Guess what happens to Anakin at the end (there's a spoiler blacklist?!?)

Rating: 7/10 (19 May 2005)

I'd rather not give this movie any rating until I see it again, but I want to record my first impressions. There were moments when "Revenge of the Sith" bordered on greatness. I'm not a fan of computer animation (used excessively) yet the opening sequence has a thrilling kinetic energy, due as much to the editing as the effects, which can set the audience off-kilter, and let them briefly experience the adrenaline-fueled confusion that Anakin experiences, which will eventually lead him to the Dark Side. The other powerful moment is a scene in which Anakin stares out the window at the bustling world of Coruscant, contemplating his choice and his fate. The score hums ominously on the track, there is no dialogue (a huge plus in this movie), and we are immersed in the draw of the mystical Dark Side, calling Anakin home. Unfortunately, these scenes are somewhat rare. We all know the ending of the film and at times, because the action is robbed of suspense, it is easy to become distanced from the material. Quite a number of things were just as they should be: Obi-Wan & Anakin's climactic duel, Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader (which actually happens before his disfigurement), and then finally the entombment in Vader's suit (I didn't much care for the "Nooooooooo!" though--if you see the film you'll know what I'm talking about). But these events feel almost perfunctory because they're so inevitable. Maybe it was just me. But Revenge of the Sith offered tantalizing glimpses into Anakin's twisted soul, and to me that's more interesting and gripping that all the special effects in the world. I wish there was more of it. Palpatine is a fascinating character but McDiarmond has a tendency to ham it up, and this is especially true once the Chancellor becomes the Emperor. The romantic scenes, as we all know, are clumsily written, which is a shame because anything involving Natalie Portman should have the potential for tremendous chemistry. And I remain unconvinced that digital cinemascapes are the way of the future. When the film worked, it worked because of the "neither here-nor-there" quality of the special effects, NOT because they actually convinced you of a specific time and place. None of the worlds (save Coruscant which is supposed to be man-made anyway) are memorable, because the camera never lingers there; it sweeps over obviously artificial landscapes and swoops through big fights using digital characters--so we're never allowed to get a feel for a place, the way we could with Tatooine, Hoth, or Endor in the classic trilogy.
And one more thing: I'd like to be able to sit down and watch all six episodes in a row (and maybe I will someday) but the fact remains that the two trilogies don't make a good fit. It's not so much the CGI (though Lucas' Special Edition tweaking can't conceal the fact that the original three were made in a very different era of special effects) as it is the basic movie-making behind them. At the time, the original trilogy must have seemed breathless and groundbreaking, but next to the prequels it appears stately and old-fashioned in its storytelling. Characters inhabit physical worlds which appear limited and detailed compared to the dizzying, overpopulated, bustling universe that the prequels inhabit. Sequences unfold gently in comparison to the all-out attack of the prequel action sequences. Most of all, characters are given time to develop and interact. Think of the goofy and relaxed banter between Luke, Leia, and Han after they escape the Death Star. Such a scene is unimaginable in the prequels. What I'm trying to say is that watching the trilogies back-to-back to get a complete sense of the story may only show you the limitations of such an approach. I'm not sure yet. Either way, it's impossible to judge Revenge of the Sith in a vacuum, something which both works for it and against it. Our knowledge of Vader's past and future lend the film more power than it perhaps earns, but viewing Episodes IV-VI also remind us of the new film's limitation's.