Contrived, this film is

Rating: 4/10 (29 May 2005)

At a crucial point in the plot of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) screams out a forced, "Noooooooo!" A metaphor is to be found here. As Hayden Christensen passes the torch of Anakin onto Jones, that single word is representative of Christensen's acting career -- if you're willing to call his strained attempts at emotion acting.
George Lucas described Episode III as, "Titanic in space." This comparison isn't entirely correct. In one sense, it is true; the tragedy of the story is certainly as bad as that of Titanic. However, Episode III's dialogue and acting are nowhere near the caliber of Titanic.
George Lucas is a master of creating rich worlds for his stories. The Star Wars universe has spawned countless books, video games, and iterations in every other form of media. There's even a TV show soon to be produced.
Lucas, however, may be one of the worst writers in recent memory. Some have claimed the Lucas brought in another writer to help with the romantic subplot between Anakin and Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). This is quite believable: The dialogue seems as if it's been written by a fourteen-year-old girl. It's painful and embarrassing to watch; it's funny; yet, it's supposed to be emotional and painful in another way entirely.
As should be expected, brilliant battle scenes bring the movie back from the depths the romance brings it down to. Even these scenes have their drawbacks, though. Not a single one is as memorable as the original duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. None of them makes the imprint on one's mind that the Darth Maul duel from Episode I does. None even measure up to the duel between Yoda and Count Dooku from Episode II.
One duel scene does stick out, but for all the wrong reasons. Everything about it seems contrived. A piece of debris floats over a river of lava for absolutely no reason. A droid follows the debris, as if Anakin is controlling it with the Force. (It's worth noting, then, that classic Star Wars mythology excludes droids from the effects of the Force.) Lucas also described the film as being "dark." This is true, to an extent. One scene shows Storm Troopers shooting a child. Another implies the cold-blooded murder of multiple young Jedi padawans. However, even this is tempered when they are referred to as "younglings," apparently in an attempt to make the murder of children seem less harsh. Instead, it comes across as yet another painful contrivance by George Lucas.
There are redeeming aspects to be found. Ewan McGregor once again delivers a perfect portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi. There's wry buddy-buddy-style humor, coupled with, shockingly, good acting in emotional scenes.
Ian McDiarmid and Samuel L. Jackson also deliver wonderful performances as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and Mace Windu, respectively.
Maybe the most telling performances, though, are those that aren't truly performances. The most enjoyable character to watch never says a word. Yes, that's right, R2-D2 is the best character in the film. Yoda, too, is wonderful in his limited time on-screen. (Though it is apparent that Frank Oz was half-asleep when he made this film; Yoda-speak runs rampant, and begins to become rather annoying.) A single word can describe this film: contrived. Everything seems as if it's merely staging to spend money on effects. George Lucas, it seems, buys into the all-too-common modern-day belief that style is paramount, and, as a result, any substance takes a back seat.
** out of *****