My favorite movie of '05 so far

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2005)

SPOILERS!!!
I've seen the movie only a while ago, and let me start by saying: This is, without a doubt, the best of the prequels and one the best of the entire "Star Wars" saga. Until now, my favorite movie of 2005.
"Revenge Of The Sith" begins with the regular opening, which we got so used to: "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...". Then the yellow crawl that we all love. It makes me real sad to see it... being the last episode of "Star Wars".
Lucas doesn't like beginnings, so he puts us right in the middle of the action, with Anakin and Obi-Wan flying their Jedi star-fighters between tens of star-ships in what is probably the largest space battle ever seen on the big screen. Their mission is to reach General Grievous's ship, in order to rescue Chanceler Palpatine, who was kidnapped by Count Dooku and by Grievous himself, a mix between robot and some sort of insect or reptile (??), one of the leaders of the separatists and probably the most deadly character of the entire movie, who can wield, at the same time, "only" four light sabers.
The action proceeds inside Grievous's ship and Palpatine's rescue contains the only (few) comedic moments of the movie, all thanks to R2-D2, who looks totally inspired. But early do we see that "Revenge Of The Sith" is a much more darker movie than its predecessors. In fact, this was the only "Star Wars" movie that was rated PG-13 in the USA (the equivalent to people with 12 or more here in Portugal). The weird thing is, in Portugal "Revenge Of The Sith" was rated PG (or for people with 6 or more). The regulating entity that checks the cinematic content screwd up, I guess. This movie is without a doubt PG-13 (or 12, here), much more violent and with certain themes and images that a child shouldn't watch (just look at the state Anakin gets after the duel with Obi-Wan... is that something a young kid should see? I don't think so).
It's pointless to say that in the rest of the story we learn how Anakin turns into Darth Vader. Nothing is left unanswered, not even the doubts left by Episodes I and II or the original trilogy. The fans will enjoy this movie immensely because it connects the prequels to the sequels, in a most excellent way. Several examples are: we find out (though not in a direct way) how Anakin is born, the motives that led him to turn to the dark side, the execution of the Jedi, why the robots don't recognize Darth Vader, the birth of the twins, Luke and Leia, the exile of Yoda and Obi-Wan, etc..
"Revenge Of The Sith" has many light-sabre duels, more than any other "Star Wars" episode. It's a real madness. They are really awesome and beautifully choreographed. I would like to especially point out the duel between Palpatine and Yoda, and Anakin vs. Obi-wan.
The visual effects are even better than on the previous episodes (the only bad effect was Obi-Wan's lizard when chasing Grievous on Utapau). The movie was shot entirely on digital and on "bluescreen", a technique used in other movies such as "Sin City" or "Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow", to mention a few. The number of CG shots is about 2,200, much more than the previous two episodes combined.
I also liked the actor's performances. We have to realize, though, that this is not a play by Shakespeare, but a "space opera" where the story and the action scenes are what matters. The character that stands out the most is Chanceler Palpatine/Lord Sidious/Imperador Palpatine. He's so well played by Ian McDiarmid that the viewer suffers when he sees the way he orchestrates all the events of the movie and tricks Anakin in all his schemes. Awesome. Ewan McGregor, as Obi-Wan, is also very good, honoring the late Sir Alec Guiness. Who watches the movie wonders if its the same person that is playing this much more young Ben Kenobi. Hayden Christensen also plays well here: you can tell he's a tormented person, divided by his obligation to the Jedi, his friendship with Obi-Wan, the tricks of Palpatine, the love of Padmé and their soon-to-be-borned offspring. Congratulations, Anakin's turn to the dark side is very well represented. On the other hand, I think Natalie Portman just «stood there», not doing much, not even in the most tear-jerking scenes with Hayden (altough they had good chemistry this time around). One thing is certain: she's even more beautiful.
To conclude, the movie is filled with spectacular moments. Anybody who likes the "Star Wars" universe is «force persuaded» to love "Revenge Of The Sith". IT'S THAT GOOD!!! Congratulations to all the cast and crew, especially to George Lucas. He showed us that he is still capable of doing a kick-ass movie in all aspects, considering that the last two episodes that were kind of disappointing (I liked them both, II more than I, but in general they are so-so).
Highly recommended!! You have to see this movie in the theater more than once to really assimilate everything!! The best movie of '05 so far.
Final rating: 9/10 May The Force Be With Us!! P.S.: Now, let's get the TV series going!!