Bland Conclusion to "Star Wars" cycle

Rating: 7/10 (10 May 2007)

Writer & director George Lucas takes about two hours and twenty minutes to wrap up his popular, long-running "Star Wars" sci-fi franchise with "Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith," the sixth, latest and certainly not last installment in his multi-generational galactic extravagance. "Star Wars" fans who consider themselves completists undoubtedly will savor Lucas' fill-in-the-blank storytelling skills. Those moviegoers less enamored of this cinematic phenomenon, however, may find themselves excited by the spectacular CGI special effects but jaded by the garrulous exchanges of dialogue. All things considered, "Revenge" amounts to standard-issue entry in a largely light-hearted franchise. Compared with "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" and "Episode 2: Attack of the Clones," the anticlimactic "Episode 3" proves more implausible but entertaining, perhaps because Lucas shoehorns in so much information into an otherwise shallow plot, so that he can come full circle with his groundbreaking 1977 classic "Star Wars" that gave science fiction films a new lease on life. Like "Attack of the Clones," "Revenge" suffers from the ghastly casting of stiff, inexpressive Hayden Christensen as heroic Anakin Skywalker. Christensen fills the role the same way cement fills a hole. Moreover, Lucas bungles Christensen's dramatic make-over from a humble Jedi Knight to one of the cinema's most despicable villains: Darth Vader. Christensen's leaden performance combined with the less than convincing logic that prompts Anakin to cross over to the dark side undercuts the dramatic clout. Poor Natalie Portman could have phoned in the second-rate, soap opera-like dialogue that she delivers with more conviction that it deserves. She appears barefoot, pregnant, and wears the oddest-looking night gown strung with beads strung across her shoulders. Not only does Lucas provide few surprises to liven up this fairly formulaic potboiler, but also the way that he ties the movies together lacks imagination.
Ironically, while it ranks as the worst "Star Wars" movie, "Revenge" opens with one of the biggest, slam-bang battle sequences of the series. Of course, it looks like a variation on the Death Star attack in the original "Star Wars." Lucas displays his unparalleled mastery over all special effects computer-generated again and plunges us into of an explosive, hyperactive, roller-coaster ride of a ruckus that sends Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor of "Black Hawk Down") and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen of "Life As A House") dodging and weaving evasively through an armada of gargantuan space cruisers in their smaller, fleeter, fighter ships. At one point, insect-like droids attach themselves to Obi-Wan's ship and start drilling holes in his ship to disable it. Sharp-shooting Anakin carefully blast them off the fuselage. Would that the remaining two hours of "Episode 3" bristled with half as much action and excitement as the opening twenty minutes! Obi-Wan and Anakin hurl themselves recklessly into certain peril to save the abducted Chancellor Palpatine (Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid of "Dragonslayer") from General Grievous.
Immediately, Lucas shows how Anakin's powers have grown since "Attack of the Clones." The close proximity that Anakin finds himself in with a grateful Chancellor Palpatine foreshadows our protagonist's inevitable conversion to evil. Christopher Lee fans won't be surprised that Count Dooku bites the dust during the last half of the first battle sequence. At the same time, Obi-Wan has developed closer ties to Anakin that the former considers the latter more a brother than a student. Meanwhile, trying to conceal their attraction to each other so that one can serve on the senate and another can remain a Jedi, Anakin and Padme Amidala (beautiful Natalie Portman of "The Professional") worry about her pregnancy. Chiefly, Anakin fears that Padme will perish in childbirth as his own mother. Therefore, he is prepared to sacrifice his beliefs to ensure the survival of both Padme and her offspring. The character of Padme recalls passive females from the 1950s prohibited from carrying firearms or showing initiative. Feminists will definitely give this image of women in film a big thumbs down. Of course, the Jedi Council consisting of Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson of "Coach Carter") suspect Chancellor Palpatine of treason and lack confidence in Anakin when they refuse to confer upon him the title of Jedi Master, despite the fact he is the youngest Jedi ever to sit on the Council. More than any other character, Anakin stands as the cornerstone of "Revenge." Everything revolves around Anakin's reactions. Eventually, Anakin finds himself torn between his suspicious Jedi Masters and the scheming Palpatine of the Senate.
Reportedly, George Lucas called on his "Raiders of the Lost Ark" alumnus Steven Spielberg to choreograph the light saber sequences. Sadly, the duels between Dooku and Anakin and later Anakin and Obi-Wanseem are little more than symbolic dances of death designed to consume time. You know Anakin will emerge triumphant in each outing otherwise the franchise would sacrifice continuity. The best of this predictable light saber duels takes place between Palpatine and Yoda. Consistently, a combatant will spin around to counter a thrust or execute a gravity defying back-flip. The problem is you know you're watching human heads grafted onto bogus CGI figures. The climactic battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan lasts for what seems a veritable lifetime. Indeed, the computer-generated special effects are hopelessly enthralling, with more CGI shots here than in "Episodes 1 and 2" combined. However, while special effects can enhance a movie, they cannot compensate for inferior plotting and cheesy dialogue. Other traditional "Star Wars" characters get the short shrift, such as the furry, dog-like Chewbacca, who appears briefly in one scene set on his native planet.
The basic shortcoming of the more darkly themed "Revenge of the Sith" is that in tying up all the loose ends, George Lucas has helmed the least exciting, most talkative, and altogether dullest "Star Wars" movie. While hardcore "Star Wars" fans will welcome this full circle narrative treatment, most newcomers to the franchise will either be underwhelmed or just plain baffled by all the exposition that can only be appreciated by watching the other five films.