Great film - I cannot understand the cynics

Rating: 6/10 (25 May 2005)

George Lucas' saga finally comes to an end and although most seem to be delighted with 'Episode III', there are those who are less than pleased with 'Revenge of the Sith', something I have trouble understanding. Such an opinion must belong to those lacking in sight, hearing and, ultimately, soul.
Now I will be among the first to say that George Lucas is certainly not a great director, and as a writer he is decidedly average (or decidedly below average). But what he has is imagination, more than most directors, such as, for example, any director going by the first name of 'Clint' or the surname of 'Eastwood'. Yet it is directors such as the latter that continue to reap rewards and accolades for their horribly conventional work, not to mention praise from dull film critics. After the average 'Episode I' and largely unsatisfactory 'Episode II', it seems too easy to jump onto the 'slate George Lucas' bandwagon. But 'Episode III', far from lacking in emotion and drama, is brimming with both, making the viewer really care about the characters in a way that was missing in the first two prequels. True, it may lack the sense of fun found in the original trilogy, but this film is not supposed to be fun. This film is about what makes a good man evil. And, surprisingly, it works.
Beginning with a tremendous inter-stellar battle, 'Revenge of Sith' grabs the viewer's attention with an iron fist and never lets go. The action is well-paced, connecting well with just enough 'Star Wars' humour and the main characters' personal conflicts - Obi-Wan Kenobi's struggle with Separatist leader General Grievous, pregnant Padmé's inability to comprehend her husband's behaviour and, of course, Anakin Skywalker's fall from grace. The film's climax is a truly awesome sequence between Skywalker and Kenobi, full of passion and bitterness - it really does not disappoint.
There has been much debate about the dialogue and acting in 'Episode III'. Well, the dialogue is awful in parts (notably most of the scenes between Anakin and Padmé) but why do people act as if this is something new? I enjoy the first trilogy ('Return of the Jedi' less so) not because of the dialogue (which is just as bad as it is in 'Episode III') or the acting (Mark Hamill? Harrison 'I have three facial expressions' Ford?) but because it is a great story that reaches into my imagination. The dialogue and acting in the original trilogy is hardly ground-breaking, but has been accepted as part of 'Star Wars' and does not harm people's enjoyment of the story. Why are we suddenly so prudish about it now? For the record, I think the acting is not at all bad in 'Revenge of the Sith'. Hayden Christensen, for all the slating he gets, is fine as the troubled Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and brilliant in his duel with Obi-Wan on the lava planet of Mustafar. I only hope negativity towards his skills do not hamper his career - anyone seen 'Shattered Glass'? Ewan McGregor has never been better in his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Natalie Portman is the only actress I have ever seen that makes the line 'You're breaking my heart!' sound credibly heart-wrenching and Ian McDiarmid is excellent as the evil Senator Palpatine.
'Episode III' does, however, have its flaws. The dialogue between Anakin and Padmé is excruciatingly cheesy and static at times and this does hinder the plot, as a major factor in Anakin's trip to the dark side of the force is his fear of losing his beloved wife. The problem is that the audience has to work a bit harder to really believe the love between the two is actually there. And the creation of Darth Vader seems a bit too easy in the end - a case of Senator Palpatine a.k.a. Darth Sidious basically saying 'Come on, son. The dark side. You know you want to join it...' and Anakin agreeing with 'Oh, okay then.'. Skywalker's reasoning may be slightly dodgy, but does suffice and the film's plus points far outweigh its negative aspects. This is 'Star Wars'. If one starts picking at the story's veneer, it will be difficult to stop. Just sit and enjoy it for what it is - over two hours of pure fantasy and perfect escapism that people of all ages will love (apart from narrow-minded cynics of course).
Unlike Episode II, I found this film marvellously absorbing, wonderfully powerful, surprisingly moving and most of all, brilliantly entertaining. I cannot tell you how excited I was when the words 'A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...' appeared on the screen and John Williams famous score filled the cinema. This was one cinematic experience I will never forget.