall film. While Star Wars has always loved dropping the viewer in media res, this comes across to the average viewer as if you are wandering into a private party with such a large section being devoted to this unknown and rather irrelevant (in the context of this film) character.
Nevertheless, this is a good outing Star Wars fans should be proud of. There are some dialogue glitches, Padme's role is greatly reduced in time and strength, Hayden's portrayal of Vader is awful (when has Vader ever crossed his arms??) and why Lucas felt that Vader's "Noooooo" cry could be anything but funny in light of Homer Simpson mocking of that cliché is beyond me.
The final grumble I'll throw is at the end. After 1500 battles, one feels the end drama, possibly the most important dramatic moments of the whole New Trilogy are rushed. One wouldn't mind so much if the battles hadn't been so long. When relevant scenes have been deleted in favour of overlong battles, one is left feeling a little miffed. Some relevant scenes for Yoda and the Emperor were lost in favour of the excess fighting. Seems the wrong way round since this story was about tragedy rather than action.. or at least it should have been. The music was a little haphazard too. Some pieces ripped straight from other films.. so close that the incidental punctuating from one film is in the score for this, which seems odd (check out the beginning of the Yoda/Emperor fight for some of this).
Nevertheless, all that aside, this is a good film believe it or not. Yes it does occasional put spectacle before character (Ben suddenly seems en par with Anakin's skills in their final fight simply for a good brawl when his skills have been far less throughout the films previous), but overall it really does feel enjoyable. The Emperor is great all the way through and Obi Wan really gets a solid script to work on. Silly jokes are seriously toned down (no embarrassing Jar Jar or 3P0 sight gags) and the mix of intrigue and action feels at home than in previous NT movies.
It's not a perfect film, but then neither was Return Of The Jedi. This is a solid action movie which fans should be proud of. Not perfect in any way, but it has been a worthy final movie for the Star Wars trilogy.
One can't help feeling it could have been better if less attention had been made to action in favour of character, but I don't think that will deviate too much in the long run when it comes to re watching this film 10 years down the line. It will be remembered for a solid watch of action and sci-fi extravaganza with a hint of darkness.
It's worth it for the horrific victory of Ben over Anakin. To think a few years ago we were watching him as an icky sweet boy, and now we're just waiting for him to be sliced and thrown into acid... not many films that can boast that transition...