Lucas was so close!

Rating: 7/10 (3 June 2005)

After going to see Star Wars Episode 3, I have to admit that I have never breathed a sigh of relief so loud! Finally raising the bar to a high level, George Lucas has managed to make a movie that doesn't suffer from a slow pace like Episode 1, or an atrocious script like episode 2.
The film is enjoyable to watch, and is certainly an improvement yes, but it can't escape the minor problems seen in 1 and 2.
Starting off with a stunning shot of Anakin and Obi Wans star-fighters sweeping low over the bow of a republic cruiser, we are then treated to a massive space battle over Coruscant. The effects are great, the banter between Obi Wan and Anakin is humorous, but the battle itself lacks any kind of dramatic punch. There's no thrust, no real energy to the battle. Explosions and cgi spaceships can only entertain us so much, but when Lucas employed the same technique at the end of ep 2 this battle just seems very flat. Where is the high octane thrills of the asteroid chase in ep 5? or the thrills of the trench run in ep 4? Count Dooku is promptly dealt with, raising the question of why did Christopher Lee bother to be in the movie? Caertainly Anakin decapitating him is a very dark and revealing moment, but surely a lesser important character could have been the one to get killed? We needed to see more of the Jedi being killed, as this is one of the most important parts of the saga. The actual deaths are bemusing as well, with the once untouchable and undefeatable Jedi knights being killed without any resistance. And the much hyped up battle on Kashyyk lasts two minutes, never really getting off the ground in terms of thrills.
the lightsaber duel at the end drags, but is certainly entertaining enough, and the first time we hear Vader breath is a very well done moment. Even though you are expecting it, it is superbly played out. However, when Vader speaks, and then shouts 'noooo!' I cringed in disbelief. Surely one of the most embarrassing moments in film history? Performance wise, Natalie Portman is atrocious, reeling off her lines without ever really meaning them. Mcgregor can't be faulted, although he seems to be going through the motions. Hayden is better than in ep 2, but thats like saying being stabbed is better than being shot. Mcdairmid is hammy and good value, and Samuel L JAckson is always brilliant (although his death is poorly done) C-3po is hardly seen, and while some might say that this is good,he was always a good tonic of laughter for breaking up the serious bits. Although well done to Lucas for resisting the urge to just throw him into a scene, as he has been guilty of doing before.
the dark tone, impressive effects and general excellence of the sets makes this a great film, but the flaws are always plain to see. It just doesn't feel as natural as the original trilogy, but we wanted to see the birth of Vader, and here it is!