A Competent and Visually Stunning Conclusion to the Star Wars Saga, but Still Flawed.

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2005)

"A pile of CG-intensive scenes loosely tied together does not a great movie make", as Yoda would say :) Sadly Lucas still hasn't learned this basic lesson. Many fans may have overlooked the shortcomings of this third installment of the prequel trilogy, simply because there are so much action and story elements packed into 2.5 hours that it's almost overwhelming. But I came away from the theater feeling flat, not being excited and invigorated like I felt when I saw the first trilogy. I think the problem is that Lucas has chosen to present the story in this movie (and the others in the prequel) in a matter-of-fact manner, without taking the time to set up the mood of a scene, or to streamline the transition between scenes. Lucas would do well to learn from his mentor Irvin Kershner (who directed Empire), who understands that sometimes little touches here and there can make huge differences in the impact of a scene. In fact one would have thought that such things should be elementary for every film school student, but perhaps Lucas dropped out or skipped class :) This movie suffers from the same basic flaws as the previous two installments: Flat story telling, wooden dialog, cringe-inducing "romantic" scenes, and to a lesser degree, a lack of tightness in binding the story elements together. This movie seems better than the other two only because there are so much going on on the screen that we don't have time to think about its flaws, but you'll realize it as you search your feelings after the movie ended :)
This said, I'll probably go see it one more time in a theater, and I'll definitely get the DVD when it comes out :)
*** MINOR SPOILERS BELOW *** ----------------------------
I found the process of Anakin's transition to the dark side rushed and unconvincing. The main motivation is simply not strong enough (especially given the lack of on-screen chemistry between Anakin and Padme) for Anakin to turn literally overnight from slightly rebellious Jedi to the one-man-slaughterhouse evil Sith. It felt forced.
Also, the downfall of the Jedi seems a bit too easy, given how invincible they all seem in previous movies. If a handful of Jedi can hold off the huge droid army in Geonosis, it's inconceivable that all the Jedi in the Jedi temple cannot hold off the clone troopers longer, even if they're led by Anakin.
And here's a technical nitpick: If a Jedi can move massive objects by sheer will of the Force, why can't Obi-wan and Anakin use the Force to deflect tiny incoming missiles?? :)