Better than I & II, but still mediocre at best

Rating: 1/10 (18 May 2005)

*Before you begin, this whole thing is one big spoiler. So don't read unless you've seen the show.*
Firstly, kudos to Mr. Lucas for salvaging the series from sucking like episodes 1 & 2. Even I was impressed by the fantastic trailer, but in the end that is what the entire movie felt like... an extended trailer. Poor character development and irregular pacing hinder the show from being a true classic. The sad part is I was expecting something like Empire Strikes Back, campy but still a roller coaster ride. This time around, Lucas gets serious and the result is comical.
Starts out promisingly, with a nice big space battle, but degenerates into a talkie with lousy dialogue. Good candidate for a silent movie remake. Ani goes from good guy to Darth Vader, just like that. It's like flipping a switch, one Jedi accidentally leads to death of another, suddenly has no qualms about killing children. Witty lines like "This is the happiest moment of my life", you're almost going to deliver but I had no idea you were pregnant as I hugged and kissed you. And OMFG the clever twists, like "she's lost the will to live", so I guess she'll just give birth and die.
Yoda, still balding (should have given him an afro in episode 1), switches between "I need a walking stick" and "look at me, I'm a Mini-Superman". Emperor uses a bit of power and shrivels up; a use a lot more power on Yoda later but doesn't age anymore. I lost count of how many shots of the setting sun on various planets were in this show, but the most pointless is the one where Aunt and Uncle hold little Simba, I mean Luke, in their arms although he's been unceremoniously dumped on them. They stand, face the sun, and smile for the camera Although he's now an orphan and a fugitive, oh joy Follow that up with the Vader scream, "Noooo." How cliché.
In conclusion, better than the disasters that were episodes 1 & 2, not memorable, but not as crappy. Disappointed that Lucas couldn't have spread out the character development evenly over all three episodes rather than try to cram everything into one movie. Gone are the fun loving days of Luke, using the Force, where you believed one man could change the galaxy. Actually, tell your friends to save their money and buy Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2 instead, they've got better plots.