The Revenge of George Lucas

Rating: 10/10 (26 August 2006)

The third time's the charm. In his final Star Wars film, George Lucas redeems himself completely for his failures in Episode I and II. Revenge of the Sith is a film worthy to stand alongside the original trilogy. It is, in fact, perhaps the best of all (though I still consider Empire STrikes Back for this position). This is the one fans have been waiting for: the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader; his turn to the Dark Side; his duel with Obi-Wan; and the overthrow of the Galactic Republic, and the destruction of the Jedi. This is by far the darkest Star Wars movie. All the juvenile caterings of the previous two prequels are gone, and the film might actually be the first Star Wars movie unsuitable for younger children. I think this is the story George Lucas has been wanting to tell all along. His previous two prequels, notable only for their level of mediocrity and digital windowdressing, are, in retrospect, nothing more than the motions needed to get to this point. It seems to me that George Lucas (the creative genius George Lucas, that is), must have been asleep for the previous two, using them as the means to an end. And what an end! To start off with, Episode III is probably the best written of any of the Star Wars films. It is also the best acted. Hayden Christiansen, whose performance in Episode II carried all the weight and charm of a wooden stick, is born anew in this film. Previously, it seemed impossible that this teen hearthrob could become the menacing Darth Vader. But, sporting longer hair and a badboy scar, Christiansen carries it off admirably. Also notable for her transformation is Natalie Portman. In the last film, their love affair was completely unbelievable, their chemistry zero, and their dialogue embarrassingly bad. This time round, it works. Portman gives an excellent portrayal of the tragic character Padme, forced to watch the man she loves transformed into a monster. Ewan MacGregor, the only actor who actually acted in the previous two films, once again takes the prize for best performance. His chemistry with Christiansen, already good in Episode II, is superb, giving real depth to the relationship. The most remarkable element of the film's writing may be the actual manner in which Skywalker is turned to the Dark Side, which is completely believable. There is a certain morbid satisfaction in seeing the bad guys win for once, too. Anakin's journey down the dark path is conditioned, on one hand by his love of Padme and his fear of losing her, and on the other by his distrust of the Jedi, and his anger towards them. The final factor is the seduction of the chancellor Palpatine, later to become the GAlactic Emperor, who uses Anakin's feelings of fear and anger to transform him into a Sith Lord. In Return of the Jedi, the Emperor Palpatine was a truly great villain, a true vision of evil. Twenty years later, Ian McDiarmid darns the cloak once again. To me, he is one of the greatest strongpoints of Episode III. Though he has been in the previous films as chancellor, and as the hidden Darth Sidious, it is here that he reveals himself as a force of pure evil, performing a brilliant coup-de-grace on the Jedi, seducing Anakin with an almost Hannibal Lecter-like power of psychology and language, and, for the first time, showing his real power as a Sith Lord in two memorable battles against Mace Windu and Yoda. The action in this film is top-notch, from the epic opening rescue mission, to the apocalyptic final duel. As special treats, we get a four lightsaber wielding Jedi droid, Wookiee warfare and the introduction of Chewbacca, and, for those fans who loved Yoda's lightsaber fight in Episode II, an epic duel between Yoda and the Emperor himself, featuring lightsabers, acrobatics, lightning and all. The special effects are not nearly as good as something as say, Lord of the Rings, but the movie's action sequences are too much fun to care. As the grand finale, we get the battle that all Star Wars fans have been waiting for: the Battle of the Heroes between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader over pits of lava. This final duel, which is intercut with the Darth Sidious vs. Yoda duel, is the best there has ever been. Legendary among Star Wars fans, it is truly something to behold. Finally, Episode III ends with the birth of Luke and Leia, the rebirth of a disfigured Anakin into the masked Darth Vader, the beginning of the construction of the Death Star, and the delivery of Luke to Tatooine, linking two trilogies together, and completing the Star Wars legacy, a legacy more alive in this film than it has been since the original trilogy, and proof of Lucas' genius as a filmmaker.