THE prequel

Rating: 7/10 (18 August 2017)

The first thing that jumps to my attention in this movie is that the CGI, although still very noticeable, is finally at an acceptable level, helping a lot to give more fluidity and immersion. The movie begins right into the action with an early space battle followed by a lightsaber fight with Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) against Dooku (Christopher Lee) to free Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Dooku in this fight is better than in ep. 2, but as I had already mentioned in the review to the previous film, I feel that Christopher Lee is dislocated in the Star Wars universe, so it is good that he leaves the scene early on. However, the villain who appears as his replacement, General Grievous, is an even worse choice: it is true that he gives a good show in the duel against Obi-Wan, but his whole character does not convey emotion, which leads me to affirm, once again!, that Darth Maul was really badly underused.
In Coruscant, with Palpatine safe and sound, the plot is compounded with palatial intrigues between the Senate and the Jedi Council and with Anakin's premonition of Padmé's fateful destiny (Natalie Portman). At the request of the Jedi Council, Anakin agrees to spy on Palpatine, but ends up being seduced by his promises of power from the dark side of the Force. And in my opinion this is the catalyst for his complete transition into the dark side. Let me explain: some people feel that his transition seemed rushed and should have been done in a more subtle way, but if we take into account his obsession with Padmé along with the (vain and misleading) promise to save her, his choice was already made even before it was presented, so I was not shocked by his sudden fall - he was just doing what he had already chosen to do, and so he did.
The fight between Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Palpatine is one of the highlights of the movie, even though Windu's escort has been dispatched too quickly. The fight between Yoda and Palpatine distracts me a bit, because as I mentioned in the review to ep. 2, I cannot imagine Yoda capable of such acrobatics not even with the help of the Force. The final duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan is epic and well choreographed, the scenery is very well chosen but drastically overused: I think not even the Jedi can 'walk on lava'. The end of the movie is well worked out, connecting the dots to the Original Trilogy (OT), but somewhat elongated with some unnecessary segments (eg: Nnnnooooooooooo!!!).
Hayden Christensen seems much more confident on his acting skills; nothing Oscar worthy, but much more confident, turning out to be an enjoyable surprise. Ewan McGregor fully embraces his role as Obi-Wan and even hints the idea of being a younger Alec Guinness (the Obi- Wan of the OT). Natalie Portman finally conveys some credibility to her acting. Samuel L. Jackson is always a good presence and Ian McDiarmid shines has the corrupt Senator Palpatine, being able here to cement for good the unforgettable role he had already played as The Emperor in "Return of the Jedi". By the grace of the Force, Jar Jar Binks only has a cameo of 1 or 2 seconds already near the end, and as he does not even say a single word, it does not irritate me (much).
The soundtrack is at the required level of Star Wars and well incorporated into the movie pace. The tone and ambiance are rather black and somber, complementing and enriching visually a tragic tale that although it was already known how it would end, the journey to the destination is an experience that I truly (re)commend. So, at the end of the Prequel Trilogy and taking all three movies into consideration, this one has to be considered 'THE prequel' to the OT. It does not reach the OT level, but it is by far the best one of the prequels. Despite the flaws that may be pointed out to the Prequel Trilogy in general and to George Lucas in particular (I still stand firmly on my refusal to acknowledge the OT Special Editions!!!), one thing we must admit: the man knew how to write a story.