"Revenge is a dish best served cold."

Rating: 10/10 (21 May 2005)

And so, the Star Wars saga comes full circle, with the final pieces of the intergalactic puzzle falling into place. Of course we knew the major elements about to be revealed, but to see it done so effectively is a tribute to the epic story telling genius of creator George Lucas.
I recall the controversy about the working name of Star Wars Episode VI - Revenge of the Jedi. Back in 1983 it was thought that the title suggested too much violence, and not a fitting description for the forces of the "good" side. But for this installment of the series, "Revenge of the Sith" is certainly fitting, as Anakin Skywalker's turn to the Dark Side under his master Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious is fraught with betrayal, violence and murder.
The movie opens with the same grand scope as previous films in the series, but taken to even more cosmic proportion with jaw dropping sequences of outer space grandeur. Fleet cruisers jet by gigantic space stations as naturally as city traffic. Fans of space opera will no doubt thrill to the spectacle of color and sound offered here.
The relationship between Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) and Anakin (Hayden Christensen) is handled intelligently, even as the young Jedi is manipulated and convinced by Palpatine that the future of the Republic belongs in his own capable hands as dictator of the galaxy. Padme's refusal to side with her husband is of course the turning point in the marriage, with the safety of her newborns of uppermost importance. I guess what bothers me most about the movie though is the reason given for Padme's death during childbirth, having lost her will to live. This is not the character we saw in the prior two films; after all, she had the regal bearing and demeanor of a queen, and the shrewd tenacity of a planetary senator. To just "give up", even under the horrendous circumstances of Anakin's turn is a situation not adequately dealt with in the movie.
General Grievous - great name for the robotic leader of the clone army, but what's with the persistent cough. Perhaps it made him seem more vile, but why would a robot suffer a human malady? His running battle with Obi Wan Kenobi was a highlight of the movie.
Christopher Lee - now there's an actor who's first film credit dates back to 1948, and who's come a long way from the horror remakes of the 1950's and 60's, to star in the two major epic movie sagas of our time - "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy, and episodes II and III of the current Star Wars series. It seems he only gets better with age, as his portrayal of Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus shows.
Ewan McGregor does an excellent job of preparing us for the Alec Guiness version of the Jedi Master of "Star Wars: A New Hope". When he appears in the latter part of the film in the straw colored robe, I immediately thought of the scene in Episode IV when Princess Leia's hologram image reaches out for "Obi Wan Kenobi - you're my only hope".
Following the death of Jedi Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), Darth Sidious gives the command to wipe out all the rest of the Jedi Council. Was it intentional, or merely coincidental, that the orders were carried out in the fashion of a sci-fi "Godfather"? Only Obi Wan and Yoda had the wisdom and foresight to condemn themselves to exile so they could fight another day. Kenobi's mission to Tatooine to deliver the newborn Skywalker was a stroke of storytelling magic, bringing his personal adventure in the Star Wars saga full circle as well.
But can the Star Wars story EVER end? The franchise lives on in a myriad of media, and it seems that there are even more adventures and characters whose stories must be told. One can only hope that the creativity and ingenuity begun by George Lucas in 1977 continues to live on in the hyper space region of entertainment known as The Star Wars Universe.