Impressive as a whole- even if (like the dark side) a little unnatural at times

Rating: 7/10 (10 June 2005)

I definitely enjoyed this film, as I came out satisfied and contented that I'd been very much entertained on a number of levels.
Lets start commenting with the good points- special effects were impressive (even if a little overused, especially in previous films) and the transcending final scenes with real sets and intriguing props were a great linkage to 'A New Hope'. I was also impressed by some great action scenes and fights in some of the earlier parts of the film. The fights as a whole were certainly better looking than the sloppy ones in 'A Phantom Menace'. I was particularly impressed with the fight between Dooku, Kenobi and Anakin and the start of the film, for me this was a top point of the film, and I think I actually preferred it to the final fight. I felt far more emotionally involved in this scene and felt Anakin's guilty confusion over killing Dooku. For me, if this fight scene had been made a bit longer, it would have been perfect. I also give credit to the scene where Palpatine makes his transformation to the emperor we know so well from the classic trilogy- this is effectively fear invoking, and the setup for Windu's fate is simply spectacular.
Where I was less satisfied- Anakin had previously felt guilt for the death of Windu and Dooku- but suddenly goes on to kill a load of 'younglings' and feel no guilt whatsoever! This was a bit hard to believe, and I would have liked to have seen more scenes that bridge this sudden transformation of his personality from good into completely evil. Furthermore, the film did not make us feel much sympathy for any of the deaths Anakin had caused in his destructive path; thereby making us become an unsympathetic audience. I criticise the fact that we knew none of the youngling characters, so it was hard to empathise with them when they were killed. Sure, we're upset about it, but 'Empire Strikes Back' is far more successful in making us sad about 'scoundrel' Hans Solo getting frozen- than 'Revenge of the Sith' is in making us sad about the death of younglings or any of the jedi for that matter.
The film for me also fails in some of the final scenes- particularly the laughable outcry of 'noooo' from Darth Vader. This could have been made so much better-perhaps a cruel displacement of his anger and distress on a nearby Officer would have been a better way of ending his complete transformation to the darkside rather than a silly 'noooo'. The crucial fight scene between Anakin and Obi Wan was reasonable, but I think it would have been better on a more realistic set- such as the ones in the classic trilogy.
To conclude, the film is thoroughly entertaining, but some points which seemed 'minor' originally have affected my outlook on the film as a whole. 70% successful in my mind.